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Featuring the DMCA-Free Rock of KCWM & Cold the Winter

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Zvex Distortron

On the primary Pedals page, I talked about the Zvex Box of Rock being the pedal that began my journal into the boutique world of pedals. There was just something about it’s sub-heavy crunch that sat right in the core of my musical soul. It was right as rain.

I used the Box of Rock on the 2011 version of Zombies and really loved where it sat in the mix and how it sounded when isolated. The Box of Rock was an integral part of my movement towards more low and mid-gain sounds. Unfortunately, as things sometimes go, money was needed and the Box of Rock was one of the first, and easiest, things to go. I knew I’d miss it, but I could always buy another one later on down the road.

Somewhere along the line (at least 2011 according to the instruction manual), Zvex released a couple of pedals: the Distortron and the Mastotron, which were in basic enclosures. I’ve never had the chance to play around with the Mastotron, but the Distortron definitely caught my attention. It is the distortion side of the Box of Rock, but with some modifications that adds some versatility to pedal.

For all the complaints the Box of Rock had regarding how bass-heavy it could be, the Distortron features a “SUBS” switch which allows you to dial in less bass. I generally kept mine set on 2, but occasionally set it to 3 to achieve full Box of Rock goodness. The Distortron (and by extension the Box of Rock) are both considered to be “Marshall-in-a-box” (or MIAB) pedals, but are based on an older model Marshall with less gain on tap. The “HI” gain setting fixed that.

Why Did I Choose It?

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to pick up my Distortron for the awesome price of $54 at a local guitar Guitar Center. I actually didn’t buy it the first time I saw it at that price, partially because it still had the police hold on it (used gear can’t be sold right away in the event that it’s been stolen),  but went back a few days later when I realized just how good a deal it was.

It was the drive side of what might be my favorite drive pedal and it was $54. That was a no brainer

Here’s a classic (circa 2009) Andy from his ProGuitarShop.com days. Man, his demos have come a long way, and this one is still a great representation of what the pedal does.

Why Did I Get Rid of It?

The Zvex Double Rock. That’s why. The Double Rock has two drive channels in one enclosure. It sacrifices the GAIN switch for the ability to switch either side between a drive and a boost AND it has the SUBS switch. This means you can make the Double Rock into a Box of Rock, but cut the subs. You can then stack it with another Distortron engine and get the extra gain. You can make both sides a boost. Or run a boost into the gain. It’s versatile and I was able to get one of the handpainted purple versions. It is my desert island pedal.

I sold the Distortron to JD. He deserves to have a kickass pedal on his board. He has others that he might like more, but the Distortron is like Old Faithful. You know what you’re getting, it’s a classic sound, and it’s right as rain.

Would I Suggest It?

Without a single hesitation. The Marshall sound is classic for a reasons. Sure, the horizontal footprint of the pedal might seem awkward, and, sure, it might not have top jacks, but these are minor details. I absolutely love the way the Distortron/Box of Rock/Double Rock sound. If you could get one for the insane price of $54 like I did, you best do it.

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Cold the Winter · Skylines and the Horizon

Latest Instagram Posts

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I have a number of minis I’m working on at the m I have a number of minis I’m working on at the moment. Here’s my table of things in different stages of #tabletopquality for use in my #dnd campaign, some of which haven’t been started or might not be used. The kobolds you see will be painted green.

When I started the genie, I didn’t realized my pre-painted one was also blue. It still works though. 

I’m still not sold on the idea of a steel dragon but it could be cool and I already have a “large” silver dragon. I used magnets on the bottom of the dragon, the large and huge bases, and I can stack them if I need it to be an adult-sized dragon. I just need to decorate them in complimentary ways. 

 I have an idea for mini painting streams and these are some of the things I’ll be painting on there.
I have a soft spot for kobolds in my DnD campaigns I have a soft spot for kobolds in my DnD campaigns. My players have met one that has hinted at future quests, they fought some green-scaled kobolds, and I foresee more in their future. 

I pulled the old minion old rule from #dnd 4e…enemies that have 1 hp and auto fail most saves. Kobolds (and goblins) make great minions. 

 I have quite a few, so I foresee more red (two of them are pre painted), green, and blue scales in my future. They might be #tabletopquality but I’m ok with that. I have fun and painting is relaxing for me. 

The red plastic minis came from a D&D board game, and tall but one of the gray and white ones are from @reaperminiatures #bones4 and #bones5
In March of 2021, I discovered the Lovepedal Purpl In March of 2021, I discovered the Lovepedal Purple Plexi and it was finally the closest I’ve come to getting that Marshall-in-a-Box pedal sound. 

Earlier this year, I picked up a Lovepedal Vintage/Modern, which is a Purple Plexi and Church of Tone in one enclosure. 

Not too long ago, I came across a post @cklabofficial posted of their take on a Purple Plexi/Jubilee, two pedals I owned at the time. I really like CKLab pedals and would have loved to have it, but, alas, I missed out. 

I reached out and asked about the possibility of a 2-in-1 from CKLAB. This is the result. 

I am beyond stoked. This will make my 3rd CKLab pedal and I hope to own more. I love the idea of support local makers and, seeing as how the Vintage/Modern is my go to drive, this will be my #1. 

Visit their store on Reverb and buy their pedals so I’m not tempted to. Seriously. The LSDelay I bought is so damned cool. 

#supportlocalpedals #cklab #miabpedals #gooddudes #newpedalday
A couple of #WIP #dndminiatures projects from this A couple of #WIP #dndminiatures projects from this weekend. I intend to use both in the #dnd campaign im running, but it will be a while before I do. 

I need to add some white lines to the texture around the iris and add something to the black section of the base. 

The mold lines on the pumpkin dude are bugging me now that I see how clear they are in the picture. Will cut those down and fix the color. 

I intend to prime up some of these #reaper #bones5 minis I have sitting on my shelves and paint them on stream. I might only paint to a #tabletopquality but it’s still fun and relaxing to do.
After picking up almost all the paints in the thir After picking up almost all the paints in the third picture, I’ve taken up mini painting again. I decided to start with a treant to work into my #dnd campaign. 

This is still a work in progress. I started with some normal paints and then added some contrast paint on the beard and to accent some of the wood. I need to make some adjustments to the paint. 

I plan to add leaves to the top but my foliage is too crumbly so I need to get some bigger chunks. 

It’s been fun. I’m likely going to stream some #minipainting on stream. I have minis to paint to get on the #tabletop, which is also the level that I paint at but it works for my table.
This kid. This past Saturday marked 10 years with This kid. This past Saturday marked 10 years with our wonderful child…a blend of her mother and I in so many ways. 

I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring us. She has a good head on her shoulders. 

I’m a proud parent. She’s weird AF but I wouldn’t have her any other way.
Cross post from Twitter, but I have more room here Cross post from Twitter, but I have more room here. 

This is my current stable of electric guitars, minus my Epiphone ES339.

PRS S2 McCarty 594: “Fat” rhythm. This guitar has “coil tap” which  changes the sound of the respective pickups giving me a lot of flexibility. 

Fender Telecaster (sunburst): Lead/rhythm. I do 90% of my 2nd guitar and lead work on this. It’s on every track I’ve recorded since 2018. 

Squier Classic Vibe ‘60s Stratocaster: General rhythm. Newest addition. Everyone needs a strat, even if I rarely grab one. 

Fender Road-worn ‘50s Telecaster (purple): Bright rhythm. 

Gibson Les Paul Classic: “Fat” rhythm. My #1 guitar. It’s crunchy compared to the smoother sound of the PRS

PRS SC245 Ted McCarty: Bright rhythm. 

Squier ‘51 (modified): Lead

Yes, some guitars overlap but they sound different than their role-siblings. Wood, pickups, etc. I compare guitars to chocolate…yes, they’re all guitars but they do things differently. Hersheys doesn’t taste the same as Toblerone or Ritter Sport. Milk chocolate differs from dark chocolate. Heck, I even threw a peanut butter comparison up there. 

I have two basses and an acoustic. One of those basses is new so I’m not sure of the roles just yet. 

#kcwmmusic #dmcafreemusic #guitarsarelikechocolate #gearaddiction #guitar
Bought a new caddy from Michaels and was able to s Bought a new caddy from Michaels and was able to stack my unopened #nolzursmarvelousminiatures and #reaperbonesminiatures to better see what I have. 

Left row is full of player mini and humanoids, the middle row is made up of monstrous humanoids and undead, and the right row consists of elementals and fiendish things. 

I have a lot of minis to paint, but this helps me visualize what I have left between the shelves and this caddy.
Well… Well…
Ever since having COVID last month, she’s been a Ever since having COVID last month, she’s been a constant by my side when she can get in. She will lay with me or on the other pillow. She might be ornery, but she’s the bestest of friends. 

#tortiesofinstagram #tortitude #tortie #catsofinstagram #imakittycat #frausafriend #cat
Hey, uh @walmart, this isn’t how rollbacks work. Hey, uh @walmart, this isn’t how rollbacks work. #rollback
Not too long ago, we picked up a KALLAX shelf syst Not too long ago, we picked up a KALLAX shelf system from IKEA to store my #dnd minis on. It’s been handy for sorting the minis by “collection” like my Bones 4 and Bones 5 minis, but, as you can see in the 2nd picture, I lost plenty of vertical space. 

A few weeks ago, I saw a video on TikTok where a guy used KVISSLE letter trays to store his minis on. They are easy to assemble and the trays simply slide in and out without rollers. 

For most minis on a 1” or smaller base, it’s absolutely perfect AND there’s room at the bottom for the box sets like the Essentials Kit or Starter Set. For larger minis, you can see I removed one of the trays and that shelf has plenty of giants on it and the KVISSLE still has two shelves out of the picture (Ellie took it and sent it to me). 

He used spray paint to paint the shelves black but I’m opting for the white on black look. You can also buy magnets to install on the bottoms of the minis but I’ve yet to do that. 

It’s easy to amass a big collection of DnD #miniatures through the #reaperbones collections or the #nolzursmarvelousminiatures packs and having an easy way to organize them is incredibly useful. 

Now it’s just a matter of painting them. Oof.
My newest single, “Go On”, is live on Spotify My newest single, “Go On”, is live on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/0bTGahUMwQnPrIECWapOby?si=aGrl3wvhQAOugU3Yo07EeQ for your DMCA-free listening needs. 

#Distrokid put this image together and I dig it. Check it, and the other 90s-infuenced instrumental rock music on Spotify and other streaming platforms!

#dmcafreemusic #dmcafreerock #streammusic #music #guitarrock #guitar #kcwmmusic
He’s a good #pickle @teresa.aldaco @moriaheliz He’s a good #pickle 

@teresa.aldaco @moriahelizabethofficial
Started on 6/7/21, shelved due to significant burn Started on 6/7/21, shelved due to significant burnout, and delayed due to health reasons, "Go On", the 1st song of #kcwmmusic Volume Four is moving along. 

The EZKeys you see plays a more front & center role on this song than the last time I used keys on "Sometimes It Works Out" on Volume One. I might end up going with a more traditional piano, but so far I'm digging the setting you see pictured. 

As with my previous KCWM releases, I'm using Superior Drummer 3, though I plan to dig more into some of the presets and expansions to vary the drums, especially on some of the more laid back songs.

This album is the first of mine to feature acoustic guitar on numerous tracks thanks to a pair of Rode M5 mics, another significant shift. 

I'm definitely looking to add some more songs to the more relaxed playlist on Spotify. Acoustic guitar and piano definite help keep me in that headspace. 

I have two days off and I'm hoping to get the 2nd, and maybe a 3rd guitar, recorded. Then it's just a matter of spacing things out before getting this up on Spotify as a single for people to use. 

I'll keep you posted

#dmcafreemusic #dmcafreerock #songwriting #ezkeys @toontrack @rodemic
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13h

My wife & youngest kid did @23andMe kits. We finally got the results & our kid shares 50% of my DNA, but only 49.6% of my wife's. Also, looking at all of our percentages & seeing how that turned out is fascinating. My wife is 52% Italian, I'm .2%, but Ellie is 30%. Interesting!

31 Jan

Ep3 of #TLOU might be one of my absolute favorite episodes of television ever. That better win some kind of award.

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