David Hartley on the Justice / 705 vs Telonics type 409-PW

[David Hartley]

This is why a Telonics type 409-PW is my choice of pickup on my Justice, and why I love Peterson tuners too...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T1KTOHacLs

[Wally Taylor]

Well, to my old ears, I still prefer the 705 sound. But, to each his own and great playing!

[Stan Paxton]

David, just beautiful job on that song, one of my favorites from many years ago. ...Like Wally, and what I mentioned in my prior post, I do still like the 705 the best. Altho, the Telonics does sound a lot better since your latest tweak for balance. ...
Have a Blessed and Happy Easter.

[Dennis Manuel]

David:
As always your playing is magnificent!

From what I am hearing on the YouTube clip, the current setting on the Telonics is that the sound has a lot of bass and the sparkle and shimmer of the 705 is not there.

It's really hard to portray what you are hearing live and what we are hearing over the internet. When you listen back how comparable is the sound you are hearing on YouTube and the true live sound?

[David Hartley]

Hi Dennis.

That's an interesting point you make and you are the only person who has ever asked me that....

I like loud music, and usually, when I do go into that room, I can only spend so much time in there before I need a break. A physical break to let my ears recover..ha.. I know, it's not good, but neither is smoking and drinking.

This is how my room is set up, very loud PA which is the other end of the room, and the mixer and amp near me. On this particular recording, because of the above, can you notice I am wearing noise cancelling Bose headphones? I was trying to monitor the recorded sound and not hear the PA... It didn't really work... The best live recordings were done when I had to keep the volume low in the room while using that big vocal microphone in front of John Stannards Fox amp when we used to record..

I hope that explains things.... Yes, listening back, it did need brightening up, and I especially noticed that when I set up at my gig last night.. It is a great sound live...

You must remember this also, I have 2 steels now. Which is really nice. The Rains, I love it, and it's permanently set up upstairs. It's perfect, ready after seconds, and records direct perfectly...

Now I made the choice to have this Justice as a gigging guitar, one which is permanently downstairs ready to load up, or set up to play outside, in the rehearsal room where I can stick a camcorder on the shelf, and record these videos.

I know I have the live sound sorted now, after a few pick up changes, and even more EQ changes last night. I am now wondering what the sound will be like from the preamp when I do my next recording outside.

I am answering this question in detail Dennis, because I was actually going to use just the Camcorder audio to try and demonstrate how good the room sound is.... But that's my fallback..... I monitor far too loud...

I will get it better, and yes, it needed brightening up of course, but, hey..... I am well pleased with guitar and sound...

These videos certainly help me with everything, and I know it helps some of you out there too.

That's the main thing..

[Daniel Policarpo]

I like how your guitar sounds now. It suits your style so well. The demo you played, provides a striking example at the end how your attack really works with the set up of the 409. That was amazing how the mids kind of swelled and jumped. Very sweet.

[David Hartley]

Thanks all........

Your comments are appreciated...

I still am thinking......... .?

[David Hartley]

What do you think?

Sound wise, not playing, missed a few notes, might have been the whiskey!

I done this last night.

You should be able to hear what I am hearing..

I started afresh with the EQ. Boosted Lows and Treble and altered mids slightly, and also using the Boss DD-2 to 'un-clean' the sound.. Ha Ha.

You will hear a bit of pedal pattle at times because of the mic.

It's still the Telonics 409-PW on the Justice.

David Hartley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyxtry1U-TU

[Stan Paxton]

Absolutely superb! Tone couldn't be any more "Hartley". ...

[David Hartley]

Stan......

You've just made my day....

[Henry Matthews]

David my friend, absolutly superb. I do like the 409 better. It has a zing to it that I really like over the 705.

How do you do the recording? Do you have a program that records video and sound together or does your camera have a line in for audio. It always sounds so great.

[David Hartley]

Henry.

Many thanks and hope you're keeping well.

It's really easy how I record out there..... I have the 2 track digital recorder, which is that little tiny, handheld .wav and .mp3 recorder running. I input the steel and the track through 2 channels on the mixing desk next to me, and balance it up. Because I have both inputs panned, when I put the recorded track onto my iMac I can then get volume levels a bit more balanced in Logic Pro 8, my audio editing DAW workstation. Once it sounds OK, I save the music file as a 16bit .wav... That bit is then done. I must add, there is NO EQ added to the steel, just an overall dynamic enhancer on the whole track and compression which just adds a bit of oooommmph and makes the audio nicely levelled... The camcorder was of course running while I played it live and captured the video, and it's own audio too..

Then both the video capture and my logic pro .wav is imported into my video editor on the iMac called Final Cut Express. I input the video first on the timeline, then drag in my saved .wav from Logic. I then look at both audio waveforms, and align them up visually so they match. I then delete the camcorder audio... Job done, the 16bit wav is in perfect sync with the video... Add a title, and upload to YouTube...

It's live, no cheating, and just produces a nice visual and audio sound. Nothing added, nothing removed. On the occasional video I have done this way, I sometimes add a harmony steel upstairs with the steel up there just if I think it's needed, but that could be on the track as well if I wish..

Hope this helps you, and others, as I do get asked ths a lot.

The John Stannard sessions were even simpler, a one-take, balanced take with not even a logic tweak at the end, but we spent most of the evening getting them sounds right before we played.. All good fun, I miss him not being here but glad I got to see him in Dallas last month...

Regards..
David Hartley..

PS, watching it back, I better lay off the large whiskeys before I go out there next time, I was a bit sloppy in places, but hey, its country music, it's allowed....isn't it?

[David Hartley]

PS.... Henry....

I want to try a 409 on my Rains too..

Dave Beaty..... Email coming your way now....

[Richard Keller]

Sounds really nice David. What speakers do you have in your cabinets?

[David Hartley]

Richard....

They are Evans 15" Eminence Beta or Delta speakers. I am not sure which mine has, but it has the neodymium magnet, so no weight.

Tilt back foot
Dims. 20 ”H x 21 ½“ W x 11 1/2”D
Weight 31 or 35 lbs.

I have 2, but just lately have been gigging with just 1 of them.

[Henry Matthews]

David, I got the Teltonics 84 on my Mullen which looks just like the 409 you have. It really brought out the tone and evened all the strings so I'll bet it would make that Rains sing even better. Thanks for the recording info. I don't have Mac, just PC but am going to try your way by recording both audio on mixer and on camera and lining up. Great idea.
Thanks David

[Bill Cutright]

what kind of whiskey are you using?

[Brad Malone]

David, to my ears the 705 had a fuller tone, less harsh on the highs and great sounding on the lows..you are, without a doubt, the greatest E9th player I ever heard..good luck, my friend.
Brad.

[Billy Carr]

Sounds very nice. I like it, seems to be balanced better. Tone is rich and full from string 1 thru 10, best I could tell. Of course, the picker might have a little bit to do with it. Ha!!! I'm going to try to make the Dallas show in 2014, Dave. Maybe I'll get a chance to meet you and we can pick a little buddy. Who knows, Fred might have me a new Justice in the FJ booth!