MONDAY MC Q&A 5-21-18

Q: I have read on a few of your posts that you are not using any synthesizers on the record, yet you mention orchestrating. Are you guys using soft-synths or a guitar synth to do?

A: I’ve probably discussed this prior, but since it is a topic near and dear , I’m happy to give it another go!  The old Queen verbiage of ‘and not synthesizers used’ was one of the self-imposed limitations I put on the making of this record. That said, it is far from a hard rock or ‘guitar’ album. Michael Rozon and I went into this record with quite a few ‘tools’ in mind to manipulate the electric guitar into orchestral sounds.. and none being a guitar synth or a soft-synth. My trusty old E-Bow and a Sustainiac-loaded Schecter Stargazer where obvious choices, and both where used extensively thru my pedal boards; loaded with various delays, reverbs and other modulation devices. Rozen is a master of the Eventide H300 harmonizer, so the sounds where further tweaked thru that. The Electro Harmoix MEL9 became a mainstay on a lot of the parts, helping morph guitar lines into mellotron-esque strings and choirs. Some of the parts I think listeners may really ‘question’ if a keyboard was used, and some of my most fav guitar moments are thru this cool little box. We also used a violin bow on a few guitar tracks, though I am surely no Jónsi (Sigur Ros)! That said, I bet he can’t hold a candle to me integrating an electric drill !!! I am beyond thrwith how this process has worked to support and add textures to what I feel are really good songs.
Maybe I’ll do a run-down at some point after the record is mixed of the pedal boards, amps and guitars we used in the making of FBIC for those interested in that stuff...