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Interview: Misha "Bulb" Mansoor of Periphery
<img style="padding:20px;" align="left" src="http://www.sevenstring.org/newsimages/bulb/1.jpg" alt="Misha Mansoor" />
Sevenstring.org: How long have you been playing guitar, and what has been the major footstep in your playing that helped you get to where you are now?
Bulb: I first picked up a guitar when i was about 14, but I really was into drums back then so I pretty much just strummed on it for about 3 years making songs that would showcase the drums more than anything (mainly becaues I couldn't play more than a Drop-D powerchord back then!). But when I went to college, I couldn't really play drums anymore so I focused my attention fully on the guitar. I think the big jump in playing skill happened when I was trying to become John Petrucci. I was seriously practicing anywhere from 4-8 hours almost every day just learning Dream Theater solos and/or just wanking around and slowly developing my chops.
SS: What kinds of things did you practice to get where you're at now?
Bulb: Unfortunately I am pretty ADD sometimes, and as a result I have never had any sort of routine. I DO however make up small excercises or licks that I can just barely play and try to play them cleaner and faster until I get them. I also try to surround myself with (and jam out with) as many talented guitarists as possible. Jamming with someone who is better than me really inspires me to try and improve myself. Other than that, I did what I still do now - just play along to songs and albums that I like. The guitarists from the bands I listen to are my real teachers in a sense.
SS: Who have been your influences, both early on and now? And of all of your current influences, who do you listen to that really lights a creative fire under your ass?
Bulb: Early on I was really into bands like the Deftones and Tool and stuff like that. With time, I guess I got into more "musician's music", so right now bands that really just get me going are those ilke Meshuggah, Sikth, Hiromi, Shane Gibson, DEP, Dream Theater, Ion Dissonance, Nevermore, Guthrie Govan, BTBAM, Nobuo Uematsu, Devin Townsend and anything he touches, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Gojira, Mats/Morgan, The Refused, Ron and Bobby Jarzombek and anything they touch, Textures, Return to Forever and my good friend Paul Ortiz (aka Chimp Spanner) - God, there are more I'm sure but my memory is horrible!
SS: What aspects of your playing to you feel you are the strongest in and what special influences brought them out in your playing?
Bulb: I think that rhythm and melody would be my stronger aspects as opposed to chops or soloing skills. Recording has really tightened my playing and developed my style, because not only are you playing to a click, but especially when you double track, any discrepancies in time or form become immediately clear. So if you are strict on yourself, recording to a click can be very beneficial! I have also found that it has turned me into a hard picker (haha), the notes just pop out more and have more bite and presence when you pick hard, so it sounds better on recordings.
SS: Do you ever venture into other genres of music?
Bulb: I do dabble in electronic music for fun, but I dont think im very good at it at all - its just something that I like to play around with and I'm am always writing in general. I never really sit down and decide what style my next song will be, so sometimes I have some simple rockish or ambient ideas that I try to finish up and figure out what im going to do with them (haha).
SS: To what extent does inspiration drive the writing process? Do you require it or can you produce new material regardless of inspiration?
Bulb: Inspiration is the only thing I can rely on honestly. Sometimes I go through some long "dry spells" of not writing anything new, and I try to force myself to come up with something which 99% of the turns out to be just garbage. On the other hand, it usually only takes one riff or idea to get the whole flow going, since I usually write most of the song in one sitting (very long sittings sometimes, haha). Usually by the time I have the first riff recorded I have one or two more riffs to go with it ready in my head, and a lot of what Ii do is accidental or just lucky I feel In a way its a constant if that makes sense, because I can almost rely on it!
SS: Is there an aspect of the guitar or guitar playing that you believe deserves more attention?
Bulb: I personally am a fan of riffs. It seems to me nowadays that we have a lot of people who are insanely talented shredders but save everything for the lead lines and meedly meedly stuff and end up going lame on the riffs. I always thought that the more chops you have, the more tasty your riffs should be. And I'm not neccesarily saying they need to be technical, I just feel like that for a lot of people, the rhythm is just an afterthought, whereas for me its the driving force. And as for solos, as much as I love people with chops I think that feel and phrasing are the most important things which is why i love players like Petrucci, Govan, Loomis and Eklundh.
SS: What guitars and gear do you use in the studio and live?
Bulb: Generally for the studio I rely on my Carvin Dc 747 in Dragonburst with a Lundgren m7 in the bridge, and my Mystic Dream EBMM Jp7 with the Piezo and stock pickups when it comes to 7 strings. As for 6 stringers, I use either my Carvin H2 semihollow or my Gibson Les Paul Gary Moore Sig (both with stock pickups) I also have my amazing custom made Illustrated 8 String with a set of Lundgren M8 pickups which I have recorded a few short clips with and plan to write a lot more with in the future! Live, I use the Carvins as the main guitars and I bring the Petrucci and the Les Paul as backups.
SS: Do you use any unusual tunings, and if so, which is your favorite?
Bulb: Mostly I like Dropped tunings because of the large chords you can make and because of the larger interval between the two lowest strings - it makes things more dramatic i think (haha). My friend Tosin Abasi turned me on to tuning the 7 to standard but dropping the low E string to D - you can make some awesome chords like that and the note relationships shake things up a bit. I used that tuning on "As It Were" "Forever and a Half" and "Prerequisite" and I will definitely use it again.
SS: What PodXT presets and amp settings do you use?
Bulb: To tell you the truth I never really messed with the presets because I got mine used and never restored the factory settings, so right off the bat I started making my own patches which is what I like doing anyways. I am a tweaker when it comes to gear, so I definitely prefer creating a patch of my own over using a factory preset. As far as the settings I use on the podxt, I have always been a huge fan of the Bigbottom amp model with either the Fx Boost or the Tubescreamer pedal model in the stomp section. I have pretty much always used those combos for my recordings.
SS: How often do you use the 8 string compared to how often you use the seven?
Bulb: I jam around on it all the time, but sometimes its such an intimidating instrument. Also, it's very easy to get lumped into the 8 string Meshuggah rip-off territory, so I really only like posting clips with the 8 where I think I'm doing a bit of my own thing. I'm especially tough on the riffs I come up with on the 8, so it takes a bit longer for me to write material that I'm happy with And, since I'm the only one in Periphery with an extended range instrument, I'm not focusing on that too much because I want to write material we will get to play live. However the guys are already looking into their own extended range instruments and in the near future we will be playing with 6, 7 and 8's live.
SS: How have extended range guitars opened up / expanded your musicality? Have they inspired you to new musical lengths, or do they simply allow you to play in larger ranges of tones?
Bulb: It's interesting, to some it may just be an extra string but to me it changes the whole context of the instrument, a whole new palette. Just as the way I approach riffs and chords on the 8 is very different from the way i would approach it on a seven, even if i was playing in the range of a sevenstring or a six. So I really like that, and its the main reason that I haven't ditched 6-strings even though I have sevens and an eight, because I write very differently on each instrument and i like the change of feel and pace.
SS: Have you ever tried, or do you have any interest in multi-scale (fanned-fret) guitars?
Bulb: I haven't tried them yet because I have never run into one - I would LOVE to try one someday. When I was working with Jesse from Illustrated Guitars on the 8 string, a lot of people suggested that I try a fanned fretboard but I didnt want to experiment with that on my first 8. Based off of what i have read and heard, it seems to be a real hit or miss thing with people. I know my bassist just tried a fanned fret bass recently (so he can play the 8 string songs) and he was raving about how awesome they were so now I'm even more excited. I think I will try one before I order my next Illustrated 8 so that i can get my next one with fanned frets if i dig it.
SS: What made you choose to run through an Orange cab over a Mesa?
Bulb: Mesa cabs are great, but Orange are just the best (hahah)! It's a weird choice I know, even at first when I was told to check them out I was like "dude, those are like classic rock amps and cabs...". But then I tried one out with a Dual Recto. If you don't already know this, I'm not the biggest recto fan, but I'll tell you, when I tried it through the Orange it sounded great! So I figured if it could make a Recto sound great to me, it could make a great amp sound even better. I always do a lot of research before I buy anything, and I found out that Orange is the only large company that builds cabs the way they do. They use more plies, denser birch, and keep the cabinets relatively small which translates to very present but insanely tight bass, a midrange that really projects and clear highs that dont easily get icepicky or whatever. I a/b'd them with just about every cab I could find, and at the end of the day I decided it was worth the extra money.
SS: Do you believe extended upper range is as worthy of experimentation as extended lower range? Why do you think so few people choose to go lower instead of higher when experimenting with new tunings?
Bulb: Oh absolutely - it's not really my thing personally, but who am I to say that you shouldnt extend your range? I think that the reason most people go lower is because it is (debatably) easier on the ears, at least from a physical standpoint, because higher notes can be a bit piercing, whereas low notes wont really "hurt" when you hear them if that makes sense. Then there is also the "heavy" rule which suggests that lower = heavier. Although it's not a golden rule, it works a lot of the time. (Then again Gojira are heavier than life and they are in D, haha!) I personally love the sound of those low octaved notes because they sound so big, and I guess a lot of metal fans like that as well.
SS: What's your method of writing music? Does it just come to you, or do you spend a lot of time in the process of creating?
Bulb: There is a real ebb and flow to my creativity - sometimes I'm writing new songs almost daily, and sometimes I go a month or more without even so much as a new riff or idea. I have learned not to force it because most of the time when I say "Ok its time for something new, lets go!" I end up with really really bad ideas. So sometimes I just wait it out and eventually something comes along and inspires me, sometimes its just a random sudden craving to write a certain kind of tune. One thing I like to do when I'm not feeling creative is cover a song for fun. I have racked up a few meshuggah covers just from being bored but wanting to record something, and sometimes just doing that gets the creative juices flowing. When I am feeling in a creative mood however, its weird, it usually starts off with one riff or maybe a few I have been sitting on and tweaking, but for some reason once I start tracking those, the rest of the ideas just seem to pop out of thin air. I usually write the material in one (very long) sitting. When I am "in the zone" I don't like to stop until the ideas are done because it's very difficult to come back later and have the same feel as before. So usually I record everything at once, and now because of work I dont always have time but if I can I like to arrange and mix everything in that session as well, but i usually end up finishing songs at like 8 or 9 am when im doing things like that.
SS: What's your process for layering parts in a recording? Which instrument do you start with?
Bulb: The majority of the time I start with a guitar riff or rhythm or something like that. I often get asked if I start off with the drums, but thats something I very rarely do because those ideas usually end up sucking (hehe). The only exceptions to that rule were when I lived in a house and had a drum kit, I would sometimes jam out some grooves and make riffs like that. For example the first riff in "Juggernaut Ideas" started out as a drum groove that I was jamming out on. So after laying down the basic rhythm tracks I usually add the drums in and then start seeing where I can layer guitars. Since I'm a huge fan of texturing and layering I try and fit those in wherever I can do it in a way that makes the riff sound better. Then after that I usually do the bass and worry about lead lines and solos last. Since I can't sing, my songs always start out instrumental. If its going to be a Bulb song, I will go for more layers and instrumentation to keep it interesting, whereas for Periphery I will leave a bit more space for Jake to put his vocals.
SS: How heavily does theory figure in your writing process?
Bulb: Unfortunately im self taught, so I know very little about theory except the bits and pieces I have picked up over time. I know a bit about time signatures and how to count them but I still dont know modes or scales that well and a 5 year old can read music faster than I can. As far as things like notes, harmonies and scales go I can recognize them in my own "language" because I have a good ear for that kind of stuff. So its like I understand theory to a small degree, but not in the universal way which would allow me to communicate it easily to others. Some would say that its a good thing because im not trying to write music within the bounds of theory, and others would say that theory would help me understand what im doing and help me develop my style further and more efficiently. I'm not really sure which it would be, but I figure someday I will try and learn theory...someday indeed...
SS: You use a lot of polymeters and polyrythms, which many of us have been trying to master. What is the best way to go about learning them?
Bulb: I have been messing with things like those since I started writing music, and its one of the reasons I loved meshuggah so much when I heard them for the first time, they really helped me hone in on that kind of writing. But once again its one of those things i dont try to force anymore, I used to love trying to write crazy polymeters and whatnot for the sake of it, but all of those ideas ended up being terrible and never saw the light of day, the best way is not to force it at all, i guess at this point I have been doing this style for so long that its just the way I approach the guitar, but I dont really try to make a polymeter or whatever, I just try to make a riff that sounds cool to me. In fact, the majority of my riffs these days aren't so much polymeters as they are just syncopated riffs following a steady pulse, but ultimately its whatever sounds best for the song, sometimes simple chords are whats needed and thats what I do then.
SS: I love your tones & mixes, what do you monitor with? What models of headphones & monitor speakers?
Bulb: I always get a bit nervous answering questions like this because it seems to me that expectations play too large a part in the whole "gear" debate. The truth is I still mix on a paid of 60 dollar headphones by Audio Technica. They are supposedly flat response, and they are close, but definitely no cigar. So far it has seemed like when I dont tell people what i mix on they think my mixes sound good, but the second iI tell them i mix on headphones (or let them know THAT I use a PodXT and not a miced amp, or Drumkit From Hell and not real drums) then it all of a sudden becomes too apparent, its completely psychological, haha. At any rate I cant really afford any monitors right now, but someday soon I would like to get a nice set, because once I get used to those, I know I will be able to mix a lot more efficiently and accurately on them.
SS: Your recordings all sound extremely polished, any tips for recording (both tube and solid state equipment as we know you favor the POD)?
Bulb: The best advice I could ever give anyone is to work with what you have got. A lot of people do think I favor the Podxt over a miced amp. The truth is I do it out of neccesity, because I live in an apartment and I usually record late at night, so miking my Engl is out of the question. The PodXT is very convinient and takes no setting up which is a good thing of course, but the fact that I can record silently at any time of the night is the real reason I use it on all my recordings. I have heard people get amazing results out of even simpler setups than mine, and heard people with racks of top shelf equipment get horrible results. My sound is a work in progress and is still far from complete, but im a firm believer that you cant get a good result without the work. If there was a secret formula to good sound, you can rest assured it would be well known, but unfortunately that has yet to be discovered. So if you dont have the best equipment, do what i do: sit for hours in front of your computer slowly tweaking your gear and settings until things sound better, and then listen the next day to see if there is an improvement. Its slow, tedious, and nerve wracking at times, but its the only way i know how to do it haha!
SS: Mixing is definitely an area where you are very strong. You have commented a lot of times that the "magic" (feel the magic) happens during the mix stage. What plugins do you use, how much time do you spend getting the EQ right and how do you get that huge punchy mix?
Bulb: This one gets asked a lot, I wish there was some secret formula to this, but if there was I wouldn't have to mix each song for so long haha. Since I never really took any courses for this, I have my trial and error method which may not be the best but which I can count on. That coupled with my obsessive and perfectionist tendencies makes for a lot of time spent tweaking in front of the computer. Honestly that is the trick, just keep tweaking things, experimenting with things until they sound better. Usually I cant even tell till later, because by the time im actually making an improvement my ears are so fatigued that I have no idea what sounds good anymore, so I wait a day or two and listen again and then I can tell if there has been an improvement. But as I said before its tedious and slow, not for everyone.
SS: Do you find it difficult to transfer your songs to the live environment?
Bulb: So far I guess I have been lucky, I have a hardworking and very talented band who manage to make these songs really come to life in a way that just amazes me everytime. So far the songs have been sounding amazing live. The hard part is trying to find out which layers take priority over others, because I love writing with lots of layers and textures, but its very difficult to get them all going live and sometimes having too many layers live crowds the mix too much, so I just have to prioritize based off how it sounds at practice. Other than that, I have been extremely pleased with how the songs sound live.
SS: Did you have trouble finding people who could keep up with your insane songs when forming "Periphery"?
Bulb: Yeah, it was a hell of a search which took the better part of 3 years. I met Jake first in a guitar center very randomly, and after being blown away by his voice decided that he had to sing on my recordings. It turned out that he was a hell of a unique riff writer and he still contributes a lot of ideas and riffs and arrangement ideas apart from writing awesome lyrics. We decided to form the band offiically and we started our hunt for members. The thing is to be able to pull this music off well we needed people who were able to play inhumanly tight, and through much auditioning and sheer luck we found Tom (Bass), Alex (Guitars) and most recently Orbinator. But yeah at times I wondered if I was ever going to be able to find people who not only could play the songs, but who would all get along and hopefully have similar personalities. I really lucked out there.
SS: You seem to constantly experiment with new sounds. Ms. Doppertunity was an amazing and very fresh song (my personal favorite). What's next in terms of the evolution of your sound?
Bulb: Ah that song is special to me because it was one of those songs that my singer Jake and I collaborated on, we write well together when we can get the right feel going and he really comes up with some crazy and just different sounding riffs (probably all the "fresh" riffs you are reffering to haha). I hope I can keep pushing the envelope like that, id really like to, but if i knew what that sounded like, it probably wouldnt be pushing it at all, i am sitting on a few ideas which could be really interesting and different, so just keep checking the soundclick and the myspace sites haha!
SS: Does your drummer have any issues with executing the parts you write for your recordings?
Bulb: Orbinator? No! Not a chance, if anything he finds my parts to be a bit simple, because he is always spicing them up and making them more interesting, which at this point we all ask him to do, we tell him to "orbinate" certain parts hehe! But yeah i feel like we really won the lottery with him!
SS: Which is more important in your musical endeavors: touring or recording?
Bulb: Oh god touring, how we want to tour! Recording to be honest isn't very fun for me, its something that has to be done, and I really like it when im creating because I can use my computer as a notepad for my ideas, but rerecording can be tedious and frustrating. Playing shows is pretty much the polar opposite, so I'm looking forward to touring this summer.
SS: Your talents are known well in both this board, and more recently the Baltimore/Washington area. I myself have witnessed, and been part of, the crowds who came, saw, and ultimately dug your music, and that of your band Periphery. Having said that, do you ever wonder if you and Periphery's obvious influences will have a detrimental effect on your band's potential future success? If so, in what direction do you feel the music will mutate to, if at all?
Bulb: I imagine you are referring to the Meshuggah influence, and to tell you the truth its inevitable. They have such a unique style that anyone who has even an ounce of their sound in them will get called out on it. I just try my best to keep my sound fresh and not sound like a clone, whether I succeeded or not is really for you to judge, but im happy with what I have created thus far and im really trying to push my sound forward more than anything, so i really dont think it will have a detrimental effect, if anything it has gotten us more fans haha! Ultimately we will just wait and see, but rest assured, no matter what people say, I will keep on writing my music.
SS: When is your album coming out?
Bulb: As far as albums go i have no idea to be honest. Although I have a ton of songs and whatnot posted on SoundClick artist: Bulb - Metal, or what i call metal rather. I write music so i can listen to it. There are not many bands, I really don't want to release a full album until I am signed with a good label. but we are releasing the Periphery EP soon, I just need to finish recording it. Silly life keeps on getting in the way, and yes we will find a way to get you all copies once its done! One way to get it for sure will be to come see us live when we are in your town!
And now.. For something completely different...
SS: Why bulb? Do you have a tulip fetish, or something?
Bulb: Bulb was the name of my old band, and because I had made the soundclick site under that name people started calling me that and I figured I might as well go with it! Also flowers make me feel pretty.
SS: Will you mix my album?
Bulb: You know I have been asked that a lot, and although in theory I would love to, i can barely find the time to mix my own! Someday in the near future i hope i have enough time to do projects like those!<img style="padding:20px;" align="right" src="http://www.sevenstring.org/newsimages/bulb/11.jpg" alt="Misha Mansoor" />
SS: BULB WILL YOU CLEAN MY HOUSE?
Bulb: Visit my room sometime and see if you want ME to clean your house. Actually that reminds me, will someone clean my apartment, pretty please?
SS: Bulb, your band's success has the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular?
Bulb: I think it must be my DSL's or my manly muscular upper body. Either way its definitely the looks!
SS: What are your thoughts on the current Britney Spears situation?
Bulb: I dunno, I'm kinda disappointed that I never got to see her naked while she was still hot. Oh and her music is kinda lame as well.
SS: What is the first thing you do to wake up?
Bulb: Sleep for 10 more minutes.
SS: Do you like pot stickers? If so, what is your favorite ingredient?
Bulb: Unfortunately I dont since I only eat bread and cheese and combinations of the aforementioned. Veggies and fruit are big no-no's and im extremely picky about meat too. I dont know why im still alive.
SS: Do you mind being my hero?
Bulb: Hell no I don't! I'll be your hero all day and all night. ... OK, that last bit sounded creepier than it should have...unless you are a hot girl.. (whee!)
SS: Do you mind being my hero? Answer it again, because this was the most submitted question.
Bulb: Aww, you guys are too nice, how could I say no now? Just dont expect me to fly or anything...I tend to fall...hard.
SS: Is your glass half empty or half full?
Bulb: Thanks to quantum theory it is BOTH!
SS: What is your favorite beer?
Bulb: Lowenbrau probably...mmmm brb.
SS: Bulb, I read in a magazine that you were in talks with Pizza Hut about an endorsement deal. How is this going? Are you expecting lots of heartburn?
Bulb: Considering that their main course consists of a wonderful amalgamation of bread and cheese, which happen my two main and only food groups, I would gladly be Pizza Hut's spokesperson in exchange for a lifetime supply of their pizza. (No fruits or veggies please.)
SS: Anything to say in closing to the legion of bulb-adoring fans on the web?
Bulb: You guys are seriously the greatest! Thanks to you, a dorky kid who makes music in his bedroom has a shot at a music career, so I owe you guys big time! Keep spreadin' the word, and hopefully soon I will be in your town and we can chill and be ridiculous!
PERIPHERY | Free Music, Tour Dates, Photos, Videos
Bulb | Free Music, Tour Dates, Photos, Videos
<img style="padding:20px;" align="left" src="http://www.sevenstring.org/newsimages/bulb/1.jpg" alt="Misha Mansoor" />
Sevenstring.org: How long have you been playing guitar, and what has been the major footstep in your playing that helped you get to where you are now?
Bulb: I first picked up a guitar when i was about 14, but I really was into drums back then so I pretty much just strummed on it for about 3 years making songs that would showcase the drums more than anything (mainly becaues I couldn't play more than a Drop-D powerchord back then!). But when I went to college, I couldn't really play drums anymore so I focused my attention fully on the guitar. I think the big jump in playing skill happened when I was trying to become John Petrucci. I was seriously practicing anywhere from 4-8 hours almost every day just learning Dream Theater solos and/or just wanking around and slowly developing my chops.
SS: What kinds of things did you practice to get where you're at now?
Bulb: Unfortunately I am pretty ADD sometimes, and as a result I have never had any sort of routine. I DO however make up small excercises or licks that I can just barely play and try to play them cleaner and faster until I get them. I also try to surround myself with (and jam out with) as many talented guitarists as possible. Jamming with someone who is better than me really inspires me to try and improve myself. Other than that, I did what I still do now - just play along to songs and albums that I like. The guitarists from the bands I listen to are my real teachers in a sense.
SS: Who have been your influences, both early on and now? And of all of your current influences, who do you listen to that really lights a creative fire under your ass?
Bulb: Early on I was really into bands like the Deftones and Tool and stuff like that. With time, I guess I got into more "musician's music", so right now bands that really just get me going are those ilke Meshuggah, Sikth, Hiromi, Shane Gibson, DEP, Dream Theater, Ion Dissonance, Nevermore, Guthrie Govan, BTBAM, Nobuo Uematsu, Devin Townsend and anything he touches, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Gojira, Mats/Morgan, The Refused, Ron and Bobby Jarzombek and anything they touch, Textures, Return to Forever and my good friend Paul Ortiz (aka Chimp Spanner) - God, there are more I'm sure but my memory is horrible!
SS: What aspects of your playing to you feel you are the strongest in and what special influences brought them out in your playing?
Bulb: I think that rhythm and melody would be my stronger aspects as opposed to chops or soloing skills. Recording has really tightened my playing and developed my style, because not only are you playing to a click, but especially when you double track, any discrepancies in time or form become immediately clear. So if you are strict on yourself, recording to a click can be very beneficial! I have also found that it has turned me into a hard picker (haha), the notes just pop out more and have more bite and presence when you pick hard, so it sounds better on recordings.
SS: Do you ever venture into other genres of music?
Bulb: I do dabble in electronic music for fun, but I dont think im very good at it at all - its just something that I like to play around with and I'm am always writing in general. I never really sit down and decide what style my next song will be, so sometimes I have some simple rockish or ambient ideas that I try to finish up and figure out what im going to do with them (haha).
SS: To what extent does inspiration drive the writing process? Do you require it or can you produce new material regardless of inspiration?
Bulb: Inspiration is the only thing I can rely on honestly. Sometimes I go through some long "dry spells" of not writing anything new, and I try to force myself to come up with something which 99% of the turns out to be just garbage. On the other hand, it usually only takes one riff or idea to get the whole flow going, since I usually write most of the song in one sitting (very long sittings sometimes, haha). Usually by the time I have the first riff recorded I have one or two more riffs to go with it ready in my head, and a lot of what Ii do is accidental or just lucky I feel In a way its a constant if that makes sense, because I can almost rely on it!
SS: Is there an aspect of the guitar or guitar playing that you believe deserves more attention?
Bulb: I personally am a fan of riffs. It seems to me nowadays that we have a lot of people who are insanely talented shredders but save everything for the lead lines and meedly meedly stuff and end up going lame on the riffs. I always thought that the more chops you have, the more tasty your riffs should be. And I'm not neccesarily saying they need to be technical, I just feel like that for a lot of people, the rhythm is just an afterthought, whereas for me its the driving force. And as for solos, as much as I love people with chops I think that feel and phrasing are the most important things which is why i love players like Petrucci, Govan, Loomis and Eklundh.
SS: What guitars and gear do you use in the studio and live?
Bulb: Generally for the studio I rely on my Carvin Dc 747 in Dragonburst with a Lundgren m7 in the bridge, and my Mystic Dream EBMM Jp7 with the Piezo and stock pickups when it comes to 7 strings. As for 6 stringers, I use either my Carvin H2 semihollow or my Gibson Les Paul Gary Moore Sig (both with stock pickups) I also have my amazing custom made Illustrated 8 String with a set of Lundgren M8 pickups which I have recorded a few short clips with and plan to write a lot more with in the future! Live, I use the Carvins as the main guitars and I bring the Petrucci and the Les Paul as backups.
SS: Do you use any unusual tunings, and if so, which is your favorite?
Bulb: Mostly I like Dropped tunings because of the large chords you can make and because of the larger interval between the two lowest strings - it makes things more dramatic i think (haha). My friend Tosin Abasi turned me on to tuning the 7 to standard but dropping the low E string to D - you can make some awesome chords like that and the note relationships shake things up a bit. I used that tuning on "As It Were" "Forever and a Half" and "Prerequisite" and I will definitely use it again.
SS: What PodXT presets and amp settings do you use?
Bulb: To tell you the truth I never really messed with the presets because I got mine used and never restored the factory settings, so right off the bat I started making my own patches which is what I like doing anyways. I am a tweaker when it comes to gear, so I definitely prefer creating a patch of my own over using a factory preset. As far as the settings I use on the podxt, I have always been a huge fan of the Bigbottom amp model with either the Fx Boost or the Tubescreamer pedal model in the stomp section. I have pretty much always used those combos for my recordings.
SS: How often do you use the 8 string compared to how often you use the seven?
Bulb: I jam around on it all the time, but sometimes its such an intimidating instrument. Also, it's very easy to get lumped into the 8 string Meshuggah rip-off territory, so I really only like posting clips with the 8 where I think I'm doing a bit of my own thing. I'm especially tough on the riffs I come up with on the 8, so it takes a bit longer for me to write material that I'm happy with And, since I'm the only one in Periphery with an extended range instrument, I'm not focusing on that too much because I want to write material we will get to play live. However the guys are already looking into their own extended range instruments and in the near future we will be playing with 6, 7 and 8's live.
SS: How have extended range guitars opened up / expanded your musicality? Have they inspired you to new musical lengths, or do they simply allow you to play in larger ranges of tones?
Bulb: It's interesting, to some it may just be an extra string but to me it changes the whole context of the instrument, a whole new palette. Just as the way I approach riffs and chords on the 8 is very different from the way i would approach it on a seven, even if i was playing in the range of a sevenstring or a six. So I really like that, and its the main reason that I haven't ditched 6-strings even though I have sevens and an eight, because I write very differently on each instrument and i like the change of feel and pace.
SS: Have you ever tried, or do you have any interest in multi-scale (fanned-fret) guitars?
Bulb: I haven't tried them yet because I have never run into one - I would LOVE to try one someday. When I was working with Jesse from Illustrated Guitars on the 8 string, a lot of people suggested that I try a fanned fretboard but I didnt want to experiment with that on my first 8. Based off of what i have read and heard, it seems to be a real hit or miss thing with people. I know my bassist just tried a fanned fret bass recently (so he can play the 8 string songs) and he was raving about how awesome they were so now I'm even more excited. I think I will try one before I order my next Illustrated 8 so that i can get my next one with fanned frets if i dig it.
SS: What made you choose to run through an Orange cab over a Mesa?
Bulb: Mesa cabs are great, but Orange are just the best (hahah)! It's a weird choice I know, even at first when I was told to check them out I was like "dude, those are like classic rock amps and cabs...". But then I tried one out with a Dual Recto. If you don't already know this, I'm not the biggest recto fan, but I'll tell you, when I tried it through the Orange it sounded great! So I figured if it could make a Recto sound great to me, it could make a great amp sound even better. I always do a lot of research before I buy anything, and I found out that Orange is the only large company that builds cabs the way they do. They use more plies, denser birch, and keep the cabinets relatively small which translates to very present but insanely tight bass, a midrange that really projects and clear highs that dont easily get icepicky or whatever. I a/b'd them with just about every cab I could find, and at the end of the day I decided it was worth the extra money.
SS: Do you believe extended upper range is as worthy of experimentation as extended lower range? Why do you think so few people choose to go lower instead of higher when experimenting with new tunings?
Bulb: Oh absolutely - it's not really my thing personally, but who am I to say that you shouldnt extend your range? I think that the reason most people go lower is because it is (debatably) easier on the ears, at least from a physical standpoint, because higher notes can be a bit piercing, whereas low notes wont really "hurt" when you hear them if that makes sense. Then there is also the "heavy" rule which suggests that lower = heavier. Although it's not a golden rule, it works a lot of the time. (Then again Gojira are heavier than life and they are in D, haha!) I personally love the sound of those low octaved notes because they sound so big, and I guess a lot of metal fans like that as well.
SS: What's your method of writing music? Does it just come to you, or do you spend a lot of time in the process of creating?
Bulb: There is a real ebb and flow to my creativity - sometimes I'm writing new songs almost daily, and sometimes I go a month or more without even so much as a new riff or idea. I have learned not to force it because most of the time when I say "Ok its time for something new, lets go!" I end up with really really bad ideas. So sometimes I just wait it out and eventually something comes along and inspires me, sometimes its just a random sudden craving to write a certain kind of tune. One thing I like to do when I'm not feeling creative is cover a song for fun. I have racked up a few meshuggah covers just from being bored but wanting to record something, and sometimes just doing that gets the creative juices flowing. When I am feeling in a creative mood however, its weird, it usually starts off with one riff or maybe a few I have been sitting on and tweaking, but for some reason once I start tracking those, the rest of the ideas just seem to pop out of thin air. I usually write the material in one (very long) sitting. When I am "in the zone" I don't like to stop until the ideas are done because it's very difficult to come back later and have the same feel as before. So usually I record everything at once, and now because of work I dont always have time but if I can I like to arrange and mix everything in that session as well, but i usually end up finishing songs at like 8 or 9 am when im doing things like that.
SS: What's your process for layering parts in a recording? Which instrument do you start with?
Bulb: The majority of the time I start with a guitar riff or rhythm or something like that. I often get asked if I start off with the drums, but thats something I very rarely do because those ideas usually end up sucking (hehe). The only exceptions to that rule were when I lived in a house and had a drum kit, I would sometimes jam out some grooves and make riffs like that. For example the first riff in "Juggernaut Ideas" started out as a drum groove that I was jamming out on. So after laying down the basic rhythm tracks I usually add the drums in and then start seeing where I can layer guitars. Since I'm a huge fan of texturing and layering I try and fit those in wherever I can do it in a way that makes the riff sound better. Then after that I usually do the bass and worry about lead lines and solos last. Since I can't sing, my songs always start out instrumental. If its going to be a Bulb song, I will go for more layers and instrumentation to keep it interesting, whereas for Periphery I will leave a bit more space for Jake to put his vocals.
SS: How heavily does theory figure in your writing process?
Bulb: Unfortunately im self taught, so I know very little about theory except the bits and pieces I have picked up over time. I know a bit about time signatures and how to count them but I still dont know modes or scales that well and a 5 year old can read music faster than I can. As far as things like notes, harmonies and scales go I can recognize them in my own "language" because I have a good ear for that kind of stuff. So its like I understand theory to a small degree, but not in the universal way which would allow me to communicate it easily to others. Some would say that its a good thing because im not trying to write music within the bounds of theory, and others would say that theory would help me understand what im doing and help me develop my style further and more efficiently. I'm not really sure which it would be, but I figure someday I will try and learn theory...someday indeed...
SS: You use a lot of polymeters and polyrythms, which many of us have been trying to master. What is the best way to go about learning them?
Bulb: I have been messing with things like those since I started writing music, and its one of the reasons I loved meshuggah so much when I heard them for the first time, they really helped me hone in on that kind of writing. But once again its one of those things i dont try to force anymore, I used to love trying to write crazy polymeters and whatnot for the sake of it, but all of those ideas ended up being terrible and never saw the light of day, the best way is not to force it at all, i guess at this point I have been doing this style for so long that its just the way I approach the guitar, but I dont really try to make a polymeter or whatever, I just try to make a riff that sounds cool to me. In fact, the majority of my riffs these days aren't so much polymeters as they are just syncopated riffs following a steady pulse, but ultimately its whatever sounds best for the song, sometimes simple chords are whats needed and thats what I do then.
SS: I love your tones & mixes, what do you monitor with? What models of headphones & monitor speakers?
Bulb: I always get a bit nervous answering questions like this because it seems to me that expectations play too large a part in the whole "gear" debate. The truth is I still mix on a paid of 60 dollar headphones by Audio Technica. They are supposedly flat response, and they are close, but definitely no cigar. So far it has seemed like when I dont tell people what i mix on they think my mixes sound good, but the second iI tell them i mix on headphones (or let them know THAT I use a PodXT and not a miced amp, or Drumkit From Hell and not real drums) then it all of a sudden becomes too apparent, its completely psychological, haha. At any rate I cant really afford any monitors right now, but someday soon I would like to get a nice set, because once I get used to those, I know I will be able to mix a lot more efficiently and accurately on them.
SS: Your recordings all sound extremely polished, any tips for recording (both tube and solid state equipment as we know you favor the POD)?
Bulb: The best advice I could ever give anyone is to work with what you have got. A lot of people do think I favor the Podxt over a miced amp. The truth is I do it out of neccesity, because I live in an apartment and I usually record late at night, so miking my Engl is out of the question. The PodXT is very convinient and takes no setting up which is a good thing of course, but the fact that I can record silently at any time of the night is the real reason I use it on all my recordings. I have heard people get amazing results out of even simpler setups than mine, and heard people with racks of top shelf equipment get horrible results. My sound is a work in progress and is still far from complete, but im a firm believer that you cant get a good result without the work. If there was a secret formula to good sound, you can rest assured it would be well known, but unfortunately that has yet to be discovered. So if you dont have the best equipment, do what i do: sit for hours in front of your computer slowly tweaking your gear and settings until things sound better, and then listen the next day to see if there is an improvement. Its slow, tedious, and nerve wracking at times, but its the only way i know how to do it haha!
SS: Mixing is definitely an area where you are very strong. You have commented a lot of times that the "magic" (feel the magic) happens during the mix stage. What plugins do you use, how much time do you spend getting the EQ right and how do you get that huge punchy mix?
Bulb: This one gets asked a lot, I wish there was some secret formula to this, but if there was I wouldn't have to mix each song for so long haha. Since I never really took any courses for this, I have my trial and error method which may not be the best but which I can count on. That coupled with my obsessive and perfectionist tendencies makes for a lot of time spent tweaking in front of the computer. Honestly that is the trick, just keep tweaking things, experimenting with things until they sound better. Usually I cant even tell till later, because by the time im actually making an improvement my ears are so fatigued that I have no idea what sounds good anymore, so I wait a day or two and listen again and then I can tell if there has been an improvement. But as I said before its tedious and slow, not for everyone.
SS: Do you find it difficult to transfer your songs to the live environment?
Bulb: So far I guess I have been lucky, I have a hardworking and very talented band who manage to make these songs really come to life in a way that just amazes me everytime. So far the songs have been sounding amazing live. The hard part is trying to find out which layers take priority over others, because I love writing with lots of layers and textures, but its very difficult to get them all going live and sometimes having too many layers live crowds the mix too much, so I just have to prioritize based off how it sounds at practice. Other than that, I have been extremely pleased with how the songs sound live.
SS: Did you have trouble finding people who could keep up with your insane songs when forming "Periphery"?
Bulb: Yeah, it was a hell of a search which took the better part of 3 years. I met Jake first in a guitar center very randomly, and after being blown away by his voice decided that he had to sing on my recordings. It turned out that he was a hell of a unique riff writer and he still contributes a lot of ideas and riffs and arrangement ideas apart from writing awesome lyrics. We decided to form the band offiically and we started our hunt for members. The thing is to be able to pull this music off well we needed people who were able to play inhumanly tight, and through much auditioning and sheer luck we found Tom (Bass), Alex (Guitars) and most recently Orbinator. But yeah at times I wondered if I was ever going to be able to find people who not only could play the songs, but who would all get along and hopefully have similar personalities. I really lucked out there.
SS: You seem to constantly experiment with new sounds. Ms. Doppertunity was an amazing and very fresh song (my personal favorite). What's next in terms of the evolution of your sound?
Bulb: Ah that song is special to me because it was one of those songs that my singer Jake and I collaborated on, we write well together when we can get the right feel going and he really comes up with some crazy and just different sounding riffs (probably all the "fresh" riffs you are reffering to haha). I hope I can keep pushing the envelope like that, id really like to, but if i knew what that sounded like, it probably wouldnt be pushing it at all, i am sitting on a few ideas which could be really interesting and different, so just keep checking the soundclick and the myspace sites haha!
SS: Does your drummer have any issues with executing the parts you write for your recordings?
Bulb: Orbinator? No! Not a chance, if anything he finds my parts to be a bit simple, because he is always spicing them up and making them more interesting, which at this point we all ask him to do, we tell him to "orbinate" certain parts hehe! But yeah i feel like we really won the lottery with him!
SS: Which is more important in your musical endeavors: touring or recording?
Bulb: Oh god touring, how we want to tour! Recording to be honest isn't very fun for me, its something that has to be done, and I really like it when im creating because I can use my computer as a notepad for my ideas, but rerecording can be tedious and frustrating. Playing shows is pretty much the polar opposite, so I'm looking forward to touring this summer.
SS: Your talents are known well in both this board, and more recently the Baltimore/Washington area. I myself have witnessed, and been part of, the crowds who came, saw, and ultimately dug your music, and that of your band Periphery. Having said that, do you ever wonder if you and Periphery's obvious influences will have a detrimental effect on your band's potential future success? If so, in what direction do you feel the music will mutate to, if at all?
Bulb: I imagine you are referring to the Meshuggah influence, and to tell you the truth its inevitable. They have such a unique style that anyone who has even an ounce of their sound in them will get called out on it. I just try my best to keep my sound fresh and not sound like a clone, whether I succeeded or not is really for you to judge, but im happy with what I have created thus far and im really trying to push my sound forward more than anything, so i really dont think it will have a detrimental effect, if anything it has gotten us more fans haha! Ultimately we will just wait and see, but rest assured, no matter what people say, I will keep on writing my music.
SS: When is your album coming out?
Bulb: As far as albums go i have no idea to be honest. Although I have a ton of songs and whatnot posted on SoundClick artist: Bulb - Metal, or what i call metal rather. I write music so i can listen to it. There are not many bands, I really don't want to release a full album until I am signed with a good label. but we are releasing the Periphery EP soon, I just need to finish recording it. Silly life keeps on getting in the way, and yes we will find a way to get you all copies once its done! One way to get it for sure will be to come see us live when we are in your town!
And now.. For something completely different...
SS: Why bulb? Do you have a tulip fetish, or something?
Bulb: Bulb was the name of my old band, and because I had made the soundclick site under that name people started calling me that and I figured I might as well go with it! Also flowers make me feel pretty.
SS: Will you mix my album?
Bulb: You know I have been asked that a lot, and although in theory I would love to, i can barely find the time to mix my own! Someday in the near future i hope i have enough time to do projects like those!<img style="padding:20px;" align="right" src="http://www.sevenstring.org/newsimages/bulb/11.jpg" alt="Misha Mansoor" />
SS: BULB WILL YOU CLEAN MY HOUSE?
Bulb: Visit my room sometime and see if you want ME to clean your house. Actually that reminds me, will someone clean my apartment, pretty please?
SS: Bulb, your band's success has the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular?
Bulb: I think it must be my DSL's or my manly muscular upper body. Either way its definitely the looks!
SS: What are your thoughts on the current Britney Spears situation?
Bulb: I dunno, I'm kinda disappointed that I never got to see her naked while she was still hot. Oh and her music is kinda lame as well.
SS: What is the first thing you do to wake up?
Bulb: Sleep for 10 more minutes.
SS: Do you like pot stickers? If so, what is your favorite ingredient?
Bulb: Unfortunately I dont since I only eat bread and cheese and combinations of the aforementioned. Veggies and fruit are big no-no's and im extremely picky about meat too. I dont know why im still alive.
SS: Do you mind being my hero?
Bulb: Hell no I don't! I'll be your hero all day and all night. ... OK, that last bit sounded creepier than it should have...unless you are a hot girl.. (whee!)
SS: Do you mind being my hero? Answer it again, because this was the most submitted question.
Bulb: Aww, you guys are too nice, how could I say no now? Just dont expect me to fly or anything...I tend to fall...hard.
SS: Is your glass half empty or half full?
Bulb: Thanks to quantum theory it is BOTH!
SS: What is your favorite beer?
Bulb: Lowenbrau probably...mmmm brb.
SS: Bulb, I read in a magazine that you were in talks with Pizza Hut about an endorsement deal. How is this going? Are you expecting lots of heartburn?
Bulb: Considering that their main course consists of a wonderful amalgamation of bread and cheese, which happen my two main and only food groups, I would gladly be Pizza Hut's spokesperson in exchange for a lifetime supply of their pizza. (No fruits or veggies please.)
SS: Anything to say in closing to the legion of bulb-adoring fans on the web?
Bulb: You guys are seriously the greatest! Thanks to you, a dorky kid who makes music in his bedroom has a shot at a music career, so I owe you guys big time! Keep spreadin' the word, and hopefully soon I will be in your town and we can chill and be ridiculous!
PERIPHERY | Free Music, Tour Dates, Photos, Videos
Bulb | Free Music, Tour Dates, Photos, Videos
Blub. 
I am your biggest fan 
in a very literal sense too lmao i am a giant (6'6.6" Height of the beast)
lmao
