Greetings all,

I haven't post for quite a while, as this year has been incredibly busy with respect to work. However, I had to come out of lurk mode to update you to the X-Mann's latest antics (and make a shameless plug!!)!! (The Veteran's of this forum know the legend and the Newbies need to search out his posts!!).

So the X-Mann just released his latest single titled the 'Seeds of Karma'. I am particularly proud of this release, as the X-Mann graciously took my suggestion for the song title, involved me in the mixing process and let me create the Artwork for the song (see below). This was a fun project for me, I created Virtual X in 3D CAD and also recreated his Carvin Axes to an almost crazy level of detail (okay most definitely 11 on the crazy scale)!!



Check out the song and awesome video, that the X-Mann made in a weekend, single highhandedly on his own and please if you like it, buy the track on i-tunes, Cd Baby or Amazon. The X-Mann is not looking to make money, just recover his costs so he can keep putting out great music. BTW if you check out his Facebook page ( @X-Mann Music), he is also running a competition with great giveaways for the release.

[video:youtube]http://youtu.be/YcsDiIXsYM8[/video]

Love the picture/graphics work! Nice tones all around. Sounds like Satch's Always With Me/You on the clean muted parts, lots of Neil Zaza in there, the solo had a huge impact after that excellent guitar break.

Just saw a video of Mark Day with the AX8, and it was nice, but I think you have the best sounds out there with those Carvins and a mutually love for certain tones and styles slightly outside of the usual classic guitar god sounds.

Thank you for the kind remarks TLTD!!! You are gentleman and a scholar!!

Ha, ha & hey guys!!!!!

Yes, I'm still "Alive & Kicking" &....NO, I have not turned into "Mr. Big" head either!

I'm very proud & happy to still be recording & making music. The few guys like Singtall, TLTD & Hari may be the only guys that remember me anymore. lol

Hari got it all right & "Thank you" for the write-up & sharing this here (& pointing it out to me).

The 11-Rack was WAY MORE then a tone generator for me, it was the door to a new world of writing songs & making music for the 1st time. I still think the tones it creates stands-up to this day.

In the end people hear your playing & writing skills.

ALL of the tones on "Seeds of Karma" are the new Fractal AX8......& my killer collection of Carvin & Kiesel guitars.

ALL the leads are done on a CS424 Gold Top with a Floyd trem on it. The Floyd is now a HUGE part of my over-all sound & has helped me fix my vibrato too!

I hope you enjoy the new iTunes single & I truly miss this place.

Peace! X-Mann

I fixed the link that Hari was trying to share here too! \m/

Hey Greg, thanks for saying all of this!!!

I appreciate it & only you & a few others know how very far I've come over the last 6+ years.

All I can say is "Thanks" & I know that you know tone & I appreciate when great players like what I'm trying to do😃.....

I've got a bunch of funny stories & lessons learned, but I don't want to over step anything here as this is not the 11-Rack on my recording.

Peace! Tim

The man, the myth (he's been around that long, lol), the legend X-Mann returns in true guitar hero fashion!!

Great to see that your sense of humor is still there. Love the playing, especially the cool whammy bar work, and melodic phrasing.

I hope all is going well for you, Tim. Thanks for all the encouragement back in the day and letting me play on one of the early song collaborations on the forum.

Jase

WOW!!!! Hey Jase!!!!!

This is starting to feel like an episode of "This is your life" or maybe the "X-Mann Raost" on comedy central.....

I really miss the days of doing all of those Global Jams that we did here. The guitar fellowship was strong & the Eleven Rack brought us ALL together too!

Thanks for the Uber kind words about "Seeds of Karma" & this is the first time I completely happy with my playing on record. I think my style is fully developed now.....& it only took me 30+ years to get here! Yea!

If I've learned anything or have taught 1-lesson about the guitar in my lifetime, it's this!

Never stop, never give-up, don't quit, do it for fun & give it all you've got!!!!!!! In time, you will get there!

Thanks again & your comments mean a lot to me!

Peace! Tim

PS - I'm SO NOT a Legend either & will NEVER think so! I put my pants on one leg at a time & just have to fit in my GIANT C@(K! (Total Joke only here)

PMS _ I met Hari on this very forum & we've grown close over the years as friends outside of this cool place. The Eleven Rack gave me SO much in terms of what I paid for in the end. I got to finally learn how to solo & create melodic shred, I made wonderful friends here that I still talk with & I release my 1st ever iTunes Single titled "Turning Point" & that one is ALL 11-Rack tones that still stand-up to this day.

Great work there Broseephus. Good to see ya back here every now and again.

Love the Graphics also.

Hey Bob, How are things going with you?

You still Rocking out on the 11-Rack?

Thanks for checking in & the kind words.

Peace! X

Hey X - Yeah I am. I've actually tried a couple of the other options out there (Helix and AxFx specifically) and for ME, 11R is the best fit.

I STILL have clients that cannot believe we're getting what I get "to tape" with 11R. Sometimes I only use the amp modeling behind actual pedals and sometimes I model the entire chain.

Same thing when I am bluesin' it up with the band.

Still though, won't be getting rid of the BandMaster or the TwinReverb anytime soon. I've had both of them since before 1973.

I'll probably get killed for saying this, but the core tones of the Eleven Rack still hold up to the tones of the Fractal products. There are just less tone/color options in the 11-R, but the ones that are there are spot on & very good. The 11R tones are way better then anything I got out of Helix too & just faster to dial in. If you could load in different user cabinet IR's into the 11-R, it would change everything.

The FX side of things is a totally different story though. The depth & quality are jaw dropping.

The lush reverbs in the 11R beat everything except the Axe Fx & AX8 in my book.

I've always thought that if you can't sound good with the 11-Rack, then you just can't sound good at all.

It really is funny just how far amp modeling has come.

Congrats on your success Bob & keep using whatever makes you play more in the end. It's also very important to test things out for your self & never listen to anyone o-line either (including me).

X

You probably will be killed for saying that!!! LOL

I never even have seen in person an Axfx, Ax8 or a kemper or Amplifire... that being said I do love my Helix and I remember that when they hit the street you got yours and took it back before mine came in and since firmware has fixed alot of the problems that some might say "plagued" the unit have been addressed and with the 2.0 firmware and "snapshots" plus new amps and FX have made it a real contender "in the all in one box" game, not by my experience but what others that have had and have those other units have expressed (check out what Freeman has done with it, he has a preset pack out for it and the demos are great) but the main thing for me is that I can dial up tones so much easier than the 11r not dissing the 11r by any means (well lets be frank... with out singtall I couldn't have got anything I liked out of the 11r... that statement alone probably disqualifies me from any comment on the subject anyway)

Sorry bro didn't mean to high-jack your thread... I love all the work you do... YOU DA MANN!!!

But I do think that if you had some time with the Helix at this point in it's evolution you may have a different opinion of it and with my JTV-89F hooked to it there are so many more options like presets and snapshots that change guitars and or tuning.

I gave Helix a very fair shake & it just wasn't fully ready when they released it. I'm sure those issues are fixed now, but I moved on & discovered what everyone else has known for years & years now.............Fractal Audio just ROCKS on ALL LEVELS!!!!!! \m/

I left up all of my Helix video demos & would love to hear what you are now creating with it now.

Post up a new thread of Helix related stuff & the tones you're getting so we can all check that out.

"It doesn't matter what gear you use in the end, what matters is what you do with the gear you do own" - X-Mann

I used the 11-Rack when people were telling me that it didn't sound good or real & I still disagree & stand by everything I was able to get out of it. The 11-R is a total deal & value still to this day in my eyes.

I'm SO proud of this new iTunes release & the video that I can't even begin to say how I really feel inside.

To take an idea & follow it all the way through to completion is a very hard thing to do........& I almost gave up quiet a few times on "Seeds of Karma", but I did come out on the other side........& I'm much better for it!

Please check out the video, share it & or spend 99 cents on a very cool song & moment for me.

Thank you all & thank you Hari, I really have missed this place.

Tim

I totally agree with what you said brother and also what you said about the eleven rack. keep on rockin bro...

Maybe someday I'll get around to posting some videos it's just that time of year for A/C men right now...

I hear you & even I've not been able to put out the content that I use to do in my younger days!

ALL of these modeling devices have arrived & are now just in different form factors. I really don't care what anyone uses & guys like Singtall can make them all sound totally Pro level.

Peace my friends, peace!

Tim

You got to check in on the 11 rack side once in while Brother X, we're (mostly) a very mellow bunch as you well know