Grateful Dead Music Forum

Apologies if this has been answered here before (if so, I can't find it). And I don't think I mean how can I emulate Jerry's rig here because I'm guessing he probably used a synthesizer patch (which I don't have access to and don't want to invest in at this time).

The best advice I ever got on this topic was from Splatt on TGP but, I'm sorry, I'm no David Torn (not even 1%!):

ebow.
ebow NOT placed directly over the chosen-pickup-in-use.
volume pedal, bridge pickup, tone ctrl rolled-down to some degree.
a clean, open amp-tone --- something that simulates hollowness, air.
i never use a pick for these kindsa sounds; i use the flesh of my RH fingers, in conjunction w/the volume pedal.

most importantly?
focus on the idiosyncrasies of flautistic phrasing, phrasing w/breath.

dt / spltrcl

So I'm looking more to some effect I can just dial in. (I use a Line 6 M13 but stand alone effects are cool, too, once I know what I'm looking for in that regard, I'm sure I can find something ballpark on my M13).

The tone I'm shooting for is the flute-like tone Jerry's getting on this video at say at 5:32 and (especially) 6:04 (at 6:04 it sounds like he might be using an octave-type effect + something else):

that's a roland guitar synth.

Yeah, he used a synth, I've used ebows but they're a different animal. Not really flute-like. One thing you might try is reversing your envelope filter to "yow" instead of "wah" - Jerry got a pretty flutey sound on some of those 77 Dancin' in the Streets.

tcsned wrote:One thing you might try is reversing your envelope filter to "yow" instead of "wah" - Jerry got a pretty flutey sound on some of those 77 Dancin' in the Streets.

This is precisely the kind of practical suggestions I'm seeking! I'll try it.

Any more?

I might be onto something here:

A flute is essentially a tube that is open at both ends. Air is blown across one end and sound comes out the other. A spectral analysis confirms this. The harmonics are all whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency (436 Hz, a slightly flat A4 — a bit lower in frequency than is normally acceptable). Note how the second harmonic is nearly as intense as the fundamental. This strong second harmonic is part of what makes a flute sound like a flute.

http://physics.info/music/

Jon S. wrote:

tcsned wrote:One thing you might try is reversing your envelope filter to "yow" instead of "wah" - Jerry got a pretty flutey sound on some of those 77 Dancin' in the Streets.

This is precisely the kind of practical suggestions I'm seeking! I'll try it.

Any more?

I don't have access to the recording right now but I'm pretty sure the Cornell 77 Dancin' is the one I was thinking of. Didn't have the sustain that a flute can have but that nice breathy staccato flow of notes was pretty nice.