Features / Series: What's That Noise?

Andy (Thou) SPB: Was the mic’ing in the studio when you recorded Magus fairly straight forward, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds? Andy: The mic’ing was more or less the same as most of our previous records, … Read more

Will Butler (Tired of Everything – vocals) SPB: Tired Of Everything is your first time singing in a band. Between your first show and today, what have you done to shape how your voice sounds live? Butler: I would say, honestly, I still don't know what I'm doing as far … Read more

Adam (Tongue Party – bass) SPB: What is your amp setup and how did you choose to pair that with your guitar? Adam: So I used to use nothing but old Peavey bass heads but I kept frying them and blowing them the fuck up. I love that old Peavey … Read more

Jeff (Too Many Voices-bass) SPB: What type of bass do you play and how did you get it? Jeff: I own a few basses. I have an acoustic bass guitar I fiddle around with at home (bought that in 2004 at a music store in Denver), a Fender Musicmaster bass … Read more

John Hoffman (Vacation, The Mimes) SPB: From when you were starting out to now, what parts of your setup in studio have help to voice your sound as it stands today? Hoffman: I'd have to say it's my Tascam 122 cassette deck. It's a two-track cassette desk that can monitor … Read more

Josh Fleming (Vandoliers) SPB: Take us through your gear setup from your last tour? Fleming: We roll around the country as a six-piece band, stuffing everything in to the back of a Ford Transit named Vannah Montana. I play a Gibson SJ200 and SJ100 ‘cause they are giant and I … Read more

Chris McNeal (Vincas – bass) SPB: What bass/amp pairing do you use and why did you choose it? McNeal: When I was a kid, every band I saw that had an awesome bass player seemed to play thru a old SVT bass head paired with a 8x10 bass cab. After … Read more

Gene Woolfolk III (Vincas - guitar) SPB: What type of guitar do you play for live gigs and how/why did you choose it? Woolfolk: I have a plethora of large, heavy tube amps but none of them fit in a minivan. Chris lets me use his Musicman HD-130 2x10 combo … Read more

Andy Lutz (War//Plague-vocals and guitar) SPB: Do you use any special equipment to emphasize your vocals when playing live? Lutz: Generally, I just use a Shure SM58 microphone. I like to throw some subtle effects on vocals, like maybe a little delay, and then have some bourbon to warm them … Read more

Chad (War//Plague – drums) SPB: Walk us through your kit and how you chose its various pieces? Chad: I've always been a huge fan of TAMA DRUMS ever since I was a kid! This hasn't always been my traditional set up, like everyone in War//Plague it has been a series … Read more

Vern (War//Plague-bass) SPB: What type of bass do you play (and how did you choose it)? Vern: I am currently playing a Gibson RD bass. I also have an LTD Eclipse bass with EMG active pick-ups but was looking for something classic with passive pick-ups. I stumbled upon the RD … Read more

Andy Lefton (War//Plague – guitar) SPB: What guitar model do you play in War//Plague and how does it lend to “the War//Plague sound”? Lefton: It took some time to get the signature sound we wanted. Staying heavy and retaining clarity while playing blistering fast was something we strived for. As … Read more

Western Addiction SPB: Was the mic’ing of your kit in the studio for Frail Bray fairly straight-forward, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds? Jack Shirley (producer): The mic’ing was pretty straight forward. I have a default configuration … Read more