A new way to record your music outdoor with an
Ambient Guitar Pedalboard
As I've written in the old posts of this blog, "building an ambient guitar pedalboard for outdoor sessions is like thinking you're about to start a journey".
When you travel you must be as lighter as you can, the lighter you walk the less you get tired and the better you'll perform your music in the session.
Your slogan must always be: LESS IS MORE.
I've experienced a better way to record my music in stereo with just one speaker.
LET ME SHOW YOU THIS NEW SET
First step is ro remove the amps, in fact I can tell you that amps are not a key part of this new set. Nowadays they can be easily and functionally replaced by Amp Cab Simulator pedals, which have a very good technology to emulate in an extraordinary way the real ampflifiers.
Pedals like Strymon Iridium, Walrus Mako ACS1 or even some cheaper ones like Tc Electronic, Nux and Boss for example, can easily replace your real amp and you will not be able to hear differences when listening to music recorded with them.
I suggest you to consider the dimensions when you have to buy one of these pedals, the space in your pedalboard is little and you must look for a good compromise between dimensions, sounds and of course money. We're not rich! LOL
I've choosen the Walrus Mako ACS1 for this reason, it has a fantastic stereo sound with the possibility to choose two different amps, one for each channel and have more defined stereo panorama.
You can connect the stereo outputs of the Cab simulator pedal directly into the Multitrack Recorder, or into the Audio Interface if you're recording music with your pc with two jack cables.
In this way you're recording your music in stereo selecting two channels in the Multitrack or in the Daw you're using in the pc and you don't need microphones, cables and stands. I always suggest to record live ambient music in stereo. I love to hear sounds in stereo panorama.
Of course you'll need a speaker to listen to what you're playing, I suggest you to use a good compromise between weight and loudness.
The speaker could be not stereo, it doesn't matter if it's stereo or not, you only need it to hear what you're playing with a good volume. The most important thing is the quality of the recorded music. I use one Roland Cube Street that weighs about 5 kg and I can carry it for long distances without getting tired.
I connect it with 3.5mm/6.3mm jack cable from the phones output of the Tascam Dp006 to the Stereo Aux In of the Roland Cube Street.
When you're playing outdoor you probably don't have electricy to power your pedalboard, then you must use a powerbank.
There are very few powerbanks in the web market. I use the Caline CP06+ and the Falken 1 Mega Power Bank, I've recently discovered the Mission Engineering 529 Rechargeable Power Supply and I think I will probably try it.
The Falken Mega Power let you power more pedals with a high current draw than the Caline CP06+, only six for the Caline while it's eight for the Falken, this is why now I'm using it to play outdoor.
So dear Folks, my new Ambient Guitar Sessions will be recorded with this easier setup and I will noy use my magic carpet, it was a weight too and I decided to not take it with me.
This easier setup will accompany my music thru the amazing landscapes and sceneries of Sardinia, I will you let you discover wilder places over mountains, hills and solitary beaches.
In the next post I will talk about the way I use to record my sessions with Tascam Multitrack recorder.
Stay tuned!
Comments