Guitar Pro

Guitar pro is one of the best softwares a guitarist can possibly have. It may not aid one in recording but it will definitely help you to learn songs or even tabulate and save the songs you create. I have used it and find it really useful. With the help of the rse (real sound engine) it is possible to emulate an almost guitar like sound. or any instrument for that matter, all you need is the rse pack.

Apart from the composing part if you are a self taught guitarist then this is the place for you with an inbuilt chord and a scale dictionary you wont be needing a teacher(you will if you really want to know how to use them properly:-)).

There are also options to change the tuning of the instruments according to your need plus its got a metronome and a tuner.Its amazing as to how many built in features there are in this software. 

Get insane tones!

I have been acquainted with processor for a few years now and it has always intrigued me as to how these complex yet cool sounds are created. The answer was simple just a couple of circuits. They have to be soldered together and voila you have the sound you need. But knowing what you have to solder with what and what you need for what sound is really complex. I am still learning that though.

Recently i just stumbled upon this site which helps you in building your own stomp box!imagine all the money you could save. something you might buy for maybe 100$ can be done at 40$ if you know soldering. The pdf file and all the necessary things are provided by them.The link is buildyourownclone.com.Recently they have come out with a compressor model.it costs nearly 70$.
well the first question that might come to your mind is "is it even worth that much??i mean i have to do all the work myself."...maybe you should rephrase it and ask this to yourself "is it worth spending 150$ and buying a branded product when I can create you own tone?"..just imagine you can just express your thought just by soldering a couple of circuits in the right place.cool isn't it?

Well talking of branded stuff. I myself do buy branded stuff because they are more reliable and you can assure yourself of a good tone. What i do nowadays though is get a couple of circuits and try to make my own sounds and if you like it order the proper kit and let your soldering rod do the rest!
rock on!!

METALLICA

Metallica are touring india this year!the news was announced on may 1st..this is what was announced:

" At this stage in the game, there are very few places in the world that we have not dragged our gear and crew to, so that makes this show announcement extra special . . . for the first time ever, we will be visiting India for two shows! It’s about time, wouldn’t you say?!?!

Up first will be Delhi on October 28, 2011 at F1 Rocks, held in Leisure Valley, Sector 29, Gurgaon as we help to celebrate the first Grand Prix race ever held in India. Night number two will find us at the Bangalore Palace Ground, Main Palace, Bangalore, on October 30 as part of the Sonisphere Festival.

All tickets are general admission and will go sale on www.ticketgenie.in and www.dnanetworks.com on May 4 at a time still to be announced.

And for those of you who like to travel, you might want to keep watching this site . . ."

This is like the best news i have recieved this year!!:D

Enjoy!

Active v/s Passive pickups

There is always an element of doubt for every guitarist if he/she needs an active or a pasive pick up. Frankly speaking i think you can come to conclusion pretty easily if you are clear about the kind music that you would like to play. Basically active pick ups are generally used for metal guitarists who are in need of high gain to get those extremely heavy and distorted sounds or if you need the extremely low sounds like maybe a guitar tuned to c# drop.

If you are unable to come to a conclusion on what kind of music you would like then its better you end up acquiring a passive pick up. Passive pick ups basically give you a more crunchy sound.

Now that you have the basic concept of these two we shall see as to how it actually works:

Active pick ups: They are basically those pick ups which have low inductance. They act as pre amps and work on a 9v battery. Sometimes even two.

Passive pick ups: With these we can get more crunchy sounds that will be influenced by the tone and volume controls on you guitar.This is basically a magnet with lots of turnings on it and there is no pre amp so there is no necessity for a battery. As a consequence of this we are unable to reach really high or low frequencies.

Most metal guitarist tend to use active pick ups to get those heavy sounds. Its like a boost to your amplifier and your processor tone. For active pick ups one should look at no other company other than EMG. In case you are looking for passive pick ups it is better that you get your hands on maybe a dimarzio or a seymour duncan. If your guitar does not have a really impressive body then some people do suggest seymour duncan active pick ups in case you are in need of that high gain. However, even if you do get the active pick up it is more of a waste as it is equally important for your guitar body to have a wood that suits and is meant for heavy sounds.

For example a basswood body guitar with EMG 81 pick ups and a mahogany body guitar with the same set of pick ups which one do you think will sound better. Well without a doubt the guitar with the mahogany body will sound better. In case you need some great heavy sounds I suggest you first buy a guitar with either mahogany or alder wood with maybe a maple neck and a ebony or rosewood fretboard. After that for a finer and a heavier sound or even a crunchier sound you can add on the pick up of your choice.