Dave, I bought your Acoustic Steel Guitar package and I can’t seem to create the sound you hear in country music. That winy slide sound you get on a pedal steel guitar. Is it possible with this package or is there some other way to simulate that. I am using an XS6.

magickpurple - 04 January 2012 05:56 PM

Dave, I bought your Acoustic Steel Guitar package and I can’t seem to create the sound you hear in country music. That winy slide sound you get on a pedal steel guitar. Is it possible with this package or is there some other way to simulate that. I am using an XS6.

The “whiny” sound you refer to is either a resonator guitar, or a lap
steel or pedal steel guitar. These sounds are not in the “Acoustic Steel
Guitar” library.

There is a Pedal Steel voice in the XS6. Here is a description on how to
make “pedal steel” (or what you’d call “whiny") sounds:

Select the Pedal Steel voice (in the “Guitar” category).

Say your song is in E major. Place your thumb over G#3 on the keyboard, and your smallest finger over E4. Don’t play anything yet.

Bend the pitch bend wheel down almost all the way, and press on G#3. Hold the note, bring the pitch wheel slowly forward and before it reaches its original position, press E4, then release the pitch bend wheel. Instant pedal steel. Practice this technique while moving a volume pedal (I assume you have one attached to your Motif ES, if you don’t go out and get one).

Try doing the same thing in other keys, starting always with the major third of the triad whose root is the key you’re in. For the key of A, you’d start with C#4 and end up on A4. It’s a sixth interval, actually. After you get more used to it you can start with the fifth note of a triad and move up to the major third (inverted).

The technique works with any guitar-ish sound, actually.
I learned it from an old piano salesman who sold Yamaha PSR keyboards to retired customers. They always wanted a pedal steel - actually, they always called it “Hawaiin guitar”. He’d just choose any guitar sound.

Thanks Dave. And by the way, your Acoustic Steel Guitar software is fabulous!