Hello, glad that you like the site! The keyboard to which you refer is a Korg Prophecy, which Jonny started using in 1995. Jonny used the Prophecy’s “log controller” to create sounds similar to the ondes Martenot on Climbing Up The Walls and Airbag. You can read more about it on Jonny’s page. Jonny hadn’t yet found his first Martenot when he used the Korg Prophecy, but he was almost certainly thinking of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie when he came up with his part on Climbing Up The Walls.
As for a breakdown of the 15 Step drum patch, you will have to wait. That said, I do advise that while Max 7 may look different than prior versions of Max, it can be used identically if you ignore the new packages (like Beap objects). Learning the basic objects is essential to doing anything in Max, and those objects function the same in Max 7 as they did in prior versions, so don’t be afraid to watch older tutorials! Some particularly good ones were made by dude837. Remember, Jonny started out with Max 4, but has brought his older patches up to date for newer versions (he ran Max 7 on the 2016 tour).
Jonny manipulating the Prophecy’s log controller during the 1997 Glastonbury performance of Climbing Up The Walls (youtube).
Images of Jonny’s primary drum machine patch from 2008 (citizeninsane) and 2016 (twitter). While the appearance of the objects has changed, their overall layout is quite similar. Both versions of the patch primarily use slider, matrixctrl, preset, and waveform~ objets to provide user control and visual feedback. When Jonny posted the second image, he commented that he was attempting to make the patch more user friendly by labeling more clearly.
A Totally New Stutter Effects Pedal for Radiohead Fans
Five years ago, I established The King of Gear to create an encyclopedia of Radiohead’s gear, and to give fans a better understanding of how the band crafted the unique and innovative sounds heard throughout their discography. Since then, I’ve answered hundreds of questions about the band’s gear, ranging from Thom’s vintage guitars to Nigel’s mic'ing techniques, but easily the most asked was “how do I recreate Jonny Greenwood’s random stutter Max/MSP patch with guitar effects pedals?”
For a long time, the answer was always that there were no available pedals which duplicated the effect – particularly its randomness – and the best that one could do would be to use loopers or tremolos. The randomized glitch effect is easy enough to program if you purchased expensive software and learned how to use it, but it subsequently required a computer and audio interface to use. For the average gigging musician without a crew to carry their equipment, this simply wasn’t doable for live performance. I’ve played many gigs where I wished I could use this effect during part of the song, but didn’t have that capacity. The ’Feral Glitch’ was conceptualized to fill this niche. It offers that distinctive random stutter effect which has previously only been feasible via complex computer software. It sounds a bit cheesy, but with this pedal I really built the one that I had dreamed of for years.
Kickstart the Feral Glitch here to receive one of the limited run of 25 pedals, or to check out our new t-shirts!
A Totally New Stutter Effects Pedal for Radiohead Fans
Five years ago, I established The King of Gear to create an encyclopedia of Radiohead’s gear, and to give fans a better understanding of how the band crafted the unique and innovative sounds heard throughout their discography. Since then, I’ve answered hundreds of questions about the band’s gear, ranging from Thom’s vintage guitars to Nigel’s mic'ing techniques, but easily the most asked was “how do I recreate Jonny Greenwood’s random stutter Max/MSP patch with guitar effects pedals?”
For a long time, the answer was always that there were no available pedals which duplicated the effect – particularly its randomness – and the best that one could do would be to use loopers or tremolos. The randomized glitch effect is easy enough to program if you purchased expensive software and learned how to use it, but it subsequently required a computer and audio interface to use. For the average gigging musician without a crew to carry their equipment, this simply wasn’t doable for live performance. I’ve played many gigs where I wished I could use this effect during part of the song, but didn’t have that capacity. The ’Feral Glitch’ was conceptualized to fill this niche. It offers that distinctive random stutter effect which has previously only been feasible via complex computer software. It sounds a bit cheesy, but with this pedal I really built the one that I had dreamed of for years.
Kickstart the Feral Glitch here to receive one of the limited run of 25 pedals, or to check out our new t-shirts!
Thank you for the support everyone – the project has been live for less than a day and the early bird specials have already sold out. We hope that the project is successfully funded, so that we can hear all of the interesting uses that our fellow gearheads and Radiohead fans find for the pedal!
Thanks to everyone who has supported the Kickstarter so far, either through pre-ordering the pedal or through sharing the project!
To be clear, the Feral Glitch is a small project. There are no plans for further sales of the Feral Glitch. Once this limited run of 25 pedals sell out, it will not go into larger production, nor will it be available through the site.
A Totally New Stutter Effects Pedal for Radiohead Fans
Five years ago, I established The King of Gear to create an encyclopedia of Radiohead’s gear, and to give fans a better understanding of how the band crafted the unique and innovative sounds heard throughout their discography. Since then, I’ve answered hundreds of questions about the band’s gear, ranging from Thom’s vintage guitars to Nigel’s mic'ing techniques, but easily the most asked was “how do I recreate Jonny Greenwood’s random stutter Max/MSP patch with guitar effects pedals?”
For a long time, the answer was always that there were no available pedals which duplicated the effect – particularly its randomness – and the best that one could do would be to use loopers or tremolos. The randomized glitch effect is easy enough to program if you purchased expensive software and learned how to use it, but it subsequently required a computer and audio interface to use. For the average gigging musician without a crew to carry their equipment, this simply wasn’t doable for live performance. I’ve played many gigs where I wished I could use this effect during part of the song, but didn’t have that capacity. The ’Feral Glitch’ was conceptualized to fill this niche. It offers that distinctive random stutter effect which has previously only been feasible via complex computer software. It sounds a bit cheesy, but with this pedal I really built the one that I had dreamed of for years.
Kickstart the Feral Glitch here to receive one of the limited run of 25 pedals, or to check out our new t-shirts!
Thank you for the support everyone – the project has been live for less than a day and the early bird specials have already sold out. We hope that the project is successfully funded, so that we can hear all of the interesting uses that our fellow gearheads and Radiohead fans find for the pedal!
Thanks to your support, the Feral Glitch has been a huge success!!! In only a few days, we’ve greatly exceeded the funding necessary to make a run of pedals viable, so they’re definitely going to be a reality! It’s been really exciting seeing such an enthusiastic reaction to what started as a personal project. For those interested, there are still five pedals left :)
Colin predominantly uses roundwound strings. It’s possible that he sometimes experiments with flatwound strings in the studio (though I’ve seen no indication of this), but all signs indicate that he’s stuck to roundwounds for live and studio use since the band’s early days. Colin’s bass tone has changed dramatically since the 90′s, transitioning to a deep, vintage sound, but strings don’t seem to factor in too strongly. Rather, its a combination of a vintage Precision Bass, a good Ampeg amp and cab, and fingerpicking. Colin also used a newly acquired 60’s Precision Bass on A Moon Shaped Pool, which certainly contributed to his dark, rich bass tone on that album. A preference for darker flatwounds helps, but it’s a small part of his overall sound.
In June, 2006, Colin’s vintage white Precision Bass fitted with Elites Stadium Series (45,65,85,105) roundwound strings. Plank, the band’s guitar tech, tells us on his blog that this was the bass’s touring setup. At the end of the last recording session for In Rainbows, in June, 2007, Plank noted that Colin’s favorite strings were La Bella Deep talkin’ 760RL roundwound strings. Colin was also found to be using Elite Stadium series strings in the late 90’s (according to this website, which was last updated in November 30, 1999).
Colin’s favorite bass guitars in January 2007, during the recording sessions for In Rainbows: a vintage Fender Jazz Bass fitted with Seymour Duncan STK-J1 pickups and a 1973 cream Fender Precision Bass. The P-Bass is easily Colin’s favorite instrument, and he’s used it almost exclusively on every tour since 2000. The the red silk on the Jazz Bass’s strings indicate that they’re La Bella Deep talkin’ strings, while the darker silk ends and reddish tips on the Precision Bass’s strings indicate that they’re Elites Stadium Series strings.
Hello! Ed used the white Fender Stratocaster with black pickguard heavily during the 2006 tour, and it hasn’t been seen since. Radiohead used the 2006 tour to try out new material, nearly all of which would make it onto one of the two disks of In Rainbows. Ed played the Strat on 2+2=5, Down Is The New Up, Go Slowly, Bangers and Mash, and Spooks.
The instrument itself is a late 1970′s Strat, and Plank tells us that the original bone nut was switched out for a brass one “which has more bite”. Plank also states “I remember the day it was bought brand new and white”, so the instrument may have originally belonged to Plank, or it may even have been only momentarily lent to Ed by Plank.
Ed’s guitar rack for Radiohead’s 2006 tour. It was originally posted on Plank’s blog on April 28, 2006, during rehearsals for the tour. The 70′s Strat is third from the right.
One likely explanation for the disappearance of the Strat is that the songs on which it was used were either heavily re-arranged or dropped from the touring repertoire altogether. After touring in 2006, Radiohead went back to the studio for several extended sessions, during which they heavily revised their new material and ultimately completed In Rainbows. Down Is The New Upand Spooksnever saw live performances after 2006. Go Slowly saw performances in 2008 and 2009, but Ed played his then new Epiphone Casino at those gigs (as visible in the From The Basement performance). Studio sessions in 2007 showed Go Slowly re-arranged as a more subdued number, and Ed’s change in guitars reflects that shift. For Bangers and Mash, the one track which retained the bombastic energy of its 2006 performances, Ed switched to his white Fender Telecaster. Photos show that the white Tele was used frequently during the recording of In Rainbows, so it may have replaced the Strat on the recording as well. Ed’s gritty chords on live versions certainly sound very close to his tone on album recording. Ed also used his white Fender Telecaster for 2008 and 2009 performances of 2+2=5.
Ed with his 70′s Strat during a 2006 Radiohead performance.
Another explanation is that a new Stratocaster replaced the 70′s Strat as Ed’s favorite. Ed seems to have obtained his all-white early-1965 Stratocaster in early 2007, during the final sessions for In Rainbows. Our first photo of the guitar was posted on Plank’s blog on March 02, 2007. The guitar seems to have become a favorite of Ed’s for recording: there are picture of him playing it during recording sessions in 2010 (for The King of Limbs) and 2016 (for A Moon Shaped Pool). Given the rarity of this instrument, it’s unsurprising that Ed would use other instruments in its place when touring.
Ed and Jonny during the recording of A Moon Shaped Pool (deadairspace). Ed is holding the ‘65 Strat.
Hello everyone! Since we announced the Feral Glitch, the response has been extremely enthusiastic. When it sold out three days after its announcement, we received a bunch of emails asking if we would make any more of the pedal. The initial response was no: the Feral Glitch will not see larger production, nor will it be available through the site.
But since the Feral Glitch won’t be produced after the Kickstarter, we’ve decided to increase the Kickstarter run by 10 pedals. This is few enough that it will not impact production or delivery times, while putting the effect in the hands of almost a dozen more folks – that seems worth it!
These last ten pedals will go on sale one week before the end of the Kickstarter, at midnight GMT on March 15th. They will only be available on the Kickstarter page, just like those sold so far.
All Feral Glitch pedals will be signed and numbered by hand, with the very first backer receiving the very first one.
Hello there, glad that you like the pedal! So that you know, we’re going to be opening up a few more on the kickstarter next week.
Drum Machines and Acoustic Percussion on Videotape
For live performances of Videotape since 2008, percussion has been provided by Phil and Jonny’s combined forces. While Colin does trigger percussive samples with his MIDI keyboard (usually a Roland PCR-500) on 15 Step, on Videotape he uses the keyboard to play a sampled synth bass. When Clive Deamer joins the band on tour, he mirrors Phil’s playing, as visible in this video.
Phil’s main pattern consists of a roll on a high tom, followed by a simultaneous single hit on the floor tom and kick. Phil enters with this pattern when Thom begins repeating the line “on videotape” (1:48– all times in parentheses are with reference to the 2008 full band From The Basement performance), and repeats it until Thom sings “because I can’t do it face to face” (2:58). At that point, he switches to matching Jonny’s sampled kick drums with his own. You can hear the difference between Jonny’s independent kick drums and their layered kicks by comparing this section to the very start of the performance. Phil switches back to his main pattern at during the song’s final swell (3:52), then switches to matching Jonny’s kick again at the very end of the song (4:22). It’s worth noting that Phil’s pattern is not quoted from the studio version of the song, but rather combines several percussion elements into a single acoustic part.
Jonny’s percussion forms the backbone of the live performances of the track, with a vacillating 909 kick drum leading off each performing. To better understand what he’s doing with Max, it’s best to first understand what he’s doing in the 2008 ‘Scotch Mist’ performance of Videotape.
Jonny’s hands on the Roland TR-909 during the ‘Scotch Mist’ performance of Videotape (youtube).
For this performance, Jonny is playing a Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer– the same one as heard on the studio recording, starting with the closed hihat at 3:06. In performance and on the studio recording, Jonny uses the TR-909 to supply kick, closed hihat, snare, and rimshot sounds. In performance, the hihat pattern which begins at 3:06 on the studio version is introduced much earlier, starting as Thom sings “my videotape”.
In order to provide a “live” feeling performance with a drum machine, Jonny continuously programs the unit as the song progresses, modifying patterns and adjusting decay and level knobs. His hands are constantly at work, and his right spends most of the track glued to the closed hihat’s “decay” knob, minutely adjusting it to add subtle variation to its sound.
The best place to listen for this is when Thom sings his last line. Jonny quickly drops out as Thom sings his final word, then swells back in with a hihat and kick, soon adding a rimshot whilst also varying the hihat pattern.
Jonny’s laptop, showing his drum machine Max patch, in 2008 (citizeninsane).
Rather than bring his TR-909 on tour, and probably also to have some fun, Jonny seems to have sampled the drum machine and created a Max patch to control and sequence his samples. In the photo above, one can see the displayed waveforms of the samples, as well as sliders to adjust the volume and “tuning” of each sample. “Tuning” likely refers to pitch for some sounds (like kick) and decay time for others (like hihat).
Jonny’s laptop setup in 2008, with his Kenton Control Freak SE at the front. The sliders on the left are labeled K, R, HH, HI T, LO T, S – corresponding to the samples on his Max patch.
In order to replicate his TR-909 live programming, Jonny uses his Kenton Control Freak Studio Edition. He uses the MIDI controller’s sliders to adjust volume and tuning of the samples, and likely uses the controller’s programmable buttons to program patterns and call up presets. Aside from the ‘Scotch Mist’ version, there isn’t really any good footage of Jonny’s hands during a performance of Videotape, but we get a very good look at Jonny’s use of the Control Freak during the From The Basement performance of The Gloaming– particularly during the intro segment.
To summarize, Jonny controls a sampled drum machine which he built in Max/MSP, providing the song’s primary percussive elements, while Phil adds warm rolled toms as well as kick drum layering. Hope that this helps!
@flatwhiteworld To be clear, pedals will be added to the Kickstarter at 12:00AM, March 15 – so when the evening of March 14th becomes the morning of March 15th :)
Neither the M-Audio Studiopro series or the AV series monitors are going to be particularly good for studio work. The AV’s are an improvement on the Studiopro’s, but both are designed as “speakers”, not as flat response “monitors”. They will sound ok, and might be good for listening to music, but they won’t give you an un-colored reproduction of the source material. The M-Audio’s will probably sound better than the Alesis, Behringer, or Samson speakers in the same price range. The main competitor in this range is the Mackie CR3. If you can, you should go to a music store and listen to both the AV32’s and the CR3’s before making your decision. If you want these monitors primarily for listening, not for mixing or production, you can stop here.
However, if you want monitors with a near-flat response, so that you can accurately mix and produce, you will need to pay a little more. The KRK Rokit 4’s are the very bottom tier of this category. They have a slightly colored sound, but they can be used both for listening and for production. The JBL LSR305’s and Yamaha HS5’s are both flatter than the Rocket’s, and are the best of the small, bottom-tier monitors. The Yamaha’s give a clear sound, but require a subwoofer for a full bass response. The JBL LSR305’s are newer, offer a full frequency response, and have been reviewed quite favorably since their release. Even if you’re on a budget, if you’re intention is to produce music then you should save up for these – used if you can find them.
It might even be worth it for you to get decent monitoring headphones, such as the Shure SRH440 or Audio-Technica ATH-M40, while you save for decent monitor speakers. Cheap monitors speakers will have no use if you later replace them with higher quality monitors, but monitor headphones will continue to be useful for recording and producing on the go.
Of course, it is entirely possible to produce and mix a great record with terrible monitors, or even earbuds. But to do so, you need to really understand the failings of the monitors (or headphones), so that you can EQ accurately, without compensating for their problems and producing music that sounds terrible on other speakers. This can be hard to do, particularly if you don’t have flat response monitors to compare them to. As such, to give you a good reference point, it is best to use monitors with a flat response frequently and as early as possible.
Best of luck!
Note: when searching online, be aware that studio monitors are often sold individually, rather than in pairs.
Hello everyone! Since we announced the Feral Glitch, the response has been extremely enthusiastic. When it sold out three days after its announcement, we received a bunch of emails asking if we would make any more of the pedal. The initial response was no: the Feral Glitch will not see larger production, nor will it be available through the site.
But since the Feral Glitch won’t be produced after the Kickstarter, we’ve decided to increase the Kickstarter run by 10 pedals. This is few enough that it will not impact production or delivery times, while putting the effect in the hands of almost a dozen more folks – that seems worth it!
These last ten pedals will go on sale one week before the end of the Kickstarter, at midnight GMT on March 15th. They will only be available on the Kickstarter page, just like those sold so far.
All Feral Glitch pedals will be signed and numbered by hand, with the very first backer receiving the very first one.
Again, thank you all for your support!
These ten ‘Feral Glitch’ pedals are now available on the Kickstarter page.
Hello everyone! Since we announced the Feral Glitch, the response has been extremely enthusiastic. When it sold out three days after its announcement, we received a bunch of emails asking if we would make any more of the pedal. The initial response was no: the Feral Glitch will not see larger production, nor will it be available through the site.
But since the Feral Glitch won’t be produced after the Kickstarter, we’ve decided to increase the Kickstarter run by 10 pedals. This is few enough that it will not impact production or delivery times, while putting the effect in the hands of almost a dozen more folks – that seems worth it!
These last ten pedals will go on sale one week before the end of the Kickstarter, at midnight GMT on March 15th. They will only be available on the Kickstarter page, just like those sold so far.
All Feral Glitch pedals will be signed and numbered by hand, with the very first backer receiving the very first one.
Again, thank you all for your support!
These ten ‘Feral Glitch’ pedals are now available on the Kickstarter page.
…and they’re all sold out! Thank you for the support, everyone!
Once we receive the funds from Kickstarter next week, we will immediately order the necessary components and begin building the ‘Feral Glitch’. Updates on production will generally be posted on the Kickstarter, rather than on this page. We look forward to what all of you will do with the pedal!
For live performances of Everything In Its Right Place from 2000 to 2009, the band’s roles were as follows:
Thom sings, plays Rhodes piano.
Jonny samples and processes Thom’s vocals with his Korg Kaoss Pad KP1 and pedalboard. Starting in 2003, he also samples and processes Phil’s percussion after Thom stops singing.
Ed processes and samples Thom’s Rhodes piano with his pedalboard.
Colin plays bass.
Phil plays drums.
Ed’s Role
Jonny’s processing of Thom’s vocals is perhaps the most distinctive aspect of the Everything In Its Right Place live outro, but it is Ed’s looping of Thom’s keyboard playing that gives Jonny the room to mess around. When the whole band is playing, Ed runs loops of the Rhodes piano through his delays and other effects to build up interesting textures. He usually records a longer sample of Thom’s playing, and uses the DL4′s “play once” function to play back a shorter section of the loop. He’ll often layer a processed version of the same chord progression that Thom is playing, creating a much thicker texture than the Rhodes piano could provide on its own. However, once Thom leaves the stage, Ed at some point switches to “playing” the loopers (his Line 6 DL4 and Akai Headrush) themselves without using too many other effects.
Ed manipulating the volume knobs of his Akai Headrush E1 and Boss DD5 at the end of the 2001 Canal+ performance of Everything In Its Right Place (youtube).
The band’s 2001 Canal+ performance of EIIRP provides a good demonstration of how Radiohead often end the song. Near the five minute mark, we see Thom leaving the stage for the last time, while Phil and Colin following close behind. At this point, Ed, panned left, is turning a loop of the Rhodes into a spiraling pad by adjusting his Boss DD-5, while Jonny, panned right, is manipulating a loop of Thom vocals with his Kaoss Pad. By about 5:45, Ed has switched to an unmodified loop of the song’s primary chord progression. When Jonny leaves, the loop of the main chord progression is all that remains (plus one of Ed’s delays which is slowly beginning to self-oscillate).
Ed’s Line 6 DL4 during the 2001 Canal+ performance (youtube). The unit is set for looper mode, with all of the delay knobs set to zero to disable it. Ed is adjusting the mix knob, which controls the volume of the loop.
From the Radiohead’s 2003 Glastonbury performance of Everything In Its Right Place: Ed triggers the “play once” function of his Line 6 DL4 with his right hand while adjusting the delay time of his Boss DD5 with his left. He takes a potato chip, and eats it.
Jonny’s Percussion Sampling
On the Glastonbury 2003 performance. Jonny captures a clip of Phil’s drums four minutes into the song, then manipulates this new loop for the subsequent two minutes. This loop is the only percussion present for the thirty seconds after Phil stops playing. Jonny similarly records and manipulates a loop of Phil’s percussion at the 2003 MTV $2 Bill concert. It’s worth noting that like on Canal+, Ed’s looped Rhodes is all that remains at the end of Glastonbury performance.
Jonny with his Korg Kaoss Pad KP1 during the Glastonbury performance of Everything In Its Right Place, 2003.06.28.
Bonnaroo 2006
Clocking in at over eight minutes, Radiohead’s Bonnaroo 2006 performance of Everything In Its Right Place is a both a spectacular performance and a good demonstration of Ed and Jonny’s looping techniques at the time.
At the start of the Bonnaroo performance, Ed captures a loop of Thom’s short introduction. We hear a long clip of this introduction played back at the end of the song, which nicely bookends the performance. For most of the performance, however, Ed builds glitchy textures with other loops of Thom’s playing. He likely used his Akai Headrush to capture the initial loop, and his Line 6 DL4 to capture the loops which he manipulated more intensely. Additionally, during the section when Thom for the second time begins singing “in its right place”, Ed applies his Phase 90 and other effects to the directly output of the Rhodes piano, rather than to a loop (youtube). As with his loops, this modified version of the keyboard part is layered with the dry version of the Rhodes piano at the mixing desk.
Ed adjusting the volume of his Akai Headrush E1 while trigger the “play once” feature on his Line 6 DL4, MTV $2 Bill concert, 2003.06.05 (youtube).
For the first six minutes of the song, Jonny manipulates Thom’s vocals in his usual eclectic way. After Thom heads to the front of the stage, Jonny records a new loop from Thom’s mic. Since Thom is no longer singing, what he gets a mix of Phil’s percussion and noises from the crowd. The loop is initially run through Jonny’s Boss SD1, which had been used to distort Thom’s vocals, but Jonny soon turns off the overdrive and turns on his Boss RV3. You can hear a clearer example of Jonny sampling the crowd and Phil’s percussion simultaneously in this soundboard recording (panned to the right) from Radiohead’s 2006 performance at Rock Oz'Arènes.
One of Jonny’s pedalboards in 2006, showing his Akai Headrush E1, and settings for his BOSS SD1 and BOSS RV3. His RV3 is set for a plate reverb, with an equal mix, dark sound, and medium decay. His SD1 is set with full volume and gain, to really push his Vox AC30 into its natural overdrive. Settings are irrelevant for his Akai Headrush because he uses it exclusively as a looper.
What’s surprising about the Bonnaroo performance, distinguishing it from 2003 performances, is that we hear a modified loop of Thom’s voice superimposed with Jonny’s percussion/crowd sampling. This occurs around six minutes into the performance. Jonny’s Kaoss Pad KP1 cannot store loops, and the KP1 is playing back percussion sounds, so Jonny must have recording some of his earlier manipulations of Thom’s voice with his Akai Headrush E1, but chose not to play them back until this point.
Jonny seems to have used this technique elsewhere in 2006, and we can simultaneously hear both his live manipulations of drums sounds and his looped manipulations of Thoms vocals in the previously mentioned Rock Oz'Arènes performance. The band’s performance at Golden Gate Park in August, 2008, also features simultaneous drum and vocal loops. Even after Jonny leaves the stage during that performance, we can hear a clear loop of his vocal manipulations, playing from his Akai Headrush, as well as a reversed loop of Phil’s percussion playing from his Korg Kaoss Pad and running through his DOD440 and Roland Space Echo. Jonny must have the Kaoss Pad’s “hold” function turned on in order to keep it looping after he stopped touching it (the “hold” is what lets him get some particularly crazy effects in this performance by freeing up his hands to mess with his DOD440 and Whammy simultaneously).
Jonny manipulating his Korg Kaoss Pad and DOD440 at Glastonbury, 2003. Alongside his Digitech Whammy, the DOD envelope filter is a favorite of Jonny’s for processing his Kaoss Pad loops.
Conclusion
From the first performances in 2000, Ed has looped Thom’s keyboards and Jonny has looped Thom’s vocals. Starting in 2003, Jonny also began sampling Phil’s percussion after Thom had left the stage. By 2006, Jonny started using his Akai Headrush to record some of his Kaoss Pad manipulations, and would play them back later in the performance while he manipulated new loops of Phil’s percussion and the sounds of the crowd. Ed and Jonny always left their loopers going when the left the stage, resulting in keyboard, vocal, and percussion loops repeating after the stage had been abandoned by the band. Two of the band’s techs would run out after the band had finished, and turned off Ed and Jonny’s loops simultaneously to give the song a precise ending. This overall setup remained the case through 2009 (although in 2009 Jonny would often manipulate loops of Thom’s vocals for full performances).
For Radiohead’s 2016 tour, Jonny’s guitar pedalboard was very similar to that which he used for the band’s 2012 tour. It’s rare for Jonny to add or switch out more than a few of pedals between tours, and last year’s was no exception. Jonny changed three aspects of his guitar pedalboard, leaving the rest identical to the previous tour.
A photo of Jonny at Radiohead’s 2016 gig in Lyon, 2016.06.01 (photo by noise_jam).
Jonny’s 2016 Tour Guitar Pedalboard Signal Order:
Guitar ->
BOSS LS2 The first LS2 is in “A Bypass” mode, used as a send and return for Jonny’s Laptop.
BOSS LS2 The second LS2 is in “A<->B” mode, used two select between two inputs: either his guitar (via the output of the first LS2) or his Korg Kaoss Pad KP1. The KP1 is fed from the front of house mixing board.
EHX Freeze
EHX Small Stone V4
Demeter “The Tremulator”
DOD440 Envelope Filter
Digitech Whammy WH4
BOSS LS2 The third LS2 is in “A<->B” mode, used to select between two outputs:
Output A: (”Clean Channel”)
BOSS SD1
Boss RE20
BOSS RV5
Akai Headrush E2
-> VOX AC30TBX
Output B: (”Distorted Channel”)
Marshall Shredmaster
BOSS FV300
BOSS TU3
-> Fender Eighty Five
A closeup of Jonny’s pedalboard from the prior image.
The most significant change to Jonny’s guitar setup was the addition of a new BOSS RV-5 reverb pedal in place of his BOSS RV-3. We hear the RV-5 used prominently on live performances Decks Dark and Identikit. The distinctive “pops” of its ‘Spring’ algorithm are audible on performances of both tracks.
Jonny used spring reverb during the outro section on the studio version of Decks Dark, and the RV5 allows him to replicate it nicely (although there seems to be a gate effect applied to the spring reverb on the album which is absent in live performance). During that section, Jonny interjects bursts of reverberated noise between repetitions of the two-note riff. To create bursts of noise while keeping the main riff dry, Jonny turns on the RV5, strums muted strings, then quickly turns it off before playing the riff. This is possible because the RV5 has “trails”, meaning that it continues to decay audibly after being deactivated.
Jonny did not use spring reverb for his guitar on the album recording of Identikit, but live it is used for the duration of the first section. On the recording, Jonny plays two parallel guitar parts, panned hard left and hard right, both of which have only a natural sounding reverb. However, bursts of reverberant noise – very similar to those heard during the outro of Decks Dark– can be heard on the recording of Identikit, panned to the center starting at 0:02. They’re heard in pairs, initially sounding on beats 3 and 6 of each measure, where the second burst has a darker sound. It is certainly a measure-long loop. Like on performances of Decks Dark, Jonny tries to replicate the album version’s reverberant noises by strumming muted strings with his RV5 set for a spring reverb. Unlike on Decks Dark, Jonny doesn’t turn off the RV5 between bursts of noise.
You can hear Jonny’s use of the RV5 on Decks Dark in this video, and you can see him quickly turning his RV5 on and off. You can hear Jonny’s use of the RV5 on Identikit clearly in this video (note that you can also see him tap in a dotted-eight note tempo on his RE-20 – similarly to Present Tense, the delay is set for a single repeat, and is used to create a more complex guitar part rather than to create ambience).
Jonny’s BOSS RV5 is visible in this screenshot from the band’s The Numbersmusic video. Like the BOSS OD3 next to it, Jonny did not use the RV5 for the song, instead opting for a totally clean guitar sound. However, he does seem to have used it (in addition to his BOSS RE20) for the Present Tensemusic video recorded later that same day. Jonny seems to use only his RE20 for full-band performances of Present Tense.
Prior to switching to the RV5, Jonny had used the RV-3 for all of his guitar reverb in live performance since at least 1997. He primarily (if not exclusively) used its plate setting. Starting with Hail To Thief, Jonny began to prefer using only a little “natural”-sounding reverb, and in live performance the large venues played by the band usually supplied sufficient ambience for his needs. The RV3 wasn’t included in Jonny’s reduced setup for the 2010 Radiohead for Haiti show, but he did use it again for shows in 2011 and 2012. By 2014, Jonny had begun using a BOSS RV-5 with his ondes Martenot, for performances of There Will Be Blood and for his shows with the London Contemporary Orchestra.
Jonny playing his 80′s student model ondes Martenot during a performance with the London Contemporary Orchestra at Yotaspace, Moscow, 2015.10.15. The BOSS RV5 is visible on the table in front of the Martenot.
The second change to Jonny’s signal order was the replacement of his BOSS TU12H with a BOSS TU3. While Ed and Thom both started using BOSS TU2 and TU3 tuners over a decade ago, Jonny kept on using BOSS TU12H tuners. Likely he preferred the mechanical display to the fully digital display of the BOSS TU2/3. As with his BOSS RV5, Jonny first started using a BOSS TU3 for 2014-2015 performances with the London Contemporary Orchestra. He also used a TU3 for his 2014 Alchemy performance with Shye Ben Tzur, and subsequently as part of his setup for the recording of Junun and for further performances with Shye Ben Tzur and the Rajasthan Express.
Jonny with his pedals in a photo posted on DeadAirSpace. Hiss BOSS TU3 is visible just to the left of center, although the shade cover which he is using obscures it slightly.
A photo of Jonny during the recording of Junun (instagram). His BOSS TU3 is visible at the bottom left of the image.
The third change to Jonny’s pedalboard was the removal of his second volume pedal. Placed last in his “clean” signal order, the second volume pedal was not used to vary his playing volume, but instead to create volume effects on the song Feral. How the band played Feral developed over the course of the 2012 tour, and Jonny started using this volume pedal less as he came to favor a percussive attack and began to use a version of his Max/MSP “Stutter” patch for percussive glitch effects (check out the Fuji Rock performance). Since Feral was played infrequently on the 2016 tour, it makes sense that he would eschew the pedal altogether.
The 2012 tour saw Jonny add the second volume pedal to his pedalboard – a “floater” kept to the right of his board. Jonny’s primary volume pedal, a part of his setup since the early 90’s, is placed after his Marshall Shredmaster and is only used to control the volume of his “distorted” signal chain. For his “clean” signal chain, Jonny usually relied on playing dynamics for any variations in volume (the Shredmaster distorts and compresses the input signal so much that playing dynamics have nearly no effect at all).
On 2012 performances of Feral, Jonny used the second volume pedal for fast volume swells, smoothing out the attack of his notes for a more synth-like sound closer to the album version(he also used his EHX Small Stone and Digitech Whammy to help make his tone synth-like). It was also used on Feral to abruptly mute his signal chain (including his delays) for glitchy effects. Jonny’s use of his second volume pedal most noticeable on the 2012 Austin City Limits performance of Feral (note that for the 2011 Glastonbury, Roseland ballroom, and From The Basement performances of Feral, Jonny had only his primary volume pedal likely wired his pedalboard differently to accommodate the use of only a single amp).
Jonny’s pedalboard at the 2012 Austin City Limits “recording” performance.
For the 2016 tour, Jonny is using a Boss FV300 as his primary volume pedal. However, Jonny has several models of volume pedal and frequently alternates between them, even during the same tour. On the 2012 tour, he seemed to prefer to smooth sweep of the Ernie Ball VP Jr for his primary volume pedal, and the faster sweep of the Boss FV300 for his secondary volume pedal.
Jonny is now using his new Ondomo as his touring ondes Martenot! They replace his 80’s student model Martenot, which he used for touring in 2000 and 2016. Jonny has one Ondomo on top of his keyboard stand, and another on its own separate keyboard stand which is brought closer to Thom during How To Disappear Completely. Jonny visited Japan to pick up his first Ondomo in 2016, and had three more Ondomo delivered earlier this year.
Jonny also revamped his modular setup, which now consists of two 9U eurorack cases on their own stand, as opposed to a single 9U rack kept underneath his laptop. The patches on both 9U racks seem to be identical, so the modular on the left (unused during Idioteque) is probably just a backup in case anything goes wrong.
Jonny seems to be trying to make his setup more “modular” in the traditional sense, since his laptop setup now also has its own independent stand. Its rolling table is wheeled closer to Thom’s piano for Videotape, when Jonny plays a Max/MSP drum machine patch.
Jonny is no longer using Nigel’s Crumar Multiman-S / Orchestrator – his keyboard setup now consists exclusively of the Ondomo and his Fatar Keys SL-161. Jonny’s new keyboard stand appears to have a sliding tray for the Fatar.
Thom used Nigel’s sunburst Fender Telecaster for Burn The Witch. Nigel had previously used the guitar with Atoms for Peace in 2013.
Ed switched back to a Fender-only amp setup, after using a Fender Vibro-King Custom and a Vox AC30 on the 2016 tour. The new setup consists of two 4x12 cabinets fed by a single Fender amp head, possible a Bassman. The two cabinets are slightly angled upwards, making it easier for Ed to hear them and safer for fans at the front of the crowd.
The Ondomo is visible on the right side of the image, on top of Jonny’s keyboard stand (@xkurzx). Jonny has a BOSS TU12H taped to the top of it.
Jonny playing an ondomo when he picked up his first one in Japan (@ygrrrrr).
Jonny playing his modular during Idioteque (godieinhell2).
Thom and Jonny during a performance of Videotape (@suryaf).
Thom playing Nigel’s Telecaster on Burn The Witch (godieinhell2).
Nigel’s Telecaster being carried offstage in Fairfax, VA in 2013 – original post with photo by Gio.
Ed’s new amp head is behind and to the side of his cabinets, suggesting that he doesn’t intend to adjust its settings much (@simone007).
Jonny is now using his new Ondomo as his touring ondes Martenot! They replace his 80’s student model Martenot, which he used for touring in 2000 and 2016. Jonny has one Ondomo on top of his keyboard stand, and another on its own separate keyboard stand which is brought closer to Thom during How To Disappear Completely. Jonny visited Japan to pick up his first Ondomo in 2016, and had three more Ondomo delivered earlier this year.
Jonny also revamped his modular setup, which now consists of two 9U eurorack cases on their own stand, as opposed to a single 9U rack kept underneath his laptop. The patches on both 9U racks seem to be identical, so the modular on the left (unused during Idioteque) is probably just a backup in case anything goes wrong.
Jonny seems to be trying to make his setup more “modular” in the traditional sense, since his laptop setup now also has its own independent stand. Its rolling table is wheeled closer to Thom’s piano for Videotape, when Jonny plays a Max/MSP drum machine patch.
Jonny is no longer using Nigel’s Crumar Multiman-S / Orchestrator – his keyboard setup now consists exclusively of the Ondomo and his Fatar Keys SL-161. Jonny’s new keyboard stand appears to have a sliding tray for the Fatar.
Thom used Nigel’s sunburst Fender Telecaster for Burn The Witch. Nigel had previously used the guitar with Atoms for Peace in 2013.
Ed switched back to a Fender-only amp setup, after using a Fender Vibro-King Custom and a Vox AC30 on the 2016 tour. The new setup consists of two 4x12 cabinets fed by a single Fender amp head, possible a Bassman. The two cabinets are slightly angled upwards, making it easier for Ed to hear them and safer for fans at the front of the crowd.
The Ondomo is visible on the right side of the image, on top of Jonny’s keyboard stand (@xkurzx). Jonny has a BOSS TU12H taped to the top of it.
Jonny playing an ondomo when he picked up his first one in Japan (@ygrrrrr).
Jonny playing his modular during Idioteque (godieinhell2).
Thom and Jonny during a performance of Videotape (@suryaf).
Thom playing Nigel’s Telecaster on Burn The Witch (godieinhell2).
Nigel’s Telecaster being carried offstage in Fairfax, VA in 2013 – original post with photo by Gio.
Ed’s new amp head is behind and to the side of his cabinets, suggesting that he doesn’t intend to adjust its settings much (@simone007).
Some further updates:
There’s a small screen mounted on the upright piano, just beneath the camera. The screen is showing the feed from the camera, so it’s probably there so that Thom can better align his eye for You and Whose Army? (see the above picture).
Burn The Witch has been rearranged a bit, with Thom entering with guitar (Nigel’s Tele) near the start and Jonny playing their DSI Prophet ‘08 as well as guitar. Jonny plays the Prophet during the first half of second verse, and during and the second half of the second chorus (godieinhell2). Jonny had previously played his ondes Martenot during the start of the second verse and guitar for the rest of the song.
On Climbing Up The Walls, the second Ondomo and another keyboard (possibly the Prophet ‘08) are brought out to Jonny (godieinhell2). It seems like Jonny’s setup has been rearranged such that, whenever possible, he’s closer to Thom and the rest of the band.
Thom is using his 60′s Gibson SG for The Tourist. When the band last played the song in 2008, Thom played Jonny’s natural finish Gibson Less Paul (allbearsrule).
Thom at the piano during the band’s performance of All I Need in Miami (allbearsrule).
actually,he has 3 ondomos.
2 were on stage yesterday.
I painted only 4/100 units with that colour.
and were added some customized parts.
Jonny owns its 2/4.
its called JGreen Brown.
More information about Jonny’s Ondomos! Thank you for the help :)
If at all possible, we would really appreciate if fans attending the show in Atlanta tonight could take some pictures of Ed’s setup! But while there’s a particular dearth of Ed gear images, high quality images of any of the band’s gear would be very helpful. Pictures of Jonny’s laptop setup would be great!
