protocosm
Inspired
A few days ago I posted an item about the weird sounds Nguyen Le was getting from his Axe set-up. I asked him what he uses and how everything is connected. Thanks Nguyen for your time to answer all my questions. JB
Dear Jan,
Thanks for your warm words about my work. It is actually an AxeFX Ultra that I was using with Gergo Borlai in Budapest. I have a Kaoss Pad III which I plug directly after the AxeFX & before the amps (two since I go stereo) I usually ask for 2 Fender Twins in the backline rider. To control the AxeFX I have a Softsep midi foot controller to send program changes & CCs for Boost & Tap Tempo, plus two pedals, one for volume & the other to change FX parameters, depending on the preset. Can be reverb length & mix, or delay feedback & mix, or LFO speed, or whawha... The SoftStep is incredibly light, but was a pain in the neck to program.
I spend a lot of time to craft my AxeFX presets, every parameter is finely tuned & it's still a work in progress. I use mainly 2 gtrs made by French Luthier Julien Gendre, The "Tao" with active EMG pickups & ebony fingerboard, & the more recent "Tiger's Tail" with passive noiseless Kinman pickups & sycomore fingerboard. I made 3 banks of 8 presets for each guitar, the 1rst ten being the most used "normal" guitar sounds, & the next 14 being heavily effected programs (electronic noises, crazy soundscapes, etc...) I use the Kaosspad to add a layer of effects at the output of the AxeFX, mainly very special effects, noisy & electronic. By example I will play a pad sound with the AxeFX, with lots of layered delays, detuners & chorus; while the pad sustains I will dial a filter on the Kaoss. With one finger I will change the filter cutoff frequency. Or I will take a tremolo & change its speed at the touch of the finger. Or add digital distorsion with lots of noisy artifacts. Or sample & loop myself, while changing the length of the loop with the finger. The Kaoss is a great piece of gear because it's so fun, intuitive & organic to play with. Just the opposite of the AxeFX which ask for long sessions of precise programming. Unlike what's recommended in the user's manual, for stage work I prefer to run the AxeFX into the instruments input of guitar amps. I need the organic color & the warm meat of gtr amps ! I like the Twin Reverb for delivering this clean but warm power without being too much colored like a Marshall. When recording I go direct & the AxeFX works really great for that, but I always correct & perfect the sound with more compressors (VintageWarmer PSP plugin or Fatso hardware), eq (UAD Pultec) & speaker simulators (MOTU Live Room). Today I'm using an AxeFX II & I'm very happy with it.
Hope this helps,
Nguyên
Find more info and vid here:
Poolguitarblog: Nguyen Le: funky effects KAOSS
Dear Jan,
Thanks for your warm words about my work. It is actually an AxeFX Ultra that I was using with Gergo Borlai in Budapest. I have a Kaoss Pad III which I plug directly after the AxeFX & before the amps (two since I go stereo) I usually ask for 2 Fender Twins in the backline rider. To control the AxeFX I have a Softsep midi foot controller to send program changes & CCs for Boost & Tap Tempo, plus two pedals, one for volume & the other to change FX parameters, depending on the preset. Can be reverb length & mix, or delay feedback & mix, or LFO speed, or whawha... The SoftStep is incredibly light, but was a pain in the neck to program.
I spend a lot of time to craft my AxeFX presets, every parameter is finely tuned & it's still a work in progress. I use mainly 2 gtrs made by French Luthier Julien Gendre, The "Tao" with active EMG pickups & ebony fingerboard, & the more recent "Tiger's Tail" with passive noiseless Kinman pickups & sycomore fingerboard. I made 3 banks of 8 presets for each guitar, the 1rst ten being the most used "normal" guitar sounds, & the next 14 being heavily effected programs (electronic noises, crazy soundscapes, etc...) I use the Kaosspad to add a layer of effects at the output of the AxeFX, mainly very special effects, noisy & electronic. By example I will play a pad sound with the AxeFX, with lots of layered delays, detuners & chorus; while the pad sustains I will dial a filter on the Kaoss. With one finger I will change the filter cutoff frequency. Or I will take a tremolo & change its speed at the touch of the finger. Or add digital distorsion with lots of noisy artifacts. Or sample & loop myself, while changing the length of the loop with the finger. The Kaoss is a great piece of gear because it's so fun, intuitive & organic to play with. Just the opposite of the AxeFX which ask for long sessions of precise programming. Unlike what's recommended in the user's manual, for stage work I prefer to run the AxeFX into the instruments input of guitar amps. I need the organic color & the warm meat of gtr amps ! I like the Twin Reverb for delivering this clean but warm power without being too much colored like a Marshall. When recording I go direct & the AxeFX works really great for that, but I always correct & perfect the sound with more compressors (VintageWarmer PSP plugin or Fatso hardware), eq (UAD Pultec) & speaker simulators (MOTU Live Room). Today I'm using an AxeFX II & I'm very happy with it.
Hope this helps,
Nguyên
Find more info and vid here:
Poolguitarblog: Nguyen Le: funky effects KAOSS
