Waka Waka Waka Waka: Sunset Sam
“Cruisin’ (Sunset Sam)” was written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees, who also wrote “Mary Mary,” which Paul Butterfield covered on his amazing record “East/West” in the late 1960s. The piece has a head-bobbing groove that I’ve loved since I first saw the video in…
Big Noise: Mississippi Queen
“Mississippi Queen” was recorded by Leslie West and Mountain in the 1960s. I always loved the original, and when amp modelers came along to give me all the grunt I could want, I made sure to develop an arrangement for it. This version is played…
RP Tip #12: dealing with zipper noise
The RP250/255/350/355 and up allow you to assign the footpedal to any effect parameter you like, which gives you a lot of power to change the sound. (The RP155 doesn’t have a footpedal, though you can add one, which would make it about as expensive…
RP Tip #11: It’s a very good delay and reverb box
Most people who own the Digitech RP250/255/350/355 don’t think of it as a delay and/or reverb device, but the fact is that both the delays and the reverbs in these RPs are really very good, better sounding than many dedicated devices and most amp modelers…
In Peace
“In Peace” is a simple song with a beautiful sound: two Melody Maker harmonicas overlaid via loop recording, both played through a Fireball V mic into a Digitech RP355 running my FBAROT patch, which consists of a Bassman amp model with a rotating speaker effect….
Lo Rider Solo (with Looper and 3 Digitech RPs)
I recorded this Lee Oskar song, one of my favorite jam platforms, live into my Zoom H4 at the same rehearsal where I recorded It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry. All the parts except the percussion loop are played…
Gear Review: A Tale of Two Loopers
I’ve been using the Digitech JamMan Solo looper pedal for some time now. Last week Zzounds.com offered a B-stock JamMan Stereo looper for 2/3 of the normal retail price, and I picked one up while I had the chance. This review describes some of the…
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
I record myself practicing as a matter of habit, and the piece linked below is the first thing I play on stage and in practice: Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.” This arrangement is mine, and is…
RP Tip #10: Make the PA louder before you up the output on the RP
Ideally, you want at least two things from any gear: you want it to sound great, and you want it as loud as you need it, when you need it. The same applies to the Digitech RP or any other effects device, and it’s pretty…
New Digitech RP patches coming soon, and they’re loud and tough
While I was in Idaho I spent some time working with my Digitech RP355, creating a series of patches in the Dark Blue series that began with the Dark Blue Champ. The new series includes a wider range of amp models, all programmed using the…
