Happy FAQ Friday everyone! We have some great questions in today’s video! Before we get to those though, we have an exciting new plugin to share with you: The Pulsar Smasher! This plugin is a straightforward extreme compressor modeled after the “British mode” of a uniquely modified 1176 compressor. Do you want to know the best part though? It’s available for FREE until March 11, 2020!
Click here to download the Pulsar Smasher for FREE!
Between saturation and compression, the texture of the Smasher is unique, inimitable. It doesn’t work everywhere, but if it works, go for it generously!
Pulsar Smasher is an unprecedented custom modification of the 1176 compressor circuit.
The original 1176 compressor has 4 selectable ratios. But it just so happens that all 4 buttons can be pressed at the same time, this is called “all buttons mode” or “British Mode”. Although probably an unanticipated feature, this mode has become very popular because of its distorted, explosive and highly compressed sound. Think of it as something halfway between a compressor and a saturation.
Typical effects you can get with the Smasher are the raw and gritty sounds of bands such as Vulfpeck, The Whitefield Brothers or The Black Keys.
I messed around with this plugin for just a few minutes and loved the results it gave me! Make sure you download your FREE copy of the Pulsar Smasher today!
Now for the featured question from today’s video: What acoustic guitars would you recommend that will sit well in a pop/rock mix? What are you favourite brands/models?
If you’ve followed me for any period of time, you’ll notice that there are a couple of guitars that I always go back to. When we’re talking about pop and rock, the one I go to is the Yamaha LL16. I’ve been using this one since it came out, which was about 4 or 5 years ago and have used it on countless albums and singles since then.
I love this guitar because not only is it a beautiful, well-made guitar, it also records beautifully. One of the places I like to record is on the lower part of the body with a small diaphragm (which is particularly good for arpeggios), but I can also record between the 12th and 14th fret with a large diaphragm.
This guitar goes for about $800-$900 new, but if you are looking for it used you will likely be able to get it for even more of a deal. It is no secret that used Yamahas are a really good way to go in order to get great value for your money. If you can find a used early 70s Yamaha online (which will typically go for around $200-$300) and put new strings on it, it will sound absolutely gorgeous.
If you want to go a little bit more quirky and unique, the other guitar I recommend all the time is a Baxendale guitar. Scott Baxendale is a master craftsman and luthier who takes old Silver Tones and Stella Harmony guitars, puts new struts in them, puts in brand new bridges, shaves down the neck, puts brand new machine heads on them, and turns them into really distinctive, unique guitars.
These guitars play absolutely beautifully, and every single one is an individual masterpiece because it is an older guitar, from anywhere from the 1940s to the early 1970s that has been rebuilt to a really high spec.
Watch the full video below for the full answer to this question, a demo of the Pulsar Smasher, and more great FAQ Friday questions!
