Category: 2. Live Band Equipment

What equipment do I need to play live concerts? What equipment should I use in my home studio? Find out here.

Advanced Vocal Pitch Correction With Celemony Melodyne Studio

Celemony Melodyne Studio 3 Screenshot Collage

A while ago I wrote a post on Live Musician Central about working with Celemony Melodyne Uno to pitch correct your vocal recordings. Melodyne Uno has been a great tool for fixing out of tune notes on my studio recordings. I have really enjoyed working with Melodyne Uno but I finally decided I wanted more features and the ability to work with multiple tracks simultaneously. So I went ahead and upgraded to Celemony Melodyne Studio 3.

Melodyne Studio 3 has been fantastic to work with. As I said, my main motivation for upgrading was the ability to work with multiple tracks simultaneously. It does this perfectly and the ability to work with multiple tracks at the same time means that my recording projects get completed a lot faster. It’s so nice to be able to compare two, three or more harmonies together while having the ability to shift individual notes in any of the lines. Being able to bounce between tracks instantly and then being able to hear how the harmonies play back is really a huge time saver. (more…)
Download Free Cyber-Twin SE Preset Patch – LMC Triple Delay

Fender Cyber-Twin SE Amplifier

Here’s another great Fender Cyber-Twin SE patch from Live Musician Central for all you Cyber-Twin SE owners out there. I’ve always been a huge fan of using timed delays on my guitar. I’m a huge Brian May fan and also a big fan of The Edge from U2 both of whom are masters of using delay on their guitars. Just check out Brian May’s guitar solo on the Live At Wembley Stadium DVD for a great example of working with a triple delay for some really fun guitar harmonies.

That brings me to todays preset patch for the Fender Cyber-Twin SE. The Cyber-Twin SE has a killer tape echo setting that is perfect for creating timed delays that have a beautifully chorused sound as well. Fender has incorporated a great simulation of tape head Wow and Flutter that gives a sweet detuned chorus effect along with this delay. So I’ve used that feature to great effect in my Triple Delay patch. (more…)
Introducing The EVH Wolfgang Electric Guitar

EVH Wolfgang Guitar

If you’ve been reading Live Musician Central for long then you know I’m a certified Fender products junkie. Don’t get me wrong, I own a Gibson Les Paul Custom and I love it but not as much as I love my Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster. So I was really stoked when I read about Fender building a custom guitar for Eddie Van Halen. That guitar is branded and named the EVH Wolfgang. It’s got some really amazing specs and according to Eddie himself the EVH Wolfgang Guitar is exactly the same as the instrument he plays live. In an interview for Guitar World magazine, Eddie is quoted as saying “The Wolfgang is a culmination of my 35 years of experimenting with guitars. Everything that I’ve destroyed, stumbled onto, learned and experienced in my journey to get to where we are now is in this guitar.”

(more…)
Build Finger Strength With The Gripmaster Exercise Tool

Gripmaster – Extra Light Tension

As any guitarist will tell you, playing in a live band will definitely test your stamina in ways you never would expect. It’s really hard to build the type of endurance you will need to be able to play an entire live gig when you don’t play out a lot. You can practice on your instrument of course but it’s hard to practice for 3 hours to simulate the live show experience. Even if you do play regularly it’s a good idea to have some tools to help you build your finger strength and stamina. Years ago I bought a Gripmaster Exercise Tool finger exerciser and I have used it to help stay in playing shape over the years. I have recommended this product to many of my students as well to help them build up their finger muscles.

(more…)
Save Money With An Extra 10% Off Scratch ‘N’ Dent Items From Musician’s Friend

For exactly one week you can save an additional 10% off all Scratch ‘N’ Dent items from Musician’s Friend. You can really save big money on the scratch ‘n’ dent music equipment. It’s a great way to equip your live band and the prices are comparable to buying used equipment. The gear in the Scratch ‘N’ Dent section generally has minor cosmetic flaws but it doesn’t have the wear and tear that you would get when buying used equipment. Another great thing is you get the Musician’s Friend Advantage which is the 45-day low price guarantee, 45-day 100% satisfaction guarantee, on-time delivery guarantee and the no-hassle return policy. You will also get free shipping on all orders over $99.

As you can see, this is a really great promotion and you can score some killer deals. Remember, this special promotion ends on January 13, 2009. Just click on the banners to check out the Scratch ‘N’ Dent sale.
Build Finger Strength With Hanon “The Viruoso Pianist In Sixty Exercises”

Hanon – The Virtuoso Pianist In Sixty Exercises

If you’re a live musician that plays guitar, bass or keyboards then you know that having good finger strength and coordination is essential to mastering your instrument. If you ever took piano lessons then you’ve probably run across the piano exercise book by Charles-Louis Hanon titled “The Virtuoso Pianist In Sixty Exercises“. I remember my piano teacher asking me at the beginning of every lesson to play my “Hanon Exercise”. Because the name “Hanon” was the largest word on the cover of the book we all just called it Hanon. I’ll tell you, those exercises were easy to learn, quickly became boring and built my finger strength and coordination in a way that few things have over the years. I owe a lot of my hand strength to good old Hanon.

(more…)
Dowload Free Fender Cyber-Twin SE Patch – Hi-Gain Solo

My Amplifier – Fender Cyber-Twin SE

Today on Live Musician Central I’m posting another one of my custom programmed preset patches for the Fender Cyber-Twin SE Amplifier. This one is titled “LMC Hi-Gain Solo” and it is an extremely high gain distortion. Since I have the gain on the main amplifier and the built-in overdrive cranked so high the patch can get quite noisy. I have compensated with the noise-gate but you will have to use the volume knob on your guitar to get complete control over this sound. I have assigned the Continuous Controller and the Expression Pedal to the gain controls on the amp and the overdrive so you can tame it down using pedals if you wish. I use this sound exclusively for solo’s when playing live and the noise in the patch isn’t noticable in a live situation. If you record with this preset then just use a noise gate on your channel and it sounds fabulous.

(more…)
Wednesday WOW! Deal from Musician’s Friend

Every Wednesday Musician’s Friend puts up an incredible deal on a piece of equipment. I’ve seen everything from high quality, large diaphragm microphones to premium guitars to studio software packages. You never know what they’re going to feature but it’s always a fantastic deal. You can save a bundle of money but you have to buy between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Pacific Time on Wednesday to get this deal. Click on the banners to check it out.
Peace Of Mind With Musician’s Friend 45 Day Low Price Guarantee

It’s that time of year between Christmas and New Years where the prices on new music equipment really start to come down. As any live musician knows, it’s also the time of year to buy any miscellaneous equipment that you want to claim on your taxes for 2008. So if you’re low on strings or you want to purchase a new Fender Stratocaster, now is the perfect time to do that because you can write them off on your tax return in a month or so. That being said, some really great price drops will happen all through January as well as the retailers and online merchants will really be working to get your business. That’s where the Musician’s Friend 45 day low price guarantee really come into play. (more…)
Buy A Used Guitar On eBay

Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster

Ask any live musician and we’ll all tell you we love a good bargain. Some of the best savings on music equipment can be found on eBay. There’s almost always a good deal to be found on eBay if you just take the time to search for it. There are tons of guitars for sale on eBay and if you search through them you can find some real bargains. Here are some basic tips for buying a guitar on eBay: (more…)