St John, USVI (May 24, 2022)—Producer/composer Rich Tozzoli recently headed to St John, USVI, for his annual recording retreat, teaming with keyboardist Bruce MacPherson, engineer Mike Dwyer and bassist Hank Skalka to compose and mix for a variety of TV shows with diverse sound palettes. He’s highlighting some of the key gear they brought along to help get things done.
Line 6 HX Stomp
The bulk of our guitar sounds this year were through the small but powerful Line 6 HX Stomp hardware unit. Connected to the HX Edit software via USB and to the recording interface via a pair of TRS cables, we controlled the sounds from the desktop. This allowed us to quickly dial up different amps and cabinets, changing the sounds within them with a few mouse clicks. We used a number of the Fender- and Marshall-style amps and a variety of cabinets from 2X12 to 4X12.
Line 6 Helix Native
For some of the dramatic crime-type shows, we even called up some of the wilder FX settings with chorus, pitch and delay. What I like most about it is the overall feel of pick/finger attack, its flexibility and of course the tones it delivers. With more than 300 amps, effects and cabinets, it definitely makes a great travel rig.
