Skinner shows off their latest musical products
Skinner shows off their latest musical products
The 4-day event will feature clinics and performances hosted by guitar stars Tosin Abasi, Guthrie Trapp, Brent Mason, Mark Lettieri, Greg Koch, and more.
In an effort to create the most unique music instruction and vacation experience around, guitar phenom Andy Wood is back for the third year of his Woodshed Guitar Experience. The Woodshed Guitar Experience will take place at Lake Francis in Crossville, Tennessee from August 25th – August 28th.
The four-day, three-night all-inclusive experience gives players the luxury of time, space, and access to world-class guitarists who are there to help them make breakthroughs in craft and creativity. Joining the already impressive lineup of instructors and performers is Tosin Abasi from Animals As Leaders and country-guitar icon Guthrie Trapp. More information on the Woodshed Guitar Experience can be found at: https://www.woodshedguitarexperience.com.
“The Woodshed Guitar Experience is a real passion project for me and one of my favorite things I get to do as a guitar player,” explains Andy Wood. “Getting together with some of the best players in the business to teach a group of dedicated attendees of all skill levels brings me more joy than I ever thought imaginable. I am so excited to get together with everyone this year for what I am sure will be the best camp yet.”
Now in its third year, the Woodshed Guitar Experience is organized by guitarist Andy Wood, who has toured professionally with Rascal Flatts, LoCash, Scott Stapp and others and just recently announced as part of the 2023 Shiprocked cruise. During the day, attendees enjoy small-group lessons, gear talks, jam sessions, and more. Players can bring their own gear or try out demo units from sponsors like Suhr, PRS Guitars, REVV Amplification, Wampler Pedals, and Open Chord Music, including some items that can be hard to find in local music stores. Guests are also treated to three nights of full-length concerts by the artists, showcasing world-class talent with top-tier production values in intimate venues.
The 2022 event features an international line-up. This year’s featured artists include Brent Mason, Mark Lettieri, Greg Koch, Nick Johnston, Martin Miller, and Tom Quayle. House band members Jim Riley, Daniel Kimbro, and Eli Bishop will also lead sessions. Attendance is limited to 125 people to ensure a VIP experience, and schedules are balanced so everyone can spend time with all the instructors. The result is a unique opportunity to learn from and jam with world- class players.
Experience options begin at $2,799 and include housing, all activities, meals, and an open bar, plus shuttle service for attendees in off-site accommodations. The camp stresses an all-inclusive philosophy, welcoming everyone from beginners and enthusiasts to veteran performers. Couples’ add-ons are available, and accommodations are made for special dietary requirements. Details and registration options are available at https://www.woodshedguitarexperience.com.
Connect with The Woodshed Guitar Experience online:
Website: https://www.woodshedguitarexperience.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodshedguitarexperience
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodshedguitarexperience/
Connect with Andy Wood online:
Website: https://www.andywoodmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.wood.12327
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andywoodmusic/
Fig. 1
Here’s a different way to unleash the beast within your tracks.
Welcome to another Dojo. Last month I explained in detail how to set up and use sidechain compression techniques to get that classic pop/EDM pumping sound on your rhythm guitar parts and other instruments in your mix. This time, we’ll use the same setup techniques but, instead of sidechaining a compressor, I’m going to show you the benefits of using a gate.
What is a gate? It’s an audio circuit design (hardware or software) that operates relative to a set threshold, much like a compressor. The key difference is that while a compressor reduces the dynamic range (volume) when the audio signal goes above the threshold, a gate reduces the volume of an audio signal when it goes below the threshold and cuts it off completely.
For those of you who play rock, prog, extreme metal, or anything that uses massive gain, you most likely use a noise gate to tame the excessive pedal/amp noise (and possibly even feedback) that would otherwise run harum-scarum over every second of silence—in between each palm mute, pick stroke, etc. The net result is super tight and punchy guitars that can stop on a dime.
The net result of using a gate instead of a compressor is that the guitar solo track will open up instead of closing down.
Let’s get crazy from the start. Take a song you’ve recorded that has multiple instruments (full band with vocals or similar). Next, create a new guitar track and record yourself playing a wicked solo for the entire song. (I was guilty of this when I first learned the pentatonic scale.) Make it as wild as you want and add lots of signal processing as well. Unleash your inner guitar demon.
Once you’ve accepted your award for “longest guitar solo,” place a gate plug-in on the track. I’m going to use FabFilter Pro-G ($179 Street), but another great choice is Waves C1 Compressor/Gate ($29 Street).
Now, we can get into some uncharted waters. Choose a track (like the snare drum, chorus BGV parts, or a cool rhythm part) and route the output of that track to the gate’s input on your new guitar-solo-from-hell track. Every DAW has slightly different ways to do sidechaining, so like last month (see August’s column “Try Sidechaining for Greater Expression”), I’m going to use Pro Tools and follow the exact same procedure—the only difference is that this time it’s a gate and not a compressor. I’m also reposting the same link as well, with instructions for non-Pro Tools users courtesy of the Fab Filter website support page that gives directions for Studio One, Logic, Cubase, and Ableton.
The net result of using a gate instead of a compressor is that the guitar solo track will open up instead of closing down. For example, every time the snare drum hits, you will briefly hear wherever you were in your new solo track. You then can fine-tune how little or long it stays audible before being forced back into submission.
Fig. 2
In Pro Tools, open up the gate plug-in you placed on your guitar solo track [Fig. 1] and set sidechain from internal (In) to external (Ext). Next, in the “key input” menu of the plug-in interface, which is just above the FabFilter logo [Fig. 2], choose Bus 1 instead of the default “no key input.” The gate is now looking for an external source to trigger it open.
In Pro Tools, open up the gate plug-in you placed on your guitar solo track [Fig. 1] and set sidechain from internal (In) to external (Ext). Next, in the “key input” menu of the plug-in interface, which is just above the FabFilter logo [Fig. 2], choose Bus 1 instead of the default “no key input.” The gate is now looking for an external source to trigger it open.
Fig. 3
Now, let’s bus-route the snare drum track to the gate on the guitar track. In the “sends” slot of the snare drum track, select Bus 1. The Bus view window for Bus 1 will pop up [Fig. 3]. Set its level to 0.0 dB (so it will send audio signal to the gate) and select “PRE” (pre-fader) [Fig. 4]. You’ve now routed the audio (using Bus 1) from the drum track to the gate’s sidechain input on the guitar track.
Fig. 4
If you mute the snare drum track, you’ll be able to hear how it is affecting the guitar track. Now you can play with the threshold, attack, ratio, and release. Start with a quick attack (.010-.025 ms), a high threshold, and a medium release time (150-200 ms), then adjust to taste.
I love doing things like this because every time the snare drum hits, you don’t know what you’re going to get. You can take this farther and add some reverb and delay to the guitar track to further play with how long the solo “blip” will last. This is just the tip of the iceberg, so keep experimenting and let me know if you find something really cool by emailing me here. Keep sharing your musical passion with the world and, until next time, namaste.