I decided to blow the dust of my old SG and start messing around with trying to create soundscapes. I was wondering if anyone can recommend some good effects chains to use?
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Getting started with ambient guitar
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To start with, there are some really good suggestions in this thread:
http://www.ambientonline.org/forum/showthread.php?712-Ambient-Drone-in-Guitar-Rig
And the mega guitar thread here:
Cheers,
-S1gns
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Hardware of Software?
As for HW - volume pedal, compressor (sustain), reverb (Digitech HW or WET are cheap and good), delay (Line DL4 still rocks and used cheap or TC Flashback), EHX POG/POG2
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Not an effect per se, but the ebow is a definite consideration for a soundscapey guitar setup.
http://www.ebow.com/home.php (I see it is discussed in the thread that S1gns linked to)
Also, consider using alternate means of initiating string vibration: metal or glass slide, wrench/spanner, knurled dentistry tools, smooth polished stones, pencil taps, etc. (I always thought it would be cool to have a high pressure air source to sort of blow across the strings to get them vibrating. Couldn't think of a way to do that without a noisy air pump though...) And there is the 'prepared guitar' approach of threading things into the strings (like paper clips, kalimba tines, etc) or clipping things (like alligator clips) onto the strings to produce non-typical sounds.
For HW, a wah pedal could be useful for slow eq sweeps and looper pedals are great for layering soundscapes.
Really, just about any effect could be used for soundscaping if it is applied with care and true expression.My tunes: https://soundcloud.com/tonecarver
and: http://www.soundclick.com/billdavies
My plugins: http://tonecarver.wordpress.com/
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Just be sure to keep the sharp parts away from the guitar. Maybe I should have said knurl-handled dental tools, or really any knurled surface could be used. Running the knurling along the strings can make an interesting scrapey/gratey/skitchy metallic sound. Some of the factors that affect the sound are the type of strings you have (flat or round wound), the size and density of the knurling on the handle, and the amount of pressure that is applied while dragging. Cool to use in combination with an ebow for sustains and occasional spikes of soundscape.
My tunes: https://soundcloud.com/tonecarver
and: http://www.soundclick.com/billdavies
My plugins: http://tonecarver.wordpress.com/
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Originally posted by seismic1 View Postbetter those tools in the hands of an ambient artist than those of that interrogator, methinks.
My tunes: https://soundcloud.com/tonecarver
and: http://www.soundclick.com/billdavies
My plugins: http://tonecarver.wordpress.com/
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A rough slide will do some ebow like sounds. Well, actually any kind of old rusty metal tool is usable, the more mass, the more sustain!
You can hear it in the last half of this track and see if it's close to what you're after.
https://soundcloud.com/westernskiesmotel/desert-road
You just vibrate it on the strings and they'll start resonating. You'll have to mute unwanted strings or tune the guitar for the specific harmonies you're after. You'll need to play with some gain/OD/compressing for it to work properly.
Another technique is to use a brush to vibrate the strings. Maybe check out the work of Fred Frith. He uses a lot of strange preparations and extended playing techniques. Could be interesting to translate some of his ideas into a more ambient tone.Last edited by regonsch; 12-29-2014, 01:24 PM.
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Originally posted by Negative Spectrum View PostIs there some sort of cheap alternative to an ebow?
You could use an actual violin or cello bow on the guitar. Doesn't have to be a fancy one. You have to add some rosin to the bow (for grip) which gums up the strings a bit and can make the guitar messy, but it is a lot of fun to do
My tunes: https://soundcloud.com/tonecarver
and: http://www.soundclick.com/billdavies
My plugins: http://tonecarver.wordpress.com/
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Originally posted by johny_gtr View Postvolume pedal
As for bows, yay! Not something I've personally found much use for (it's me, not you) but I love the sound of someone doing it right:
The sound jonsi gets starting around 1:45 just floors me.
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These are more expensive options:-
Vibesware Guitar Sustainers (Guitar Resonators): Guitar Effect for generating Guitar Feedback at any sound volume. The magnetic string driver is used mounted on a stand unlike the Ebow, the Moog Guitar or other Guitar sustainers (e.g. Fernandez or Sustainiac Sustainer Kits).
Just waiting for that lottery win now....
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I use the jackson dinky DK2S for sustaining pickups - no longer made but you'd be able to get one cheap secondhand. Or just get the install from http://www.sustainiac.com/ Used on the following, guitar only, DI'd https://soundcloud.com/greghooper/closer-to-the-end
I don't think bows are a good idea - the guitar is not really shaped for them (and the rosin on the strings is a drag)
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