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Atavachron Digest - The Allan Holdsworth Discussion Digest
Number 119
Friday, 13 January 1995
TODAY'S TOPICS:
==============
The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
Feedback...?
RE: Feedback...?
RE: Feedback...?
Mo Boma
Credit where credit is due
Re: Mo Boma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Jan 1995 13:10:22 -0800
From: edumark@ix.netcom.com (chris hoard)
Subject: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
[Moderator's Note: I've re-formatted Chris' posting to less than 80
characters per line. --JP]
New Years Salutations and Well Wishes to all Atavachronians!
Here's a little update on Brewery activities for December. All in all an
extremely productive month for we who look forward to more legendary
legoticisms.
Last Friday night some of my pals and fellow AH fans mounted an evening's
expedition down to San Diego County--we call this sort of thing a "Grain
Posse." As much time and work as AH has put into the new project (all the
basic tracks are done!), I suspect an equal share of AH's cognitive energies
are applied to modifications to his two English (Angram brand) ale hand-pumps,
and a new invention, designed to adjust the levels of CO2 in fine American
micro-brews, to that attainment of perfection in liquid smoothness. Upon
hanging out with Gordon Beck--who was here all month recording with AH, a
friend of mine reported that GB said both he and AH were giving up music
entirely, to pursue a new ale-related invention and enterprise, and that
they both, at last thought they stood a reasonable chance of making a
passable living. GB, BTW, played a gig backing a singer (name forgotten) up
at the Jazz Bakery, and my friend, who basically only has time for Keith
Jarrett and Bill Evans, expounded that GB "blew him away."
GB is without question an ivory-ticling monster, and myself and a handful
of fellow drunkards were lucky enough to be privy to a few basic tracks out
in the Brewery control room. This, btw, was recorded with the same band as
heard in "Michelle" for the Beatles cover project. The project includes
about three standards (re: Coltrane, Reinhardt, and a very radically twisted
version of "Norweigan Wood,"). I think there are 3 or four GB originals,
and then several AH originals as well--but the basic tracks were amazing,
and very straight-ahead. A dip back into AH's jazz roots--and a project that
hopefully clue in more traditional leaning jazz audiences just what a
significant and original voice our maestro can muster in that context.
So this month, AH begins work on his solos--but for now, this will be a quartet
record, with possibly one or two guitar trio tracks too. If you're not too big
on jazz, don't worry, shortly thereafter, AH is planning on recording with his
regular group in mid-'95.
On a personal note--I'm pretty busy, as a son arrived (Miles Darius) on Dec.
14, 7 lbs. 10 oz.
I'll have some more updates on some interesting AH side-projects ongoing in
a subsequent post (some produced by yours truly). On a note--AH plays on two
tracks on Marcelli's "Oneness" -- I generally like this album much more than
the first one. On "Moon" AH plays Boris exclusively--the first long-scale
DeLap baritone.
Regards/Hoard
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: Feedback...?
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 95 12:59:22 EST
I just wanted to encourage everyone again to send me any comments
or suggestions you might have regarding the Atavachron WWW documents.
I haven't received much feedback thusfar, and am hoping that's due
to people being away for the holidays rather than from lack of
interest! :) I'm also trying to solicit everyone's help in beefing
up the image archives, so if you have any nifty pictures, please
share them. If anyone has experience in making sound samples with
a Macintosh, or setting up the "email.cgi" script for use with
MacHTTP, I could really use your expertise.
Thanks for reading,
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Young
Subject: RE: Feedback...?
Date: Fri, 06 Jan 95 10:44:00 PST
> I haven't received much feedback thusfar, and am hoping that's due
> to people being away for the holidays rather than from lack of
> interest!
I just browsed the Atavachron Web pages and find them excellent. Good work,
Jeff!
Regarding the discography, I was curious about the absence of 'Sunbird' and
'The Things You See'. Do they fall into the category of recordings Allan
that would rather not have listed? If so, why?
Michael Young
Vancouver
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: RE: Feedback...?
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 95 15:57:03 EST
> I just browsed the Atavachron Web pages and find them excellent. Good work,
> Jeff!
My head is swelling already. :) Thanks!
> Regarding the discography, I was curious about the absence of 'Sunbird' and
> 'The Things You See'. Do they fall into the category of recordings Allan
> that would rather not have listed? If so, why?
Yeah, they do; Claire said in her e-mail a few months ago regarding
these albums that Allan says they're more properly Gordon Beck's albums --
not really a collaborative effort like _With A Heart In My Song_. He
thinks those belong in *Gordon's* discography, not his own.
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Mo Boma
Date: Sat, 7 Jan 1995 22:51:48 -0800 (PST)
I just picked up a CD:
Mo Boma - Myths of the Near Future
Personnel:
Skuli Sverrisson - bass guitars (plays bass for Holdsworth)
Carsten Tiedemann - percussion, electric and ebow guitar, african lute,
synthesizer, central african voice/bird/forest sounds and processing
Jamshied Sharifi - [list of synthesizer sound effects given]
I sought this one out, intrigued by the positive review in Option
as well as the notion of Holdsworth's current bassist being involved
in a creative project of his own.
So far, it reminds me of Michael Brooks, but with greater
harmonic complexity.
More details to follow....
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: Credit where credit is due
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 95 23:53:29 EST
If anyone who's mentioned in the WWW credits (list follows) has a
home page on the Web and would like me to add a link to it, please
let me know -- I'd be glad to do it!
Also, I'm toying with the idea of starting a "Who's Who" on the
Web pages for contributors to the list. If anyone's interested in
that, I'll volunteer to scan in a picture and provide space for
a home page (if you don't already have one).
Okay, I promise that's all the Webspeak for this month. :)
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: Mo Boma
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 10:31:52 -0800 (PST)
> I just picked up a CD:
>
> Mo Boma - Myths of the Near Future
>
> Personnel:
>
> Skuli Sverrisson - bass guitars (plays bass for Holdsworth)
> Carsten Tiedemann - percussion, electric and ebow guitar, african lute,
> synthesizer, central african voice/bird/forest sounds and processing
> Jamshied Sharifi - [list of synthesizer sound effects given]
>
> I sought this one out, intrigued by the positive review in Option
> as well as the notion of Holdsworth's current bassist being involved
> in a creative project of his own.
>
> So far, it reminds me of Michael Brooks, but with greater
> harmonic complexity.
>
> More details to follow....
After a complete listening to this CD, I was left with an overall
positive impression. To spare certain Atavachron readers possible
disappointment, I point out that this is NOT a high-energy fusion
effort with lots of scorching solos, although Skuli does some
stretching out on the fifth track.
The music on this CD is more in the ambient vein, though I
hesitate to slap the new age label on it. I compared it to
Michael Brook because it sounds similar to his work in some
ways. Brook is a guitarist/inventor (he invented the "Infinite
Guitar" system that sustains single notes and chords indefinitely
and can be switched to emphasize certain harmonics) who uses
guitar effects, MIDI-guitar, and Infinite Guitar to create
textural music with an ethnic bent. The Option review compared
Mo Boma to Jon Hassell's (another "ambient" musician influenced
by Brian Eno) 4th World efforts. Since I haven't heard Jon Hassell,
I can't really comment on that.
Mo Boma uses processed guitars, bass guitars, and synths combined with
ethnic percussion and African plucked string instruments in their
music. They spice up the mix with samples of voices, jungle sounds,
and other noises. Carsten is a competent guitarist; his orchestration
of processed guitar sounds is effective but (insert fusion bias) I
don't know how good he really is because he refrains from any
extended blowing.
Final analysis: If you like Michael Brook or Bill Laswell's
"ambient-dub" production style (e.g. Material's _Hallucination
Engine_) you will probably like Mo Boma. If your cup of tea is
hard-blowing "chops" music, look elsewhere.
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
========= End of Atavachron Digest ========= I
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Administrative requests to: : ::::::: ]] [[ ::::::: :
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those of the individual contributors. I I
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the Atavachron WWW Page!
http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
Atavachron Digest - The Allan Holdsworth Discussion Digest
Number 120
Tuesday, 24 January 1995
TODAY'S TOPICS:
==============
Re: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
Re: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
Re: Mo Boma
RE: Feedback...?
RE: Feedback...?
Namm Show Appearance
RE: Feedback...?
Re: Namm Show Appearance
WWW Site and Reviews
Re: Namm Show Appearance
Reviews -- I like that idea
Re: Namm Show Appearance
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bill Berends
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 1995 18:23:06 -0500
Subject: Re: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
Re: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
>a friend of mine reported that GB said both he and AH were giving up music
>entirely, to pursue a new ale-related invention and enterprise, and that
they
>both, at last thought they stood a reasonable chance of making a passable
>living.
Hey is this for real? What kind of world do we live in if AH can't even
make a decent living playing music and Green Day sells double platinum?
When will I wake up from this nightmare.
--
***********************************
Bill Berends
MASTERMIND
bberends@pipeline.com
***********************************
http://tam2k.tamu.edu/~mdb0213/mastermind.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 10:53:02 -0800 (PST)
> Re: The Brewery Bids Adieu to '94
>
> >a friend of mine reported that GB said both he and AH were giving up music
>
> >entirely, to pursue a new ale-related invention and enterprise, and that
> they
> >both, at last thought they stood a reasonable chance of making a passable
>
> >living.
>
> Hey is this for real? What kind of world do we live in if AH can't even
> make a decent living playing music and Green Day sells double platinum?
>
> When will I wake up from this nightmare.
>
> --
> ***********************************
> Bill Berends
> MASTERMIND
> bberends@pipeline.com
> ***********************************
> http://tam2k.tamu.edu/~mdb0213/mastermind.html
My understanding is that Allan has always wanted to start his own
brewery. Beer, as well as music, is a major passion for him. That is,
not just drinking it ;) but making it as well.
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Moderator of Digital Guitar Digest, an Internet mailing list |\
|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: Re: Mo Boma
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 95 21:16:17 EST
> From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
> Subject: Re: Mo Boma
> Final analysis: If you like Michael Brook or Bill Laswell's
> "ambient-dub" production style (e.g. Material's _Hallucination
> Engine_) you will probably like Mo Boma. If your cup of tea is
> hard-blowing "chops" music, look elsewhere.
Well, I like _Hallucination Engine_ well enough, so I think I'll
take that as a "go." I happened to notice that CDConnection has it
listed in their database, too, so I don't have to put in a special
order at the local mom & pop.
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 15:29:46 -0600
From: uchima@fncrd8.fnal.gov (Mike Uchima)
Subject: RE: Feedback...?
> > Regarding the discography, I was curious about the absence of 'Sunbird' and
> > 'The Things You See'. Do they fall into the category of recordings Allan
> > that would rather not have listed? If so, why?
>
> Yeah, they do; Claire said in her e-mail a few months ago regarding
> these albums that Allan says they're more properly Gordon Beck's albums --
> not really a collaborative effort like _With A Heart In My Song_. He
> thinks those belong in *Gordon's* discography, not his own.
>
> Jeff
Hmm... but if this is true, why include things like _Truth in Shredding_ (more
properly a Frank Gambale album), _Radio Free Albemuth_ (Allan only plays on
one track), or _No Borders_ (ditto), or...
(BTW, finally got to check out the WWW page today -- great work, Jeff! Looks
like you've been *really* busy.)
-- Mike Uchima
-- uchima@fnal.fnal.gov
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: RE: Feedback...?
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 21:30:24 EST
> From: uchima@fncrd8.fnal.gov (Mike Uchima)
> Subject: RE: Feedback...?
> Hmm... but if this is true, why include things like _Truth in Shredding_ (more
> properly a Frank Gambale album), _Radio Free Albemuth_ (Allan only plays on
> one track), or _No Borders_ (ditto), or...
Pfffft! [*shrugs*] Ya got me there! As I said, I may not agree with
Allan's reasoning on wanting these things omitted, but I *did* promise
to let him have final say on the discography. Am I a sell-out? A suck-up?
Hey... I just run the server -- I let *y'all* ask the horrific ethical
questions around here! :)
> (BTW, finally got to check out the WWW page today -- great work, Jeff! Looks
> like you've been *really* busy.)
Thanks. It stands as a testament as to what 5+ years of midnight
shifts can beget. :) That and the contributions of dozens of others --
Mr. Uchima included.
Can anyone believe we're nearing the 300-subscriber mark?
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 21:03:26 -0800
From: edumark@ix.netcom.com (chris hoard)
Subject: Namm Show Appearance
Here's a little news blurb...
I just spoke to Claire this evening, and thought I should pass on the latest.
AH will be performing with band at the NAMM show this Sat. night in Anaheim.
The line-up is Skuli, Steve H, and *Chad*.
Otherwise, AH has finished a few of his tracks for the new album with Gordon
Beck, but he's been a bit sidetracked (or synthtracked?) in getting on board
with Roland this time. He's checked out their latest guitar-synth-pickup
offering (I'll leave the details to Paolo), and it appears he will endorse it.
That's it for the moment... CH
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Young
Subject: RE: Feedback...?
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 95 09:54:00 PST
>> Can anyone believe we're nearing the 300-subscriber mark?
I was wondering the other day about the size of Allan's audience. Does
anyone have any idea how many of each album he has sold? Thousands? Tens
of thousands? Of course, quality is better than quantity, but it would be
interesting to know how many people he reaches with his music.
--
Michael Young michaely@paradigm.bc.ca Vancouver, BC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: Namm Show Appearance
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:41:47 -0800 (PST)
> Otherwise, AH has finished a few of his tracks for the new album with Gordon
> Beck, but he's been a bit sidetracked (or synthtracked?) in getting on board
> with Roland this time. He's checked out their latest guitar-synth-pickup
> offering (I'll leave the details to Paolo), and it appears he will endorse it.
>
> That's it for the moment... CH
This is interesting news considering that at one time AH disparaged
Roland guitar synths as using "Pitch-to-Glitch" technology. As I
recall his main complaint was that if he fingerpicked a chord, the
notes would not come out all at the same time. Of course at the
time of that particular interview, the Roland state-of-the-art was
the GR700 and Rolands have come quite a ways since.
He might want to check out the Zeta booth though, since Zeta may
be introducing their own guitar synth/addon pickup at this NAMM
show. See, this synth (code named "Infinity Box") implements ZIPI,
which is a replacement for MIDI that adds a lot more control
over the synthesized sound. For example, if you play one note
on one part of the neck and then play the same note at another
part of the neck, the new note will sound different from the first
note (unlike MIDI where the newnote would sound the same as the
first note). The "Infinity Box" also supports MIDI for compatibility
with MIDI equipment.
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Moderator of Digital Guitar Digest, an Internet mailing list |\
|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 95 12:38:19 PST
From: "Chris Manuel"
Subject: WWW Site and Reviews
Folks,
I browsed the Atavachron Web site last week and was really impressed. I sent a
note to Jeff Preston commending him on the work. I highly recommend a visit!
While I was browsing I got to the discography section and thought it would be
great to read some reviews of the albums listed - especially if the reviewers
were Atavachron participants. Is anyone up for reviewing the discs? I'll take
a shot at it. I figure if you do a brief bio listing some of your favourite
recordings from other artists, and possibly music-making background, it might
provide a better context than: "He plays way fast dudes!"
The other possibility I thought of would be sharing music that Atavachron
listserv participants are working on. I'm assuming that there might be one or
two keen guitarists participating with the group. I'm working on some things
at home that I would like feedback on, especially from as sophisticated a
group as Atavachron readers. Any thoughts? Jeff suggested that he hasn't the
storage space to make it available so we would have to work up an alternative
distribution plan.
Ciao for now.
Chris Manuel
BC Systems Corporation
V: 604.389.3503 F:360.7285
CPMANUEL@BCSC02.GOV.BC.CA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: Namm Show Appearance
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 16:51:28 -0800 (PST)
> > Otherwise, AH has finished a few of his tracks for the new album with Gordon
> > Beck, but he's been a bit sidetracked (or synthtracked?) in getting on board
> > with Roland this time. He's checked out their latest guitar-synth-pickup
> > offering (I'll leave the details to Paolo), and it appears he will endorse
it.
> >
> > That's it for the moment... CH
>
> This is interesting news considering that at one time AH disparaged
> Roland guitar synths as using "Pitch-to-Glitch" technology. As I
> recall his main complaint was that if he fingerpicked a chord, the
> notes would not come out all at the same time. Of course at the
> time of that particular interview, the Roland state-of-the-art was
> the GR700 and Rolands have come quite a ways since.
I just received correspondence indicating that the new Roland
guitar synth is not really a synth but a very sophisticated digital
signal processing box for guitar. It has two modes of operation,
Variable Guitar Modeling and Variable Restructure Modeling. The
first one turns any guitar into any other guitar sonically. The
pickup type (humbucker vs single coil), position, amplifier type,
speaker cabinet type, and other parameters of that nature are
"modeled" using physical modeling techniques. The second mode
allows for realtime alterations to the harmonic structure of
a guitar signal to get brass sounds, bass, synthesizers, etc.
Unlike "normal" effects processors, this one require the installation
of a Roland GK2 or GK2a hex pickup. Theoretically then, this
should allow someone to plug in a Steinberger and get the sound
of a Gibson Super 400 jazz guitar or a Conde Hermanos classical or
a saxophone without the tracking delays associated with triggering
a synth since the sound itself is generated by the guitar strings.
It would be interesting to see what someone of such a high level
of musicianship as Allan would do with this technology; that is,
while on breaks from his new job as co-proprietor of the Beck/Holdworth
Brewery!
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Moderator of Digital Guitar Digest, an Internet mailing list |\
|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 95 21:46:18 EST
Subject: Reviews -- I like that idea
> From: "Chris Manuel"
> Subject: WWW Site and Reviews
> While I was browsing I got to the discography section and thought it would be
> great to read some reviews of the albums listed - especially if the reviewers
> were Atavachron participants. Is anyone up for reviewing the discs? I'll take
> a shot at it. I figure if you do a brief bio listing some of your favourite
> recordings from other artists, and possibly music-making background, it might
> provide a better context than: "He plays way fast dudes!"
I think that would be a neat idea! It'd be even neater if I had time
to figure out how to develop a form to allow instant feedback, complete
with fields to list n-number of albums that have been getting heavy play
in your environment (by choice, of course!), so as to give a timely feel
for "what turns this reviewer on." Alas, I haven't the time... if I did,
I'd already have other feedback forms developed. I hope someone will
take the ball and run with this, though... I'll collect reviews via
e-mail for the time being (to me, NOT to Atavachron, please) and convert
them to HTML if enough reviews come in to make it worthwhile.
That whole Roland thing sounds really interesting, Paolo... do you
expect to be seeing more about this on your list?
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 22:44:09 -0500 (EST)
From: RONNORWOOD@delphi.com
Subject: Re: Namm Show Appearance
[ Moderator's Note: Text re-formatted to < 80 characters/line. --JP ]
Sorry for not quoting youre message but I'm new to internet. Anyway,
concerning the new Roland Guitar synth, it sounds like just another
effect processor with synth capibilities to me.(From youre post I mean)
I can't believe Alan would use that over the synth axe and especialy
after he dropped the synth axe. How reliable is youre source? (just
getting into the confersation )
Speaking of excellent players using Roland synths, didn't Eric Johnson
use one of the GR's on his last album?
PS. Thanks for having such an excellent mailing list. I fell out of my
seat when I saw the Holdsworth list! GREAT!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\ :::: ]I[ :::: /
: ::::::: ]] [[ ::::::: : Administrative requests to:
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/ :: ] ::: [ :: \ All opinions expressed herein are
I I those of the individual contributors.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the Atavachron WWW Page!
http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
Atavachron Digest - The Allan Holdsworth Discussion Digest
Number 121
Wednesday, 25 January 1995
TODAY'S TOPICS:
==============
Oops! Regarding Atavachronista original music...
UK Review...
(none)
Re: Reviews -- I like that idea
Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
Re: Namm Show Appearance
Re: Namm Show Appearance
Re: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
Re: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
re: Re: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 95 23:41:51 EST
Subject: Oops! Regarding Atavachronista original music...
I forgot to add this in my last message to the list:
> From: "Chris Manuel"
> Subject: WWW Site and Reviews
> The other possibility I thought of would be sharing music that Atavachron
> listserv participants are working on. I'm assuming that there might be one or
> two keen guitarists participating with the group. I'm working on some things
> at home that I would like feedback on, especially from as sophisticated a
> group as Atavachron readers. Any thoughts? Jeff suggested that he hasn't the
> storage space to make it available so we would have to work up an alternative
> distribution plan.
True enough -- I'm limited to the amount of material I can store
locally, but the beauty of the World Wide Web is in its *distributed*
hypermedia linkages. In other words, there's *no need* for those big
audio files to reside on my server -- I can merely add a unimposing
hypertext link to the sites where the files *can reside* without
being a disk space-liability on any *one* machine. And of course,
I'd be glad to add that type of link to anyone who'd want to have
their works publicly available... it'd be the same as offering a
pointer to a home page or anything else from *my* disk space
perspective.
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston \\\ Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
to subscribe \\\ e-mail: atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
Web Page URL \\\ http://suppcoo.morehead-st.edu/atav/docs/home.html
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Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 22:37:35 -0800
From: edumark@ix.netcom.com (chris hoard)
Subject: UK Review...
I like the review idea too!
With the advent of Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Yes, and Pink Floyd in
late 1960's, rock music had been transformed into an expressive outlet for
classically trained musicians--even virtuoso instrumentalists. American
cultural fads confusedly tilted toward Reaganism and punk, and younger
middle class men were often too busy to notice, finding themselves in a
disco spotlight donning polyester suits, and not in the mood to listen
to any music seriously. Arguably the album that marked the end of the
first progressive rock "era" was UK's debut release.
"UK" was significantly different from any of its predecessors
in that genre--for several reasons. Like the grandfather of progressive
rock groups, King Crimson, it drew from jazz and classical elements, and
was rooted firmly in the powerful bombast and psychadelia of the theatrical
English rock explored at first by bands such as The Beatles, Cream, and
Pink Floyd. But where King Crimson took a great avant-gardist and jazz
musician, such as Keith Tippett, and used him as a guest embellisher--UK
included a musician later renowned as one of jazz's more "distinctive"
voices--as an integral member of the band. UK as a band, was an accident
really. UK actually was intended to be a reunion of King Crimson members,
but according to keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson, Robert Fripp backed out
after first agreeing to the idea. Drummer Bill Bruford suggested the trio,
formed with long-time Crimson bassist John Wetton, bring in Allan
Holdsworth, to give the band a more experimental edge.
Known in England at that time as primarily a "jazz" guitarist,
with some successful rock leanings ala the band Tempest, Holdsworth was
known to musicians like Bruford through his visible involvement with
other jazz greats such as Tony Williams and Jean-Luc Ponty. It was
Holdsworth's tonal innovations and extremely rapid and fluid soloing
that gave UK a sound quite unlike any other progressive rock band--but
that wasn't most of what made UK unique in this genre. Two songs in
particular, co-penned by Holdsworth, along with Jobson's previewing of
a new generation of synths, and his innovative use of virtuoso electric
violin, brought a whole new array of sounds, textures, and harmonies
into a very complex mix. Harmonically, UK was and remains, about as
rich as anything ever attempted in a successful rock band.
UK abounded with numerous instrumental solos by Jobson
and Holdsworth, which created an effective contrast between Jobson's
cleverly composed lines and Holdsworth's free-flowing melodic
inventions. Bruford and Wetton had already spent years together
honing rock's most powerful, agressive, and improvisational rhythm
section. To progressive rock fans, the album stands as a classic--and
it appealed to a fairly broad rock audience in 1977 when it was released.
Some of John Wetton's best vocal work was recorded in that session,
and tracks such as "Time To Kill," "Nevermore," and "Mental Medication,"
convey both a dark urgency and poetic whimsy that built on his
earlier landmark work with Crimson.
Despite the band's success, the chemistry of four musical
leaders on one stage proved immediately unstable. While Allan Holdsworth's
improvisational genius sparked UK's first tour of live performances, and
was captured to an extent on UK, Wetton apparently made demands,
according to Bruford that Holdsworth "play the same solos every night."
Bruford and Holdsworth were fired from the band to be replaced by Jobson's
fellow Zappa alumnus, drummer Terry Bozzio. Perhaps a little more stable,
that band was nonetheless an artistic shell of what had previously
been a potent meeting of musical minds. UK owed many debts to
King Crimson and Frank Zappa--yet it was the powerful voice and
vision of jazz oriented guitarist that made this release one
of the few "supergroups" that actually lived up to over-inflated
expectations.
From a guitarist's perspective, UK marked the point at
which Holdsworth began to agreesively refine and expand his guitar's
tone and expressiveness--and emerge as a consistently compelling
compositional force. One can hear many distorted growls, groans,
and effects from Holdsworth's guitar for the first time. These
since have become part of the modern electric guitarist's
vocabulary. At the time--although it took many guitarists several
years to catch up--it made Holdsworth perhaps the most mimicked
guitar stylist of the 1980s.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: Reviews -- I like that idea
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 01:09:21 -0800 (PST)
> That whole Roland thing sounds really interesting, Paolo... do you
> expect to be seeing more about this on your list?
>
> Jeff
I certainly do. Especially after people start buying the new Roland
and asking for help or other questions. I intend to play Devil's
Advocate and pose the question of what this Roland VG8 can do
that cannot be done with a good compressor, good equalization,
a volume pedal, and an Ebow; not to mention just getting a real
Strat and a real Fender Twin if you want a certain sound or a real
Les Paul and a real Marshall if you want *that* sound.
Still, I don't know of any other box or combination of boxes
that can make an electric guitar sound like a saxophone without
having the guitar trigger a sampler/synthesizer through MIDI.
The SynthAxxe was Allan's way of getting the sound and expressiveness
of a saxophone while still making use of his guitar training. Now that
he's been deprived of it, I suppose the VG8 might attract his attention;
if it really works as advertised.
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
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\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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From: Mr M P Hughes
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 95 09:23:40 GMT
Subject: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
Hi,
Firstly, the WWW page - what I've seen of it is great, though it's sooooo
slooooow (read: soooo slooo/time-out) over the transatlantic Internet that I
rarely get onto it, let alone read more than a page or two! Who maintains
the Atlantic link? AT&T? BT?
Secondly, I had an idea the other day (in the bath, where all good ideas come
from), about Allan and the disappearing Synthaxe controller. Depending on
whether or not this Roland deal comes off, why don't we have a whip-round
("collection", for nonBrits) for him on here? If there are 300 of us and
we all contribute, say, $10 (less than the price of a CD!) I'm sure we'd
make a big dent in the cost of a Ztar (or Datapump or whatever it's
called). Or even another synthaxe controller, if there are any around...
BTW, without meaning to sound crude, does Allan get his DeLapps gratis? I'm
curious after reading the Guitar Shop article - where it says that a DeLap
costs about $3-4000, and that Allan has 6. $20,000 of guitars, over the
last 3 years? If only I could persuade my wife that this is a *good* thing! :)
michael
++++++++++++++++++++/\+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ #### / / +
+ uu 3# /\_/ Michael Pycraft Hughes pycraft@sees.bangor.ac.uk +
+ __ / ## /// Institute of Molecular & Biomolecular Electronics +
+ / #U#&\ /// Dean Street, Bangor, North Wales, U.K. LL65 1UT +
+ / v __c/// "Wierdy, Beardy, Bongo & Boffin" -Q magazine +
+++++| | _/ \/E]]+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: Namm Show Appearance
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 00:59:00 -0800 (PST)
> Sorry for not quoting youre message but I'm new to internet. Anyway,
> concerning the new Roland Guitar synth, it sounds like just another
> effect processor with synth capibilities to me.(From youre post I mean)
> I can't believe Alan would use that over the synth axe and especialy
> after he dropped the synth axe. How reliable is youre source? (just
> getting into the confersation )
First of all, Allan's SynthAxxe was stolen. A most unfortunate incident
indeed (may the thief's balls be consumed by a thousand.....forget it).
The information I received came from two people who apparently attended
the NAMM event. Here are their postings to the Digital Guitar list:
========================================
From: mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers)
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 95 04:22:00 GMT
Subject: Roland VG-8 Guitar System
Although I missed their press conference at NAMM, I managed to get a
pretty good showing of what might be the hippest product of the show,
Roland's V-Guitar System VG-8. This is sort of a guitar synthesizer,
but based on the physical modeling concept that Yamaha introduced in a
musician oriented synth, the VL-1, last year. What Roland has done is
build models of how the various parameters of guitar, pickup, and
amplifier design affect the sound under actual playing conditions, and
put them in a box with a very intuitive user interface. There are too
many parameters to turn loose on an innocent user, so they've offered
several fixed choices, and provide a few user adjustable parameters.
For instance, you can select the basic style of guitar for starters.
The demo model that came in from Japan had only a basic solid body
electric, but they promise that acoustic guitars will be offered in
the final version. Actually, the Roland US folks had seen the
acoustic models in an earlier version, but all the parameters were in
Japanese, and the company decided that it would be better not to show
it that way. Fooey on them! You start with a real guitar as your
sound source, and install a Roland GK-2A hexaphonic pickup, the
standard rig for their MIDI guitar systems, but that's as far as it
goes. There's no MIDI here (except to send and receive SysEx bulk
dumps for setup purposes), the pickup is used only to send the sound
of each string individually out to the model in the box.
Anyway, you pick out your guitar model (from the current choice of
one), and then go to select pickups - a dual coil humbucker (with
coils in or out of phase), a single coil, or a piezo transducer. You
can position the pickup anywhere between the bridge and the nut, and
adjust it's angle so you can get some really whacky sounds. You can
"install" up to two pickups. You have to play it through an amp, so
you pick one from the list - some are obvious, and some are obscure,
for trademark reasons. What they've done here is model the way that a
particular amp responds, both in the operation of it's controls, and
in the way it overloads. Of course you need speakers, so you get an
assortment of cabinet arrangements from a single speaker to a large
stack, assorted sizes of drivers, open or closed back, and you can
adjust your choice of simulated microphone's position on the cabinet.
You can add all the standard effects such as reverb and chorus just as
you would with a real amp setup. Since each string is picked up and
processed individually, you can assign them anywhere in the sound
field.
The closest the VG-8 comes to a synthesizer is another technique which
can be applied to the model by changing the harmonic structure of the
original guitar signal so the entire tambre is changed, thus creating
something that sounds like a bass, a horn, or, well, a synthesizer.
They all respond just like a guitar, though, even to the extent of
responding appropriately to string harmonics that you're picking.
What goes in has to be in tune (or else what comes out will be out of
tune), but each string can be individually pitch shifted in the same
way as adjusting the tuning peg. When the tuning page is selected,
you can move each string up or down by a specified number of frets to
create instant open tunings. It could be mighty distracting if you
can hear the acoustic sound of the guitar together with the output of
the VG-8 - perhaps this is something that's best done with headphones
on. In addition, you can double strings to create a very realistic
twelve string sound by adding a second string an octave up for the
lower 4 strings, and a second unison string for the top two. A touch
of detuning adds to the realism.
No price, no release date, but I'd expect it to be affordable, this
being Roland. And, this is probably all I know, so don't expect
detailed answers to detailed questions about the VG-8. I saw a lot of
stuff this weekend at NAMM and my brain is fried.
------------
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
On the road in Lost Angeles
========================================
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 12:23:00 PST
From: Larry_Rousseve.LAX1B@xerox.com
Subject: Re: Digital Guitar Digest # 38
re: ! V !
The Roland VG-8 was demonstrated at NAMM. It is a foot controlled digital
signal processor for steel string electric or acoustic guitar. It is not a
synthesizer. The processing is done on the actual waveform produced from the
vibrating guitar string. It is fed a signal through the GK-2A or older GK-2
pickup. It can switch between two different modes: Variable Guitar Modeling
and Harmonic Restructure Modeling. Variable Guitar Modeling emulates:
different pickups(and pickup positions), pitch shifting(including alternate
guitar tunings for slide guitar etc without retuning your guitar), distortion,
tube amplifier, speakers/cabs and mics. Harmonic Restructure Modeling allows
the user to add, delete, intensify or de-emphasize certain harmonics to create
new sounds(synth-like textures, brass, woodwinds, etc). Only being able to
listen through headphones it wasn't able to hear how the mid to low end should
really sound but it seemed pretty cool. Many of the patches/settings emulate
fairly well. The Keith Richards sound was quite realistic but there is still
nothing like the real thing.
Larry
[ end of included correspondence ]
What Larry and Mike are talking about is a box that can produce guitar
synthesizer sounds *without* the tracking delay associated with even
the Roland GR synths. No delay because the sound itself comes from real
guitar strings; the box just mutates it.
Now I'm not sure which Roland product Allan is set to endorse but I
suspect he has an interest in the VG-8. If it is truly able to produce
a woodwind sound from a guitar through the miracle of DSP *without any
triggering delays* I'm sure he'd be very interested.
> Speaking of excellent players using Roland synths, didn't Eric Johnson
> use one of the GR's on his last album?
No, not on _Ah Via Musicom_. He's supposed to be using a GR1 on his
upcoming album. Then there's Adrian Belew of King Crimson, Al di Meola,
etc.
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Moderator of Digital Guitar Digest, an Internet mailing list |\
|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pvallado@waynesworld.UCSD.EDU (Paolo Valladolid)
Subject: Re: Namm Show Appearance
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 10:36:15 -0800 (PST)
One tidbit from Harvey Starr, the owner of Starr Switch Co. that
makes the ZTar controllers used by Vernon Reid and Stanley Jordan:
The SynthAxxe that was stolen from Allan was not even owned by him.
Allan put up two of his Delap long-neck/baritone guitars as
collateral for the loan of the SynthAxxe.
When I heard this I felt even more sympathy for Allan and anger
at whoever was responsible for the theft.
--
Paolo Valladolid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Moderator of Digital Guitar Digest, an Internet mailing list |\
|for Music Technology and Stringed Instruments | \
----------------------------------------------------------------- |
\ finger pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.edu for more info \ |
\ http://waynesworld.ucsd.edu/DigitalGuitar/home.html \|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 15:01:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: X90LESAGE@wmich.edu
Subject: Re: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
I'm all for chipping in $10-20 for Allan buy what ever he wants, be it
a new synthaxe or ztar. What ever I can do to keep his genius flowing!
Whose going to handle the money and what's there address?
LET'S DO IT PEOPLE!!!!!
Mark LeSage
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 95 15:52:03 EST
From: "In this city of wolves, vegitation, and dimes..."
Subject: Re: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
Post the address; count me in....
dan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 95 15:49:06 EST
From: "Marc Benigni"
Subject: re: Re: Roland, WWW, replacing the SynthAxe
Re: SynthAxe collection.
Sorry to volunteer anyone other than myself, but I suspect Jeff Preston is
held in high enough regard to be trusted with this task. Jeff, perhaps you
could bounce the idea off of AH or associates to ensure we wouldn't offend
with our generosity? (Or would everyone prefer a surprise?) It may even be
possible to send donations directly to Allan's management...
Certainly, AH has done enough for us in sharing his music that I'd love to
help him out in a pinch. Keep me posted if this moves forward.
MB.
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