Nels Cline's Pedals In-The-Round
- Thread starter ibobunot
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Cline was almost completely surrounded by an array of pedals and other effects on which he was often busy clicking a switch or turning a knob to create sonic explosions that sent his tone to space in the midst of a given piece.
--All About Jazz--
Yeah, I need a set-up that allows me to click a switch to create a sonic explosion that sends my tone to space. These boxes are great.
I had better reign in my sarcasm. It just bothers me that some listeners think that the box makes the sound, while completely ignoring the music being played on the guitar. Or maybe thinking that the music being played on the guitar is created by the box.
More seriously, I wonder how many players, especially young ones, are really exploring the musical effects of a network of boxes. The Edge might be looked at as the first model of that approach. While we often think of music as pitches and timing, I can imagine effects being more widely regarded as a shaping force of music. BTW, I don't mean that no one else did this as immersively as the Edge. I guess Eno (not a guitarist, but as a producer), Belew, and Fripp. I even tried it in the 70s but the noise floor was terribly high.
I started off mocking the idea that pedals actually create music and ended with the idea that they might create a new kind of music, with not only a new way of playing, but a new way of listening and thinking about effects at the same level as thinking about pitch.
--All About Jazz--
Yeah, I need a set-up that allows me to click a switch to create a sonic explosion that sends my tone to space. These boxes are great.
I had better reign in my sarcasm. It just bothers me that some listeners think that the box makes the sound, while completely ignoring the music being played on the guitar. Or maybe thinking that the music being played on the guitar is created by the box.
More seriously, I wonder how many players, especially young ones, are really exploring the musical effects of a network of boxes. The Edge might be looked at as the first model of that approach. While we often think of music as pitches and timing, I can imagine effects being more widely regarded as a shaping force of music. BTW, I don't mean that no one else did this as immersively as the Edge. I guess Eno (not a guitarist, but as a producer), Belew, and Fripp. I even tried it in the 70s but the noise floor was terribly high.
I started off mocking the idea that pedals actually create music and ended with the idea that they might create a new kind of music, with not only a new way of playing, but a new way of listening and thinking about effects at the same level as thinking about pitch.
The quote I had originally posted was for his regular pedal setup. I have no info about the round pedalboard other than it belongs to Nels Cline...
The Nels Cline Singers - Square King
I've never heard his solo stuff before. Considering I'm a meat 'n potatoes kind of guy when it comes to music that was quite nice.
sotob
Tele-Holic
that was a great performance!
Martin R
Friend of Leo's
There's a great scene in "It Might Get Loud", where Edge plays a lick and admits it's fairly lame, then runs it through a few processors and talks about how good it is.
He's right, of course. I'm not sure if the issue is musicianship, (using the tools available to make music), or programming.
I've used some effects to make a fairly simple riff into something that works the song, and I'm okay with that.
He's right, of course. I'm not sure if the issue is musicianship, (using the tools available to make music), or programming.
I've used some effects to make a fairly simple riff into something that works the song, and I'm okay with that.
slowpinky
Tele-Afflicted
Hey Larry - "Klangfarben melodie" perhaps......
I think Nels is one of the few masters of effect(s) around today - not least because his natural jazzmaster? tone is so good. I've seen him do improvised gigs where the effects took on this dynamic indeterminism - in much the same way as I saw Bill Frisell doing in the mid 80's but with a much rockier intention. The operation and transformation of sounds become part of the motion - which is really the movement of timbral elements that create a dimension of motion outside of melody or rhythm - even though they are still there.
I havent seen him with the 'in the round' setup - just a mess of pedals with what looked like an EH 2880 perched precariously on the side of his amp.
But his playing with Wilco is so 'real guitar ' - i.e. melodic and natural - that he kind of has cred for me doing this stuff - perhaps more than some others....
jamie.pope
Tele-Meister
Looks pretty neat. Did anybody attend Solid Sound? What was the purpose of the 'pedal moons'? Did it provide attendees an opportunity to try pedals?
tele salivas
Poster Extraordinaire
Nels Cline is a ferocious player. I agree with the sentiment being expressed that since he is such a good natural player with a very killer tone, that when somebody of his caliber is extensively using pedals, our perception and expectation is already elevated a bit. The fact that he obviously knows what he is doing and the sonic spectrum is expanding with the melody in tandem, rather than just twisiting some cool sounds, continues the perception of Nels Cline as a monster of a guitar player. What I done just saw above was amazing! He knew exactly what he was going for, and expertly handled the bands of sound like a wizard moving air. Hell, he was moving air!LOL!
rangercaster
Poster Extraordinaire
that is a complete rig ... along with the pedals, there are four amps in the middle (ZT Lunchboxes) !!!
cntry666
Friend of Leo's
I've seen him live and if you watch the last live Wilco DVD you'll see he does a lot of it with his hands. The pedals are an afterthought really. I'm not usually into players like this but Nels is incredible; he is so reserved one minute and the next he goes into Sonic Youth like stratospheres. Amazing. I can't remember what magazine I read it in but they go into the Wilco practice space/recording studio. All I can say is they got a tons of cool stuff.
Nels is a great acoustic and electric player. The pedals are used to make sounds but he is incredibly talented w/ just an acoustic. He played in a band called Quartet Music in the 80's that had him playing classical and acoustic 6 and 12 string guitar. (Ralph Towner and Egberto Gismonti are both influences on his acoustic playing.) He also plays acoustic on his recent solo cd, Coward.
http://[URL="http://nelscline.com/discog.html"]
PJ
http://[URL="http://nelscline.com/discog.html"]
PJ
TheWaker43
TDPRI Member
??
I am not sure I get what this is. Can someone explain?
I am not sure I get what this is. Can someone explain?
Turns out it was an "ambient music machine" of some sort anyone could play with it...
image removed
TheWaker43
TDPRI Member
neat
I thought they were in the process of building it in the photos. There are a few Youtube clips. It's pretty cool but it must have been hell for the people that had to work that exhibit all day long.
I thought they were in the process of building it in the photos. There are a few Youtube clips. It's pretty cool but it must have been hell for the people that had to work that exhibit all day long.
