Set the delay to the flange setting
we discussed above, and mix it down
to where it’s barely noticeable (this
adds movement to the tone). Max
out the expression pedal, and be
wary of timing. Since it’s a fully-wet
signal, it is slightly delayed, so keep
that in mind. The sound has its own
swell to it, making it awesome for
spacier interludes.
SECTION III(B):
SET THE CONTROLS
FOR THE HEART OF
THE SUN
We saw how the fully-wet reverb
setting sounds clean, so let’s throw
in a little distortion, and knock our
16
TONE TALK //
little space cadets off course. Use
all the same settings as before,
but add distortion and “pinch” or
pluck all the strings together in
chord. It will swell up and sound
positively massive, like a solar flare
lighting up the cold expanse.
SECTION IV:
WAHSCAPES
This final maneuver is a trick I
learned from my friend, Bjørn Riis,
lead guitarist of the Norwegian prog
band Airbag. He has used this sonic
device on almost every album with
Airbag, and I think it is an ingenious
little contrivance for creating space
and ambiance. He utilizes it during
quieter, more meandering moments
in the music, and pans it either left
or right to really create this feeling
of isolation or alienation, a theme
that is very prevalent in Airbag’s
music. In order to do this, there are
a few requirements. First, you must
Sculpting Soundscapes with the EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche Run