Around 2009, Dweezil Zappa ran into a space problem. He was busy touring the US, performing some songs written by his father, Frank. Recreating those signature “peculiar sounds,†as Zappa calls them, required lugging around a massive rig — roughly the size of two large refrigerators — held together by more than 200 connections and cables.
“The challenge for me on tour was how can I recreate some of these sounds and not use the actual equipment that [Frank] used because some of it didn’t exist anymore,†Zappa says. “It was a pretty extensive system.â€
Zappa began seriously exploring a still relatively new technology: guitar amp modelers. These briefcase-sized devices aimed to capture the essence of analog amplifier and pedal sounds, reinterpret them digitally, and deliver them with an audio fidelity comparable to the real thing. Zappa realized modelers were more than just a space-saver: they also opened up a new dimension of creativity. With the right tweaking, Zappa says he suddenly had almost any sound or effect he could imagine at his disposal.
“If I have to switch to another song [during a set] that is from 1981, I just step on a button,†Zappa says. “I …
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