Sultans of Swing Tone on VOX VT20X & VT40X

Summary

In this video, the creator responds to a subscriber's request to replicate the sound of 'Sultans of Swing' using a Vox VT20X. He shares his setup, including a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster, and demonstrates the sound he achieved after experimenting with various effects like echo and reverb. The creator also discusses his choice of amp settings, aiming to mimic Mark Knopfler's tone from the Dire Straits song. He plays along with a backing track to showcase the sound, emphasizing the authenticity of his setup.

Takeaways

• 🎸 The speaker is attempting to recreate the sound of 'Sultans of Swing' using a Vox VT20X amplifier.
• 🏭 The speaker is using a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster with vintage noiseless pickups for a more authentic tone.
• 🎶 The speaker listened to Mark Knopfler's playing to understand the sound and tried to emulate it with their setup.
• 🔁 The speaker experimented with different types of echo effects, settling on an old-school tape echo with a 220 millisecond delay.
• 🎛️ The tone settings were left mostly untouched, with a slight adjustment to the spring reverb for a subtle, dampened sound.
• 🎚️ The speaker used a boutique amp模拟 to achieve a sound similar to what Mark Knopfler might have used, adjusting the gain, treble, and presence.
• 🔊 The speaker increased the NR Sensitivity and changed the bias to 'hot' to get a more pronounced sound.
• 🎵 The speaker played along with a backing track from guitarbackingtrack.com to test their sound against the original.
• 🎤 The speaker acknowledges that their guitar may not sound exactly like Mark Knopfler's but is confident in the similarity of the tone they've achieved.
• 👏 The speaker concludes with a live performance of 'Sultans of Swing' to demonstrate their sound setup.

Q & A

What was the request from the subscriber?

The subscriber, possibly a lady named Eva from Belgium, asked for a sound using the Vox VT20X or VT40X, specifically a Sultans of Swing sound.

Which Vox model does the speaker have?

The speaker has a Vox VT20X model.

What type of guitar is used to achieve the Sultans of Swing sound?

The speaker uses a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster with vintage noiseless pickups.

How does the speaker describe the sound they achieved?

The speaker describes the sound as having a slight echo effect, with a bit of slapback, and a tone that is not overly bright but has some mid-range and bass.

What settings did the speaker use for the echo effect?

The speaker used an old school tap echo with a setting of about 220 milliseconds, a level of 3.2, and a slight slapback.

What was the speaker's approach to the reverb effect?

The speaker used a spring reverb with a mix of 2.2, a time of 2.3, and a low damp setting to create a barely noticeable reverb effect.

What amp settings did the speaker use to emulate Mark Knopfler's sound?

The speaker used a boutique amp with bright cap, mid boost, low cut off, gain set higher, treble up, and volume slightly increased. The bias was changed to hot, and the NR Sensitivity was set to red.

How does the speaker compare the sound of their Mexican Stratocaster to Mark Knopfler's guitar?

The speaker acknowledges that their Mexican Stratocaster does not sound exactly like Mark Knopfler's guitar but is stratty enough to achieve a similar sound for Sultans of Swing.

What website does the speaker mention for guitar backing tracks?

The speaker mentions guitarbackingtrack.com as a source for Sultans of Swing backing tracks.

How does the speaker prepare for playing Sultans of Swing after not playing it seriously since 1984?

The speaker practices the song a few times to get familiar with it again, acknowledging that they won't play it exactly like Mark Knopfler but focusing on achieving a close sound.

What is the speaker's approach to playing the guitar for Sultans of Swing?

The speaker uses a pick and fingers to play the guitar, focusing on achieving a sound that is close to Mark Knopfler's playing style in Sultans of Swing.

Outlines

00:00

🎸 Recreating Sultans of Swing Sound

The speaker, a subscriber from Belgium named Eva, requested a sound reproduction using the Vox VT20X and VT40X. The speaker owns a VT20X and demonstrates how they achieved a Sultans of Swing sound. They describe their tone room setup and the use of a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster with vintage noise pickups. The speaker details their listening process to Mark Knopfler's playing, the use of a specific echo setting to achieve a slight slapback effect, and the addition of a spring reverb with damp settings. They also discuss the choice of amp settings, suggesting a Boutique amp to mimic the sound of an old Fender or Vox, adjusting the EQ and amp settings to get a sound similar to Knopfler's. The speaker concludes by playing along with a backing track from guitarbackingtrack.com, aiming to match the sound of Sultans of Swing.

05:00

🎵 Playing Along to Sultans of Swing

The speaker begins by discussing the guitar they are using, a Mexican Stratocaster, and their tuning and practice for playing 'Sultans of Swing'. They mention it's been a long time since they last played the song, indicating a raw performance. The speaker then plays along with the backing track, focusing on the sound and the effort to replicate Mark Knopfler's guitar playing style. The performance includes the iconic riffs and solos of the song, with the speaker emphasizing the sound over the playing technique. They conclude the performance with the final chorus and applause, showcasing their attempt to recreate the Sultans of Swing experience.

10:03

🎤 Finale of the Sultans of Swing Performance

This paragraph captures the conclusion of the Sultans of Swing performance. The speaker plays the final part of the song, which includes the lyrics about the man at the microphone signaling the end of the night. The performance is marked by the speaker's rendition of the song's closing lines, followed by applause. The paragraph ends with a sense of finality, indicating the end of the performance and the speaker's satisfaction with their effort to recreate the iconic sound of Sultans of Swing.

Keywords

💡Vox VT20X

The Vox VT20X is a model of guitar amplifier by Vox, known for its versatility and classic tone. In the video, the speaker uses this amplifier to recreate the sound of 'Sultans of Swing'. It's integral to the video's theme as it's the main tool for achieving the desired guitar tone, as evidenced by the speaker's detailed setup and configuration.

💡Sultans of Swing

This is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits. The video's theme revolves around recreating the guitar sound from this song. The speaker listens to Mark Knopfler's playing to understand the sound and tries to emulate it using various equipment and settings.

💡Echo

Echo, or reverb, is an audio effect that creates a sense of space or time by repeating the sound source with gradually decreasing volume. In the video, the speaker discusses using echo to achieve a 'slapback' effect, which is a key component of the 'Sultans of Swing' sound. The speaker experiments with different types of echo to get a sound similar to what Mark Knopfler used.

💡Analog Delay

Analog delay is a type of delay effect where the signal is delayed by an analog device, creating a warm, vintage sound. The speaker mentions trying analog delay but finds it not dark enough for the 'Sultans of Swing' sound, indicating the specific tonal characteristics they are aiming for.

💡Spring Reverb

Spring reverb is a type of reverb effect created by sending the audio signal through a spring, which causes it to bounce and create an echoing effect. The speaker uses spring reverb in their setup, adjusting the mix and time to achieve a subtle reverb that complements the guitar sound.

💡Fender Amp

A Fender amp is a type of guitar amplifier made by Fender, a well-known musical instrument manufacturer. The speaker speculates that Mark Knopfler might have used a Fender amp to achieve the sound in 'Sultans of Swing', although they use a different amp in their setup.

💡Mexican Strat

A Mexican Strat refers to a Fender Stratocaster guitar made in Mexico. The speaker uses a 1989 Mexican Strat in the video for its 'stratty' sound, which is a key element in achieving the guitar tone for 'Sultans of Swing'. The choice of guitar is crucial for the sound they are trying to replicate.

💡Tone Room

Tone Room likely refers to the virtual environment or settings within the amplifier or effects processor that the speaker is using to shape the sound. The speaker mentions their 'tone room setup', indicating the specific configurations they've made to emulate the 'Sultans of Swing' sound.

💡Boutique Amp

A boutique amp is a high-quality, often custom-made guitar amplifier. The speaker mentions using a boutique amp in their setup, suggesting that it provides a sound similar to what Mark Knopfler used, despite the original equipment being different.

💡Bias

In the context of guitar amplifiers, bias refers to the operating point of the amplifier's power tubes. The speaker changes the bias to 'hot', which increases the gain and can result in a more aggressive or saturated sound, part of their attempt to replicate the guitar tone.

💡Guitarbackingtrack.com

This is a website mentioned in the script where backing tracks are available for practice. The speaker uses a backing track from this site to test their sound against the original 'Sultans of Swing', showing how they are trying to match the guitar sound without the lead guitar part.

Highlights

Introduction of the Vox VT20X and VT40X amplifiers.

Description of the Mexican Stratocaster used for the Sultans of Swing sound.

Explanation of the tone room setup for replicating the Sultans of Swing sound.

Demonstration of the Sultans of Swing sound on the Vox VT20X.

Discussion on the listening process to Mark Knopfler's playing for sound replication.

Use of an old school tape echo for the slapback effect.

Settings for the tape echo: 220 milliseconds delay and level at 3.2.

Experimentation with different types of echo to achieve the desired sound.

Use of a spring reverb with specific settings to add depth to the sound.

Speculation on the type of amplifier Mark Knopfler might have used.

Selection of a Boutique amp setting to mimic the sound of Sultans of Swing.

Details of the Boutique amp settings: bright cap, mid boost, and gain adjustments.

Use of NR Sensitivity and bias settings to fine-tune the amp sound.

Playing along with a Sultans of Swing backing track to test the sound.

Discussion on the specific pickup selection and tone settings on the Mexican Strat.

Live performance of Sultans of Swing to showcase the replicated sound.

Reflection on the accuracy of the replicated sound compared to the original.

Final thoughts on the process of sound replication and the equipment used.

Transcripts

folks I was asked by a subscriber from

Belgium I think she's probably a lady

the name I think was Eva um any rate if

I could come up with a sound using the

Vox vt20x vt40x I actually got a vt20x

over here beside me right now uh because

I'm don't want to be very loud uh but if

I can come up with Sulton a swing sound

so let me tell you what I did and I'm

going to show you what on the screen

what I've got this is my um my my tone

room set up for Sultans of Swing and I'm

going to tell you a little bit about

what I've done first of all got an an

americ actually it's a Mexican Strat

Mexican stratas I have one that has

vintage noisess pickups I didn't use

that I used one like this CU it's a

little more old school this is about

1989 Mexican Strat that has pretty nice

sounding it it's very stratty sounding

guitar um I'm going to show you first of

all before we go any further if you want

to learn how to play the D this sound

this is what it sounds

[Music]

like so you we got

there

so that's the sound that I've come up

with if you think that's close or not I

I did a good bit of listening to Mark

noler playing um on some YouTube videos

and some MP3s trying to decide what

would be the best sound let me show you

what I did um whether this is

conventional or not this is what seemed

to work for me I mean I tried various

different kinds of echo because there's

a slight little bit of echo

[Music]

there I don't if you hear it's just a

tiny little bit of slapback and I tried

using analog delay these various

different settings there I didn't think

it sounded quite as dark as what noler

has on there and and so I mean the this

analog delay this didn't quite sound

right and he may have used analog delay

this would have been about back about

1978 or something when they did this but

I went back to an old school tap Echo uh

and you can see what my settings are

here about 220 milliseconds I got a

level about 3.2 and I it might actually

be more than that certain notes when you

listen to the the studio version of it

really sounds the slapback sounds pretty

pronounced especially when it does

like yeah you'll actually hear that

little slap pretty pretty significantly

there um I didn't mess with the tone or

anything kind of left it sort of like

what it is when you pull it in from tone

rooming I did put a spring reverb in at

first I had like this room Reverb I I

tried to play too but I think it's

probably yeah he may be playing through

an old Fender type amp or something I

don't know what he was playing through

but I'm going to talk about the amp in a

minute which is kind of the most weird

thing that I've done here but here here

you can see what I've done for my spring

reverb I've got to mix of 2.2 time of

2.3 and you know just it's kind of a low

damp on it just just barely barely there

now as I said he probably played through

a fender ramp I don't know maybe he play

through a marsh lamp did he play through

a Vox I have no idea I have no idea what

offler played through on that song but

uh when I played around I played with a

bunch of different amps different clean

type amps I did all the standard cleans

and everything over here and all special

cleans and all that but I really like

what this Boutique amp sounds like I

know he did not have a boutique Camp of

any sort like what we have today like a

Bogner or whatever the you know whatever

that would be um but this does seem to

sound like what he's got the sound he

has so I did the bright cap I did the

mid boost I left the low cut off I put

the set the gain up a little bit higher

you can see I got I got the treble up

but it's not a super bright sound that

he's using in the song it doesn't sound

like to me uh it has got some mid-range

got a little bit of Base I threw the

volume up just a little bit tiny bit of

presence not a well somewhat and I did a

little bit more I I did a little bit

more of this in uh NR Sensitivity I went

I changed the bias to hot and uh and I I

put both of these as red and uh so this

is the sound I came up with and U so I

don't know what what do you

[Music]

think now what I I've got I bring this

up right quick I went over to

guitarbackingtrack.com

and number eight if you see this

guitarbackingtrack.com

come you com and you look up play DI

straight s a swing number eight I don't

know how these people have done this

this really sounds like the s a swing

track with the guitar the lead guitar

taken out and I don't know how you would

EQ that out uh I I mean honestly listen

to this you you can't you can't hear uh

you can't hear the LI guitar I so if I

can get this to

[Music]

play no hint of it

[Music]

now that sounds like Mark knofler

singing but I don't hear his League

guitar anywhere I don't know how you

could have got that eqed out my friends

but I'm going to turn this up a little

bit I'm Going's set this up I first all

let me say this I'm playing the um uh

old strp the Mexican

Strat I looked at videos of Mark it

looks like he does play the bottom of

the back pickup it's either that or it's

the one in between but I really think

because of this the some of the bite

that he's getting his playist back

pickup and um and so I have I have all

the tone straight as as high as it will

go this guitar does not sound like his

guitar but it sounds decent it sounds

stratty enough to pull this off and

hopefully I'm in

tune and I've uh I've practiced it a

couple times I have not played this song

Seriously since about GE who is

1984 so I am big time I'm not going to

play it like him I don't play with my

fingers much I play with the pick and my

fingers so um this is going to be I'm

going to try to really go through this

it's going to be raw but just be

forgiving of the playing listen to the

sound and see if you think I've got the

sound pretty close I think I'm I'm

fairly close here so we're going to take

this back to the very beginning of this

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

track

you get a shiver in the dark it'sing in

the park

metime son of the R st your hold

everything

is never

[Music]

time you feel all right when

[Music]

you

when now step inside but you don't see

too many

faces coming in out of the rain and hear

the Jabs go

[Music]

down competition in other

[Music]

plac but the HS BL that

[Music]

sound we on down s

we on down south London

[Music]

[Applause]

Town check out get our

charge he knows all the

Cs stly rhy he doesn't want to make that

cry

sing

[Music]

guitar is all he

can't when he gets up on the lights

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

play Then Harry doesn't mind if he

doesn't take the

SE he's got a day time J he's doing all

right he can play the h t like

anything saing it up Friday

night with

the with the S of

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

s

a of young boys hading around in the

corner junk Dr the best baggies in that

platform don't give a damn about any

trumpet playing

B it ain't what they call rock and

[Music]

roll then the C

[Applause]

yeah the S are play

[Music]

real

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

oh

[Music]

then the man is right up to the

[Music]

microphone says that last just the time

B

ring night now it's time to go

home then he makes it fast with one more

[Music]

thing we are the

S we are the S of

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

s

[Applause]

[Music]

a

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

anyway