Sometimes a story or an idea is best vocalized

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Episode 46 : Real Amps and Modelers - It’s Not Either / Or
Podcast, Gear Ross Chevalier Podcast, Gear Ross Chevalier

Episode 46 : Real Amps and Modelers - It’s Not Either / Or

I’m not sure why, but whenever I see a video or read an article about “real” amps, by which the author invariably means an amplifier powered by tubes, or an article about digital modellers, that the underlying theme is one of either or. Each author will tend to have a preference one way or the other, and it comes across sometimes clearly and sometimes subtly in their presentation. That’s ok, but for me, it’s always been either / and because I have spent the hard earned cash on both deliverables and that’s what I’m going to cover this episode

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Ep 43 : Choosing a Reverb Pedal
Gear, Podcast Ross Chevalier Gear, Podcast Ross Chevalier

Ep 43 : Choosing a Reverb Pedal

In this episode I talk about some of the considerations that go into choosing a reverb pedal which you want if your amp doesn’t have reverb and that you probably want even if your amp does have built-in reverb. Judging by the number of options in the market, the latter is proven to be true every day!

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Episode 40 : Multi Effector or Stomp Boxes
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Episode 40 : Multi Effector or Stomp Boxes

An increasingly reasonable question for the musician is the approach to effects pedals. Do I go the traditional route, building a pedal board with specific pedals for specific tones or do I instead consider an all in one multi-effects device? Things have changed a lot in the last decade. The sound quality from multi-effectors has improved massively as has the overall quality of the effects. Latency is not the problem it once was, and digital processing makes it nigh impossible to tell the original pedal from its digital alternative. Let’s look at pros and cons of both routes.

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Episode 37 : Headphones
Podcast, Gear Ross Chevalier Podcast, Gear Ross Chevalier

Episode 37 : Headphones

Pick the right headphones for your practice, recording and quiet time playing. The wrong headphones will make you angry and will very likely damage your hearing. Listen in for some practical real world experience.

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Episode 34 : What’s the Delay?
Podcast, Gear Ross Chevalier Podcast, Gear Ross Chevalier

Episode 34 : What’s the Delay?

We sometimes find that our amplified instruments aren’t filling the space the way we would like, or sound lonely and right up the middle. Whether we play acoustic or electric, guitar or bass, what pedal can help create space filling sound? The answer as you will learn, is a delay pedal. Please listen in!

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Episode 30 : Recording at Home - Getting Started
Podcast Ross Chevalier Podcast Ross Chevalier

Episode 30 : Recording at Home - Getting Started

Hello listeners! In this episode, I take a look at what is needed to get started recording at home. I break the process into two chunks, the DAW, and the Audio Interface. I also take a bit of time to introduce the subject of plugins for the DAW to help you make good decisions in this regard. Recording at home is easy and does not need to be expensive, so join me to get started.

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Episode 29 : Neural Quad Cortex
Podcast Ross Chevalier Podcast Ross Chevalier

Episode 29 : Neural Quad Cortex

I’ve talked about all digital alternatives to traditional amplifiers and speakers in a number of episodes. This time, I am going to focus on just one, the Neural Quad Cortex. This does not mean that others are not viable, it simply means that I am talking about this one. I own others and they run from fine to excellent, but I find myself gravitating to the Quad Cortex more and more, so I have been thinking about why, and if I could only recommend one, why it would likely be the Quad Cortex.

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Episode 28 : Adding a Noise Gate to Your Board
Podcast Ross Chevalier Podcast Ross Chevalier

Episode 28 : Adding a Noise Gate to Your Board

About three years ago, I did a review of the TC Electronics Sentry. It’s an example of a noise gate for a pedal board. Since that time, I have happily been binging on pedals and related gear yet I still hear and get questions about dealing with noise from the amplifier when the instrument is not being played. Sometimes it appears to be electrical noise but most often it’s pickup noise that creates some really annoying hiss. Adding a noise gate can be a simple method to deal with this.

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