Feature / One Question Interviews / What's That Noise?
Cloud Rat

Words: Loren • June 27, 2020

Cloud Rat
Cloud Rat

Rorik Brooks (Cloud Rat – guitar)

SPB: What amps do you use in Cloud Rat and how did you make that decision?

Brooks: Currently I'm using two Dean Costello HMW guitar amps and a Gallien Krueger 700 RB bass amp. I run them via two ABY pedals, and a Boss poly octave pedal and limiter for the bass signal. Can switch them on and off to simulate multiple guitar/bass players, which I have been accused of megalomania for, LOL, but really it's just been a practicality.

Dean is a close friend of mine who plays in Disrotted, and builds just the most killer fucking amps. Ethan/Primitive Man and I were the first to get the HMW amps, if I'm not mistaken? And y'all know how ridiculously awesome PM sound! Full support for Dean.

On our tours last September and this February, I experimented with Quilter guitar and bass amps on a pedal board, which were absolutely incredible for space in the van and ease of setting up/tearing down. However, I couldn't really get the sound I truly love. Planning to use those for fly-in dates and stuff in the future...whenever it's safe and plausible to, of course.

Loren • June 27, 2020

Cloud Rat
Cloud Rat

Series: What's That Noise?

One-question interviews with artists where we find out about the gear and equipment they use to achieve their sound.

More from this series

Related features

Eric Angelo Bessel

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • September 22, 2025

Eric Angelo Bessel SPB: Walk us through your gear setup for the recording of Mirror at Night. Eric: I composed the album, Mirror at Night, using a pair of digital Mellotrons (proto-sampling keyboards), an Alesis Micron (keyboard synthesizer), and guitars. The Micron is a new addition, and is the main … Read more

Mike Huguenor

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • July 8, 2025

Mike Huguenor Tell us about the primary guitars you used making Surfing the Web with the Alien? Read more

Six Below Zero

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • January 22, 2025

Matthew Brammer (Six Below Zero) SPB: Can you walk us through your studio or recording set-up to get a glimpse of how a one-man band works for Six Below Zero? Brammer: Since I don't play live anymore, I'm pretty much 100% "in the box" these days. Especially since a lot … Read more

Distants

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • May 23, 2024

Steve Brewer (Distants) SPB: Did you choose your name before the band members were located in different cities? Brweer: Yes. Everyone who was in the band when it started lived in Chicago. When I joined the band in 2019, Zach and I would carpool the distants from Michigan to Chicago … Read more

Faulty Cognitions

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • April 1, 2024

Chris Mason (Faulty Cognitions) SPB: Was the mic’ing of your kit for the recording of Somehow, Here We Are fairly straight forward, or were there some techniques or experiments used to capture the sound? Mason: We didn't do anything too fancy. I do remember that we didn't mic the toms … Read more

Related news

All Birds return 8 artist compilation

Posted in Records on May 12, 2024

Cloud Rat's Threshold

Posted in Records on June 28, 2022

Cloud Rat in Europe

Posted in Tours on January 20, 2020

More from this section

Storm Boy

One Question Interviews • January 20, 2026

Storm Boy What is your favorite 1990s artist? God there’s so much to draw from in so many different scene: much of which we consciously incorporate into our creative process -- like Fugazi, Jesus Lizard, the Cure, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, but also bands that influenced us simply by … Read more

The Seize

One Question Interviews • December 31, 2025

Cesar Ruiz (The Seize - vocals) SPB: How do you typically choose your album art? Ruiz: Album art has started with lyrics. When I’m writing, I’ll have these images in mind that represent the feelings or themes within the songs. Those ideas usually become the starting point for the cover. … Read more

Chairmaker

One Question Interviews • December 30, 2025

Neil Erskine (Chairmaker) SPB: If Chairmaker had a physical form like a place, a thing, or a smell, what would it be? Erskine: There is a very specific chair - but you've got to read Banks' Use of Weapons. No spoilers.   Read more