Axe’s Asylum

Some of you may wonder(and others may not) how I get the sounds that I use in my podcasts and why I do the podcasts at all. That is what this page is all about.

I started playing guitar when I was about 15. Back then, I played bass guitar and sung. I was in several bands and eventually became just a vocalist. Eventually, there came a time when I just got tired of band after band, band politics, and the overall waste of time that was going on in the band scene. There was the process of forming a band, rehersal, finding gigs, and playing them(for almost no money) and then the band breaking up for one stupid reason or another.

After more than 10 yrs of the band scene, I called it quits and got married.

I had always wanted to learn how to play guitar, so I got a electric guitar but for one reason or another they often ended up being pawned. So my practice was very sporadic and not very productive.

Finally,about 10 yrs ago I aquired a piece of shit(well, it looked like it anyway) guitar. I saw an ad in the newspaper for a old Ibanez guitar for $150.00. It took me 2 minutes of playing it to decide I wanted it. It was not just an old beat up Ibanez though. It was a Ibanez custom from 1982. Because it looked ugly, I knew I could never pawn it for anything and because it played like a dream I played it alot.

Getting a guitar that I was able to keep was just the beginning. I knew if I wanted to create my own my music, I would have practice alot and get a computer to compose on. About 6 yrs. ago we got our 1st computer and I discovered that more than just a computer was needed. Software to record and edit was needed. Software to create backing tracks was needed. A mic was needed to add vocals.

Well, now all of those elements are in place and I can finally begin creating songs. That is what the podcasts are about. My journey in the creation of music and my love of playing this challenging and fun instrument.

Now that the background picture has been painted, let me share with you the equipment I have used to make these podcasts and what I will be using in the near future.

The Guitars:

1982 Ibanez Custom- This guitar has a phase switch on it which creates a kind of slight wah sound. I used it plugged into the Korg Ampworks(see below) which was plugged directly into the computer for all of the guitar sounds on the Minijam and Minisong podcasts.

2006 Schecter S1-Elite- This guitar was used for all podcasts after the minijam and minisong podcasts. It was plugged directly into the computer and the distortion and other effects were added from Guitar Tracks Pro. The video was this guitar run through my line 6 amp directly into the computer. You can go here to learn more about this awesome guitar.

The Amps:

Marshall MG10CD Combo Amp-This is a practice amp and has never been used to record with. It makes noise when connected directly to the computer and has no reverb. Overall it is a decent practice amp and good for those on a tight budget. You can go here to learn more about this little amp.

Line 6 Spider II 15w Combo Amp- This is now my main practice amp and I record with it too. I can be connected directly to my laptop and makes no noise. It is known for its great metal sound but you can adjust any one of 4 presets to get any sound you like. Very adjustible and very, very loud! You can go here to find out more about this awesome amp.

The Effects:

 I do not use alot of effects, mostly just a little reverb and sometimes a slight chorus, both come directly from my Guitar Tracks Pro software. However, I do use amp modelers and here is info about that.

Korg AmpworksG- This is basically an amp modeller with some built in effects. They no longer make it though. They quit making it when Korg and Vox joined together to create the Vox Valvetronix amps. This has exactly the same models as those amps. The only difference is that Vox added a tube in the pre-amp to give the amps a tube tone. You can get the same out of this though if you add a little more bass to the eq when you record. If you can find one these for sale, grab it while you can (you will have to look really hard to find one). You can go here to learn more about this amazing little amp modeller.

Marshall GV2 Guvnor Plus Effects Pedal- This I have not used to record yet, however, it will be in my next song. This pedal emulates the Marshall JCM800 stack. If used properly is sounds almost the same. This pedal comes with its own eqs so you have to turn off the eqs(bass,mid,treble) on the amp and you will get the right sound out of this pedal. Basically, you run this through the clean channel of your amp and turn down all of the eqs, then tweak the pedal settings to get the sound you want. You can go here to learn more about this cool little pedal.

The Software:

Guitar Tracks Pro- I use this software for all of my recording and mixing. Either guitar run directly or through a amp or pedal, straight into this. Once something is recorded, I cut unneeded parts off, adjust volume levels, and add effects(reverb and chorus) if desired. I then output to wave and use a  file converter(Switch free version) to change it to mp3 format. You go to here to learn more about Guitar Tracks Pro.

Magix Music maker- I have used this to create credits in my videos and for some drum tracks. It can used for alot of things and is a nice addtion to any podcast arsenal. I used this to create the backing tracks for the minisong podcast. You can go here to learn more about Magix Music Maker.

Fruity Loops Studio- I have not recorded with this yet, however, the song I am working on currently, the entire backing track was created in this program. I have the demo version which does not allow saving, however, it does allow you to render to wave. So basically you have to create the backing track in one sitting and then render it. Since my computer almost never crashes this works fine for me. Once a backing track is rendered to wave, I just import it into Guitar tracks and add the guitar. You can go here to learn more about Fruity Loops Studio.

Misc. Equipment:

Behringer Eurorack UB502 5Channel Compact Mixer-This has not been used for any recordings or podcasts yet but will be used in future podcasts. It will be used so that I can mix both speech and guitar in video instructional podcasts. It is a very simple and effective tool for podcasts. You can go here to learn more about this mixer.

Gemini DJM-2 Mic- This has not been used for any podcasts yet, but will be used in future video podcasts that require speech and guitar. It is a uni-directional mic which means it only picks up sounds from in front of it. This eliminates all of the background noise and is what is required for speech in a podcast. You can go here to learn more about this mic.

Well, there you have it, my story, what I have used to create past podcasts, and what I will be using in future podcasts. I hope you found this page informative and useful.

AXE