Steph, you've changed your guitar
sound for the latest Madking Ludwig record, and I'm interested in knowing
what brought about the change. Can you explain why? What advantages does
this new sound have over your previously recorded sound?
Although I liked the tone on the first album, I
wanted to do something generally heavier on the second album. Which meant I
needed a less clean, more aggressive guitar sound. I wanted more edge in
contrast to the bass to expand the sound spectrum.
What is the difference in gear between your new
record and your last? Did you again use the Blue amp?
I used the Blue amp but added a Metal Muff
pedal to give me more distortion and edge.
Did you do anything different in the studio?
What was the set-up in the studio this time?
I doubled my guitar this time using triple
tracks. Which means I had one channel recorded direct, another one recording
the Blue amp with the Metal Muff and finally one on a Green amp direct. Then
come mix time, we melded the three appropriately to create a single, thick
sound. For the record, "Blue" and "Green" are only custom distinctions. They
are actually the same amp, both Matamp Legend 120s.
What do you look for in a studio? For example,
do you look more for the gear or for the technicians' know-how? Who produces
your records? That is, who makes the decisions about how things will sound
or how the songs should be arranged? Do you experiment much in the studio,
or do you come in fully rehearsed and ready to record what you've planned?
I don't really "look" for a studio. We are
lucky to have a friend who owns a world-class studio, Wild Studio. The
studio is top-notch, and so is he and the location. The fact that the studio
is deep in the woods, on the shore of a lake has a lot to do with it. When
we go there, we can't help but feel relaxed and inspired. We're there 24/7,
it's not an in-town deal where you do your work and then commute back home.
I can't see we wouldn't work somewhere else but that's definitely our
favored place. Only thing is it's not the cheapest place to record. That
might be a factor in the future.
We have never worked with a producer. Although the engineers we have worked
with (and are friends with) have worked with artists such as Voivod,
Cryptopsy, Queensryche, Keith Richards, etc., they fulfill the function of
engineer. Meaning that we will ask their opinion considering their vast
knowledge, but at the end of the day, we make the final decision. We have a
pretty good idea of where we're going when we enter the studio.
So on that note, we don't actually experiment much in the studio. Why waste
time or money there? We do all the necessary preparations in our practice
space on my laptop before going to the studio. There we have ample time to
test out all our whims.
What guitar(s) are you using these
days? Have you achieved the guitar tone you're looking for? Does your tone
come more from your amps, your pedals, or your guitar?
Although I have several guitars, I basically
have a main guitar for each of my bands, which I guess is a defining part of
the tone. For Madking Ludwig, I use a seven string Schecter C7+. I find this
guitar has a particular dark tone to it that I enjoy.
You've been a musician for a long time; can you
describe how your tone has changed over the years? Do you see it changing in
the future?
Ah...it's always changing. I'm always looking
for the perfect tone yet I don't know if I'll ever find it. I'm never
satisfied. When I started I played my a classic standard tuning with a light
string gauge, using a transistor amplifier with lots of treble. Over the
years, no longer a newbie, I've of course fallen in love with the warmth of
tubes. And when I started, I was more into fast, hardcore type stuff. Now in
my old age(!), I am somewhat doomier so I prefer the heavier string gauge. I
had completely cut out the treble for awhile but I have now come to my
senses and gradually added that back to the mix.
Do you play at a different volume when you're
recording compared to when you're playing live?
To be honest, not always because it isn't
practical, but if I can, I will, just because I find I get a better tone at
full volume. I think the only album I have recorded at full volume was the
Karmadoza B52's Tribute. It isn't always practical because very often I will
keep most of the tracks I record "live" with the drum and bass. And when I
play with them, I just can't play at full volume because even isolated, it
makes the whole room shake! For the B-52's Tribute, I re-recorded all the
guitar tracks.
You also play in at least three different
bands: Madking Ludwig, Karmadoza, and Floating Widget. Do you use different
gear for each band? Do you work to distinguish your guitar tone in each
band?
My guitar tone is very different in each band
because I use a different main guitar in each one, even if I use the same
amp setup. I already mentioned what I use in Madking Ludwig. For Karmadoza,
it's very similar as it's another Schecter seven-string, a C7. But this one
isn't as dark for some reason. The main difference is the tunings. With
Madking Ludwig, it's standard so the seventh string is a B. With Karmadoza,
it's one step down so the seventh is in A. Floating Widget is something else
altogether. I use my trusty old early seventies Fender strat, which has been
my main guitar since about 1983, but with this bizzaro tuning that I came up
with, D-A-F-D-F-C.
Do your gear choices dictate your manner of
playing guitar? Or do you choose your gear based on your vision for the
music of band?
I can't say. I basically just decided, this is
what I'm going to use. It's fairly strange that even though I'm using two
Schecter seven strings for Madking Ludwig and Karmadoza, I automatically
write differently with each one. For Floating Widget, just because of my
tuning I can't write and play in a standard way. I find the tuning sends me
in a direction I probably would have never visited otherwise.
What gear do you wish you owned? Is there any
gear you once owned and wish you'd kept?
I don't know. Really. I think I'm going to try
recording with something different next time. Unfortunately, I just don't
know with what yet. We'll just see! As far as old gear, everything was a
piece of shit except for my one treasure, my Fender Strat, which I still own.
Thanks, Steph!
Thank you, John.
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