What do you get when three premier guitarists join a senior project manager and sound designer from one of the leading names in audio for a no-holds-barred roundtable discussion? We weren’t sure either, but when Sweetwater visited Universal Audio headquarters, we got the perfect opportunity to find the answer. James Santiago — Universal Audio’s senior project manager — sits down with Madison Cunningham, Tim Pierce, and Eric Krasno at none other than the legendary Sound City Studios for a multidimensional discussion of all things sound: the quest for tone, signature gear, favorite studio stories, and the philosophy of limitations in creativity. They jam a bit too, but you’d expect as much from such a fearsome foursome, right? Dive in and find out!
- 00:00 — Opening Jam
- 05:06 — Three Eras of Guitarists
- 05:39 — Where Do You Start Your Tone Quest?
- 08:41 — Using Effects to Inspire Parts and Songs
- 10:58 — Limitations Are Your Best Friends
- 12:09 — Reject 1,000 Things; Find Five Unique Things
- 14:56 — Madison’s Signature JHS Pedal
- 17:11 — Tim’s Pedalboard for Sound City
- 18:36 — What’s Eric Running Through?
- 19:50 — The Guitar Changes You
- 23:42 — What’s a Benchmark Tone for You?
- 29:35 — Voodoo: One-note Solos and Chills
- 30:45 — Tim’s Favorite Sessions
- 32:10 — Not Looking for Hits: Looking for an Audience
- 35:40 — Madison’s Settings for Expression
- 41:37 — Tone Is a Tool
- 45:04 — Play-out Jam
