Re: marimba, kalimba, steel drum sounds

["T.W. Hartnett" <hartnett.t@apple.com>]

>> <<Any suggestions
>> about effects that could be used to get these or related sounds from an
>> electric guitar or violin?>>
>> The VG-8 can provide excellent sounds of this type, as (I'm guessing 
>here,
>> since I don't have one) can the various MIDI guitar rigs. You might 
>also try
>> staccato notes into a ring modulator...
>
>Try weaving a lamp-type ball chain in and out of the strings, in parallel
>with a strip of felt or some other cloth damping.  To get a real tuned
>percussion effect, avoid fretting notes... tune the guitar to the pitches
>you want, and play open strings.  Alter your pick position or striking
>surface (like metal versus plastic picks) to get different tonalities.  
>Another thing that works really well for a percussive tone is something
>stiff, like a pencil, between the strings and fretboard.  Start at the
>12th fret, then move it around.  Try picking on both sides of the object.
>Experiment!
>
>Personally, I think prepared guitar sounds much more natural and true than
>trying to achieve those percussive sounds with electronics. A little fuzz
>or flanging can bring these things out, but ultimately the best sound
>comes from the guitar itself.

Using a really short delay (10ms or so) with high regeneration can also 
help.  I sometimes use a Whammy pedal before my preamp input, set to add 
an octave.

Travis Hartnett