New Orleans-based singer-songwriter-bassist Roland Guerin, whose music draws from American folk, blues, zydeco, rock, and jazz genres, employs a host of TASCAM gear at the heart of much of his musical activity, including a Model 12 mixer, DR-100MKIII recorder and GB-10 guitar trainer.
Guerin has also worked with several highly regarded bands, including Alvin Batiste and The Jazztronauts, the Marcus Roberts Trio, the Allen Toussaint Band, and the Paul Gilbert Band, and he was also the last musical director for Dr John and he has toured with guitarists John Scofield, as well as drummer Brian Blade to name just a few artists. And at the
“My Model 12 mixer has been my choice for spontaneously capturing ideas as quickly as they come to me,” Guerin says. “And since you can never have too many audio channels, my Model 24 kicks in whenever I need more space. I have a variety of gear that’s always connected and ready to go. This way, when inspiration hits, I don’t risk losing it. My Model 12 is at the heart of everything I do. And once I record an idea, it’s been a habit of mine to setup a brand-new recording slate so that I’ll be ready for the next inspiration. Sometimes I’ll jam on different ideas, but mostly the inspiration hits by working on specific original songs, and that’s where my TASCAM gear really comes to life.”
Capturing unique sounds is a big part of Guerin’s musical emphasis, and for this he employs three TASCAM portable recorders: a DR-40, DR-100MKIII, and DR-1. “I’m big on capturing sounds for samples,” he explains. “And I mean all sounds, because for me, sounds are a source of inspiration. I use my DR-100MKIII extensively for this purpose. I find it quick and easy to use, so it never hampers the creative process. My DR-100MKIII is extremely hip. I record everything: rehearsals, concerts, sounds, ideas—you name it. I also use it for recording my new song ideas and snips, as well my rehearsals and even live performances. The quality is stellar! Having that little recorder with me at all times has helped me to learn more about myself, how I play, what my sound sounds like, how my groove feels versus what I perceive it to be, and so much more!”
Guerin is also a user of one of the company’s lesser-known products: the GB-10 guitar trainer-recorder, “I love the fact that the GB-10 allows me to practice bass guitar while monitoring with headphones. The GB-10 is what I call my musical toolkit! I can plug-in my bass, import MP3s, and work on songs or solo passages. I even import snips of my own music and practice over it, because even though I write my music, I still have to thoroughly learn it and get to where I can live, breathe, and grow with it.”
