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Tube Drive Sounds

Electric Guitar

Jazz Fusion Style using a Fender Strat In this clip the Tube Drive is used to create a smooth overdriven Strat solo. Poulin LeCab VST emulator was added post recording. The PC-2A tube compressor is also used on clean, rhythm and bass guitars to achieve a very classy, polished sound. All guitars are recorded direct to computer using Death Valley 15SSSN (15′ guitar cable) and 6IAAN (6″ patch cables) terminated in G&H nickel-plated jack plugs. Reverb was added post recording using Valhalla ‘Room’ VST – my favorite reverb because it’s smoothness and depth.

Epic AOR Interlude – Strat Classic AOR rock tones with the Tube Drive. No speaker emulation is used on the lead and rhythm guitars. Kuassa 3 band Baxandall eq, Optron compressor and Epicverb VST plugins added post recording. Lead and rhythm guitars recorded using Palmer PDI-09 and Fender Tweed amp. Bass guitar recorded via PC-2A compressor direct to computer using Death Valley 15SSSN (15′ guitar cable) and 6IAAN (6″ patch cables) terminated in G&H nickel-plated jack plugs. Tube Drive is used on rhythm and lead guitars.

335 – Here’s another fusion style clip with Gibson 335 into Morgan PR12. A Collings I-35 335 guitar was used to make this clip. Tube Drive: ‘Volume 12:00; ‘Tone’ 9:00; ‘Drive’ 12:00; toggle switches set to ‘Mellow’; ‘Bass Boost’ – off. A small amount of Moog Delay was also used on the guitar. Morgan PR12 amp set clean. Thanks to Mike Hermans for making this sound clip.

Strat – Here’s a Hendrixy rock style clip with Fender Strat into Morgan PR12. Rhythm Strat: neck pickup; all Tube Drive knobs at 12:00; toggle switches set to ‘Bright’, ‘Bass Boost’ – off. Lead Strat: Tube Drive ‘Volume’ 12:00; ‘Tone’ 10:00; ‘Drive’ 1:00; toggle switches set to ‘Mellow’, Bass Boost’ – on. Morgan PR12 amp set clean. Thanks to Mike Hermans for making this sound clip.

Jazz Funk – Here’s a clip of jazz/funk/blues with Gibson SG into Morgan PR12. Tube Drive toggle switches set to ‘Smooth’ and ‘Bass Boost’ – off. Thanks to Mike Hermans for making this sound clip.

Shake ‘em on Down – This sample was kindly made by John Fairhurst. You can really hear what the Tube Drive is capable of in terms of raunchiness and ‘balls’ about 30 seconds into this track – although I have to give John some credit too for his superb playing.

The Wall (guitar solo) – Demonstration of recording guitar direct to the computer with the Tube Drive and PC-2A compressor pedals. The PC-2A is placed after the Tube Drive in the signal chain to provide some gentle leveling and smoothing of the sound. A little equalisation and reverb were added post recording using Kjaerhus Audio and Glaceverb VST plugins. I also used Poulin LeCab VST speaker cabinet emulator to take some of the high end ‘fizz’ off and smooth the drive tone. Guitar used: Fender Strat fitted with Kent Armstrong pickups. Cable: Van Damme Silver Series Session Grade Hi-Cap 125. Thanks to Phil Shiell for playing bass on this clip.

The Sky is Crying – Here’s a take on a blues standard to demonstrate the smoothness of the Tube Drive at medium gain settings and show how it produces all those nuances. I was aiming for the tone Buddy Guy had on the album ‘Damn Right I’ve got the Blues’ although a bit of B.B. King creeps in here and there. The backing chords were just straight Deluxe Reverb.

80′s lead Strat solo – Here I’m using the Tube Drive on my Fender Strat to add sustain and drive for solo work. The Strat is fitted with ‘Kent Armstrong’ single coil pickups. The tone of these pickups is the perfect iconic ‘Strat sound’ but the output is not terribly strong. The Tube Drive helps give them that extra body and punch they need for soloing. The backing track is an old recording from the early 1980s (recorded on DAT) by the band ‘Kybalion’ in which my friend Phil Shiell played bass guitar. The strat solo was recorded direct to computer using Death Valley 15SSSN (15′ guitar cable) and 6IAAN (6″ patch cables) terminated in G&H nickel-plated jack plugs. The following VST plugins were used post recording: Valhalla ‘Room’ reverb; Torpedo CAB speaker emulation and Kuassa BasiQ Baxandall Simulation Equalizer. Ferric Tape Dynamics Simulator was used to help the newly recorded guitar solo blend in and sit better with the old DAT recording.

Blues/Rock – John Verity demonstates the more bluesy character of the Tube Drive. John is using a Fret King Black Label Corona ‘JV’ Guitar with custom wound vintage voiced single coil pickups (neck pickup is used for this sample) into the Tube-Drive. This is going into an 18 Watt VTR/Verity head driving a cab fitted with 2 x 10″ and 1 x 12″ Tayden loudspeakers.

Rock – John Verity demonstates the more bluesy character of the Tube Drive. John is using a Fret King Black Label Corona ‘JV’ Guitar with custom wound vintage voiced single coil pickups (bridge pickup is used on this sample) into the Tube-Drive. This is going into an 18 Watt VTR/Verity head driving a cab fitted with 2 x 10″ and 1 x 12″ Tayden loudspeakers.

Parisienne Walkways – Recorded with a 335 into the Tube Drive at high gain to create Gary Moore’s creamy, sustaining tone.

Blues Breakup – Here I’m using a stock Strat and the Tube Drive at lower gain just on the edge of break-up, You can hear the notes literally breathe on this one.

Serious Grunge – By Ed Oleszko of Queensbury demonstates the heavier more grungy character of the Tube Drive.

Heavy Distortion I – By Joe Difonzo

Heavy Distortion II – By Joe Difonzo

Kayleigh – Marillion

Electric Bass

Horsell Common and the Heat Ray bass line (Herbie Flowers) – Here I’m using the Tube Drive to add more edge to ‘Precision’ bass guitar. The Tube Drive is effectively putting the sound under the microscope to enhance the nuances and little sounds of the instrument to bring out its character. These sounds are vitally important in this bass line as the sound is as much the percussive element created when the plectrum hits the strings as it is the actual note from the string. The ‘Drive’ knob on the Tube Drive is set very low at under 8 o’clock and the ‘Bright’ and ‘Bass Boost’ switches are engaged. The PC-2A compressor was also used after the Tube Drive to add a little shine to the tone and reverb was added post recording using EpicVerb VST. I also added another track of bass pitch-shifted down one octave to create the menancing undertone just like Herbie Flowers did on the original 1978 Jeff Wayne’s ‘The War of the Worlds’ album. Best listened to over headphones as you won’t get the full effect over laptop speakers.

I Found a New Way (Twin Peaks) – Here the Tube Drive is used to add a little grit and punch to ‘Precision’ bass guitar. The ‘Drive’ knob is at about 9 o’clock and the ‘Volume’ and ‘Tone’ knobs are set at roughly 12 o’clock. The Tube Drive is also being used on the rhythm and lead electric guitars too. All guitars are recorded direct. You can hear the original ‘Twin Peaks’ version of this track on YouTube.

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Tube Drive Sounds