Mark Schmieder Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 https://sonicstate.com/news/2020/01/09/who-wants-a-pedal-steel-synthesizer/ I wonder how many interested parties they need before they go beyond the prototyping stage? I always applaud innovation, whether it leads to anything immediate or not, as it all feeds into the long-term growth of knowledge and improvement of existing tools for creation. Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldwin Funster Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 First it was bass guitarists wiped out by keyboards. Then drummers ,ok it was drum sequencers that did that. Now steel guitar? Wasn't banjo patches enough? This is the end of Nashville. Do they even use steel guitar anymore? Quote FunMachine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I guess I'm not seeing what is so innovative about this device. And I definitely don't see where the "pedal" comes into it. Couldn't you get the same effect by playing a lap steel (or bottleneck guitar for that matter) into a modular synth? Quote Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Nathan Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Yes we still use pedal steel, and this will never replace it. It's as if they completely don't understand what makes that instrument special in the first place. Using a string instead of an oscillator hardly makes for a "richer, lusher" sound. Talk about missing the boat! Quote Don't rush me. I'm playing as slowly as I can! http://www.stevenathanmusic.com/stevenathanmusic.com/HOME.html https://apple.co/2EGpYXK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Ugh, this sounds like pedal steel the way bricks taste like peanut butter. I don't think they've listened to much pedal steel or ever tried to play one. When the article about drummers being smarter than other people because drumming is multi-tasking came out, I laughed. Probably written by a drummer. Pedal steel is an extremely complex, beautiful sound, the closest thing to a one instrument orchestra that currently exists and one of the most diffiult instruments to play, period. I know all that and am just a lowly six string picker. I've heard a few, jammed with a couple and made a few pathetic attempts to comprehend an absurd number of intricate maneuvers all at once with no credible results. Total fail. No fun, go home... Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Hell No. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Williams Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 If they want to impress me, they should pitch bend a triad with different bend amounts for each note. Not to mention that it just plain sounded bad. Quote -Tom Williams {First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldwin Funster Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 That thing and a breath controller might do an interesting trombone. I'd rather hear jimmy pankow though. Quote FunMachine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted January 10, 2020 Author Share Posted January 10, 2020 Yeah, I haven't heard the demos yet, but am not surprised by the the responses, and had the same question about why they are labeling it as pedal steel vs. lap steel. Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 Yeah, I haven't heard the demos yet, but am not surprised by the the responses, and had the same question about why they are labeling it as pedal steel vs. lap steel. Lap steel would make more sense but it still falls short. Could be the player but I doubt it. Strings are capable of amazing, spontaneous expression but this seems to have lost that ability in the process of becoming electronic instead of electric. I'll give them credit for trying but they have a long ways to go. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Nathan Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 why they are labeling it as pedal steel vs. lap steel. They're using a "Whammy" type pitch bend pedal that bends the audio. I can't remember who makes them, but if you listen to The Black Keys "Lonely Boy", you'll hear one used quite effectively on an electric guitar. Quote Don't rush me. I'm playing as slowly as I can! http://www.stevenathanmusic.com/stevenathanmusic.com/HOME.html https://apple.co/2EGpYXK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 I was going to post why this is useless but .... that would be hard. I got a headache and maybe the flu and it would require an explanation of copedants and how a pedal steel works. My MSA is a modest 8+5 Emmons setup. 8 pedals and 5 knee levers. Each one either raises or lower various strings at various intervals. Everyone seems to setup their own copedants. I pretty much stick to what Buddy did circa the early 70s. Some of my knee levers have multiple stops. The knee will raise a half step at a set point you can feel then you can go to the next stop if you want.... Now if someone would perfect 10 and 12 string hex pickups or a means of tracking what you are playing and allowing us to control synths via MIDI that might be cool. I"m sure It could be done now but we are a tiny market. Steelers invented fuzz as a means of simulating strings. If we could layer actual string sample on slow country ballads that might sound cool. I"m sure someone has done it. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldwin Funster Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 This guy dont seem to need midi or synths or anything but strings and tubes. Somethings just can't be improved. Robert Randolph and his steel is one. [video:youtube] Quote FunMachine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Williams Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 Yup -- Robert Randolph is proof that steel guitar should not be pigeonholed as only for country music. When I saw his show in Richmond some years back, he didn't need pyrotechnics or dancers or whatnot -- just RR and a band making amazing music. Quote -Tom Williams {First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 I"ve seen Robert"s rig and he is using a ton of grease and off gear. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted January 10, 2020 Author Share Posted January 10, 2020 Interesting timing, as I only this past year learned that Pedal Steel Guitar had made its way into island music; especially in Jamaica. Definitely not just for Country Music anymore! Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.