A SOLID HOME RECORDING SET-UP
FOR SESSION GUITARISTS
It used to be that, as a session guitar player, you
would need lots of different amps, cabs, and pedals
to assimilate into various playing styles and
scenarios. These days, though, as nice as it might
be to have those tools at your disposal, they’re no
longer vital to your success.
B.C.-based guitarist Paul Kinman has been
doing a lot of studio work remotely of late, playing
on demos, soundtracks, and songs for artists both
big and small. Drawing on his experience, Paul
walks you through everything you need for a basic
home recording set-up to get on your way with
remote session work.
Check it out in this issue’s Guitar Column
on Pg. 25.
Every good Canadian rock fan
misses Rush. Their retirement left a
gaping hole in the CanCon canon –
one that now seems destined to be
there forever due to the tragic passing
of Neil Peart.
Luckily, the band has left sonic
spawn to carry on their legacy, and
one needn’t look any further than
Pyramid Theorem for evidence.
The quartet owe an obvious debt
to Canada’s most famous trio, mixing
tricky time signatures with a pop
sensibility that keeps them from
veering into self-indulgent wankery.
They’re the kind of band that appreciates
a challenging riff, so long as
it doesn’t get in the way of the song.
Guitarist Sam Ermellini doesn’t
shy away from comparisons to
Rush. His band’s adoration for
them is what led them to work with
producer/engineer Rich Chycki
on their upcoming album, Beyond
the Exosphere. “This was our first
time working with a producer. He’s
worked for big A-listers like Rush,
Dream Theater, Aerosmith…” says
Ermellini. “Obviously we wanted to
work with him. It’s a big opportunity
for us. His style and approach are
very professional, so the idea of
having him onboard gave us a bit
of a new direction, which we really
needed.”
Not that Pyramid Theorem is a
Rush ripoff. They draw inspiration
from other hard-rocking forebears.
“I adore Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne.
I just want to write riffs that
are as good as those. When I hear
‘Crazy Train,’ I gotta match that. I
wouldn’t say I’m necessarily trying
to write something totally wonky or
whacky or whatever; it’s whatever
feels right.”
One thing separating Pyramid
Theorem from all those bands is
the presence of two guitarists, as
vocalist Stephan Di Mambro pulls
triple duty by singing and playing
guitars and keyboards.
“Stephan is a great musician.
When it calls for a second guitar,
we’ll use it, but most of the time, it’s
just keys. We seem to make it work.”
The band did two weeks of
pre-production with Chycki and,
defying the stereotype of the producer
pushing for a big pop hit, he helped
the band reach new levels of prog.
“He pushed me to do things I
wouldn’t normally do. His whole approach
is, ‘That can be better.’ Especially
with me [and our] drummer, he
said ‘You gotta nail it down.’ Just having
his approach on the material was
good because he suggested things
like time signatures I wouldn’t do.”
If the band does venture into
some esoteric territory musically,
gear-wise, Ermellini is strictly
meat-and-potatoes, typically opting
for an EVH 5150 amp head, a
few basic pedals like chorus, distortion,
and wah, and, being the
classic rock aficionado that he is, a
Gibson Les Paul.
“That’s the best. It’s just my rock
influence,” he says. “I love Randy
Rhoads and Zakk Wylde and Jimmy
Page. Seeing those guys with the
guitar… It’s so iconic, that instrument.
I had to have one.”
Adam Kovac is a freelance journalist
based out of Montreal.
56 CANADIAN MUSICIAN