Ok Gear Guys, Help Me Understand What Alex is Doing with His Switching Here

[TSJMajesty]

I've always wondered how he pulls this off live. It's the solo in Limelight.

I imagine he turns on a delay to start the solo, and possibly a different amp tone, but then at the end it looks like he hits 3 or maybe even 4 buttons, some of which he somehow gets that final delay trail to continue ringing out while he resumes the arpeggio chords, then when the power chords come in, he hits 2 more.

So how is he doing that, like, exactly? What would the routing be..., and does he use an amp switcher and another amp for the delay trails? What do you think each button press is?

It's cued up:

 

[Orvillain]

Sounds like some sort of hold modifier. What delays had that back in 1981??

 

[TSJMajesty]

Sounds like some sort of hold modifier. What delays had that back in 1981??

I seem to recall reading some magazine article about this back in the day, so for some reason him using another amp sticks in my mind.

Rush fandom site says his delay was a Roland tape echo. And doesn't list anything else for delays, which I find odd.

 

[Dave Lewis]

I’ve an old friend who knows Alex .
Ive just asked him if he can ask him?

 

[TSJMajesty]

I’ve an old friend who knows Alex .
Ive just asked him if he can ask him?

Well then, while he's at it...

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Simple: certain versions of the Roland Space Echo feature "SOS" (sound on sound) mode (just like Echoplex).

 

[TSJMajesty]

According to Guitar.com, for the recording he used Advanced Audio Digital Delay, Roland Digital Delay, ..., and LOFT Chorus and Delay.

 

[la szum]

Did you happen to check this out, Tom?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Did you happen to check this out, Tom?

No, didn't find that. Thanks!

Edit: Whoa! An Hour? Be doin lotta skipping.

I spy a Mesa Mk V....?

 

[la szum]

Given the time period I think LLL is on it with the Sound on Sound ability of the Roland
Space Echo---which could be made footswitchable. Sounds like he is just using it to hold
that last note he bends and vibratos with the Trem Arm .

You can even see him turn the Sound on Sound mode off around 3:51 a full 10 seconds or so
after the Solo ends.

 

[Stone]

What a cool person

 

[Baba]

I never saw this thread, but being a self-proclaimed Alex expert, I’d say he has a delay on the guitar for the solo itself, that he’d want to switch off at the end, and as was already mentioned, turning on the sound on sound, and probably turning a chorus on to get back into the chords.

Then, switching off the sound on sound, and switching the chorus off, during the chorus.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Same thing happened to me this time when I saw this thread pop up as the last time I saw this thread pop up with my name in it - I thought I'd done something wrong.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

This is what he used…according to the tour book.

GUITARS
Gibson ES355, 345, SG Standard, 1175 double-neck, Fender Stratocaster, Ovation Classic & Adanis, for acoustic guitars, 2 Ashley SC-40 preamps, 1 Ashley SC-66 Stereo Parametric Equalizer.

AMPLIFIERS
2 Marshall Combos, 2 Hiwatt 100's with 2- 4 x 12 cabinets & 1 Leslie cabinet.

EFFECTS
Roland 301 Echo Unit, Advanced Audio Digital Delay, Electric Misstress [sic], 1 Roland Chorus, 1 MXR Micro-amp, MXR Distortion, Morley Volume Pedal, 1 ELL-BEE (L.B.) 30-7965 Model 'C' Type R (Series XL-3427) Remote Floormount Advanced Relay Effects Switching Configuration.

This comes from a post from Rackdoctor on TOP…

Here is a really cool board. This board is a replica Alex Lifeson's Moving Pictures tour rig (with a couple of modern additions). The signal chain is as follows: PI-01---70's King Vox Wah---Vintage 70's Dynacomp----70's MXR Micro Amp---80's Script Back MXR Distortion +---Jacques Chorus---Vol---RE-201 Space Echo(in loop box)---Hartman Flanger----Strymon Timeline---EBS Dynaverb---PI-01. The board goes out stereo to a Marshall Club & Country Combo with G12-75's and a Hiwatt into a 4x12. The board nails Alex's tone on Moving Pictures and Signals.

 

[Baba]

This is what he used…according to the tour book.

GUITARS
Gibson ES355, 345, SG Standard, 1175 double-neck, Fender Stratocaster, Ovation Classic & Adanis, for acoustic guitars, 2 Ashley SC-40 preamps, 1 Ashley SC-66 Stereo Parametric Equalizer.

They, (not you), forgot the Howard Roberts fusion guitar

 

[david57strat]

This is one of my favorite Alex Lifeson solos. I remember finally learning the solo to this piece, note-for note, back in the early 90s, using the phrase repeat function on my CD player, through headphones, one late night. Took forever, but I finally learned it. It's as much a pleasure to play as to hear it.

Such an emotional solo.

Thanks for posting this :-).

If any Rush fans haven't seen this video below, you should check it out. Three wonderfully gifted musicians, but ordinary guys, who've been lifelong friends and band mates together, for decades, enjoying a riotously funny five-star meal together.



Rest in peace, Niel. You are sorely missed :-(.

 

[Funk Soul Brother]

I started my electric guit'fiddle obsession trying to emulate Pagey & Iommi, then it all became about Alex when Permanent Waves came out...

Funny how he mentioned skipping Hendrix (who was too dated, for me, to bother with ), but I did more or less the same thing with EVH, though I did learn some of his technique, as I did Randy due to his classical edge, which I also was seriously into.

Funny story: I actually went on an audition/call (a month or so after moving pictures came out), was told I only had to play one song ~ Limelight!

Well, I fleshed out most of Lerxst's parts (with my good friend/guitar mentor Mark Norton/St. John), but *totally choked* trying to OCD emulate his tone/FX with just a Super Distortion loaded 76' Explorer RI, Boss OD1 & CE2 into a Peavey Pacer

Needless to say, they never called me...