KVR Audio

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 5:10 pm

Melancholy guitar and piano dirge.

http://soundcloud.com/polyslax/sky-high

Thanks to all who have a listen.

Frantz · Post by **Frantz** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:28 pm

We've left the dense Neigh Pomme jungle. We're in a stark, desert setting with wide open spaces for this one. A very accomplished piece. Perfect for late night contemplations of what might have been.

Only a few sound sources but all of them used expertly, for maximum effect. There is a vocalish reverbed sound, possibly a wah wah pedal, that is very subtle but absolutely fantastic.

macmurphy · Post by **macmurphy** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:49 pm

this is really beautiful. i was particularly taken with the rhythm part that comes in about half way through. using the guitar for that as well ties the whole thing together perfectly

neil.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:22 pm

Much appreciated guys!

I should mention that the mix is fairly noisy. I've always been more interested in the message than the mix, and that's especially true with these latest guitar pieces. I'm trying to get them to sound decent but I'm certainly not spending hours polishing them. If you're easily put off by these imperfections, my apologies.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:27 pm

Frantz - I meant to say, with the exception of the dry guitar at the beginning and end, everything's running through a Strymon Mobius and Timeline. That wah wah sound is a formant filter in the mobius... definitely could work as a wah with an expression pedal attached but here it's just using the built in lfo.

2NDMOUSE · Post by **2NDMOUSE** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 pm

Fantastic !
Very different to the polyslax im used to hearing , and thats a good thing.....to escape your " mannerisms " and sound unlike yourself. The beat was similar to some of neil finns solo tracks eg , " try whistling this "
Really love the sound of the guitar with the chorus on it , and the drone feedback reminds me of biosphere.
Really nice track ,mand the recording was fine. I didnt notice any lack of quality because the message is so engrossing.
I got a guitar too , but im finding it difficult to pick the thing up .

Frantz · Post by **Frantz** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:13 pm

polyslax wrote: I should mention that the mix is fairly noisy. I've always been more interested in the message than the mix, and that's especially true with these latest guitar pieces.

I didn't notice any noise issues. Marshall McLuhan might say "The mix is the message" but that's a whole nother discussion.

polyslax wrote: with the exception of the dry guitar at the beginning and end, everything's running through a Strymon Mobius and Timeline.

Wow. Guitar pedals with SHARC processors. Beautiful looking too. These things just ooze quality.

metalifuxx · Post by **metalifuxx** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:39 am

Love "guitar into Leslie/rotary" sounds. Those Strymon pedals sound so awesome. I would love to have the Timeline or Blue Sky reverb. I am wondering what would be better, or more versatile I should say, the Strymon delay/reverb or the Eventide space/timeline.

What preamp/interface are you using for the guitar?

3catsDeep · Post by **3catsDeep** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:52 am

Lovely. Dirty and emotional.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:22 pm

2NDMOUSE wrote:Fantastic !
Very different to the polyslax im used to hearing , and thats a good thing.....to escape your " mannerisms " and sound unlike yourself.

Thanks! Full agreement on stretching oneself, taking risks etc. Some of my best ideas arise from mistakes.

2NDMOUSE wrote:I got a guitar too , but im finding it difficult to pick the thing up .

Guitar has that physical aspect to it that can make it tough to get into. There's a period at the beginning when your hand doesn't have the flex or the strength to make things happen smoothly. Not sure where you're at with guitar but do keep at it.

FrantzM wrote:Marshall McLuhan might say "The mix is the message" but that's a whole nother discussion.

Yes indeed.

metalifuxx wrote:Love "guitar into Leslie/rotary" sounds. Those Strymon pedals sound so awesome. I would love to have the Timeline or Blue Sky reverb. I am wondering what would be better, or more versatile I should say, the Strymon delay/reverb or the Eventide space/timeline.

What preamp/interface are you using for the guitar?

Cheers! I haven't played the Space or Blue Sky. From the clips I've heard the Space sounds pretty far out... I'm definitely considering it just to add a nice layer of weird.

Right now I'm just jacking my guitar into my desk, A&H Zed R16, and using the fx on the send/return buss. I'm definitely wondering about a pre or even a small amp head. Any suggestions welcome...

3catsDeep wrote:Lovely. Dirty and emotional.

Cheers, that's how I like to roll.

mr.me · Post by **mr.me** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:16 pm

The tone and feel of that guitar...speechless.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:20 pm

Thanks so much mr.me!

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:25 pm

Lovely guitar tones on here Matt. I especially like the chorus/tremelo-like effect. Those Strymon boxes sound pretty good from here. I really love some of the melancholy melodic picking on here. I listened to this at 4AM this morning. Perfect just before bed.

Good work

metalifuxx · Post by **metalifuxx** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:57 pm

polyslax wrote:. I'm definitely wondering about a pre or even a small amp head. Any suggestions welcome...

There is a lot of good options if price is not a concern

Hink or nekro Dean could probably go on and on about various options cheap to expensive.

I mainly asked because it does sound like good present full range signal already, and it's apparent there is probably no ampsim on it.

I know the Focusrite pre's and UA standalone preamps are pretty good in that area. RME also. No direct experience with them though.

Probably the best DI tone I have heard in person, with just a clean jazz guitar and no ampsim/overdrive etc. was coming from Avalon's flagship preamp/channel strip. I know they make just a DI/preamp portion of that unit too, called the U5 I believe. I know there are quite a few pro bassists that will use that in their rig and send a signal to FOH and also into their rig. I myself did use a Presonus Eureka but that unit got fiddly and the DI stopped working and the unit in general stopped working right. That would be you best budget but nice sound for sub $1,000, but I don't think I'd recommend it due to the problems I had. The Presonus Eureka is nice clean class A solid state signal, which is also another consideration if you want tube color or just a good class A solid state clean signal.

I can recommend the Mesa Boogie studio preamp too. My friend had the original one from the mid/late 90's, and is still pissed that he sold it on Ebay for twice what he originally paid for it. I think the new one is called the Rectifier Studio Preamp. But if you can get your hands on a used original one, you can get good clean to dirty sounds. It also has an extra recording compensated jack (speaker emulated). But I'd either just go clean, or if use a speaker cab/IR software if you go dirty/overdrive with the direct out.

The Hughes 'N Kettner Tube Factor can be good if you are on the cheaper side. Has clean and dirty channels and a direct out and a "red box" speaker emulated output. My friend had used that for a while for recording and in front of his amp, and also DI for live gigs with no micing. Jimmy Herring (The Dead, Widespread Panic, Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers) swears by it as well, using it before his vintage Fenders for a clean/dirty boost. My friend had me record with it for the song "Tangled Chains" on my soundcloud page, with some slight Boss chorus pedal.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:58 am

super laid back stuff here poly, made me feel stoned. and i never even done the stuff

very dreamy and pinkfloydish

Polyslax - Sky High