I thought it was time to do a blog post on Pond 5.com. Pond 5 is an online repository for royalty free photography, music, sound effects, and footage (well to be honest, you name it!) and a great resource for an creative person looking for a creative element for their project which that haven't been able to source.
Royalty Free
So, why am I blogging about this?Well, I have to be honest....it is a little bit of self interest really as I have a fair amount of content on the site, so I thought I would bring awareness to the great site via my blog.You can visit my profile here and check out some of the material I have on offer.I am primarily producing audio content both music and sound design elements suitable for film, corporate videos, computer games etc, but there are some film clips and photography from my previous career! If you are looking for some music for your project then why not have a look, of course if you can't find what you are looking for, please contact me and we can discuss the benefits of creating your own bespoke soundtrack or sound design elements. That is what I am here for.I am producing new material all the time, so do check back if you are looking for some stock material.EnjoyPeaceNeil
Wow, just wow and wow again! The Standback stand is just one of those things that comes into your life and you wonder where the hell it has been all your life, and crucially why no one has made one before??It is simply brilliant in it's simplicity and it is without probably one of the best guitar products I have ever brought!!
All Stand
The premise is simple, most guitarists are know for being LOUD and dominating the stage (as of course we should be ;) ) but in real world situations this isn't a good thing and you end up upsetting a lot of sound engineers. The primary reason for a lot of guitarists being so loud is that they have their amps flat on the floor pointing directly at their legs (and the front row of the audience when on a stage), so a large part of the amps sonic projection (and tone) is going towards the back of a pair of legs in jeans and a front row of an audience wincing at the loudness and the high frequency offerings of the amp.So one solution has always been to tilt the amp back. It isn't really a solution, but something that I think most guitarists should ultimately do. Why? because you will instantly realise how loud you are, and also more importantly be able to hear yourself better and crucially dial in yourr tone correctly (i.e. not over compensate for lost highs and mids). Tilting also decouples the amp mostly from the floor, so you will get a more accurate bass response from the amp and not suffer from bass transmitted into the stage (which can act like a massive bass amp depending on the nature of the stage!)So stands are good!! And yes there are some out there already. Fender do tilt back legs for some amps, but they can be a PITA to install. Other companies offer massive stands (I have had a few) and I always feel that this is yet another couple of bits of gear you need to lug around to gigs.So, some of us (myself included!) may be tempted to improvise solutions to tilt the amp back. Which generally mean resting it insecurely on an object not desiged for the job!! I was doing this for a while (using a bass drum mic stand!) until my lovely valve amp fell forwards due to the stage rocking and that is never a good thing for a tube amp!!Then Standback appeared! Three bits of plastic and some strapping...which collapses to the size of a ruler and you can stuff in the back of your amp with ease. It is so simple there isn't really much to say. You pull it out of your amp, arrange it into a triangle shape, lock the triangle together, drop your amp down on the foam holding plate and tilt your amp back....and it is done!! SO SO SIMPLE!!I am not suggesting though that this would take the weight of a stack, but it supports my Fender Deluxe Reverb perfrectly and my Zilla 2 x 12 cab.It is very, very secure, I used it last week on a very bumpy floor and it help secure and firm with no wobble!!What can I say, get one!! ! (NOTE I AM NOT ENDORSED BY THIS COMPANY!)Here is a short video review I did.ProsSimple designFantastic implementationYou can hear your guitar better in terms of level and toneConsThey didn't make it years ago :)EnjoyPeaceNeil
HotCovers 600 Denier Cover for Fender Deluxe Reverb
When we have things we love, we always want to do whatever we can to protect them! With any piece of gear, be it musical or otherwise, using it in a working context can put it at great risk from not just bumps and bangs but all manner of other enviormental factors. Gigging is one area where gear gets severely tested, not just during a performance, but afterwards, especially when you are in a hurry to load out of a venue at 1.30 in the morning.Of course, if you are on tour then most gear would be at home in flight cases, and on the whole I tend to opt for flight cases for everything. So why am I not writing a flight case review now?Well, the only downside of a flightcase is that they can add considerable weight to any item by their very nature of being big strong cases! When thinking about flightcasing an amp, you have to bare in mind that this may double it's weight! which is find if you have a roadie to help you manage the beast, but not so good when you are getting home at 4am and having to carry the amp up four flights of stairs by yourself.So, one option is no protection (now kids you all should have had the lesson that you should always wear protection right?) and if you take this option, you will find that your beloved piece of gear will start looking very shabby very soon, let alone start suffering from GTD's (gear transmitted diseases!).So, the other option is to get some form of protective lightweight cover, which might not prevent major damages, i.e. your amp being thrown down stairs or the general abuse that being on the road may warrant, but something which will protect it from the general gigging knocks and bumps, throws into the back of vans and cars etc.
HotCovers
This is where HotCovers step in. Some amp maufactuers do provide a thin amp cover (Fender did for my deluxe reverb, thanks guys that is a nice touch! I wish more companies did this!). These covers on the whole are pretty good for dust protection, travel to rehearshals etc and if you are very careful when gigging. I actually had the Fender cover for my Blues Junior and gigged with it for nearly two years! Now the cover is pretty scruffy now, and the amp actually does have quite a few bumps, but it did an over all good job!I decieded to look for a cover which wasnt a flight case but also offered a tad more protection for my prde an joy! That is when I discovered hot covers and their excellent range of covers.I opted for the 600 Denier cover (not a fan of PVC and the way it looks!) and I ordered away! I was surprised that within a couple of days my cover had arrived. So full marks for customer service! The cover fitted perfectly and adds what feels like a decent amount of protection around the amp.So I am vey happy.You can see all the details in the video below.In short.ProsGreat over which offers a good amount of portection for the gigging muscian and ampGreat range of covers availableFantastic customer serviceConsNon really, although you could (if you are that way inclinded) think that the prices are a little pricey. But what price on protection?EnjoyPeaceNeil
So you may have read my recent review of the Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Custom, where I may have been quite gushing in my praise for the amp. Well actually I may have actually declared my undying love for it.Well, after some more gigging with the amp, I can safely say that this love is only getting stronger. All the the pros that I mentioned in the review still hold true and mostly importantly the way this amp sounds is just phenomenal and the ability to get the most amazing feedback from the amp is just the icing on the cake.On top of all of that, the fact that this amp is so, so easy to transport and carry make me a very happy camper. I am also more relaxed in transporting it now I have a Hot Covers cover for it (review and video review can be found here), ensuing that my pride and joy doesn't get too beaten up from gig to gig!!
The Sweet Spot
So, the title of this post is about the sweet spot! After all my recent gigs I have found that there is a lovely sweet spot on this amp, which resides in the middle of the volume dial just between 4-5, it is really hard to pin point, but when you have the amp set below 4, it is still amazing and given most situations this is where you are likely to have it set.But moving ...well actually nudging it just above 4, and somewhere in between 4.5 ish, something magical happens! I can't actually describe it, but something that is already sounding and playing awesomely, suddenly roars up a gear into a different beast, it is like something insdie the amp is unleashed.Note's sustain and feedback even more, the lovely Fender tone seems to move from 3 dimensions into 4! And for something that is already very responsive to touch, starts to feel like it is actually connected to your fingers and your very soul.What more can I say but I am even more in love! If you get the change to take your amp into the sweet spot! Do it, do it now! If you don't own this amp and think that you want that Fender goodness, then make sure that this amp is on your list to try out!I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below if you own the amp, or please fire away any questions if you have any about the amp!
Just read this brilliant article in this month's Guitar-Bass.net magazine by the ever awesome Guthrie Govan, where he goes through his top 10 tips for improvisation and there are some great bits of advice in there. I would encourage all guitarists, no matter what you level is to read this article. I was particularly drawn to a couple of the tips, especially the following
Develop your ear
There is no denying how crucial this is as a musician, not only to enable to you to play with other musicians, or to transcribe your favourite songs, but also to hear in your mind's ear what you want to play and know how you are going to play it. I am currently working on a video to give some ear training tips, as I feel it is one of the most important skills to have. It is not something that you can develop over night and can feel like a real slog, but like an skill with the right approach and perseverance you can achieve this goal.
Think in phrases
This is really interesting as this is a topic which I cover at great length in my book. So if you want to know more and explore the topic Guthrie is talking about, then grab yourself a copy of my book Guitar Creativity | A new way of thinking and improve your approach to and playing now!To finish off, Guitarist magazine are also developing a regular column with Guthrie, and this video is from the first instalment and features some awesome advice on bending, well worth a watch!!Enjoy!PeaceNeil
So here is North and South's little acoustic cover of Hozier's fantastic take me to church live from the Kings Arms Festival, on Sunday 5th September 2015. It was a great event to play at and really nice to have so many people singing along (especially to our original material!). Another little video to come soon EnjoyPieceNeil
Bittersweet news this morning, I awoke to new that the publication of the journal paper I had the privilege of working on with a outstanding academic and great friend Victoria Henshaw just before she tragically passed away has been published. It was a real honour to work on this paper, and a real sense of loss that we will not get to work again together. I should add a massive thanks to amazing Dr Jenna Condie and Dr Sarah Payne for stepping in at the last moment to help get this paper finished in Victoria's memory.Smell and Sound brought together!!! have a read...what's not to like!Here is the abstract...
This paper examines the role of sensory expectation in people’s experiences and perceptions of a range of different urban environments in English towns and cities by focussing upon those related to smell and sound specifically. It draws from two separate but related sensewalking studies undertaken between 2004 and 2009: one exploring urban smell experiences, the other examining urban sound experiences. In drawing from, and comparing the findings of these two studies, sensory expectations are argued as highly influential in urban place experience and perception, providing different layers of meaning and understanding of place, and presenting challenges and opportunities for architects and urban designers when creating more human-centred places in the city. In addition, perceptions of the smells and sounds themselves are revealed as highly influenced by the environmental context within which they are, or are not, detected. As a result, the authors advocate a more proactive approach to the consideration of smells and sound information when designing and managing urban sensory environments.You can read the full paper online here.
I am primarily producing audio content both music and sound design elements suitable for film, corporate videos, computer games etc, but there are some film clips and photography from my previous career! If you are looking for some music for your project then why not have a look, of course if you can't find what you are looking for, please contact me and we can discuss the benefits of creating your own bespoke soundtrack or sound design elements. That is what I am here for.I am producing new material all the time, so do check back if you are looking for some stock material.EnjoyPeaceNeil
