SynthAxe: Difference between revisions
From Allan Holdsworth Information Center
| (9 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
==The SynthAxe in interviews== | ==The SynthAxe in interviews== | ||
Allan's use of the SynthAxe alienated a large part of his audience, which consisted of a large number of guitar players. Still, it was a major topic in interviews, especially from 1985 to 1990. This means that there is a lot of material, which should ideally be categorized further. The remainder of this article simply quotes all articles where Allan talks about the Synthaxe | Allan's use of the SynthAxe alienated a large part of his audience, which consisted of a large number of guitar players. Still, it was a major topic in interviews, especially from 1985 to 1990. This means that there is a lot of material, which should ideally be categorized further. The remainder of this article simply quotes all articles where Allan talks about the Synthaxe. | ||
=SynthAxe quotes= | =SynthAxe quotes= | ||
__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
==[[Reaching For The Uncommon Chord]]== | |||
'''SYNTHAXE''' | |||
The Synthaxe is not a step beyond that (to me) [referring to guitar synths] — it's a giant leap beyond. It's a MIDI controller, it's very accurate, and it works. It's a very strange instrument to play at first because it's got two sets of strings. It will drive any synthesizer capable of handling all the MIDI information that the Synthaxe puts out. It puts out more information than a lot of keyboards would. You can hook it up to Oberheims, and that works really well. With the Synthaxe you have the problems of coping with a new instrument in as much as it feels different - you're playing a different set of strings with each hand, and the fret spacing is completely different, but it doesn't take very long to get used to. I only played it a couple of times, and each time I played it, I got more into it. To me the Synthaxe is a fantastic achievement. I find it amazing that someone went to these lengths to create this instrument. | |||
==[[Allan Holdsworth (Guitarist 1985)]]== | ==[[Allan Holdsworth (Guitarist 1985)]]== | ||
| Line 27: | Line 33: | ||
==[[Allan Holdsworth: Synthaxe (Guitar Player 1985)]]== | ==[[Allan Holdsworth: Synthaxe (Guitar Player 1985)]]== | ||
Among the first to use a '''SynthAxe''', Allan Holdsworth has just released Atavachron [Enigma (dist. by Capitol), 72064-1], on which he uses the synthesizer controller extensively. A prominent display of the instrument under Holdsworth’s control, "Non Brewed Condiment," from Atavachron, appeared as a '''SynthAxe''' demonstration on the flipside of Guitar Player’s January 1986 Soundpage. | Among the first to use a '''SynthAxe''', Allan Holdsworth has just released Atavachron [Enigma (dist. by Capitol), 72064-1], on which he uses the synthesizer controller extensively. A prominent display of the instrument under Holdsworth’s control, "Non Brewed Condiment," from Atavachron, appeared as a '''SynthAxe''' demonstration on the flipside of Guitar Player’s January 1986 Soundpage. | ||
| Line 241: | Line 239: | ||
==[[HUMBLE GUITAR MASTER ALLAN HOLDSWORTH ALWAYS STRUGGLES TO PAY THE RENT]]== | ==[[HUMBLE GUITAR MASTER ALLAN HOLDSWORTH ALWAYS STRUGGLES TO PAY THE RENT]]== | ||
For his three Town Pump dates, Holdsworth will be focusing on material from his new album Atavachron. Named after a word he heard in a Star Trek episode, the new LP features a newly developed instrument called the Synth Axe. “It’s like the next generation of machines that guitarists can play to control synthesizers,” says Holdsworth. As well as his trusty Synth Axe, Holdsworth will be joined on stage by drummer Chad Wackerman, bassist Jimmy Johnson, and keyboardist Billy Childs (formerly with saxman Freddie Hubbard). | For his three Town Pump dates, Holdsworth will be focusing on material from his new album Atavachron. Named after a word he heard in a Star Trek episode, the new LP features a newly developed instrument called the '''Synth Axe'''. “It’s like the next generation of machines that guitarists can play to control synthesizers,” says Holdsworth. As well as his trusty Synth Axe, Holdsworth will be joined on stage by drummer Chad Wackerman, bassist Jimmy Johnson, and keyboardist Billy Childs (formerly with saxman Freddie Hubbard). | ||
==[[Castles Made Of Sand (Guitarist 1987)]]== | ==[[Castles Made Of Sand (Guitarist 1987)]]== | ||
| Line 710: | Line 708: | ||
AH: I tried the early Roland synth and loved the idea of the sounds, but it didn’t really work for me. Tom Mulhern at Guitar Player magazine recommended the '''SynthAxe''' and that was where that relationship started. Also guitar-wise, I played Charvels for a while, and later discovered the Steinberger. That was it. I just thought it was amazing. It was real hard to switch back to any other guitar. I became friendly with Ned Steinberger. He would send me the guitars without any frets, and then I would send them to a luthier by the name of Bill DeLap and he would flatten the fingerboard, and take out the relief. I like the neck to be absolutely straight. We would put Jim Dunlop 6000 fret wire in it. I had quite a few of these. Also, Bill built me a few baritone guitars. He made me a regular length wooden Steinberger and basically I’ve been playing that till I hooked up with Carvin for this new custom guitar. I play about 80% of the time now on the Carvin and 20% on the Steinberger. It’s still nice to switch back and forth. I love headless guitars. I think the new Carvin is an excellent guitar. | AH: I tried the early Roland synth and loved the idea of the sounds, but it didn’t really work for me. Tom Mulhern at Guitar Player magazine recommended the '''SynthAxe''' and that was where that relationship started. Also guitar-wise, I played Charvels for a while, and later discovered the Steinberger. That was it. I just thought it was amazing. It was real hard to switch back to any other guitar. I became friendly with Ned Steinberger. He would send me the guitars without any frets, and then I would send them to a luthier by the name of Bill DeLap and he would flatten the fingerboard, and take out the relief. I like the neck to be absolutely straight. We would put Jim Dunlop 6000 fret wire in it. I had quite a few of these. Also, Bill built me a few baritone guitars. He made me a regular length wooden Steinberger and basically I’ve been playing that till I hooked up with Carvin for this new custom guitar. I play about 80% of the time now on the Carvin and 20% on the Steinberger. It’s still nice to switch back and forth. I love headless guitars. I think the new Carvin is an excellent guitar. | ||
==[[One Man Of | ==[[One Man Of 'Trane (Jazz Times 2000)]]== | ||
The '''SynthAxe''' was a particular favorite tool for Holdsworth through the ‘80s in that it helped him get closer to the legato sax style that he had been emulating since hearing Coltrane recordings for the first time back in the ‘60s. | The '''SynthAxe''' was a particular favorite tool for Holdsworth through the ‘80s in that it helped him get closer to the legato sax style that he had been emulating since hearing Coltrane recordings for the first time back in the ‘60s. | ||
| Line 747: | Line 745: | ||
I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything. I’ve never seen anything that came close to it. Nothing. Having the keys on it and just the whole way the whole thing worked was just really amazing. I felt like I could get inside it, it felt like part of me. And most of the other ones you know, they don’t work. You have to make it work with a guitar sound, mix the guitar sound with the synth sound and half the notes are missing, you know. With the '''SynthAxe''', that doesn’t happen. | I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything. I’ve never seen anything that came close to it. Nothing. Having the keys on it and just the whole way the whole thing worked was just really amazing. I felt like I could get inside it, it felt like part of me. And most of the other ones you know, they don’t work. You have to make it work with a guitar sound, mix the guitar sound with the synth sound and half the notes are missing, you know. With the '''SynthAxe''', that doesn’t happen. | ||
==[[Don’t you know | ==[[Don’t you know? The Lost Words (Oneiric Moor 2003)]]== | ||
OF: Allan, since the eighties you have been the greatest Ambassador of the '''SynthAxe''', but it is only now you decide to make a complete album with it... Why ? | OF: Allan, since the eighties you have been the greatest Ambassador of the '''SynthAxe''', but it is only now you decide to make a complete album with it... Why ? | ||
AH: In the past I had thought about it, but I was focusing on Group projects, so although I wanted to do it, I just never had the opportunity. When I found myself with the time to do it between projects, I went for it. | AH: In the past I had thought about it, but I was focusing on Group projects, so although I wanted to do it, I just never had the opportunity. When I found myself with the time to do it between projects, I went for it. | ||
==[[Patron Saint (Guitar Player 2004)]]== | ==[[Patron Saint (Guitar Player 2004)]]== | ||
| Line 826: | Line 823: | ||
Yeah, the '''SynthAxe''' made me think a whole lot differently about the guitar, and at one point I was considering not playing guitar at all. I initially wanted to play a wind instrument, and when I used a breath controller with the Synth-Axe, it allowed me a certain amount of expression that I was unable to get from the guitar, particularly the ability to make notes loud and then soft and then loud again, and to change the sound of the note after it had been struck. On the guitar you can shape notes a little bit, but not as much. When the '''SynthAxe''' company went out of business, however, I decided that I’d better go back to the guitar. | Yeah, the '''SynthAxe''' made me think a whole lot differently about the guitar, and at one point I was considering not playing guitar at all. I initially wanted to play a wind instrument, and when I used a breath controller with the Synth-Axe, it allowed me a certain amount of expression that I was unable to get from the guitar, particularly the ability to make notes loud and then soft and then loud again, and to change the sound of the note after it had been struck. On the guitar you can shape notes a little bit, but not as much. When the '''SynthAxe''' company went out of business, however, I decided that I’d better go back to the guitar. | ||
==[[Allan Holdsworth - Jazz Fusion Guitarist (Musicguy247 2017)]]== | ==[[Allan Holdsworth - Jazz/Fusion Guitarist (Musicguy247 2017)]]== | ||
R.V.B. - You toyed with electronics a lot and eventually started using the '''SynthAxe'''. It enhanced the sound of the guitar but did it change the way you approached playing the guitar? | R.V.B. - You toyed with electronics a lot and eventually started using the '''SynthAxe'''. It enhanced the sound of the guitar but did it change the way you approached playing the guitar? | ||
| Line 839: | Line 836: | ||
People used to write notes on my amp, asking me to stop playing the '''SynthAxe''' and play the guitar instead. But now people often ask me, “We’d love to hear you play the '''SynthAxe'''—did you bring it?” I rarely play it onstage anymore because it’s too costly to take on the road and it requires a lot of equipment. | People used to write notes on my amp, asking me to stop playing the '''SynthAxe''' and play the guitar instead. But now people often ask me, “We’d love to hear you play the '''SynthAxe'''—did you bring it?” I rarely play it onstage anymore because it’s too costly to take on the road and it requires a lot of equipment. | ||
==[[The Allan Holdsworth Interview | ==[[The Allan Holdsworth Interview (Musoscribe 2017)]]== | ||
Early on in your solo career, you became very closely associated with the '''SynthAxe'''. What piqued your initial interest in that instrument? | Early on in your solo career, you became very closely associated with the '''SynthAxe'''. What piqued your initial interest in that instrument? | ||
| Line 850: | Line 847: | ||
Briefly, but it was a few years ago. But it was like a step backwards for me; if I have to go from the '''SynthAxe''', the thing is going to have to be absolutely, incredibly remarkable for me to want to make a jump. | Briefly, but it was a few years ago. But it was like a step backwards for me; if I have to go from the '''SynthAxe''', the thing is going to have to be absolutely, incredibly remarkable for me to want to make a jump. | ||
==[[Interview_with_Allan_Holdsworth_(Jazz_Italia_2005)]]== | |||
ALEX: In your opinion, why has no one else in the guitar synth world proposed a valid alternative to Roland's hexaphonic pickup, which is not very faithful, apart from SynthAxe and Yamaha, which have a virtually error-free system? | |||
ALLAN: I do not know ... because probably many guitarists, when I did some clinics, they asked me: "well, can you make it sound like a Strat?" and I would answer "why do you want to make it sound like a Strat? Why take a guitar synth with all these sounds and then play it like a guitar? You already have a guitar!" But I think that most guitarists want to play the guitar so they do not want to waste time managing it from a technical point of view. The reason why nobody has done another is because it is very complex to make the sound of a guitar. As with a keyboard, driving a synthesizer is simple, you just have to switch on a switch or not, with the guitar it's hard. Yamaha has made a great system, the strings are very low. The problem, in this case, is that if you do bending you may have precision defects since it is calculated at the bridge level ... The SynthAxe was completely different. Each key was separated on each string and the sensors were inside the strings themselves - they are like microphones so it makes sense the movement of the string as well as knowing how long the string is and then know when bend is possible if you play more towards the neck and how much if you play more towards the bridge. It's all programmed, a great machine. But they are very delicate, I have one that works well and one that does not work. At the beginning they were very reliable but now I would fear to take another one. [Machine back translated.] | |||
