Today’s Tech Tip highlighting the creative performance possibilities of the Gibson Echoplex derives from another technique found in electronic music composition. However, as opposed to the groundbreaking technique of the 60’s we discussed previously, (see TTOTD 5-8-06) this is a modern idiom of electronica called stuttering. There are two ways to control stuttering effects with the Echoplex. Today’s tip teaches us how to create an audio-controlled stutter effect that can be used live.
- Connect a microphone to the BeatSync jack. (You could also use an aux send of a mixer that has the microphones connected to it.)
- Place the mic near an appropriate sound source that can give a sharp
attack, like a drum. - Set Sync=In.
- Record a loop.
- Press Mute, then Multiply.
- Every time the drum is struck, your loop will trigger and play once.
- This can also be done with guitars, bass, drum machines, audio outputs
of metronomes, etc. Any audio source that can give a sufficient pulse will work.
In a live setting, this technique may not be as predictable as the method we’ll describe in the next tip of the series – but that’s what makes it fun!
