https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/Notes on tone, gear and the craft of playing — MrDees.en-usSun, 01 Nov 2026 10:28:55 +0000https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/ampweld-three-amps-one-capture/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/ampweld-three-amps-one-capture/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000I built a free tool that welds up to three neural amp captures into one new tone. Here's how it works and how to use it.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/congolese-seben-delay-secret/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/congolese-seben-delay-secret/Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000Soukous guitar tone — the universal two-delay recipe, with the real knob settings, plus my exact Helix patch to download free.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/why-your-stereo-mix-needs-dees-tape/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/why-your-stereo-mix-needs-dees-tape/Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Your mix sounds "digital" — a little stiff, a little harsh, the parts not quite glued together. Here's why tape fixes that, and how I use my own DEES TAPE on the stereo bus to make mixes sound finished.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/neural-hybrid-amp-sims-mercuriall-ampbox/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/neural-hybrid-amp-sims-mercuriall-ampbox/Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SPICE circuit modeling plus real-time neural networks, at zero latency — Mercuriall's Ampbox caught me completely off guard. Here's why it might be the best amp sim you've never heard of.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/nam-a2-takeover-fractal/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/nam-a2-takeover-fractal/Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000The open-source amp-capture revolution just hit professional hardware. Darkglass proved it works, Fractal is bringing it to next-gen gear, and the holdouts are running out of time.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/preamp-war-jim-lill-color-box/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/preamp-war-jim-lill-color-box/Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000Jim Lill says your preamp barely matters. Andrew Chapman pushed back. I'm stepping in — because they're both partly right, and Andrew is still wrong about the JHS Color Box.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/the-nokia-mistake-modelers-ignoring-nam/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/the-nokia-mistake-modelers-ignoring-nam/Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000Nokia ignored Android and lost everything. Line 6, Neural DSP and Kemper are making the same bet against open-source NAM A2 right now — and the smart brands are already moving.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/gp5-vs-helix-blind-test/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/gp5-vs-helix-blind-test/Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000I put the $75 Valeton GP5 head-to-head with a $2,500 Line 6 Helix rig in a blind test — loaded with NAM captures. The result makes you question what you're really paying for.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/nam-a2-vs-helix-proxy/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/nam-a2-vs-helix-proxy/Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000I've been a Helix fan for years. But a free, open-source capture format running on a $3 chip just beat Helix Proxy in a blind test of 1,000+ people. Here's the uncomfortable truth.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/quad-cortex-mini-vs-helix-stadium/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/quad-cortex-mini-vs-helix-stadium/Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000New Helix Stadium XL, Quad Cortex temptation, and rumors of an HX Stomp "Mini." After 5+ years on HX Stomp, here's where I've actually landed — and why I'm still waiting.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/zoom-r4-changed-how-i-record/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/zoom-r4-changed-how-i-record/Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000It looks like a field recorder. It's actually a pocket studio — 4-track, 32-bit float, amp sims and a 6-hour battery. Here's why it became my go-to for catching ideas away from the laptop.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/every-wireless-guitar-system-tested/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/every-wireless-guitar-system-tested/Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000Cheap wireless, boutique wireless, and everything between — I ran the popular guitar systems head-to-head on tone, latency, range and reliability. The price-vs-performance winner surprised me.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/best-headphones-mixing-guitar/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/best-headphones-mixing-guitar/Sat, 16 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000Not all studio headphones mix guitar the same. I put 7 popular pairs through frequency, comfort and price-vs-performance tests to find the ones that actually tell you the truth.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/transform-desk-setup-one-trick/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/transform-desk-setup-one-trick/Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000Cables everywhere, bad lighting, constant clutter — my studio desk was a mess. One simple change fixed the clutter, the look, and my video quality all at once.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/fake-sm57-vs-real-shure/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/fake-sm57-vs-real-shure/Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000I unknowingly bought a counterfeit Shure SM57 online. Here's how it compared to the real thing, the physical red flags, and exactly how to protect yourself (and get a refund).https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/best-portable-recorder-musicians/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/best-portable-recorder-musicians/Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000Zoom, Tascam, Sony — the portable recorder market is a maze. As a touring musician I tested the top models to find which one actually fits how YOU work.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/import-nam-captures-hotone/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/import-nam-captures-hotone/Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000NAM (Neural Amp Modeler) captures sound incredible — and your Hotone pedal can run them. Here's the clean, no-stress way to load them and build a patch around them.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/jhs-vs-sonicake-boost/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/jhs-vs-sonicake-boost/Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000A $20 JHS boost against a boutique Sonicake — can a budget pedal really stand up to the pricey one? I put them head-to-head on tone and value. The winner surprised me.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/jhs-color-box-v2-plugins/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/jhs-color-box-v2-plugins/Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000Amp sims nail the sound but still fight you on "feel." Pairing the JHS Color Box V2 with a good amp plugin gives you the tactile response of a real rig — here's how and why.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/tonex-one-vs-pod-express/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/tonex-one-vs-pod-express/Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000Two tiny, affordable modelers aimed at the same player — but they take opposite approaches. Here's how IK's Tonex One and the Line 6 Pod Express actually compare, and which one is right for you.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/is-the-helix-worth-it/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/is-the-helix-worth-it/Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000Everyone's dumping their Helix for the next shiny modeler. I've gigged and recorded with mine for years — here's my honest take on whether it's still worth the money.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/george-benson-tone-helix/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/george-benson-tone-helix/Sat, 10 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000How to get George Benson's warm, singing jazz-guitar tone on a Line 6 Helix or HX Stomp — the concept, the starting points, and my exact patch to download free.https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/welcome-to-the-journal/https://mrdeesmusic.com/blog/welcome-to-the-journal/Wed, 30 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000Why I'm writing this down — notes on tone, gear and the craft, from the soul.