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The Future Impact V4 is an incredibly versatile pedal with an exceptional range of sounds. In addition to producing synthesizer sounds such as basses, leads and pads, it can function as an octaver, chorus, flanger, phaser, distortion, envelope filter, traditional wah-wah, tremolo, reverb, etc., and even has a built-in tuner. It can potentially replace an entire pedalboard of dedicated single-effect pedals.
The very powerful signal processor of the Future Impact V4 is able to replicate the various oscillator, filter, amplifier and envelope generator blocks found in classic synthesizers. In addition, it contains signal processing blocks more traditionally used for processing the sound of an instrument such as a harmonizer block and audio effects such as chorus, distortion and EQ. These architectures complement each other in a very flexible way.
Setting the standard for the bass guitar synth pedals since 2015, together with an enthusiastic community and long line of great artists, the Future Impact V4 is the guitar synth platform for the next decade.
Designed for players who demand flexibility without sacrificing tone, the Aquanaut fuses the rich warmth of classic analog delay with the extended range and clarity of modern digital designs. Featuring up to 600 milliseconds of delay time, the Aquanaut easily covers everything from tight slapback echoes to lush, ambient textures and rhythmic soundscapes ā all with a simple, intuitive control layout.
Unlike many digital delays that can sound sterile and detached, the Aquanaut retains an organic, analog-inspired voice. Repeats are smooth and musical, gently fading into the mix to create depth and dimension without overwhelming your dry signal. Whether youāre chasing vintage tape echo, adding subtle space to your solos, or building massive atmospheric layers, the Aquanaut keeps your tone clear, present, and inspiring.
Berserker Electronics Aquanaut Delay/Echo
Key features include:
- Up to 600ms of delay time for expanded creative possibilities
- Analog-voiced digital architecture for warm, natural-sounding repeats
- Ambient-style echo that enhances, not distracts from, your core tone
- Simple, intuitive controls for delay time, feedback, and blend
The Aquanaut is available direct at www.berserkerpedals.com and Reverb at a $149 street price.
Though Lou Reed seemed to only use a handful of chords, his shrewd right-hand strumming created limitless rhythmic variations.
Beginner to Intermediate
Beginner to Intermediate
- Focus on syncopation.
- Add muted strums to enhance your rhythm playing.
- Learn how to modify complex rhythmic patterns into smaller, more comprehensible figures.
Though usually more lauded for his lyrics than his guitar playing, Lou Reed had a distinctive style of strumming that can make replication a challenge and seemingly impossible for beginners to comprehend. With a combination of syncopations and muted strums, Reedās rhythm guitarāfrom his time with the Velvet Underground to his solo careerāhas a groove and feel that all guitar players can learn from.
Weāll start with a relatively simple strummed hook that shows Reedās roots. Ex. 1 is a variation on āThere She Goes Againā from The Velvet Underground and Nico, which was recorded in 1966 and released in 1967. This strum was clearly inspired by Marvin Gayeās āHitch Hike,ā as it duplicates Gayeās intro almost exactly, albeit in a different key. (It is worth mentioning that āHitch Hikeā also inspired the Beatles āYou Canāt Do That.ā)
Ex. 1
Ex. 2 is the samething but performed with cowboy chords instead of barres.
Ex. 2
With Ex. 3, a la āSister Rayā from 1967ās White Light/White Heat, we get into Reedās more syncopated strums. Note that after the first beat, the emphasis of each strum is on an upbeat, including the changes from G to F, then from F to C, followed at the end by a typical Lou Reed-ism of strumming while in mid-change (though in all fairness, many guitarists do this). Thus, the last upbeat notes, which imply a G chord, are in fact a byproduct created by the switch, not a specific chord.
Ex. 3
Ex. 4 is the same strum but capoed at the 5th fret, using cowboy chords instead of barres.
Ex. 4
Our final Velvet reference, Ex. 5, comes from āSweet Janeā (Loaded, 1970), which is a song I loathe teaching to students as it is deceptively trickyāit was the inspiration for this lessonāand can make one feel demoralized. True, the song has only four chords, but the syncopated switching and muted strums can cause problems for many players, and not just beginners. Take your time to get the nuances of the switches and mutes.
Ex. 5
Better yet, start with Ex. 6, which is a simplified version of Ex. 5, using cowboy chords instead of barre chords, as well as a more straightforward strum. True, it does not conform completely to the original, but it is a worthwhile starting point. Once this is mastered, try playing Ex. 5 with the open-position chords before moving onto the barres.
Ex. 6
Solo Years
Ex. 7 is a take on āWalk on the Wild Sideā from 1972ās Transformer, arguably the most famous Lou Reed song. Here weāve graduated from eighth-notes to 16th-notes in the right hand. Once again, the muted strums play a vital role.
Ex. 7
Like the previous two examples, you might want to start with the simpler Ex.Ā 8, although the only change is that the mutes have been omitted. This example demonstrates how essential the mutes are, as the feel changes completely when you leave them out.
Ex. 8
Ex. 9 also comes from Transformer and is a variation onāVicious.ā Additional syncopations and muted strums, both different from āā¦Wild Side,ā complicate what should be carefree.
Ex. 9
Ex. 10 is, again, a simplified alternative.
Ex. 10
Examples 11 and 12 demonstrate two options for fretting chords, using Reedās āLeave Me Aloneā from Street Hassle (1978) as a vehicle.
Ex. 11
Ex. 12
Our last example, Ex. 13, is based on Reedās late-ā80s ācomebackā hit, āDirty Boulevardā from New York. Here we not only get syncopations, but a rhythmic variation in the chorusāsame chords, different rhythms. Pay attention to that quick, almost-ghosted B note on the āandā of 1 in measure two. It almost seems like a mistake but it adds so much.
Ex. 13
The Lou Reed Legacy
When most fans think of Lou Reed, the first thing that comes to mind is his pioneering subversive, transgressive, and poetic lyrics. But, clearly, that is not all there is to his work. In truth, Lou Reed is an incomparable musician whose guitar playing should not be underestimated. So, take this lesson as a starting point and search out more of his idiosyncratic strums. You will be well rewarded.
Montanaās own Evel Knievel
If artists arenāt allowed to take risks, and even fail, great art will never be made. Need proof? Check Picasso, Hendrix, Monk, and Led Zeppelin.
In sixth grade, I went to a strict Catholic school. When you have an Italian-Irish mother, thatās just part of the deal. The nuns had the look and temperament of the defensive line of the ā70s Oakland Raiders. Corporal punishment was harsh, swift, and plentifulāparticularly toward boysāand we all feared them. All but one second grader. I canāt remember his first name; nobody used it, because his last name was Knievel. His uncle was Evel Knievel, the greatest and perhaps only celebrity ever to come from my home state, Montana. On the playground, we would watch in awe as this wild Knievel kid raced by us, nuns chasing in an awkward, sluggish pursuit as he knocked kids over, dust, books, and gravel flying behind his path of terror. This kid was fearless. It was truly inspiring to watch.
I hadnāt thought about my schoolmate for decades, until recently, when I saw Dave Chappelle talking about a terrible show he had in Detroit where the audience rebelled against him and began chanting, āWe want our money back. We want our money back.ā Chappelle told the angry mob: āGood people of Detroit. Hear me now. You are never getting your f*****g money back. Iām like Evel Knievel. I get paid for the attempt. I didnāt promise this shit would be good.ā
Good art is a gamble. Look at Picasso. In 1907, he spent nearly a year drawing rough sketches and eventually painting his jagged, raw, unpretty Les Demoiselles dāAvignon. Picasso kept Les Demoiselles dāAvignon in his Montmartre, Paris, studio for years after its completion due to the mostly negative reaction of his immediate circle of friends and colleagues. After its first public showing in 1916, critics were hostile. Today, the painting is hailed as a pivotal moment in art historyāthe first true work of both Cubism and modern art. Many argue that the 20th century began culturally in 1907, with this painting that today hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Picasso wasnāt paid to make folks comfy; he got bank for shoving boundaries.
Similarly, I remember my sister and I watching a clip of Hendrixās feedback-drenched āStar-Spangled Bannerā at Woodstock. I couldnāt really process it at the time, but I knew I was watching something that had never been done. When he got to the ābombs bursting in airā part, it sounded like a barrage of explosions. Then, he references the mournful military bugle call āTaps,ā played on bases at the end of each day and at funerals. My sister was offended. When I asked why, she said it was āunpatriotic.ā I watch it now and I see a Black Army veteran who justifiably had a complex relationship with the country he had served. Martin Luther King was assassinated a year earlier, police brutality toward Black citizens was common. Black Americans were disproportionately stuck in low-wage jobs, and unemployment rates for Black workers were roughly double those of white workers. And although Hendrix was discharged, many of his Army buddies were overseas fighting a war they did not understand or support. So, yes, unpatriotic seems appropriate. But Hendrixās performance was iconic because he dared to try to show his complex feelings through his guitar.āThatās the sweet spot: Fearless doesnāt mean flawless.ā
Listen to Led Zeppelinās groundbreaking āBlack Dog.ā The B section is so wonky, sticking out like a sore thumb with that weird timing that always feels wrong to me, but it would not be the rock masterpiece it is without that unsettling section. Maybe thatās the sweet spot: Fearless doesnāt mean flawless. Thelonious Monkās janky genius proves that; those off-kilter notes hit you in the gut, not the head. Beck, Bowie, Coltraneā¦ they didnāt polish away the edges; they leaned into them. Thatās what makes you feel like a kid at an amusement park, wide-eyed and along for the ride.
When somebody hires me, they get what they get. I want to nail it, but art is subjective, so my idea of what feels right may not jibe with theirs. Humans are not great at communicating, so often I walk away from sessions and gigs wondering if my contribution was good, great, or garbage. But thatās a stupid question I try not to allow myself to indulge. You canāt do great work playing scared. There are times when music is not creative, just painting by numbers, trying to give the customer what they think they want. I do a lot of that to make a living, but thatās more like being a vending machine spitting out custom orders, not an artist.
Real artists are like that Knievel kidāleaving a trail of chaos, and not apologizing for it. I think artists who do it the best flip the script. Their audience isnāt just a judge, but a co-conspirator in the mess. Theyāre betting on the artistās next move, not buying a finished product. Theyāre paying for the front-row seat to potential, not a flawless show. The paycheck was for the swing, not the home run. If the audience pays for āenjoymentā that turns artists into jukeboxes, not creatorsā¦ if artists arenāt free to failā¦ innovation dies.
