Joab Eastley
What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?
I’ve gone with the brains of this whole pedalboard operation – the Musicom Labs EFXiii+ programmable bypass switcher. It probably sounds a bit vanilla choosing a switcher for show and tell, but this thing is literally my bread and butter. For anyone unfamiliar with this style of switcher, basically all of your pedals are hooked up to this thing & you can switch between any combination you please with one swift kick.
How did you come across this particular item?
I used to be pretty heavy into a whole bunch of internet guitar forums as a kid, I would have stumbled across it during that phase of my life. I used to buy, sell and swap guitar pedals like it was the damned stock market. I had a cute little brains-trust of friends on these forums and we would help each other plan our guitar rigs. It was all very wholesome.
What is it that you like about it so much?
I honestly couldn’t go anywhere near performing a RAAVE TAPES set without something like this. The brand of dance-punk we make is so effects driven that I would need to grow three extra feet to be able to transition between the sounds of each section of a song. I also rely heavily on the MIDI capabilities to change presets on my three big box Strymon pedals on the fly. Plus I’m about to rig the MIDI up to the Meris Enzo & Empress Zoia for the next tour. Hot and dangerous. The model I have is a bit dated & I will look at upgrading soon, but for the price you can pick these up second-hand I would highly recommend them as a cost-effective entry point.
How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music?
It’s indispensable for me in a live setting. I’m able to do all the effects chain tap dancing with one foot, which allows me to focus on singing & performing. On the songwriting front, it just ‘opens up’ my entire pedalboard & frees me up to try elaborate new combinations of effects – without worrying how I’m going to achieve the sound live.
Tell us a little about what you have coming up?
We had been toiling hard getting our head around sample pads & drum machines in preparation for our juiced up new live show – but that’s obviously on the backburner for now. We’re lucky to have spent the better part of last year recording new music, so expect a whole bunch of releases from us on the horizon. We’ve got a super exciting collab coming out in the next few weeks too, can’t wait for that!
Lindsay O’Connell
What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?
One of my essential pedals is the Markbass Super Synth. This bulky thing works as a modular synthesiser and doubles as a digital octaver. So much of the foundations of RAAVE TAPES sound have come from its sharp to subby synth tones that interweave in our songs. Thank the gods they re-released this pedal, I’ve been thinking of buying another one because it’s THAT good.
How did you come across this particular item?
I actually inherited this from our old bass player who used it in a few of the classic tracks. I came into the band owning only a reverb pedal and since then descended into the wonderful world of guitar pedals. While I’ve added to my pedal board over the years, I am so damn glad that I had this from the beginning. Over all of the bass synth pedals I’ve pondered over, none of them have the broad range of sounds and dynamics that this thing has.
What is it that you like about it so much?
It just has so many wild presets on it and every single one is huge. It’s one of those pedals you can get lost in for hours and it works alongside others on my board so well. With the POG, it can make angelic soaring sounds and then the Johnny Octave, these crunchy, almost ’80s sounding synth tones. So damn dynamic.
How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music?
I use this pedal mainly in conjunction with my ZVEX Mastotron to give us that signature in-your-face bass tone that toes the line between dance and punk. It’s been the backbone to a lot of our songs: the sub presents on the Mastotron providing the extra low end, with the synth boosting the melodic lines to the songs. Lately, as we’ve been delving deeper into our dance roots, the super-sub settings on this bad boy have allowed us to really let loose and write songs that channel these sensibilities.
‘Red Flag’, the new single from Newcastle’s RAAVE TAPES, is out now. Keep up to date with the band here.
