Signal To Noise

Episode 03: TonePros

The guitar is quite a curious instrument. It can sound as huge and devastating as a hurricane, but it's also quite delicate. For example since most guitars are made of wood, they react to the element. Think of it like this. You know how in the summer time when it is super humid your door frames stick? And then then is the winter they work really well because it is so dry? Your guitar reacts in the same in the same way to the climate changes and this can cause the wood in the neck to warp. And if the neck warps... your guitar is done. Most guitarists are very aware of this and take steps to regulate the climate in their houses to keep the guitar and neck in good shape, especially since the neck has so much to do with tone. There is another part of the guitar that has a big effect on tone as well, a part that as guitarists we overlook, the bridge. The bridge is one of two contact points for the strings. It is also the contact point that controls the intonation of the guitar. If the bridge is junk or in bad shape, then the guitar sounds bad. Even that vintage Les Paul. In Episode 03 we talk with Wookie of TonePros where we discuss his life on the road in various positions, and how his time as a guitar tech lead him to TonePros. And don't forget, The month of October is a special month for our Sister Podcast, Radioactive Metal. Snowy will watching 31 Horror Movies picked by the listeners. so head to their Facebook page and toss in your suggestions!

Episode 02: Crush Drums

In Episode two we celebrate drummers! Joining us in this episode is Rick Hughes, Artist Relations Manager for Crush Drums. Everyone at Crush Drums is a drummer...except rick. He's a bassist. Which makes perfect sense! Who better to work with drummers than a bass player? Rick talks to us about the innovations that Crush has made in the drum market in just under two years. From customizable lugs to non-traditional materials, Crush is causing quite a stir in the Drum industry. I really want to thank Rick for coming on the show. We also feature an interview with Crush Drums Artist, Scot Coogan. Scot is pulling double duty as the drummer for Lynch Mob, and Ace Frehley. When the Lynch Mob rolled through Pittsburgh last month (more about that show Wednesday), John from Iron City Rocks invited me to join him in interviewing Scot before the show. We talk to Scot about life on the road with Lynch Mob, Ace Frehley and his new Crush Drum kit. Also in this episode we discuss the new Zoom H2n, the Digitech iPB-10, and the Samson Meteor Mic. I plan to feature some new products in the show each month and eventually I hope to do some full on reviews. The Zoom H2n is an updated version of the H2. I own the H2, and I am happy about the updates on the H2n. In general it looks easier to use. If you want to hear the H2 in action, check out the Scot Coogan interview in this Episode or check out The Mayhem Festival show on Iron City Rocks.  The mayhem interviews were conducted  in an open noisy outdoor room. The H2 was set to use the front and back Mics and was about two feet from each person talking, just to give you an idea on quality. The iPB-10 just looks cool, and is the next installment in the ever growing list of iPad accessories. I have used Garage Band and Amplitube on the iPad and would love to try something like this that has high quality in's and out's. The Samson Meteor mic is a new USB mic from Samson technologies and is the Mic I happen to be using on this episode.

Episode 01 – Elliot Rubinson

I have been listening to podcasts for at least 5 years now. It started with a podcast on recording, then several podcasts on recording. I was even learning Japanese at one point via a podcast. I always wanted to produce my own, but I just could not quite figure out how it all worked on the backend.I knew how to record and produce a podcast, just not how to syndicate it. Then last year my buddy John over at Iron City Rocks gave me a great opportunity, he invited me to to do some interviews for his show. I was so excited! I was finally a part of a podcast. And if that was not enough, John started letting me completely produce some shows on my own. Well, thanks to working with John, I started the blog you are reading right now. And also thanks to John, I attended the Pittsburgh Podcamp last year. It was at that "un" conference that I discovered a plug-in for Wordpress called "PowerPress" by the Blubrry network. And that plug-in is what has allowed me to start podcasting on my own today. Now, not only did John get me started in podcasting, he also helped me get the first interview. It is with great pleasure that I present to you an interview with Elliot Rubinson the CEO of Armadillo Enterprises, the company that owns Dean guitars. I chose Dean guitars for the first Podcast because this past Saturday was Dimebag Darrell's birthday. He would have been 45. I though it would be nice to talk with Elliot about how he re-kindled Dean's relationship with Dimebag and how they keep Dimebag's legacy alive. So enjoy this first official Episode and as a treat enjoy this video of Dimebag. Getcha Pull!!!