A pair of ambient guitar pieces I recorded on a day off from work in April 2019. I hope to do more of these.

Ambient guitar pieces April 2019

Milana Zilnik's beautiful song, with some improvisation over it by myself.
The piano Milana is playing is the Una Corda, which if you don't have access to one or the means to get the hardware, a software version can be played in Native Instruments Kontact. I have had Komplete for years. I originally bought it to use B4 and Pro 53 (both discontinued) and FM7 (replaced now with FM8). I never checked out the Una Corda, until recently I heard recordings of it here on soundcloud and fell in love with its intimate, emotive sound. Now I want to write songs and record with it!

Please listen to Milana Zilnik's original recording of this piece here:
https://soundcloud.com/milanazilnik/una-corda-fantasia-new-album-and-open-collaboration

The fretless bass has been redone. On this recording, an Ernie Ball/Music Man fretless Bongo bass was played, plugged into a Tech 21 RPM bass preamp. To my ears, the Bongo fretless bass and the RPM preamp combination is a far more sonorous tone than I was able to achieve with the instrument and equipment that I used up to last year.

The lead guitar is a PRS 305 through a Stomp Under Foot '73 Ram's Head V10 distortion and a Skreddy Dynamic Mids Enhancer, into a Hiwatt DR103 amp.
There is ambient guitar added, which was a Carvin DC127 going through a Morpheus Capo, a BOSS CE-20 chorus and a Strymon Timeline delay. The track was processed using Amplitube to add amp tone.
The drums are Superior Drummer 3, using the Rock Warehouse kit.
The organ is the Arturia B3V.

Thankyou again, Milana.

Let Me Tell You A Story - Una Corda Fantasia 3/7/2021 collaboration w Milana Zilnik

For all those who have lost someone dear, whether to this life or the next. 
The 2014 remake of a song written and originally recorded in November 2005. A lot of studio and gear upgrades, and growth as an artist have happened since. The original 2005 version can be heard at www.soundcloud.com/rwzblues . 
Kevin Brown: B3 organ, grand piano, creative input
Kirk McFarlin: drums, creative input
Laura Rhyne: female vocal fills
Big thanks to Kevin, Kirk and Laura for their wonderful contributions to this song. 


Endings (2014)

The 2017 remake of a song I originally composed and recorded New Year's Eve 2009. 2009 was a poor excuse for a year for me and a lot of people I know, and I wrote this in hope and expectation of better times ahead. The years since have been really good to me for the most part. People I know have also had good times since 2009, but many others have gone through and are going through very hard times. Around the world the horrors of hate, xenophobia, religious zealotry and nationalism are taking terrible tolls. This song is played and sung in hope of better days. 

Parts that were kept from the 2009 recording: Vocals, acoustic guitar.
Parts that were redone: drums, bass, rhythm guitars and lead guitar. 

The song was originally recorded in late 2009 as a test recording to try out mics, pedals, and amps after setting up my home studio. The remake also is a test track, to try out the tones from my Hiwatt amp, acquired in October 2016, and my Skreddy 1971 distortion pedal that I got just a week before using it to record the lead guitar track. I also tried out a Kontact piano from Komplete 11 which I just got, and the Arturia Solina V.

Better Days (2017 remake)

An ambient guitar track. The main guitar is a Hamer Newport Pro Custom. Second guitar is a Hamer Sunburst. The bass is an Ibanez Gary Willis signature fretless.

Moments Of Revelation

An ambient guitar piece. 
The main guitar is a Hamer Newport Pro Custom. 
The second guitar is a PRS DC3.
Strymon, BOSS and Digitech effects pedals were used. 
Guitars were recorded direct and amplifier simulation was added using Amplitube 4.

Into Oblivion

An ambient track done on guitar and bass. The guitar was a Hamer Mirage. The bass was a Parker Fly bass.
Composed, recorded and partially mixed the evening of April 22, 2019. 
Mixing and mastering was finished before leaving for work on April 23rd.

Sacred Kiss

Milana Zilnik's beautiful song, with some improvisation over it by myself. 
The piano Milana is playing is the Una Corda, which if you don't have access to one or the means to get the hardware, a software version can be played in Native Instruments Kontact. I have had Komplete for years. I originally bought it to use B4 and Pro 53 (both discontinued) and FM7 (replaced now with FM8). I never checked out the Una Corda, until recently I heard recordings of it here on soundcloud and fell in love with its intimate, emotive sound.  Now I want to write songs and record with it!

Please listen to Milana Zilnik's original recording of this piece here:
https://soundcloud.com/milanazilnik/una-corda-fantasia-new-album-and-open-collaboration

The bass is an Ibanez Gary Willis signature, GWB-35 recorded direct through a Tech 21 SH1 bass preamp. 
The lead guitar is a PRS 305 through a Stomp Under Foot '73 Ram's Head V10 distortion and a Skreddy Dynamic Mids Enhancer, into a Hiwatt DR103 amp. 
There is ambient guitar added, which was a Carvin DC127 going through a Morpheus Capo, a BOSS CE-20 chorus and a Strymon Timeline delay. The track was processed using Amplitube to add amp tone.
The drums are Superior Drummer 3, using the Rock Warehouse kit. 
The organ is the Arturia B3V.

It can be difficult to add more parts to an already finished song, but Milana's thoughtful arrangement left enough space that my improvisation hopefully does not make it sound too cluttered. Thankyou, Milana.

Let Me Tell You A Story - Una Corda Fantasia 7- 4-2019 collaboration w Milana Zilnik

A track in the style of late 80s new age music with electronic drums, synth, as well as fretless bass and electric guitar. 
The synth bass is a Moog Taurus preset in Syntronik.
All the synths are Waldorf PPG 2.V. It's a big favorite in my studio. 
The electric bass is an Ibanez GWB-35 Gary Willis signature through a Tech 21 SH1 preamp. 
The lead guitar is a PRS 305 through a Stomp Under Foot '73 Ram's Head V10 , Skreddy Dynamic Mids Enhancer, and a Hiwatt Dr-103 amp.

My Lover's Eyes

Ethereal ambient guitars coexisting with heavy down-tuned guitars. This piece sounds like what might result if Hammock and Rammstein recorded a song together. 
The heavy parts and the low-tuned arpeggiated clean part are a Buckethead signature model Les Paul Studio. 
The ambient/textural guitar parts are an MJ Groovemaster. 
Most guitars went through Amplitube 3, except the melody and the harmonies toward the end, which were actual miked amps.
The song also prominently features the Eventide Black Hole reverb I got in fall of 2012. 
The song was composed in August 2012, recorded August - December 2012. In loving memory of my uncle Henry who passed away in August 2012. 

Am Ende Der Sommer

Getting the track ready for release on distrokid. The guitar solo on the 2017 remake was pretty good but I think I got something a little tighter in timing this year. While the 2017 solo was recorded through the Skreddy 1971 muff pedal I'd just gotten then, this one was recorded using the Stomp Under Foot  '73 v10 Ram's Head Muff. The same PRS 305  guitar and Hiwatt DR103 amp were used. 

I also found a bass solo take from 2017 that was more in tune  and I think has more feeling.

The acoustic guitars were redone. I double tracked them this time around. What you hear is two Adamas acoustic guitars, one panned toward the left, one to the right. 

Mixing the song also gave me a  chance to try out the new T Racks Sunset Studios reverb, which is heard on the acoustic guitars and the bass solo. 
While the previous version featured drums from the EZ Drummer Vintage Rock expansion, this one features the Superior Drummer 3 Rock Warehouse drums.

Better Days 2020 remake/remix

An update of a song I wrote in 2012. The original was more of an unstructured jam, but it has become more structured with new versions.
The bass was redone. A Hamer fretless Cruise bass was played through a Tech 21 SH1 preamp direct to the recording interface.

The guitar solo was redone. The same PRS 305 guitar was used as last time, But this time it was run into a Stomp Under Foot 1973 V10 Ram's Head Big Muff clone, a Skreddy Dynamic Mids Enhancer, and a Hiwatt DR103 amplifier. 

The ambience on the bass is the Waves Abbey Road Chambers. Eventide Ultra Reverb and Sonnox reverb were used on other parts. 

The strummed guitars were a Hamer Chapparal through a Rocktron Replifex with a rotary speaker preset. The original tracks recorded in 2012 were kept.

The piano was replaced. A beautiful preset from Native Instruments Hybrid Keys was used on this version.

The E Bow guitars were redone. The guitar is a Hamer Studio, through a Way Huge Conquistador fuzz and  Peavey Wiggy amp.

Diaphanous 2020

An ambient electronic piece for electric guitar and fretless bass. 
The percussion track is Superior Drummer 3. 
The ambient recording is played on izotope Iris 2.
The guitar used for the chord swells was a Hamer 25th Anniversary Artist. 
The textural guitar was a PRS DC3.
The bass was a Hamer fretless Cruise Bass.

Warm August Night

Merry Christmas!
Recorded in 2007 or 2008. 
Instruments used were FM8, Waldorf Attack, refx Vanguard and GForce Imposcar.

Little Drummer Boy 2020

Sleep Distance is electronic/ambient guitar and synth music by guitarist Rob Wessel, with occasional collaborations with other musicians or vocalists.

News: Sleep Distance has released a collection of the ambient and electronic music found here. Look for it at the links below on Spotify, itunes, google play and other stores.

Sleep Distance

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