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Handheld gaming consoles aren’t exactly designed with live guitar rigs in mind – but that didn’t stop one guitarist from turning Valve’s Steam Deck into his entire live setup.

In a new video, 26-year-old virtuoso Sebastian Garcia, aka Sebastiside, breaks down how he’s been using the handheld console as a fully fledged live guitar rig – running Reaper and Neural DSP – and says it’s already survived real-world shows, including a performance at NAMM.

“It really surprised me how well it worked,” says Sebastiside. “For instance, I am using the lowest buffer size on the Steam Deck, which is 16 samples. And even though it’s so low, it’s not crackling or doing any weird glitches… Everything is functional.”

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To get there, Sebastiside first installed a lightweight, “de-bloated” version of Windows on a small SSD partition, pairing it with Reaper as his DAW of choice.

“This modified Windows version removed all of the bloat and all of the garbage Windows comes with,” he explains. “I think this is very important for the Steam Deck specifically because it’s so limited.”

From there, he loaded Neural DSP – specifically Archetype: Rabea X – along with the same plugins he uses at home.

“So my Steam Deck recognises my audio interface just as any other computer. After you install the drivers, everything works as expected. All of my plugins are here. All of my EQs. So, for example, I have FabFilter… and I can apply FabFilter Pro-Q to my guitar channel,” says the guitarist.

That familiarity, he notes, is what makes the rig feel less like a workaround and more like a genuine replacement: “It’s really interesting because you can’t really do that on a pedal board or anything. Everything is different. So, it felt really comfortable to have my home setup in a live setting.”

Control is handled via the Steam Deck’s touchscreen, trackpads (“It’s basically like a laptop’s trackpad”) and buttons: “The way you control Reaper is by going into Steam itself. Steam lets you configure every single button,” Sebastiside explains. “You can choose whatever you want them to do. It could be as complicated as you want.”

Key Reaper functions – like recording – are mapped directly to buttons, while the touchscreen lets him tweak mix parameters on the fly.

According to the musician, the only real hurdle came with scaling plugins to the small screen. Some guitar plugins are simply too large for the Steam Deck’s screen, making controls hard to access. The solution, says Sebastiside, is enabling high-DPI compatibility, which “lets you resize the plugin however you want”.

Once everything is dialled in, Sebastiside locks the session down completely to prevent accidents mid- live show.

“What I did was very simple,” he says. “I just routed every single part of the mix that was going through front of house to output number one. And then I routed every single part of my in-ears to output number two. So that would be the metronome basically. So, I just have one slider for front of house and one slider for in-ear mix as well. I also made sure to hide all of the other tracks because I didn’t want to accidentally move them or delete them. I’m too paranoid with it.”

As Sebastiside explains, one of the Steam Deck’s biggest advantages is its portability: “I don’t have a laptop. So, this is basically my laptop,” he says. “I can put this inside the guitar case. I don’t even need an extra bag.”

Battery life has proven equally impressive. With a session running at 88% battery, Sebastiside says the console estimates over six hours of use.

Perhaps most surprising, though, is how the handheld stacks up against traditional computers. According to the guitarist, the 1TB Steam Deck he has delivers even lower latency than his desktop system – something he attributes to Reaper’s efficiency and the handheld’s surprising power.

“As I said, I am really impressed with how well this works and I find it extremely reliable,” he says. “I will keep using it and I will keep doing things with it.”

The post This guitarist is using a Steam Deck as his entire live rig – and it’s genuinely impressive appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

[Editor’s note: Vista Musical Instruments and Guitar.com are both part of Caldecott Music Group.]

Vista Musical Instruments has acquired the intellectual property, brand assets and goodwill of Kenny’s Music, confirming plans to relaunch the Scottish music retailer under its ownership.

The acquisition was completed in coordination with Hilco Global and secures the future of the Kenny’s Music brand within Vista Musical Instruments’ wider portfolio.

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Founded in 2008 by Kenny Graham, Kenny’s Music became a key part of Scotland’s music retail scene, serving musicians across Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Dunfermline. The retailer earned a strong reputation for its close ties with local artists and commitment to fostering a thriving music culture through expert service and community engagement.

The acquisition follows the company’s announcement last October that it had ceased trading and would move into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL), “despite our strongest sales ever in recent years.” At the time, Kenny’s Music ran both an online store and brick-and-mortar locations across Scotland.

Vista Musical Instruments says the acquisition marks the start of a new chapter for the brand. As an initial step, a revitalised digital home for Kenny’s Music is now live at kennysmusic.co.uk, where customers can sign up to an official newsletter for updates on the brand’s evolution and upcoming milestones.

While a new online store is currently in development, customers can reach out via the website to a dedicated team member for personalised concierge services, expert gear advice and professional consultations.

The Kenny’s Music community will also gain immediate access to a wide range of global brands, including Fender, Martin, Heritage Guitars, Harmony and MONO. Products will be available with next-working-day delivery in the UK via Vista Musical Instruments’ sister retailer, Dawsons.

Commenting on the acquisition, Vista Musical Instruments CEO Meng Ru Kuok says: “We’re excited to welcome Kenny’s Music into our VMI ecosystem. While the brand’s recent pause was unfortunate, it followed a period of its strongest sales on record. There is a great foundation here to build upon, and we appreciate Hilco Global’s professionalism in helping us ensure this legacy is reimagined for the next generation of musicians.”

Find out more at Kenny’s Music and Vista Musical Instruments.

The post Vista Musical Instruments acquires Scottish retailer Kenny’s Music and confirms relaunch plans appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Artificial Intelligence can already fake your favourite band’s riffs, remix their voices and spit out passable soundalikes in seconds. But according to Zakk Wylde, that’s about as far as it goes.

Speaking at a recent Q&A session in London, the Black Label Society frontman and longtime Ozzy Osbourne collaborator weighs in on the growing use of AI music generators – explaining why, novelty aside, they stop short of replacing the real thing.

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“AI is fine,” Wylde says [via Blabbermouth]. “It would almost be like if me and you were sitting around going, ‘Hey, guys, can you write a song you think Black Sabbath would write?’ So it’s no different than that.”

“But you’re never gonna be able to replace what is coming out of Ozzy’s mind, what’s coming out of Tony Iommi’s mind, what Geezer’s [Butler] thinking when he’s gonna write lyrics, and how Bill’s [Ward] gonna approach the drums on a riff, what kind of drum beat he’s gonna play,” says the virtuoso. “‘Cause when you get a record from whatever your favourite artist or your favourite band [is], you’re getting a piece of them. So you can’t ever replace that.”

Wylde argues that while AI might convincingly imitate a band’s style, it can never recreate the people behind the music or the personal chemistry that defines great records.

“It’s just like saying you’re gonna write AI Pantera. You can’t replace what was going on in Dime’s mind and what Vinnie’s gonna play. Pantera is those four guys – so it’s Philip [Anselmo], Rex [Brown], Dime [Darrell] and Vinnie [Paul]. And that’s that,” he says. “I mean, that’s Pantera. So, just like any other band is… That’s who it is. You can’t replace what’s coming out of Elton John’s mind, what he wants to sit down and play on a piano and what Bernie Taupin’s gonna write lyrically. That’s the beauty of the human element of music.”

Still, Wylde believes that AI has its place, particularly when it’s treated as a creative toy rather than a replacement.

“But, I mean, AI is fine. It’s fun, in regards, though, if it’s gonna write something that sounds like what Led Zeppelin would write or what Black Sabbath would write. And it’s just, like, ‘Oh, wow. This came out pretty cool,’” says Wylde.

“I mean, with Black Label, we always start with the Zappelin-Sabbath mashup. And I think it’s great. I remember when Ozzy heard it the first time, he was, like, ‘Oh my god. Zakk, have you heard this thing?’ I’m, like, ‘Yeah, I think it’s great.’ It’s Whole Lotta Love, and then you stick in Ozzy singing War Pigs over the riff, and then Robert Plant comes in on the solo. I’m, like, ‘Dude, this is the coolest thing ever.’ So, it’s having fun with it.”

“But you’re never gonna replace Ozzy coming up with that melody, Tony coming up with that music, and Geezer coming up with those lyrics. And then Whole Lotta Love, Jimmy Page playing that riff and then Robert Plant singing the Whole Lotta Love scream over the top of it. ‘Cause that’s the real thing. You can never replace the real thing.”

The post “AI is fun… But you can’t replace what’s coming out of Ozzy’s mind”: Zakk Wylde weighs in on AI music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Favoured by the likes of Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robben Ford and John Mayer, Dumble amplifiers have long occupied a near-mythical place in guitar culture. Built in tiny numbers by the late Howard Dumble and whispered about in reverent tones, they’re often treated less like amps and more like holy relics.

But not everyone is convinced.

In a new interview with Guitarist magazine, Eric Gales admits he doesn’t quite understand the obsession. While he acknowledges that Dumbles sound excellent, he says they didn’t offer anything he hadn’t already heard from other “great” amps. As the guitarist puts it, there was no moment where the “heavens opened up”.

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Asked why Alexander Dumble’s amps are held in such high regard, Gales replies: “To be honest, I don’t know. There’s a bit of a taboo fascination with them. Obviously, they are highly respected and deeply admired for the sound they make, but I don’t see the big draw factor.”

“Sure, they sound great, but I’ve heard other amps that sound great,” says the virtuoso, who played through a Dumble on his new album at the suggestion of producer Joe Bonamassa.

“I’m very honoured and privileged to have plugged into one a few times, but it wasn’t like a ‘heavens opened up’ sort of moment,” Gales continues. “I’m not speaking bad about them, I’m just saying there’s nothing the Dumbles did for me that other amps hadn’t done before, you know? I was just going off a suggestion and I trusted Joe enough to go with it. He has plenty of Dumbles and runs through them pretty rigorously. I had no reason to go against it.”

In practice, Gales’ setup was about as straightforward as it gets. He plugged his Magneto signature guitar into Bonamassa’s Dumble, and into his own signature DV Mark amp, and let his playing do the talking.

“If [the Dumble] was the only amp that was there and my DV Mark wasn’t around, I’m sure I would have been fine,” he says. “I have some really nice amps, like my Two-Rock, and the Dumble did nothing less than that. If it wasn’t as good, then I wouldn’t have used it on the record. I remember it had great sustain and delivered every single nuance I put through it. At the same time, my DV Mark was doing the same thing. Both amps were standing tall beside each other, doing a great job in giving me what I needed to accomplish this record. That’s all I can ask for.”

The post “There’s nothing the Dumbles did for me that other amps hadn’t done before”: Eric Gales doesn’t get the hype around Dumble amps appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$280/£249, suprlunr.com / northernstomps.com

The Superlunar SR-01 is a little white tragedy. This is something that belongs in a design museum, yet the only people who’ll ever really look at it are guitar players… just as they’re about to stomp on it.

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At least those players will be well rewarded, because this versatile fuzz, drive and boost pedal from New York – now available in the UK through Northern Stompboxes – makes a spirited attempt at the impossible: sounding as good as it looks.

Superlunar SR-01 – what is it?

The first stompbox from NY-based ‘audio design studio’ Superlunar, the SR-01 takes its inspiration from a cranked black-panel Fender amp. I’m assuming that means something manageably small like a Deluxe, Princeton or Champ – there is no record of anyone ever hearing a Twin Reverb at full volume and surviving.

So it’s first and foremost an amp-like fuzz, but the manual also promises subtle overdrive and even clean boost settings. You get quite the control array to navigate all that, and it comes in three parts: the big knobs on the left are for gain in the first clipping stage and output level; the push-buttons are for engaging fuzz mode and a high-pass filter; and the three mini-knobs are for input attenuation, second-stage transistor bias and treble.

Sounds a bit complicated, doesn’t it? Best just to leap right in, start twiddling things and see what happens.

Superlunar SR-01 – what does it sound like?

I came, I saw, I twiddled, and here’s what I found: the best starting point is with the two full-size knobs at noon, the buttons both off, the outer mini-knobs at maximum and the middle one at minimum. This is a very pleasing medium-gain drive tone with plenty of body and chime. It’s sweet, solid and thoroughly amp-ish.

To take the crunch out of the equation, you just have to turn the input attenuation down to about two o’clock (maybe lower with humbuckers); now output level controls how hard you’re hitting the front end of your amp, while the treble knob lets you tame the zing and the white button does just enough to keep you safe from flubbage when required. This is all good stuff.

The big black gain dial doesn’t actually have much effect until you turn the input level back up to full, at which point it can push the SR-01 just about to the edge of fuzziness… but it’s no use trying to resist the blue button, which piles on the saturation and adds a hint of squish as we tumble into the world of proper fuzz. It’s mighty powerful, but still with a tightness and clarity that’s definitely more black-panel than tweed.

And if you want more squish – lots of it – you just need to start messing with the bias control. This can make things gently velcro-like or, bumped up further and with the input level notched back again, give full-on gated splutter effects. It’s borderline anarchic, and really not what you expect from a pedal that looks this well educated.

Superlunar SR-01 – should I buy it?

If all your other pedals look like salvage from a nuclear accident site – scratches, dents, rust, missing knobs, unidentified stains – then frankly no, you shouldn’t be allowed to buy this one. But if you promise to look after it, what you’re getting with the SR-01 is a unique pedal that can cover a surprising amount of tonal ground. It’s great as an uncoloured booster or medium-gain drive, and it’s even better as a rampaging fuzz, gated or otherwise.

Superlunar SR-01 alternatives

It’s a very different proposition, but the Land Devices HP-2 ($229/£225) is another wonderfully impolite fuzz hiding inside a cleanly asymmetrical enclosure. The Origin Effects Deluxe55 (£279) could almost be described as the SR-01’s tweed cousin, while the Hudson Electronics Broadcast Dual Footswitch (£179) is a more conventional pedal that covers high and low gain just as effortlessly.

The post Superlunar SR-01 review – a designer dirt pedal that sounds a lot more rock’n’roll than it looks appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.