The Wounded Paw Effects Blender V4

I gotta talk about this thing, it’s awesome.

I never really planned to include a blender in my rig. I love the idea (and theory) of just running everything straight, as I really dig stacking pedals to achieve sounds. As the layout for my board expanded the largest obstacle became using the pedals I wanted while maintaining a tolerable signal quality.

Enter the blender. I eventually figured a blender was needed, I really didn’t know what kind or where to start. What drew me to Wounded Paw’s offerings were the options (as compared to say an LS-2) and yeah, that’s really it. However the more I thought about it the more I realized the depth of this pedal.

Four independent loops, summed together. In my case this meant a few things.

1. The ability to create my favorite stacks of pedals and blend them in as needed:

I enjoying running my Wren & Cuff Pickle Pie in the effects loop of the 3 Leaf Wonderlove. But while doing this I want to maintain a lot of my core tone.  

2. Using the octave as an always on effect:

When doing this I can add a really cool texture to my clean tone. There is no discernable glitching out on the low notes but enough to hear the octave in the tone. I can push pedals harder than I could previously, because the resulting levels can be controlled with precision. 

3.  ORGANIZATION!:

 By grouping my effects by channel I’ve been able to condense and organize the board. My synth or synth related pedals are in one chain, delay/modulation are in another and my drives are divided into two channels. Everything can be laid out in the order I desire, without compromising the core tone.

If you’re looking for a blending pedal you know what they do, you probably know what is out there and you probably know the options each pedal provides. I can’t speak for any others, but for me the Wounded Paw Blender V4 has performed perfectly. I definitely recommend checking it out.  Like I said, the field is big. What are you using as a blend on your board?

Building a Board: Prototype #1 Out of Infinity

     Ideas start small and then gradually become a focal point of our existence. I decided that I wanted to have a collection of musical gear, basses, amps, pedals etc. Once I downsized my gigging board (the contents of which are decided by projects/songs) I decided to create a second board strictly for home use with the remaining pedals.

    There are many options for how one organizes pedals on a board. One can find many great companies and boutique builders who make awesome boards. The thing was, I was not into going either route. There are certainly great options out there, but for my situation, which was not gigging and some very specific size options I decided to build my own. Doing it myself has certainly made me think more about design and what I do.    

    

This is an ever-expanding novella, a story with no end, a tale with no close. Sound is never set in stone, with each adaption of this board the end goal changes.

     I knew the way I wanted to go with this, I think the biggest hurdle was the actual design. A lot of time was spent mapping, measuring and planning the aesthetics of the board in a physical sense. I knew the features I would need, but there were also a lot of features I wanted to experiment with or tailor to my own liking. I liked the idea of two levels or rows, down the line if I want to add things like power supplies or other always on pedals I could keep them under the second row. The prospect of really cool features interested me, but the reality of my woodworking skills and budget quelled a few of those. In the early stages I had a vague idea of dimensions and finality, but those ideas were quickly reevaluated once I realized what this board could be.  

    If you notice my measurements were extremely off on the first iteration of this board. Seeing settings is kind of nice.

      In terms of the pedals themselves, the iteration of this board was strictly for the use of pedals not on the main board. That would change rather quickly with the realization that I could make a really gnarly home board. There is a ton of trial and error in this tale; I hope you stick around for Part 2.

The Importance of Cabinets

I'll be honest, I never took much stock in cabinets. I mean, I payed attention to the basic aspects of them, but they were just speakers. Or so I thought.

I've had the pleasure of playing many amps and cabs over the years. Some have been amazing, and some not so much. The choices I made for my rig always came down to what I wanted to achieve sonically. Up until recently I was using a 2x10 combo. It was perfect for what I did. After I joined Truant Minds I had to look at how I was achieving my sound and what would fit best. I had great high end response with the 10s, a 15 seemed like a great addition to add the low end definition I needed.

I knew I wanted Gallien Kreuger, and quite by accident I ended up with a RBH 1x15. I wasn't planning on going that heavy, or that unable to easily fit in my car. It was the cab that was available. It was a situation where I took it home and plugged it in and instantly nailed the tone I was going for. It's such a responsive speaker in that cab, which is it what makes it great for me.

Like I said above I've played through many rigs, and recorded through a few as well. Some of these were great amps, they sounded great and they responded great. I've been doing a lot of recording for Truant Minds tunes recently. The common theme I'm noticing here is that the RBH with a Shure Beta 52 sounds better than any Ampeg, trident board or Avalon pre I've played through. 

In short, I never payed to much attention to my cabinets. But now its time to do so. I'm realizing how much speaker size/cabinet construction can impact tone. It changes my sound in the same sense that a new bass or a pedal in front of an amp would. 

What We've Been Up Too

      The workflow that both Tyler and I use for the cover videos has changed a lot since the first one. I know that he has spent a lot of time perfecting camera angles, learning about lighting and editing. He’s doing a great job, I’m really proud of what we have.

 

      Mix wise, my workflow has changed with Tyler’s drum setup. Slight adjustments, nothing out of the ordinary, but new drum heads, angles and cymbals do necessitate a different approach. I’m finding what works for me.

      I’ve made some improvements in the microphone department. I am discovering how to achieve a solid fundamental sound. Mixing is becoming a more precise process. Rather than crossing my fingers, closing my eyes and hoping I do something right. 

      

                               So I guess musically, things are pretty cool right now. Here are the videos

                                          

Mic wise I’m using:

Audix I5- Snare

Sm57- Toms

Akg D-112- Floor Tom

Shure Beta 52- Kick

Overheads-AT4040 (2)

Room- Sterling Audio St51

The Search for the Sounds in Your Head

There is a beauty in choice. There is a sigh of relief when you hit the sound you have been searching for. There are also the days of research, trial and error that go into nailing tone. Those are sometimes are not as beautiful.

It’s really awesome when you break down tone, and the descriptions of it. Tone can mean a different thing to everyone. My idea of “transparent” can be someone else’s “colored”. That’s mind blowing to me. There’s no exact definition to these adjectives and onomatopoeia’s, which means no set standard, which means a degree of personal interpretation and flexibility in these definitions (within reason of course). Again that’s really cool to me, or maybe I’m just a nerd, who knows?

In my search for tone I realize that this is a great time to be alive; there are a plethora of options when it comes to pedals, amps and instruments. That is such a cool thing, but it also means the amount of time it takes to nail those onomatopoeias, the sounds in our heads, can take a very long time. The upside is that when you nail those sounds, you nail them right.

I explored this world of chasing the sounds in my head for the better part of year. It’s been a rad journey. There are so many options. I can search for a fuzz today and find 240+ Unique options, which is absurdly awesome.  240+ potential sounds that could work for what I hear and what I am trying to achieve.  So how does one narrow it down?

    A monstrous amount of research followed by a feasibility study, more research, refreshing the track my shipment page for the 5 millionth time and finally (hopefully) shredding.  Or maybe it is not the right sound and it is back to the drawing board.

That’s really it.  I’ve used this to find most of my board, amps and basses.  Playing the field for the right solution. It’s so fun; there are so many choices. Many choices may be 99% what I had in mind, but only a few will be 100%.

What I have learned through this is that there is nothing more rewarding than chasing and achieving the sounds in your head. Whether it’s a line I’m writing, or a tone I’m chasing. When I hit it, and I know I’ve hit it right, there is nothing better.

Moving away from gear. This also applies to playing, though not in the exact same way. When you hear a line, shred on it until its right and play it exactly like it was meant to be played, it feels right. That is the same idea, the same feeling of accomplishment. It all comes down to nailing YOUR sound, whatever and however you envision it.

    

     

     

A Year in Review

  A year ago, I started this blog as an exercise in writing and as a journal, a stream of consciousness if you will, focusing on music. For me it has become a sort of testament or snapshot of my musical endeavors, thoughts and ideas. It has become a place to share what is happening, regarding music, in my life.
 I've had a lot of fun with this. I love writing, but documenting this point in my journey is equally worthwhile. 2016 is looking rad and loud. I'm really excited for all things Truant Minds coming up. But most importantly I'm excited to just do. I'm enjoying music more than I ever have. This blog has been an important part of that. Having a place to reflect is invaluable.
 

                                                A Think Tank, a Mirror, a Journal.