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It all starts with my violin. It's a 5-string made by John Sirakowski in 2000, and I've been playing it for almost 25 years. I use his DPA 4099 clip mic (dpamicrophones.com) and his Schertler DYN-V-P48 pickup (schertler.com). The pickup first passes through a Schertler Yellow Single preamplifier before being combined with the microphone signal in a Grace Design FELiX2 blender (gracedesign.com). This is a 2-channel mixer that allows you to blend pickups and mics, adjust EQ, and choose the level of each for different situations. For example, when looping, the mic can pick up background sounds and muddy the effect, so if you're outside in a windy environment or in a noisy club, go lighter with a lighter mic and heavier pickup. A microphone gives you the flexibility to use your voice to add to the loop, such as breathing, vocal sounds, or singing harmony parts.
Grace FELiX2 also allows you to adjust the phase of the microphone and pickup. Even if the signals are next to each other on the violin, they don't arrive at the blender at exactly the same time, which can result in the somewhat hollow sound I describe. Phase adjustment allows you to dial in the waveform and bring it into phase, bringing your sound into focus.
The signal is then sent to an Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe compressor (originEffects.com), which evens things out a bit. It gives you control over dynamics, especially when creating bass effects or percussion sounds from the violin body. Using pickups will be more stable with these textures. From there, enter the Fulltone GT-500 (fulltoneusa.com), which ranges from mild drive to intense distortion. The signal is then sent to an Eventide H9 multi-effects pedal (eventideaudio.com) with an MXR tap tempo switch (jimdunlop.com). Finally, the Lehle Mono Volume pedal (lehle.com) allows you to adjust the level of the part you're creating or tune between songs.
I call it a tone board. I use two different pedalboards of hers. This little pedal board and a larger pedal board that is essentially my effects board. The little board is where the sounds of my instruments really live. For gigs that don't require a lot of effects, such as Americana gigs, you can just carry a small board and plug it in and use an effect or two. I use a stereo setup because it gives the sound more breadth and distinction between parts when looping. In mono, everything can be clustered in the middle.
My big main effects board has a bunch of different pedals. I have an analog Moog MF-108M Cluster Flux (moogmusic.com). It has a lot of interesting modulation type sounds and you can also adjust parameters with your foot via an expression pedal. All of my pitch-related effects come from Eventide PitchFactor. It also features an expression pedal for real-time changes. You can use it to create effects such as bass sounds, parallel octaves, and harmonies. For example, you can set it to play in perfect fourths, diatonic four-part harmonies in a particular key, or even dissonances like raised semitones. And 4th down. I really like this pedal. This is the predecessor to the Eventide H9 pedal that was on my little board. The H9 is an updated version that combines all of Eventide's Factor pedal effects into one unit, but it requires an iPad or other Bluetooth interface to operate, making it not as fast to control and difficult to operate in a live setting. Become.
“I spent a lot of time practicing the pedals to make them feel like an extension of my instrument.”
My reverb pedal is the TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 (tcelectronic.com). I'm careful with the amount of reverb, but it's a very useful effect. For me, it's being able to create tones that contrast with each other as you layer them, and being able to create different moods based on the type of song you're playing. Next, use the Eventide TimeFactor and Tap Tempo to create all the echoes and delays. The brain behind it all is my looper, the Boomerang III Phrase Sampler (boomeranglooper.com), which has three independent tracks, lots of arrangement options, and even a fade-out feature. The sound then goes back through the GraceFELiX2 on a small board and can be sent to a mixing board, amp, or headphones.
I don't change pedals very often. Once I get used to something, I like to stick with it for a while. I spent a lot of time practicing the pedals so that they felt like an extension of my instrument. I know the creative tools they give me so I can immediately use them in a live situation to get the type of sound I'm looking for.
However, I recently acquired a Hologram Electronics Microcosm pedal (hologramelectronics.com) and have been experimenting with it. It produces very cool grainy sounds and textures and also has a looper. My problem is finding space to put it. Of course, you can get a bigger board, but you have to draw the line somewhere, especially when traveling or flying.
The first piece of kit I would advise someone just starting out is a delay pedal. Loops are basically like delays or echoes of the sound you create, so most delay pedals can also create loops. It's fun to use because you can play right away. What you just played comes back to you. It can also be used as a music tool. For example, you can create a rhythmic bed simply by using delays.
I just started Blue Ridge Fiddle Camp (blueridgefiddlecamp.com) in North Carolina. The camp, held for the first time this August, allows players to experiment with loops and effects in the technology lab, as well as try out pedal boards. Participants can also explore different eclectic styles and learn rhythms.
Last but not least is my NS Design CR5 5-string electric violin (thinkns.com). I really like the weight and balance, and I also like that the upper bout stop is a reference point. It's better than my acoustic in certain situations, like when I use an octave pedal to create bass sounds, when I play in a band with heavy stage volume, when I create distortion and overdrive, and I like the pizzicato switch. Masu. I like to think of an acoustic fiddle dressed up for opera, or an electric guitar dressed up for a club.
Interview by Emma Baker
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