Chapter 1: Planning
The Equipment
Guitars
When initially planning this research, I had to source modellers to use as a counterpoint to the valve amplifiers I typically use and own. As I provide these for both guitarists in the ensemble, I had to source an additional modeller. I was provided a Harley Benton DNAfx GiT Pro from a contact one of my peers put me in touch with, and a Kemper Profiler was provided by New College Lanarkshire's Cumbernauld campus.
Bass
The bass player owns a Line 6 Helix HX Stomp which can functions as either his pedalboard (into an amplifier) or straight to FOH/Desk or both.
Drums
The rehearsal space used for the research provided shells, and the drummer brought only his own cymbals. As Perspex screens and higher-end Midi-triggered drum kits only appear at the top of the industry, a silent drum kit was not attainable for this research.
Monitoring
All members of the ensemble provided their own silent monitoring solutions using a Behringer Powerplay P1 and their own headphones/in-ear monitors. Wedges were provided by the rehearsal space, and a visit prior to the research taking place ensured that all monitoring solutions were achievable.
Preparation
I decided to use the Harley Benton DNAfx GiT Pro, as it was most intuitive for me. Having numerous presets at my feet would allow me to access a wide variety of tones, which are commonly known as floor modellers. In contrast, the rhythm guitarist in the ensemble would use the Kemper Profiler as a clean pedal platform amplifier head, as it didn't have any floor capabilities and was designed for rack use.
Creating Presets on the DNAfx Git Pro
I set out to create 4 usable tones that would be familiar to me by being not to far off the amps I have and use. I started selecting the proprietary Marshall amp and cab and tweaked them as follows;
Clean- "CLEAN" channel , heavy compression, Chorus, Delay, Reverb,
Pushed clean- "CLEAN" channel, TS9 style overdrive,
Rhythm- "DIST" channel, TS9 style overdrive, Noise Gate
Lead- "DIST" channel, TS9 style overdrive, Noise Gate, Delay,Reverb
Thoughts on Accessibility/ workflow while using The DNAfx Git Pro
It took me a while to get to grips with the device's GUI; however, after an hour, I had grasped how to create and save presets, and it became fairly intuitive to use the unit. Whilst still not confident with this specific device, repeated use would only strengthen my operation . Although each manufacturer has its own displays and functionality, there are general trends across the board that allow users to apply their knowledge regardless of the unit. The learning curve I experienced here could be argued to be the same for any modern valve amp.