Time is money, especially in the world of the recording studio. But all too often musicians waste resources by not being prepared for their recording session. A few small preparations will not only save time and money, but can also help your session run smoother. Here is a checklist of some things to remember the next time you are preparing to embark on a recording project. Prepare Yourself
First and foremost, you are a musician. No amount of gear can make up for a bad performance or lack of preparedness. That’s why making sure that you are musically ready for your recording session should be first on the list. Nothing brings the creative process to a halt quicker than a band member who isn’t rehearsed. Practice your songs until you know them perfectly before you ever set foot in the tracking room; that way you can utilize your studio time to improvise, experiment and improve your performance, as opposed to trying to remember if the chorus or bridge comes next. Show up for the session on time. Do what you need to do to be clear-headed and focused; leave any unwanted distractions at home, and make sure you are fully rested and fed before the session starts.
Guitar Tips
As a studio owner and engineer, I’m continually amazed at how many guitarists don’t maintain their guitars. Think ahead and make sure your instrument is performing at its best and that it will stand up to the scrutiny it will undergo in a recording. Here is simple list of things that all guitarists should remember.
- Change your strings and pack extra sets. No one wants to sit and wait while you run to your local guitar shop to pick up a set of strings after you snap one on your solo. A recording makes it very obvious if your strings are old or are so dead they won’t play in tune or sustain.
- Make sure your guitar’s electronics are working correctly. You can do amazing things to fix a recording in today’s digital studio, but no engineer enjoys editing crackle from your guitar tracks because of a dirty selector switch or worn out pot.
- Do a thorough set up on your guitar, or take it in for a professional setup a few days in advance of your session. Ensure that the action is set up to your specifications and get rid of any fret buzz that might be present. Make sure the intonation is dialed in so that you can play in tune no matter where you are on the neck. While buzzes and slightly outof- tune playing may pass unnoticed in a live setting, they can become painfully obvious in the rarified air of the recording studio.
- Don’t forget your tuner. Verify your tuning regularly during the recording session, double- checking every few takes to make sure there isn’t any drift. Technology is wonderful, and in some cases the engineer may be able to re-tune a few notes in a solo, but forget about fixing out-of-tune notes within chords.
Your amp tone is about to be immortalized on tape, so make sure it is working perfectly to ensure you get the tone you’re looking for. If you have a tube amp, consider replacing the tubes and having a pro bias your amp to ensure you are getting the best possible tone and performance from it. Check the amp’s inputs and control knobs to ensure you don’t have any dirt in the pots that could cause crackle or noise. Perform a quick maintenance check on the speaker and the speaker bracket as well as the other components in the cabinet. I once spent 20 minutes in a session trying to locate a rattle that I eventually found was coming from a speaker bracket that wasn’t tightly fastened to the cabinet of the amp.
Pedals and Effects
If you use stompboxes or rack effects, make sure they are operating properly and aren’t sucking tone or level away from your signal. Consider new high-quality cables for your complete guitar rig, including your pedalboard interconnects – if you don’t want to replace all your cables, at least bring a few spares that are known to be in perfect condition. Remember to pack extra batteries or a spare power supply for your pedals; a power strip or two and an extension cord are also wise accessories.
It never hurts to bring a selection of guitars along in case something happens to your primary instrument, or to provide different tonal colors. One axe may serve you well onstage, but in the studio you may find yourself wanting different textures to add depth to the recording, including acoustic guitar tones. Finally, don’t forget straps and picks.
The recording studio can be a wonderful, creative environment for capturing your music, but it can also turn into a very expensive disaster if you aren’t fully prepared. In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”
Kurt Martin
Kurt Martin is an avid guitar and keyboard player who owned and operated his own studio for over ten years. He spent five years as a freelance engineer in Nashville, Tennessee, and now works at Sweetwater as a Sales Engineer and operates a project studio for audio and video clients. He can be reached at 800-222-4700 x1237 or kurt_martin@sweetwater.com.
There’s nothing cooler than using a Leslie cabinet in the studio, and few things worse than having to lug one to gigs. The famed Leslie 981, for example, weighs nearly 150 pounds. Enter the rotary speaker pedal—an easy-on-the-back alternative for players who are looking to conjure Leslie-derived guitar sounds employed on classic records by Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and others.
California Roller
There are a lot of good options for on-the-floor rotary pedals between $99 and $549. At $299, Keeley Electronics’ new I Get Around Rotary Simulator falls in the middle of the pack on pricing but has an array of functions that make it competitive with costlier examples. The I Get Around is part of a collaboration between Keeley, JHS Pedals, and Benson amps, dedicated to creating five limited-edition effects in tribute to the Beach Boys. I can’t recall many Beach Boys tracks with Leslie-style guitar, but Brian Wilson did use the effect on brother Carl’s guitar on 1965’s “You’re So Good to Me,” and a year later on the song “Pet Sounds.”
At 5" x 4" x 2", the I Get Around is a little larger than the average stompbox, but that’s necessary to accommodate the three big dials on top (blend, drive, and speed) as well as the on/off (which also works to select true bypass or buffered mode) and slow-fast switches, plus the stereo inputs and outputs. Using two amps in stereo makes the flutter and warble of the rotary sound more pronounced and immersive. It’s truly psychedelic. There’s also a toggle that adds a 4.5 dB mid-boost, which fattens and tightens the tone enough for me to simply want to leave that boost engaged all the time.
How I Got Around
I ran the I Get Around—powered by a 9V barrel connector at 130 mA— through a pair of Carr amps, playing a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a PRS SE Silver Sky, and blended the pedal with overdrive, fuzz, and delay as I experimented. I love the extra-large size of the speed control, which let me adjust the rate of simulated rotation at a whim with my shoe. The speed’s range is .06 Hz to .6 Hz, with 1 Hz being one revolution per second, and all the speed settings sound great and conjure the vibes you’d want from a Leslie, from velvet-painting dreamscapes to edgy, breathless Robert Ward- and David Gilmour-style psychedelic blues. Add a little delay and the sound becomes spongier and stranger, but too much, of course, can turn things to muck, as can an overbearing fuzz.
The drive control is a subtle overdrive that simulates a pushed 6550 and 12UA7 tube. At moderate amp volume, it doesn’t add much discernable grit until about 9 o’clock. Past 2 o’clock it rolled off enough top end to make my guitar sound less potent. But between those demarcations lies a very sweet spot for adding beef. The blend control starts being effective at about 8 o’clock, when the first hints of the rotary sound become a backdrop for the guitar’s voice, and then it's just a matter of turning up to taste—including cranking all the way clockwise to entirely eliminate your core guitar sound in favor of the rotary effect alone. For my taste, the best overall sounds were achieved with subtle-to-pronounced blends, between 9 o’clock and a bit past 2, that added rotary effect to my always-present basic guitar tone, thickening, supporting, and swirling behind it.
The slow-fast switch is all about drama. It allows toggling between two speed settings, and when it’s held down it stops the rotating speaker effect, which resumes when the switch is pressed again. The ramp rate can be customized as well. I like it slow, so the activation of the swirl is audible.
The Verdict
Keeley’s new I Get Around Rotary Simulator commands all the essential sounds you’d want from an actual Leslie. Unlike some pedals in its price range, it’s got stereo outs, which, to my thinking, are essential, because the rotary effect sounds best through guitar amps run in stereo. Also, the deep functionality beyond the basic adjustments of the three topside dials is attractive, adding more Leslie-like realism. There are cheaper alternatives, but to find competitive or better examples, you’ll need to reach deeper into your pockets.
Keeley I Get Around Rotary Simulator Pedal - Sweetwater Exclusive, Limited Release
Building upon the legacy of the 1966 Arbiter Fuzz, the Orbiter Fuzz enhances this classic circuit with advanced fine-tuning circuitry.
Key Features:
- Vintage Tone: The Orbiter Fuzz delivers smooth, musical fuzz tones with cutting sustain, offering immediate inspiration.
- Vintage Power: Our unique power circuit internally converts modern wall power to emulate the draw of a vintage carbon zinc battery.
- "Sweet Spot" Dial: An internal mini potentiometer allows you to dial in the perfect impedance response for your favorite pickups.
Versatile Controls:
- FUZZ: Adjusts the overall amount of fuzz by shaping the signal’s waveform from triangular to square as the knob is turned clockwise.
- GAIN: Increases the amount of signal entering the circuit, pushing it into harmonic clipping for smooth overdriven fuzz tones.
- BIAS: Modifies voltage to the matched pair of transistors, unleashing a wide range of vintage fuzz tones. Lower voltages produce spitty Black Keys responses, while higher voltages create smooth American Woman fuzz.
- Compact Design: Optimized for pedalboard space and easy integration with any standard pedal.
- Durable Construction: Crafted for reliability to withstand rigorous touring conditions.
Technical Specifications:
- Input Impedance: 500 kOhm
- Output Impedance: 10 kOhm
- Power Requirements: External 9V DC center-negative power supply
- Dimensions: 4.75" x 2.50" x 1.5"
- Weight: 0.8 lbs
- Bypass: True bypass
Design Details:
- Custom Artwork: Retro space-age design that pays homage to the Arbiter’s flying saucer enclosure.
- High-Quality Housing: Durable reinforced steel enclosure with a vintage metallic blue hammered finish.
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A great fuzz pedal is essential for every guitarist and bassist. The Orbiter Fuzz offers the smooth, singing fuzz tone every musician dreams of, combining musicality with the reliability you need. If you’re looking for a pedal that excels in both sound and style, the Orbiter Fuzz is a must-have. Complete your search for the perfect fuzz pedal with the Orbiter Fuzz.
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Price: $249 USD.