Studio Series - Larry Sheffey and Vic Wainstein (Garcia Bros.)
Aaron Rogers
Photo: Larry Sheffey
Larry Sheffey and Vic Wainstein are Garcia Bros., who recently produced the hit "Dapper" with Domo Genesis ft. Anderson .Paak. We caught up with Larry and Vic via email, and here's what they had to say:
Do you use EQD pedals during tracking, mixing, or both? If both, roughly what ratio?
Both. But the ratio is roughly 9:1, tracking to reamping.
What are your favorite EQD drive/fuzz pedal combos when tracking guitars? Which dirt pedals do you feel pair well with particular guitar/amp combos or certain styles of music?
The Speaker Cranker into the Hoof Reaper is something special. The Speaker Cranker always beefs up my signal with a little added dirt without being too gnarly. Then when I want to get more muff-esque sounds, I'll go for the Hoof Reaper. I always find the Hoof Reaper sounds better with the Speaker Cracker before it.
What other electric/electronic instruments or sources do you use EQD pedals with, and what are your favorite applications?
We use a Moog Realistic Concertmate MG-1 on pretty much all of our tracks – from crafting basslines to weird risers and leads. The Dispatch Master is pretty much on all the time for reverb and delay. We use the Landscape HC-TT (human controlled tape transport) for manipulating cassettes with our hands similar to how you scratch a vinyl record. The Speaker Cranker always adds a little grit to the sample; then we use the Hummingbird with the expression pedal for choppy transformer type vibes.
Have you tried them on acoustic sources via inserts and found any favorite applications for a particular pedal? Do you have a favorite outboard chain you like to pair them with?
So far, we've only really used the pedals on vocals. But we use trial and error for each situation. We never use the same app or chain twice; we just roll with what sounds cool in the moment.
What has been your favorite standard "bread and butter" sound you've gotten from an EQD pedal? Are there any that have retired or semi-retired old favorites for the same application?
The Avalanche Run is our go to pedal. You can do everything from little subtle things to crazy, wall of sound type stuff when you connect an expression pedal.
What has been your favorite crazy sound you've gotten from EQD pedal? Are there any that have made their way into well-known releases that you can share links to?
The Avalanche Run was used for a recent track called "Skin" that we co-produced with JMSN; it's going to be on the new Mac Miller album called The Divine Feminine. But the Arpanoid is really awesome for crazy shit. You can put it on guitars and even vocals, and it sounds awesome.
Which 2 EQD pedals do you use the most overall, and what would you typically use them on?
We pretty much use all of them for everything, but the Speaker Cranker and the Tone Job get used the most.
What do you think is the most overlooked or underrated EQD pedal, and what do you like to use it on?
The Tone Job is my all-time favorite desert island pedal. You can use it before other pedals to cut certain frequencies out or after pedals to push them. I always use it somewhere on the bass chains.
How do EQD pedals facilitate getting finished sound earlier in the recording process?
Having a clear sense of where we want to go with sound from the beginning help us choose the right pedals. Once the sound is where we want it, it's easy.
How much time/frustration does this save later in the process?
Tons of time. Songs don't get shelved in the process because we're able to achieve the sound we want early on.
Calling Joe Barresi “Evil” is like calling a big guy “tiny” - it doesn’t fit. Take one listen to his drum sounds though, and it all makes sense. The albums he makes are heavy...