Effect Pedals – What Does It All Mean?

 

Our resident tech expert is back once again, with a follow up from his cable article posted a few months back. This time we are exploring effects pedals and what it all means in the confusing world of true bypass and buffered. So if you have ever had a question with anything related to pedals then you might find your answer in here. It is recommended to go back and read the previous guitar cables article if you havent already done so.

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So what is true bypass?

Well simply put, true bypass means that the signal that goes in and comes out the other side without being touched or effected tonally by the circuitry of the pedal, when the pedal is not engaged.

And Non true bypass?

The exact opposite of the above, your signal goes from the input through to the output but going through all the pedals circuitry, even then the pedal isn’t in use, meaning that the signal can change tone due to this.

RockFusion Show 22/05/2013

The Fake Sound Of Summer              

Hosted By: Tom Gunn & Ed Wild

On: My Rock Radio

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Dave Ritchie

Les-Fest Organizer / Event Promoter 

As we’ve said before, Les-Fest last year was one of our top festival highlights and we’re more than happy to see it return this year bigger and better! The award winning festival takes place in the last weekend in June at Valley International Park and in our opinion, is a far better lineup than Download and it’s value for money is unquestionable.

Les-Fest is the brain child of Mr Dave Ritchie and Dave was kind enough to take sometime out of his mindbogglingly busy schedule to talk about all things Les-Fest and put everyone’s mind at ease that Les-Fest is indeed the place to be this Summer!

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What inspired you to put Les-Fest together in the first place?

It was a combination of things. I am on record as saying it was 2 bottles of red wine and the cancellation of Sonisphere, it was the 30^th March 2012. I had a conversation with Ted Rock and he basically said “Dude! Many people have ideas but 99% never act on them, so go for it!” So yeah a bit of an alcohol inspired idea and encouragement. It was also meant to be in Lesmahagow and designed to give some of the young local talent a chance to perform to a bigger audience… So I bought a domain name next morning and Les-Fest was born.

Last year’s festival was put together in quite a short period of time, how has this year compared when you’ve had a full year of preparation?

Yes last year it was put together over a 90 day period and there was not a day went by without thinking “What have I done?!” but it worked well and there was a lot of goodwill towards it. This time around is no different! Same questions, same stresses, same doubts and same sleepless nights, but for 360 days not 90. But would I change it? Not at all!

Black Star Riders – All Hell Breaks Loose

Nuclear Blast (2013)

All Hell Breaks Loose

Black Star Riders, a band that come from the trench’s of rock, each member has had their ups and downs in the music business but every one has paid their dues working hard to get to this stage, are now here together and releasing their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose. One thing that I would like to get out of the way early into this review, these guy’s might have come together touring and playing as Thin Lizzy, but that does not mean they are a Thin Lizzy rip. Yes they do sound like Thin Lizzy but they have put their own slant on the sound as well.

All Hell Breaks Loose is an album that I have been looking forward to for some time, ever since talking to front man Ricky Warwick back in June (2012) when Thin Lizzy were in the studio doing some demo work for what was going to be the new album. Being a massive Lizzy fan from a young age this was something that excited me very much and built for months and months. As my excitement almost peeked, and announcement came from the Lizzy camp stating that they weren’t going to be releasing the new album under that name because of Phil Lynott’s legacy which is something I fully understand, however the nerve’s about this album started to set in.

These nerve’s subsided after reading interviews with the band about the new album and how it would still have the great Lizzy sound to it but with their own twist. Finally a video from the forth coming album was released in the form of Bound For Glory, this helped to settle my feelings and expectations about the album, but they didn’t stay settled for very long. In the back of my mind I was hoping that this song wasn’t going to be like so many other releases these days and the best track is the lead single from it, building your hopes and expectation’s only for the album to ultimately disappoint…

Rod Stewart – Time

Capitol Records

The Rod Stewart album we have been waiting on for the past 20 years has finally arrived, because yes, it has been the long since old Rod last released an album original material. After such a long time I was questioning myself whether or not I’d ever see (or hear) another album such as this from the old crooner ever again, and above all, I was wondering if it could it deliver on expectations if it ever did see release.

Rod Stewart – Time

The album opener, She Makes Me Happy, opens with the trademark Rod Stewart sound that fans of old know and love. There’s just something special about a Rod Stewart song, you know one as soon as you hear it.

Lyrically the track is catchy, it has that classic feel to it yet is laced with a modern edge that makes it feel fresh.

Can’t Stop Me Now is an anthemic song that’s bound to sit well in the live environment. It has the Celtic vibe that any long serving fan will instantly recognize.

There’s the same mixed bag of ballads and more upbeat numbers you’d expect from any album such as this that wants to keep your attention throughout. It’s Over and Brighton Beach slow things down a little bit whereas Beautiful Morning is a much rockier affair that’s sure to get some the blood flowing.