Axe Fx question music itself
Following on from Roger Mayers theory that the only true music can be made using analog techniques I started thinking about this today and it gets pretty scary!
Basically, an electric guitar is just that, electric!
You create a guitar sound like this:
1. The vibrations of string (and wood) in relation to pickups
2. Pedals, leads, Volts, power supplies etc affect the signal in wave forms before it hits the amp.
3. The amp keeps this going through it's components, different amps on different days will produce different results.
4. Speaker projects sound. Different speakers on different days will create different results
5. Microphone picks up sound and surrounding reflexions. Different...
6. Tape records the sound. Different....
7. Mixing desk and outboards further shape our guitar sound. Again, different days, different results.
8. Mix in with the rest of the instruments.
9. Master recording, burn to new format, let's stick with vinyl!
10. Needle reads vinyl.
11. Stereo amplifies signal.
12. Stereo speakers (or headphones) project sound.
13. Ears hear the sound of speakers and surrounding reflexions.
According to Roger Mayers theory, if you put anything digital in that chain it makes assumptions and is no more true music.
Now that's scary in todays loop based, edited and triggered sound samples environment!
According to valve enthusiasts this very much applies to electric guitar.
The Axe Fx claims to emulate almost all the above mentioned paths.
And Valve amp people say: No! It can never work.
This week we are going to try to put it to the test, Bruce said in an early email conversation that if the Axe Fx works he'll "Eat his hat!"
Sandy has now taken a more laid back approach:
"I don't know the science behind it so all I know is that I enjoy dance acts such as The Prodigy and I enjoy playing through valve amps!"
-Guru
Would Jimi Hendrix have used the Axe Fx?
Today it is 40 years ago since Jimi Hendrix passed away in a London Hotel room.
In today's Observer there's a great article talking about Hendrix' last days.
In the article we also hear about how Jimi was always interested in creating new sounds.
His collaboration with Roger Mayer is known to most enthusiats and here's a quote from the article that says; No, Jimi would never have used the Axe Fx.
Bear in mind, this is from the man who made the effects, not played them...
"The electronics we used were 'feed forward', which means that the input from the player projects forward – the equivalent of electronic shadow dancing – so that what happens derives from the original sound and modifies what is being played. But nothing can be predictive – it is speed-forward analogue, a non-repetitive wave form, and that is the definition of pure music and therefore the diametric opposite of digital.
"Look, if you throw a pebble into a lake, you have no way of predicting the ripples – it depends on how you throw the stone, or the wind. Digital makes the false presumption that you can predict those ripples, but Jimi and I were always looking for the warning signs. The brain knows when it hears repetition that this is no longer music and what you hear when you listen to Hendrix is pure music."
-Roger Mayer.
Off course, 40 years ago there were no digital gadgets around so saying that Hendrix woyuld have been against it might be taking it too far.
What's interesting here is that the debate used to be that the sound of a digital amp is nowhere near as good as the real thing.
Looks like the new argument for Analog is that it's better because it''s worse!
-Guru
Blues Legacy Rhythm Guitar part 2
The second video carries on where the first one left off.
In this video I talk about the "In the style of" Rhythm Guitar part of:
If you have any more questions or queries, please post in forum.
-Sandy
Midi Mate with Axe Fx!
Once I realized I can get any guitar sound I want with the Axe Fx I did get a bit... well, what can I say, no more excuses!
It's weird what happens when you realize you solved that many problems, it just works now.
Last time I had this feeling I had just worked out the fretboard and realized that music is always the same no matter what style.
So I should have no limitations now, right?
For example, I always wanted to play with a DJ, but Electric guitar in a DJ booth might be pushing it... now I can!
What about changing patches live?
Switching controls on and off, pan a sound in realtime, how much can I make this beauty interactive?
I all ready showed you what the Axe Fx can do in terms of dynamics, just using the controls on the guitar, imagine if you could also control anything in the signal chain in real time.
Well... You can!
Not just mix of delay or tap tempo but anything can be assigned to a switch or an expression pedal.
As most of the Axe Fx users are holding back on their board purchase since Fractal hasn't yet released their midi board I just couldn't wait. So a few days ago the Midi Mate by Rocktron arrived...
Few problems popped up instantly...
Power supply had a European plug so I can't use it in the U.K...
The Axe Fx can power the board via the midi cable but you still need to plug the adapter into the back of the unit and use a 7/7 midi cable.
In the shop I go to they did't even believe me that this cable existed!
Luckily I had a converter so I can use it, and yes all those things I just described above are possible.
Whatever you want is scary stuff, my nights with headphones on and Van Halen's amp sound up are getting longer and longer...
It makes me think, imagine if a kid got hold of the Axe Fx and the Conspiracy, what could he do to guitar?!?
In the meantime I plan to find out for myself 
-Guru
Blues Legacy Rhythm Guitar part 1
I've been getting a lot of questions about the rhythm Guitar parts of played in the Blues Legacy.
To help you out with this, I made a video lesson where I talk you through how to play all the songs.
This is part one and contain the songs: 'Papa Ain't Salty' and 'Call It Stormy Monday' by Mr T-Bone Walker.
We also get 'Born Under A Bad Sign' by Albert King, although the video here deal with the rhythm part, Albert himself didn't play rhythm at all!
We also get the chords from the two B.B. King songs 'Paying The Cost To Be The Boss' and 'The Thrill Is Gone'.
For a full list of the song, including video lessons of all the solos go here.
To buy the Legacy and get the full story, Backing Tracks and 36 In the style of complete video lesson, go here.
-Sandy
Axe Fx updates!
Had my first go in a rehearsal room today with my new Axe fx Ultra and yes it's endless...
It's Pandoras box and there is a learning curve with this thing, that's for sure!
Basically, you have to first forget that stuff are impossible.
If you wanna run a rig using:
Amp 1 Fender Vibrolux panned L
Amp 2 Vox AC30 panned R
Use a sm57 on the Fender and U87 on the Vox.
Set the distortion of the microphone a little bit on the Fender, but none on the U87.
Maybe you fel that the reverb in the Vibrolux was great if only the tail was shorter.
Perhaps a multitap delay on amp 2, panned a bit to the left.
Well, you get the picture. Anything is possible!
If you played around with multiple amp setups, delays etc with the real stuff, now you can do it, and save it.
Off course this is nothing new, it's just that with the Axe Fx it sounds so great.
One problem we always get with digital amps is that one tend to add to many effects.
Many guitarists want the delays and reverb to be added on the desk, not cloud there amp sound.
Well, surprise surpise, this is just a matter of routing on the Axe Fx.
Pandoras box, I tell you!
A gadget like this will obviously consume a large portion of your day.
If you got other commitments like; work, kids, partner and maybe even guitar practice 
then the Axe Fx might not be the most popular gadget around for everyone else in your life, this thing eats time...
In a way I see the Axe Fx as Karma, my first slogans were:
No More Excuses!, followed by: You Can Master The Guitar In 8 months!
Basically saying that all you have to do is do it.
The Axe Fx could be:
You can get any guitar sound you want.
Which kind of puts the responsibility right back in your hands, scary! No more excuses! Aouch...
-Guru
Axe Fx challenge part 2!
And here's Sandy's reply!
So the question was, which amp is more dynamic?
The Axe Fx could be exactly what you heard, at any volume, in any venue.
However, if it's not a good sound then that wouldn't matter, so it's down to your judgement.
What do you think?
Axe Fx or Fender Blues Junior?
-Guru
Axe Fx Dynamics, Axe Fx challenge!
So here I am, excited as never before!
I'm gonna take anyone on for the Axe Fx challenge, the first one goes out to Sandy, who is a hardcore Valve amp fan, but anyone else, feel free to join in!
How dynamic is your amp?
In this first video I demo what the unit could sound like if you didn't change presets or use any of the incredible routing possibilities ithis unit has.
I simply change the sound using the controls of the guitar.
Can your amp sound like this?
Do you take on the Axe Fx challenge?
-Guru
Who pays for music? No one does!
In my excitement of having the Axe Fx replacing my entire rig I carried on and sold all my old CD's, DVD's and Vinyl records.
Why? Well, I haven't taken any of them out of their case for at least 5 years!
I simply just use my computer for everything, literally!
As i went down to various record shops with my pretty impressive collection that covers almost the entire history of popular music (as in big albums) I was confident to get at least a bit of cash for it.
Think again!
Bob Dylan's complete work on vinyl, Paul Simon, Neil Young, the list goes on and on.
To my great surprise, no one was even interested!
So it looks like no one buys music anymore, the last shop I went to I even tried giving them stuff and they said no!
Guitar instruction videos, Bruce Springsteen 5 Vinyl box set, no one is interested...
So no one pays for music anymore, it's happened.
I don't know why but it doesn't make me sad... it makes me... right!
Why have 500 Vinyl records when you can have it all and more on your phone?
The question is, how long will the record shops still be open for?
Will we in the future look back at music as something we tried to charge for during the 20th century but failed?
-Guru
The making of Sgt Pepper
This is a must to see really, the making of Sgt Pepper! Possibly The Beatles most triumphant albums.
One of those must see docs.
-Guru
Spytunes Beatles lesson: Blackbird