Monday, August 29, 2011

Fes2val.

A really great event that happens every year in Grand Rapids is Fes2val. It is an entire day event featuring 2 member bands. Every year I have to work on that day, so I miss it. This year was no change, but I thought I would be able to catch the last three groups. Wrong. Got stuck at work and only caught a snippet of Beast In The Field's last song. Missed Jowls prior to that. Luckily I was able to see all of Charles The Osprey's set, so the day was not lost. Here are the resulting pictures:


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New HTAFM Video Is Now Up!

Heavier Than Air Flying Machines, which is a group I play in, has a new video online of a song from our upcoming release "Siam" to be out on September 17th. Grand Rapids filmmaker Joel Potrykus shot and directed it on Super 8 film and it turned out fantastic. The song is titled "Follicle Gang (Green)" and is the fourth track on the album. Check it out:

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Been In Chicago Thinking of G.R.

Went to stay with a couple of friends in Chicago while on vacation and had a great time. Through doing this and that, a wordsmithing comment eventually led to the formation of another group to play in. While this one will be a very low activity and intermittent outfit, it will more than make up for that in it's intensity. Watch. Wait. Anticipate.... Pat Cenataur.


Thursday, August 4, 2011

Digitech Space Station Pedalboard Addition

It's time once again for the ever-changing pedalboard to be revamped. That being said, I recently acquired a XP300 Digitech Space Station. These are fairly rare and sought after. I have been looking for one at a somewhat reasonable price for years and finally hit the jackpot. I traded a Korg Microkorg for it as I haven't barely used it since buying it used a year or so ago. This is another in the line of killer Craigslist deals I have managed to secure over a couple of years. Here is the new pedalboard setup as of the end of July:

Signal path is as follows:

Guitar in to GGG Alembic Stratoblaster Clean Boost---->Digitech Whammy---->GGG BSIAB II---->Triangle Big Muff---->Ernie Ball Volume/Pan---->Electro Harmonix Memory Toy---->Hardwire Stereo Reverb(Used for reverse reverb setting)---->BBE Sonic Stomp---->Digitech Space Station---->Morley ABY Box---->Signal split between 1960s Acoustic Head with 6x10 cabinet and modified Epiphone Valve Junior head into a 4x12 cab with Celestions.

Here's a youtube video of some examples of Space Station sounds:



As I mentioned earlier, there have been a few great Craigslist scores that I've secured. For example, a Technics electronic organ(Free!) and most recently before the Space Station, a 1962 Kay Model 504 hand wired tube amplifier. The amp is in pretty remarkable shape for it's age other than a sketchy electrical cord repair. It even has the original made in the U.S.A. RCA tubes in it. There is built in tube tremolo as well. It has definitely been in a smokey environment for some years, so I had to clean it up a bit, but it sounds fantastic and records very well. I still have to get the power cord switched over to a three prong grounded plug, but it shouldn't be a big deal. Here are some before after cleaning pics along with a shot of the guts:


Front
Back prior to cleaning with back panel off.
Back after cleaning.
Guts!





Hopefully one of these days I can find enough time to start doing some youtube demos of my own with some of the cool equipment I've acquired. Until then, I'm off to Chicago this weekend for Lollapalooza.


Life is good.