Le Son Du Bout Des Pieds

Adam Miller

Australian Fingerstyle Champion (2002), Miller has played an array of International & National festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Australian Blues Festival, A Day On The Green, Jazz In The Vines, and the Woodstock, Melbourne, and Adelaide International Guitar Festivals.

He is a regular artist at NAMM (Los Angeles & Nashville) and Musikmesse (Germany) shows where he plays for some of the world’s most respected guitar companies and luthiers.

He has also done two tours to Afghanistan performing for the Australian & Allied Forces.

Miller has featured in magazines such as Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, Premier Guitar, Acoustic UK, Australian Guitar, and Australian Musician.
In 2013 his album "Delayed" was named in the top 10 Albums of 2012 by the US Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

He was also named on of the top 25 Future Legends in Australian Guitar Magazine. In 2010 Miller was named "Guitarist Deserving Wider Recognition" by US based magazine, Guitar International.

Adam juggles his time between international travels & Australia where he lectures in Jazz and Contemporary Guitar at the University Of Newcastle.

He is an endorsee of Traugott Guitars, Thorell Guitars, Two-Rock Amplifiers, Analysis Plus Cables, Seymour Duncan Pickups, and D’Addario Strings.

Discography (not limited)


Adam Miller Shifting untis 2014	Holly Who Hollywho - EP 2014	Adam Miller Delayed 2012	Adam Miller Out of my hands 2008	Fumi Boca Bending it 2004


Adam Miller Direction 2004	Adam Miller After one day 2001

Website

www.adammiller.com.au

SEE ADAM'S GIGS

What was the first effects pedal you got or discovered?

Ibanez Soundtank Modern Fusion Overdrive when I was 10 years old!

La chaîne du bout des pieds

September 2015

Pedal chain:
Analysis Plus Yellow Oval Cable,
TC Polytune 2,
BYOC Germanium Fuzz ('Mighty'),
Rockett Blue Note,
Vemuram Jan Ray,
BBE Supa Trem (Charlie Hunter Album Cover),
Strymon Timeline with Disaster Area Midi Controller,
Strymon El Capistan with Loopi favourite switch (enables tape loop mode). Analysis Plus Genesis Pure Cable.

International tour board:
Strymon Timeline with Disaster Area Midi Controller,
TC Electronic HOF Mini.

International tour board - Septembre 2015

Guitars
Thorell 'Adam Miller' Archtop,
b3 (by Gene Baker) Water,
Rosewood Neck AM Thinline Tele (built from parts),
D'Angelico EX-SS.

Amps
Two-Rock Coral 22 watts Combo amplifier with footswitch.

How has been fueled your “culture”
of effects sounds?

Like most people, I was inspired by an artist I heard and needed that sound!
It probably started with hearing Tommy Emmanuel play "Initiation" and finding out I needed a Digital Delay to create that sound.
I've been through various stages in my playing life where I use many effects and then go completely the opposite way and use none!

Are you a curious or a modern person
or are you a collector at the same time?

Definitely not a collector!
I like to have gear that works reliably and consistently, so that generally leads me to modern pedals!

What is the last effects pedal
you've bought?

The last effect I got was a Vemuram Jan Ray. A really versatile Overdrive.

What is the next effects pedal
you would like to have?

I haven't heard a new sound that I need just yet! But it will most likely be more along the lines of an acoustic Preamp pedal.
I really like the look of the new Fishman Platinum series.

What is the effects pedal you would
never want to use?

I don't like to say "never"!
But I'm not really a fan of Wah.
A Morley Wah was the second pedal I ever got – purchased to be able to play "Voodoo Chile" of course!
But I find that sound so overused and really hard for me to communicate my voice with.

What is the band or artist that you
would advise to listen to in order
to discover how effects pedals can
be really well used?

The guy that actually got me into using pedals again recently was Bill Frisell.
The way he uses effects is incredible. Charlie Hunter's use of the Rotary Speaker pedals (Korg G4 and Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere) was always phenomenal.
And he uses some killer Fuzz and Trem sounds on his album "Mistico".

In your opinion, what guitarist best
uses effects pedals?

With out a doubt Bill Frisell.

Which song best exemplifies the best
use of effects pedals?

"Prayer For Bel" from my album "Shifting Units".
It's a solo electric guitar piece and relies heavily on the Strymon Timeline and El Capistan pedals. The El Capistan initially supplies the airy modulated Echo and spring reverb, while the Timeline is used for the reverse looping sounds.
As the piece continues the Timeline in used for more standard looping, and Fuzz (BYOC Germanium Fuzz) and Overdrive (Rockett Blue Note) is added.
Then the loops are reversed on the timeline and the El Capistan is switched to loop mode too.
The El Capistan is unique because the sound of the loop "decays" in quality – just like a real tape machine would.
The final few minutes of the song are basically just manipulating the speeds of the loops of the pedals and hearing the interaction of the two.
It creates this haunting string section sound.

Does effect influence your compositions
or does it come later?

The effects usually come as a result of live performance of the composition.
It's rare that the effect inspires the composition for me.

What is your worst memory while
using an effects pedal?

There have been a few!!!
I think the worst I ever had was a Boss Extortion pedal in the late 90s.
For some reason I thought I needed a big mid scooped sound... It was disgusting!!!

Do you have any anecdotes to share
with us about one of your pedals?

Quite a few of my pedals have minds of their own. I don't know why, but sometimes they just don't do what they're meant to do!
Like I never know what my BYOC Fuzz is going to sound like – it's so temperature sensitive!
And my Strymon Timeline sometimes just does really weird things.
I kind of like that, and use it in a performance if I have to – be it to create a new sound in the moment or some sort of comedic relief!
Because I don't often rely on an effect to carry a song I can get away with that.

Anything nice/fun you would like to add?

I really like the aesthetic of pedalboards and often cover pedals with stickers to make them more fun to look at!
My favourite is the BBE Supa Trem V1 which was an ugly ugly pedal!
I covered it in the artwork of the first Charlie Hunter album I bought – now it looks awesome!

What is the "supreme" effect you would never stop using?

I can pretty much live without anything honestly, but I do love reverb.
I guess that's almost impossible for me to live without on electric guitar.

Where do you find your effects: Shop, internet, salers?

All different locations! Often stores when I'm on tour and have time to kill!

What is the effect you think you have make the best using?

I think my use of looping using the Strymon Timeline is getting unique.
I use the loops often to build intensity and sometimes harmony, rather than something to just play over.
I employ the Disaster Area midi controller to activate the half/double speeds and reverse quite a lot.
What I'll do is start recording a couple of bars during a solo at half speed and then play it back at double speed whilst continuing the solo.
That throws it up an octave and plays it super fast, creating an intensity I could never do by just playing.

Is there one of your song that you could say "yes, I've succeed to use that effect!" ?

A great example of the Timeline looping is in the in end of the solo on "The Full Pisani" on my album "Shifting Units".
The harmonies you hear were done live using the Timeline in loop mode and then you can hear me double time the harmonies in towards the end of the solo.
Just for added comedic value, I hit play on the looper at the end of the song to give you that big unexpected ending!

You make demo for amps and guitars, could you make demo for an effect builder?

I've just done some videos for Vemuram showing how the Jan Ray Overdrive can be used at very low gains to very touch sensitive and amp like. I shot it on my Thorell Archtop guitar. It has a very acoustic tonality to it. Very cool!

Do you use effects with your acoustic guitar?

Not really – only a bit of Reverb sometimes. My acoustic playing really is my anti effect thing!
I got so into pedals many years ago that they overtook my guitar playing.
I decided to focus on acoustic guitar for a number of years in order to really create my own voice without the need of a pedal or effect.

Have you tried to build an effect ? Which one (if yes)?

I haven't built one from scratch, although I have tinkered with many effects and especially acoustic guitar preamps and pickups!

What do you think about modelisation (Line6, Kemper…) ?

Digital technology has come so far that it is hard to tell the difference any more. I can't use it to replace the sound of a real amplifier and speaker though. I think some of the little modeling amps now are incredible – but they're still pushing air with their own speaker. I'd happily do a gig on a Vox Mini3 if I had to!