Synthesizer Guitar To Perform at Baba’s, Stephen will accompany

Godin Multiac SA (photo audiofanzine)

Tonight is the big debut for my new guitar. It’s working well enough that if I strum or pick music comes out. That is no small feat considering it has MIDI pickups and is processing everything differently until the output. For example, it makes a music note when fingers hit strings, lift off strings. Adjustments help but you can’t whack away.

With 400 or more different synthesizer effects, its a big job to pick the right one for the song. Will the strings sound silly, too loud or support the mood of the song. This is more complex that just playing. It’s arranging. How well we, the guitar/synth and I, do is up to the audience.

I’d already picked out a great organ backing for Disability Support Blues and a more raucous one for Mean Hearted Woman. The trick was strings for Your Song. My girlfriend, she love that, sat down and listened to the first verse of the song 34 times – one for each string patch. They we narrowed down to 5, then 2 and the final one. Number 2 on the list – would you believe it.

I usually get to do a 4th song so I’m searching for the right song that will benefit from something extra.

Deeter is on the top of his new gym next to the monitor, looking pretty happy. Parrots like soothing music but not rock and roll. He was getting pretty irritated when I was playing fast – the very opposite of people in bars.