Alex Lifeson effects

Ahmed Badreldin

Ahmed Badreldin

Inspired
Besides playing stuff in covers band, my own passion is Rush particularly the era from 76 to 81. Fave album Exit Stage Left. Trying to emulate his effects from the wah to the flanger. Song called Jacobs Ladder has an amazing huge sweep from his Electric Mistress flanger and his wah sweep range is pretty wide too.

Trouble now if I google because he now uses Axe every page is related to his tone now, and his endorsement with Fractal. I've seen a thread on rhe Mistress on here and tried but no way can I get his flange or wah. Is it the EQ possibly? My wah and flange sound too subtle! I've played about with depth and mix. Even combining chorus with flange. The wah sweep from toe up to down the bottom frequency seems to be unaudible and sweep seems very narrow from the bass to treble range.

Are there any Alex nuts on here who have tried too. I know he also used Hiwatt DR103 but mine also doesn't have the gain that his has, but I just use other amps. Ha ha just don't get me started on his chorus in The Trees!

In a nutshell every effect he uses, screams out that an effect is utilised whereas mine just seem to change to slightly. Also when flanger is kicked in used my patch volume drops too. I've tried all the flangers too.
 
Increase the volume output of your effect by around 2db, that'll fix your volume decrease. You can try putting a compressor, clean boost, or drive pedal with low drive setting in front of the Wah, or fool with the parameters available in the wah settings to increase gain or volume. Experiment a bit and don't be afraid of "wrong" outcomes because there's no such thing. Making mistakes is how we stumble upon some good creations.
 
Although you've probably done this already, make sure the flange is placed after the amp and cab blocks and set the flange mix to 50%. Crank the flanger feedback as well.

Personally, I always thought the guitar on Exit Stage Left sounded like turd due to the overuse of chorus and flange.
 
There may be some misconceptions about Alex's rig back during the Prog era. My understanding, which could be wrong, was that he used Hiwatt amps, but also juiced them with an MXR Distortion +, although when I play through my Hiwatt DR-504, the crunch sounds exactly like Limelight. He also used Marshall 50 Watt, a Fender Twin (which may have been off stage for clean parts) and a Marshall Town & Country (which I recall Cliff buying one a few years ago).

In any case, I have an original Electric Mistress and while it nails Freewill, I believe in the studio, Terry Brown used a Loft Flanger, at least on The Spirit of Radio. I asked Terry about this about a year ago and he sort of neither confirmed nor denied that, however, to my ears, Spirit sounds like a flanger and phaser combined and when I combine those two, it sounds closer to my ears than just flanger alone. Live, I assume he used the EM.

I recently had a post asking for help in modeling the Maestro PS1-a phaser, but no takers. Oh well!
 
One of his old Hiwatt cabs turned up at somewhere loaded with Greenbacks. The thing with Alex is that you could use practically any equipment and be right. There were three different live rigs in the period of '76-'81. It's too bad that Mr. Chase wasn't able to model the Marshall 4140 Combo that he got due to its condition, because quite a few people in that time period used them and still do. You're right on about the MXR+ though. The sound of germanium diode distortion is unmistakable. Somewhere in there, there was also a Roland Space Echo, a Space Chorus, and a Dimension D, particularly as you get closer to 1980. That's a lot of stuff built around triangular waves.
 
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Awesome help everyone. I've already tried a few o the suggestions. Suprised nobody mentioned using flange and chorus together to lift the swoosh but I'll also try that tomorrow. Many thanks, Btw also love tone on 2112 and All the Worlds A Stage. Late 80' and 90's are truly awful. Hope he puts it right this tour.
 
I think what a lot of guitarists forget in trying to ape a particular tone is that guitar tracks are usually multi tracked, doubled, go through a lot of outboard gear like compressors, EQs or rack Fx or stomp boxes that were around at the time. If you listen to solo'd tracks from Jammit, and compared to the album versions, you are only hearing 1 out of multiple tracks, using different amps, settings, mic placement, cabinets, not to mention different voicings of the actual parts.

Then, if you compare album versions to a live recording from the era, usually the guitarist's rig uses different equipment to get as close to the album sound as possible, but it usually isn't the exact signal chain due to practical reasons while on tour.

I probably spent WAY to much time trying to emulate certain sounds, researching equipment, what was used on what track, and in the end, although it is interesting to me on an academic level because I love the art in creating and shaping sound as well as the art of writing and recording music, I've now reached the point of "close enough for RNR" for me since in many instances the guitarist doesn't really remember exactly what was used (eg, EVH frequently lied about stuff like that or Mike Rutherford couldn't remember what tuning he actually used on a particular early Genesis song). So, what is the point?
 
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No point really mate. But the fact that there are a million threads on countless forums of people who want the Satriani, Vai, Slash, EVH tone shows some people are so inspired by a tone they want to emulate it. I'm sure these guitar greats done the same. Cant remember but I'm sure I read either Gary Moore or Mark Knoppfler bought a salmon pink strat because Hank Marvin had one.


I'm in a covers band which try to copy the exact tone from original song. Yeah the singer sounds different, but try playing Sweet Child on a Telecaste through a Fender Twin...then switch to Paul and Marshall. Ask audience which they think sounds like the song..Bob's your uncle.
 
Adinfinitum said:
There may be some misconceptions about Alex's rig back during the Prog era. My understanding, which could be wrong, was that he used Hiwatt amps, but also juiced them with an MXR Distortion +, although when I play through my Hiwatt DR-504, the crunch sounds exactly like Limelight. He also used Marshall 50 Watt, a Fender Twin (which may have been off stage for clean parts) and a Marshall Town & Country (which I recall Cliff buying one a few years ago).

In any case, I have an original Electric Mistress and while it nails Freewill, I believe in the studio, Terry Brown used a Loft Flanger, at least on The Spirit of Radio. I asked Terry about this about a year ago and he sort of neither confirmed nor denied that, however, to my ears, Spirit sounds like a flanger and phaser combined and when I combine those two, it sounds closer to my ears than just flanger alone. Live, I assume he used the EM.

I recently had a post asking for help in modeling the Maestro PS1-a phaser, but no takers. Oh well!
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I'm confident that the prominent Spirit guitar sweep is a phase shifter, not a flanger. I could never get close with a flanger (especially an Electric Mistress). I can nail it with a phaser. Phasers have a beastly "growl" to them when adjusted a certain way. The problem is that most flangers sound very similar to one another (a comb filter is a comb filter), while different models of phase shifters can sound radically different from one another.
 
Adinfinitum said:
I think what a lot of guitarists forget in trying to ape a particular tone is that guitar tracks are usually multi tracked, doubled, go through a lot of outboard gear like compressors, EQs or rack Fx or stomp boxes that were around at the time. If you listen to solo'd tracks from Jammit, and compared to the album versions, you are only hearing 1 out of multiple tracks, using different amps, settings, mic placement, cabinets, not to mention different voicings of the actual parts.

Then, if you compare album versions to a live recording from the era, usually the guitarist's rig uses different equipment to get as close to the album sound as possible, but it usually isn't the exact signal chain due to practical reasons while on tour.

I probably spent WAY to much time trying to emulate certain sounds, researching equipment, what was used on what track, and in the end, although it is interesting to me on an academic level because I love the art in creating and shaping sound as well as the art of writing and recording music, I've now reached the point of "close enough for RNR" for me since in many instances the guitarist doesn't really remember exactly what was used (eg, EVH frequently lied about stuff like that or Mike Rutherford couldn't remember what tuning he actually used on a particular early Genesis song). So, what is the point?
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This is demonstrated by available isolated guitar tracks from Moving Pictures. Lifeson plays different voicings of each chord on each multitrack take, with a different tone on each.

As for "what is the point?", for me, the point is enjoying a similar tone to the original recording and having the audience appreciate it as well, which ultimately helps result in my band getting steady well-paying gigs in a competitive market.
 
steadystate said:
This is demonstrated's by available isolated guitar tracks from Moving Pictures. Lifeson plays different voicings of each chord on each multitrack take, with a different tone on each.

I wish bands would start releasing the multi tracks as opposed to remixing and remastering albums for the gazillionth time. I'd love to hear the different tracks and make my own mixes. I know that some bands release backing tracks or have allowed Jammit (which is a great program) to separate out the instruments and provide tab - those have been really helpful in figuring out parts.

On the other hand, imagine the horror of learning that you have been playing a song WRONG for 35 years. That happened to me with Spirit of Radio. I kept pulling off the D note on the B string so that an open B would ring out instead of hitting the open E again. Yikes! That's what happens when you learn a song through those crappy piano/vox song books that were available before tab started to become available in 1983 or so.
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steadystate said:
I'm confident that the prominent Spirit guitar sweep is a phase shifter, not a flanger. I could never get close with a flanger (especially an Electric Mistress). I can nail it with a phaser. Phasers have a beastly "growl" to them when adjusted a certain way. The problem is that most flangers sound very similar to one another (a comb filter is a comb filter), while different models of phase shifters can sound radically different from one another.
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It probably is a Loft Phaser, not a Loft flanger, although I'd love to get my hands on both units and see what is what. As I said, I asked Terry Brown and he said the Loft Flanger, but to my ears, sounds like a combo phaser and flanger, or at least a flanger that has a phaser like sweep built it.

I was playing Spirit of Radio (the correct way this time) with a EHX EM (original Green unit) and by accident stepped on a Boss Phaser (if you saw my studio, you would understand stepping on stomp boxes is a professional hazard) and it sounded spot on.

I'm talking studio version because live sounds different and probably is the EM. In fact, I do remember hearing Lifeson say it was a phaser - it may have been when he gave those video lessons.
 
Sorry to hog this thread but any idea how he gets the huge swoosh in live version of Jacobs Ladder, I'm even thinking of adding another flanger ( or phaser now you mention it ) to make it more exaggerated, but truth be told, I'm just hitting in the dark. So many flangers and parameters on this gorgeus piece of kit, think I'm going in circles. Flanger and Flanger. Flanger and Phaser, Flanger and Chorus, Flanger and Delay...Lol, and thats without going through a particular brand of Flanger or it's settings.

Cheers folk for all your help, hope I'm not boring ya
 
Ahmed Badreldin said:
Sorry to hog this thread but any idea how he gets the huge swoosh in live version of Jacobs Ladder, I'm even thinking of adding another flanger ( or phaser now you mention it ) to make it more exaggerated, but truth be told, I'm just hitting in the dark. So many flangers and parameters on this gorgeus piece of kit, think I'm going in circles. Flanger and Flanger. Flanger and Phaser, Flanger and Chorus, Flanger and Delay...Lol, and thats without going through a particular brand of Flanger or it's settings.

Cheers folk for all your help, hope I'm not boring ya
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Love this thread! As an aside that I also apologize for in advance, I saw them in St. Louis Thursday night and Jacob's Ladder blew my mind. When he hit the swoosh and Geddy sang the famous line, it was ecstasy. I've always liked that song but their playing and Alex's killer tone combined with the lasers, lights and video screens made it something intense that I will remember feeling for the rest of my life. IMHO Alex couldn't have sounded better and his effects killed on everything all night long. I'm anxious for a rig rundown to see how much he was using the Axe for.
Ok, back to your regularly scheduled programming...
 
Lucky git, saw them Signals tour wasn't impressed and R30 in London..that was better miissed meet and greet with band, was working at Fender at the time but didn't want to ruin the illusion I have of them. R30 was great. Btw tried the Phaser you might be onto something!
 
You're pretty lucky yourself but I bet it was hard not to go meet them. I would have liked to have seen Signals but the tone Lifeson had on R30 with the H&K's turned me off so much I can't even listen to the CD or DVD. I'm glad he went back to the Lerxst Marshalls and whatever he does with the Axe.
 
Ha ha cheers mate, yeah was hard but didn't help I was in the pub near Wembley and told my bro we had a meet and greet. He just shrugged his shoulders got the drinks in. Worse was missing the start of the set I think they payed Bastille Day and Anthem or some older stuff. That I was gutted about. Yeah hate the processed 80', 90's tone he had. Good to see the Marshalls. Love to know what exactly he uses the Ax for. No offence to Fractal but top effects and any amp he chooses, better not say anymore lol.
 
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