Vulfpeck bass ace Joe Dart joins his bandmate on Wong Notes to chop up all things bass, from how he developed his “voice” to his favorite practice regimes.
This time on Wong Notes, Cory is joined by his Vulfpeck and Fearless Flyers copilot Joe Dart. Wong doesn’t waste any time, diving in by asking Dart, by now renowned as a modern bass wizard with flawless fundamentals, how he developed he signature voice on the bass. As Dart explains, it came from listening to players who had their own distinct voice, who sound like “they’re singing a part within the song,” he says. These “philosophers of the low-end,” like Flea, imprinted the value of total intention and feeling in every note, as if any single one could be your last.
Dart throws it back to his first bass—a Samick—and remembers how it’s ridiculously high action was like weight training for the rest of his career. He still likes his strings suspended up higher than most, which allows his “brute force” slapping. Wong and Dart trade notes on practice regimes, and Dart offers advice for young players: Learn your scales, sure, but most importantly, “play with as many different people as you can.” Plus, Dart breaks down his differing approaches to instrumental and vocal tracks.
Later on, the bandmates ponder the mental trap of the social media comparison game, and wonder at how algorithms impact which music rises to the top of the heap. What does Dart hope to remembered for? With any luck, he’ll have works as iconic as his grandfather’s, Israel Baker, whose violin playing you’ll recognize not just from collabs with Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, but some of the most famous film scores and TV show theme songs.
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An amp-in-the-box pedal designed to deliver tones reminiscent of 1950s Fender Tweed amps.
Designed as an all-in-one DI amp-in-a-box solution, the ZAMP eliminates the need to lug around a traditional amplifier. You’ll get the sounds of rock legends – everything from sweet cleans to exploding overdrive – for the same cost as a set of tubes.
The ZAMP’s versatility makes it an ideal tool for a variety of uses…
- As your main amp: Plug directly into a PA or DAW for full-bodied sound with Jensen speaker emulation.
- In front of your existing amp: Use it as an overdrive/distortion pedal to impart tweed grit and grind.
- Straight into your recording setup: Achieve studio-quality sound with ease—no need to mic an amp.
- 12dB clean boost: Enhance your tone with a powerful clean boost.
- Versatile instrument compatibility: Works beautifully with harmonica, violin, mandolin, keyboards, and even vocals.
- Tube preamp for recording: Use it as an insert or on your bus for added warmth.
- Clean DI box functionality: Can be used as a reliable direct input box for live or recording applications.
See the ZAMP demo video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJp0jE6zzS8
Key ZAMP features include:
- True analog circuitry: Faithfully emulates two 12AX7 preamp tubes, one 12AX7 driver tube, and two 6V6 output tubes.
- Simple gain and output controls make it easy to dial in the perfect tone.
- At home, on stage, or in the studio, the ZAMP delivers cranked tube amp tones at any volume.
- No need to mic your cab: Just plug in and play into a PA or your DAW.
- Operates on a standard external 9-volt power supply or up to 40 hours with a single 9-volt battery.
The ZAMP pedal is available for a street price of $199 USD and can be purchased at zashabuti.com.
Mooer's Ocean Machine II is designed to bring superior delay and reverb algorithms, nine distinct delay types, nine hi-fidelity reverb types, tap tempo functionality, a new and improved looper, customizable effect chains, MIDI connectivity, expression pedal support, and durable construction.
Similarly to the original, the Ocean Machine II offers two independent delay modules, each with nine different delay types of up to two seconds, including household names such as digital, tape, and echo delays, as well as more abstract options, such as galaxy, crystal, and rainbow. A high-fidelity reverb module complements these delays with nine reverb types, as well as a shimmer effect. Each delay and reverb effect can also be ‘frozen,’ creating static ambient drones, an effect that sounds particularly impressive considering the pedal’s DSP upgrades.
While the original Ocean Machine’s looping capabilities provided just 44 seconds of loop storage, the new addition features an impressive 120 seconds. To experiment with this feature, along with OceanMachine II’s other sonic capabilities, users can use an intuitive LCD screen along with 12 knobs (four for each delay and reverb module) to easily adjust parameters within the device’s ‘Play Mode.’ Three footswitches are also provided to facilitate independent effect toggling, tap tempo control, looper interfacing, and a preset selector.
Once the guitarist has crafted an interesting effect chain, they can save their work as a preset and enter ‘Patch Mode,’ in which they can toggle between saved settings with each of the three footswitches. In total, the Ocean Machine II provides eight preset storage banks, each of which supports up to threepresets, resulting in a total of 24 save slots.
The pedal’s versatility is further enhanced by its programmable parallel and serial effect chain hybrid, a signature element of Devin Townsend’s tone creation. This feature allows users to customize the order of effects, providing endless creative possibilities. Further programming options can be accessed through the LED screen, which impressively includes synchronizable MIDI connectivity, a feature that was absent in the original Ocean Machine.
In addition to MIDI, the pedal supports various external control systems, including expression pedal input through a TRS cable. Furthermore, the pedal is compatible with MOOER's F4 wireless footswitch, allowing for extended capabilities for mapping presets and other features. A USB-C port is also available for firmware updates, ensuring that the pedal remains up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.
Considering the experimental nature of Devin Townsend’s performances, MOOER has also gone above and beyond to facilitate the seamless integration of Ocean Machine II into any audio setup. The device features full stereo inputs and outputs, as well as adjustable global EQ settings, letting users tailor their sound to suit different environments. Guitarists can also customize their effect chains to be used with true bypass or DSP (buffered) bypass, depending on their preferences and specific use cases.
Overall, Ocean Machine II brings higher-quality delay and reverb algorithms, augmented looping support, and various updated connections to Devin Townsend’s original device. As per MOOER’s typical standard, the pedal is engineered to withstand the rigors of touring and frequent use, allowing guitars to bring their special creations and atmospheric drones to the stage.
Key Features
- Improved DSP algorithms for superior delay and reverb quality
- Nine distinct delay types that support up to 2 seconds of delay time: digital, analog, tape, echo,liquid, rainbow, crystal, low-bit, and fuzzy delays
- Nine hi-fidelity reverb types: room, hall, plate, distorted reverb, flanger reverb, filter reverb,reverse, spring, and modulated reverb
- Freeze feedback feature, supported for both delay and reverb effects
- Tap tempo footswitch functionality
- New and improved looper supporting up to 120 seconds of recording time, along withoverdubbing capabilities, half-speed, and reverse effects.
- Customizable order of effects in parallel or series chains
- Flexible bypass options supporting both true bypass and DSP bypass
- Large LCD screen, controllable through twelve easy-to-use physical knobs for real-time parameter adjustments.
- Adjustable Global EQ Settings
- Full stereo inputs and outputs
- Synchronizable and mappable MIDI In and Thru support
- USB-C port for firmware updates
- External expression pedal support via TRS cable
- Support for the MOOER F4 wireless footswitch (sold separately)
- Designed for durability and reliability in both studio and live environments.
The Ocean Machine will be available from official MOOER dealers and distributors worldwide on September 10, 2024.
For more information, please visit mooeraudio.com.
MOOER Ocean Machine II Official Demo Video - YouTube
An '80s-era cult favorite is back.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Victory Figured Top Iguana BurstThe SDE-3 fuses the vintage digital character of the legendary Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay into a pedalboard-friendly stompbox with a host of modern features.
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.