what's new at dtguitar.com

2009/2010 Current news
here is Denis's current news. including what's new, new gear announcements, etc...

08/09/2010 Denis submits album for upcoming 53'rd Grammy© Awards Selection Process

Denis has submitted Modern Rock Guitar vol.146 'Species' album and some tracks from the album in several categories for the 53rd Grammy© awards selection process. "Well, we will see if they are accepted and if so in what categories". Denis has participated in 7 past Grammy© awards: the 44th,45th,46th,49th,50th,51st & 52nd Grammy© awards. (Denis appeared in the entry list from which Grammy© nominee's are selected for these years, but was not selected as a Grammy© nominee as he did not gain enough votes). He has been a voting member of The Recording Academy© since 2000.

Denis awaiting release of 2 albums and working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.149

Denis is waiting on release of Vol.147 and vol.148 and is working on The 8th album of 2010 Modern Rock Guitar Vol.149 "Well, so far, I have 4 tracks for the album and it is quite raw at this point. The tracks are rock tracks thus far. I am definitely trying out some different things gear wise and working on my guitar technique. Things I have been working on for weeks are just not starting to sep into my playing and becoming part of my style." Denis states.

MIDI, star of "Tales of Midi" Making full Recovery

"I am pleased to announce that MIDI who is my cat and star of "Tales of Midi" feature film seems to be recovering well from his front paw injury. Midi's spokesman did say that MIDI has complied with the court's request that Midi check himself in for 90 days at a celebrity cat rehab and catnip sobriety center, stressing that this was just as a precaution. He will be with many celebrity pets including the stand in for Benji, a toto look-alike and a Morris (from 9lives fame) double among others. " Denis states.

07/31/2010 Denis completes new album: Modern Rock Vol.147 "Conspiracies", Coming soon at Amazon.com

Modern Rock Guitar vol.147 'Conspiracies' with artwork courtesy of well-known artist Philip Taaffe has been completed. This is Denis's 6th album of 2010 and his 147th album overall. "The new album vol.147 has been completed and is being manufactured and will be available at Amazon.com soon.Vol. 147 is a very good album for me as the themes, moods and atmospheres it created were immediately identifiable. I am glad that the improvisation of the tracks reflected and enhances the initial themes. Sometimes the tracks end up going in all kinds of directions and it is difficult to create a cohesive album as a result. Here, it just came together very naturally. I also realized that my music , my albums and approach to guitar are about musicality. I often hear guitar albums that are laced from the first track to the last with shrieking lead guitar. For me, while the technique of those types of albums is impressive and fun to play, if it's just one solo after another on every track that really can cause ear fatigue and tire of it easily and I don't find it pleasant to listen too. In fact, I would prefer a more musical album with no guitar solo's then one were it is one solo after another. Those types of albums just have no substance for me anyway. It's sad to see some kids playing guitar and putting all their focus into just a tapping technique or playing a scale as fast as they can and that is missing the overall point of playing guitar. I have to say I didn't learn this until I started to record an album haha. Then you realize that playing a scale a mile a minute wont get you very far without musically and musical substance. I sometimes have to balance the guitar player in me vs the musical side of me and luckily the musical side always wins out. I again chose Philip Taaffe's artwork for the cover. It is just very much in tune with my music. I chose Philip Taaffe's.Herculaneum (1991) Mixed Media on Linen for the cover" Denis comments.

Another new Album Modern Rock Guitar Vol.148 "Electrodynamics" is awaiting release

Modern Rock Guitar vol.148 'Electrodynamics' has also been completed and album artwork is being done now.Then begins the manufacturing process. "yes, I finally got vol.148 completed as well and it actually would have been done sooner but I had to limit the amount of tracks and find an order that was pleasant and makes for a cohesive album. It ended up being 17 tracks with a running time of 72 minutes. I had originally 21 tracks for it but it was just too long. I am now working on the artwork which will take a some time as well. Well, more on this album after vol.147 is out. Though I will say it's quite an adventurous album as I used a lot of Line 6 variax guitar on it and used some really odd tunings on some tracks such as a Hawaiian tuning and some tunings where some strings were up an octave or higher which would not be possible unless one were using a variax guitar. Line 6 has a guitar that is an electric guitar but can model 25 different guitars such as acoustics, sitars, banjoes, dobro's, les pauls, strats and so on. It also allows you to use alternate tunings including some that would not be possible with a regular guitar. it was fun to experiment though with alternate tunings you have to find all these different new fingerings and its a pain the butt really, but the sounds you get are very interesting. So vol.147 is a bit more experimental than vol.147.it's interesting that I watched a documentary about The doors and Jim Morrison and then some classical guitar documentary. Well, not long after those had an influence on me and it seeped into a track which seemed to be a mix of the two in an interesting way. Inspiration comes from many things I guess. A friend of mine lives in Hawaii and was having me use Google earth to see where he lived and not long after I was influenced and came up with a track that very much had a Hawaiian type sound to it interestingly. I chose another Philip Taaffe painting for the art work though all the text artwork for vol.148 it is not completed yet " Denis comments.

MIDI, star of "Tales of Midi" injured

"I am sad to announce that MIDI who is my cat and star of "Tales of Midi" feature film seems to have injured his front paw. Midi's spokesman did say that no foul play was involved but would not comment any further on Midi's condition. However, an anonymous source close to Midi reported that MIDI rested most of the day today and last night and seems to be doing a bit better though his paw is still quite tender. Please wish MIDI a speedy recovery." Denis states.

Denis working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.149

Denis is working on The 8th album of 2010 Modern Rock Guitar Vol.149 "No comment for the moment, but after a few tracks I hope that some themes will develop." Denis states.

07/19/2010 Denis receives certificate for ten years of membership in The Recording Academy© Chicago Chapter

Denis was pleased to receive a certificate from the Recording Academy© Chicago Chapter celebrating his ten years of membership. The Recording Academy© holds the Grammy Awards©. Denis has been a voting member in the Chicago chapter since 2000. Denis will participate in the upcoming 2010-2011 53rd Grammy Awards© selection process which begins August 3rd, 2010.

Denis will participate in the upcoming 53'rd Grammy Awards© Selection Process

Denis will participate in the upcoming 2010-2011 53rd Grammy Awards© selection process which begins August 3rd,2010.Denis will submit some of his albums for consideration and will vote on the nominee and winner rounds.

Denis completing 2 new albums

Denis is putting finishing touches on 2 new albums. Modern Rock Guitar Vol.147 and Modern Rock guitar Vol.148. "I am putting the finishing touches on them. Just selecting the order of tracks and so on. Both are very different and have different themes. I like them both and they have some new sounds I have never used before. Some are done completely with the Line 6 Variax guitar as well. They should be ready to be released in the next couple of weeks at the latest. They will be available at Amazon.COM. I am surprised at how things influence my music, I mean one track for example seems to have the similar moods and atmospheres as a movie I saw the night before I recorded it haah. " Denis comments

06/25/2010 New Album Modern Rock Guitar Vol.146 "Species" with artwork from Philip Taaffe Now Available at Amazon.com

Modern Rock Guitar vol.146 'Species' with artwork courtesy of well-known artist Philip Taaffe has been completed. This is Denis's 5th album of 2010."The new album vol.146 is completed and is being manufactured and is available on Amazon.com .This album was recorded right after vol.145 and i intentionally used a different setup with many more repeating loops and patterns more like old German band tangerine dream .I like this album as much as vol.145 but it is different. I really like building upon a simple themes and find complementing themes that work with it. it's not everyone's cup of tea however and I realize that, but it is definitely a part of my music that I really enjoy and is very much film soundtrack orientated. I guess watching films when I was younger did influence me. Films from john carpenter and others. I really am pleased with the sound quality and musical ideas and themes that are explored with this album. I was also thrilled to adapt one of Philip Taaffe's artworks for the cover. It really fits the album well as it was done in the summer and I do feel it is a summer album and I think the artwork reflects this. I chose Philip Taaffe's artwork: .Dance of the Phasmidae, (2007). Mixed media on linen, 22.25 x 31.5 inches (57 x 81 cm) for the cover" Denis comments. Click here for samples and to purchase the CD or download the mp3

6 New Denis Taaffe Albums Now Available at Amazon.com on CD or mp3 download :

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.146 "species" - NEW!!! just released fifth new album of 2010

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.92 "Alternating Currents" -2nd album of 2007

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.82 "First Class Railways"-67th album of 2006

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.79 "Extinction" - 64th album of 2006

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.76 "Buddakan"-61st album of 2006

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.40 "Liquid Phrases"- 25th album of 2006

"This is a good step forward and I am pleased to see some of my favorite albums be put into CD format. slowly I am getting all of my old albums handled and sold by amazon.com which I am very pleased about. before this because of the costs, these were internet only downloads but now are actual physical CD's which is really what I had hoped for. There are still more old albums that need to be processed which is usually getting the artwork in the right format. I do notice how each album has musical themes that are explored" Denis comments.

Denis working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.147

Denis is working on The sixth album of 2010 Modern Rock Guitar Vol.147 "Well, its going slowly as I sometimes forget to start recording before playing or forget to setup a mic etc...haha. but I am very pleased so far. I am really letting themes develop and then will see where they lead me musically." Denis states.

06/21/2010 New Album Modern Rock Guitar Vol.145 "Guitar Hybrids" with artwork from Philip Taaffe Now Available at Amazon.com

Modern Rock Guitar vol.145 'Guitar Hybrids' with artwork courtesy of well-known artist Philip Taaffe has been completed. This is Denis's 4th album of 2010."The new album vol.145 is completed and is being manufactured and is available on Amazon.com .I am really pleased with this album as it is what I envisioned and it is musically mature. It is 13 tracks and about 71 minutes long . I am especially pleased that the artist Philip Taaffe allowed me to use one of his paintings ("Bathylipsis"-1994 Mixed media on Canvas) for the artwork of this album. I discovered him online, however my mother knew of him from reading Arts & Antiques magazine. I hesitated in contacting him as he was very well known and his paintings are very expensive and I certainly could not afford to license a painting for a CD cover.. However, after seeing that we were related (there are not that many Taaffe's in the world) and discovering that his paintings complement my music perfectly, I did contact him (well his assistant). They graciously allowed me to use any of his paintings for my albums. I was thrilled, thankful and chose his painting "bathylipsis". This makes this a true "Taaffe" (pronounced Tayf) Album. It did add a little pressure to make this album as good as I could make it. The nice thing is that I had already been working on it and so the themes were already present and the artwork just seemed to fit perfectly. It worked out really nicely without me doing anything other than my musical style" Denis comments. Click here for samples and to purchase the CD or download the mp3

06/09/2010 Denis renews Recording Academy© Membership for 2011!! Will Participate in the 2011 53rd Grammy Awards Process

Denis has renewed his Recording Academy© membership for 2011. Denis has been a voting member of the Recording academy© since 2000. Being a voting member allows Denis to submit product and participate in the Grammy© awards process. He has participated in 7 past Grammy© awards: the 44th,45th,46th,49th,50th,51st & 52nd Grammy© awards. (Denis appeared in the entry list from which Grammy© nominee's are selected for these years, but was not selected as a Grammy© nominee as he did not gain enough votes). "Well, I plan to continue to participate in the Grammy© awards process and to do so I must renew my membership each year. I was pleased to be able to participate in the Grammy Awards process last year, so I will continue this year which will be my 8th year of participating." Denis states.

New Album completed - Modern Rock Guitar Vol.146 "Species" with artwork from Philip Taaffe -Coming Soon at Amazon.com

Modern Rock Guitar vol.146 'Species' with artwork courtesy of well-known artist Philip Taaffe has been completed. This is Denis's 5th album of 2010."The new album vol.146 is completed and is being manufactured and it will be available shortly on Amazon.com .I am really pleased with this album as I really like the tracks on the album. the approach to guitar and guitar loops is quite different than vol.145.It very much uses repetitive loops you may find in modern composer Phillip glass's work and some nods to filmmaker and composer john Carpenter and some Tangerine dream (German composers whose music has been used in many film soundtracks). All the tracks were still recorded & performed live without additional overdubs and all the tracks were improvised on the spot like almost all my albums, but I used different loopers and other equipment which forced me to use a different approach. It is quite refreshing and I will say, that is was difficult to record this album as it was really hot in the studio. The heat was sometimes unbearable. I mean with all that equipment and studio foam, the temperatures were incredible at times. I mean a few minutes of playing and I was drenched. Still it is a very fresh summer type album and I was thrilled to find a Philip Taaffe painting that fit perfectly with the music. Philip Taaffe's painting "Dance of the Phasmidae" (Phasmidae are stick insects) adapted for the artwork of this album was really essential as it does give it a summer touch. It is an honor to be provided permission to use his paintings for the album artwork. He is a distant relative and a really well known and talented artist. overall, I really like this album and it definitely creates moods and atmospheres and has its own intertwined themes and that's what it's all about for me " Denis comments.

More Modern Rock Guitar Album's coming soon on CD at Amazon.com

Modern rock guitar Vol.40 "Liquid Phrases (2006), & the already mentioned Modern rock guitar vol.79 "Extinction" (2007) & Modern rock guitar Vol.92 "Alternative Currents" (2007) Modern rock guitar Vol.145 "Guitar Hybrids"(2010-new) & Modern rock guitar vol.82 "First Class Railways" (2006)."I am really pleased to get these albums available on Amazon.com on CD. It's a really a lot of work to redo the artwork to their specs, but it's very much worth it. Many of my albums used to be internet only albums. To have them available on CD is fantastic. " Denis mentions.

Denis begins work on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.147

Denis is beginning to work on The sixth album of 2010 Modern Rock Guitar Vol.147 "Well, I am going to try some things that I have been meaning to try, new musical ideas and methods that I have not used before and see where they lead. I did that for the last album, but have only scratched the surface of things I would like to try. I think for vol.147, i will try to create an album made of entirely swelled guitar notes and guitar loops .That should be interesting. I have used guitar swells in most of my albums but only as part of a track. Well, we will see, as most albums seem to have a mind of their own and point to what direction they wish to go in musically "Denis states.

06/04/2010 Denis celebrated his Birthday recently

Denis celebrated his 41st birthday recently." I am pleased to have turned 41 recently. Wow, the years go quickly. Well, I was working on vol.146 most of the day." Denis comments.

3 More Modern Rock Guitar Album's coming soon on CD at Amazon.com

Modern rock guitar Vol.76 "Buddakan (2006), Modern rock guitar vol.79 "Extinction" (2007) & Modern rock guitar Vol.92 "Alternative Currents" (2007) & the already mentioned Modern rock guitar Vol.145 "Guitar Hybrids"(2010-new) & Modern rock guitar vol.82 "First Class Railways" (2006)."I am really pleased to get these albums available on Amazon.com on CD. It also gives me a chance to redo the artwork and fix any mastering problems. For example, vol.79 was a bit muddy and so I re-mastered it with just a little eq to remove some of the bass and gave each track a little boost of eq. It sounds very good. I cant wait to receive the proofs of these. especially the newest one vol.145" Denis mentions.

Denis finishing work on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.146

Denis is finishing work on The fifth album of 2010 Modern Rock Guitar Vol.146. " I think this is one of my best albums, perhaps its because it's new, but I just really like the tracks on this one. It just came together really nicely. Its almost done and I hope to use a Philip Taaffe paining for the cover of this one as well." Denis comments.

05/30/2010 More Modern Rock Guitar Album's now available on CD at Amazon.com

Modern Rock Guitar vol..111 "Cross Country"

Modern Rock Guitar vol..115 "Red planet One"

More Modern Rock Guitar Album's coming soon on CD at Amazon.com

Modern rock guitar Vol.145 "Guitar Hybrids", Modern rock guitar vol.82 "First Class Railways"

05/28/2010 New Album completed - Modern Rock Guitar Vol.145 "Guitar Hybrids" with artwork from Philip Taaffe -Coming Soon at Amazon.com

Modern Rock Guitar vol.145 'Guitar Hybrids' with artwork courtesy of well-known artist Philip Taaffe has been completed. This is Denis's 4th album of 2010."The new album vol.145 is completed and is being manufactured and it will be available shortly on Amazon.com .I am really pleased with this album as it is what I envisioned and it is musically mature. It is 13 tracks and about 71 minutes long . I am especially pleased that the artist Philip Taaffe allowed me to use one of his paintings ("Bathylipsis"-1994 Mixed media on Canvas) for the artwork of this album. I discovered him online, however my mother knew of him from reading Arts & Antiques magazine. I hesitated in contacting him as he was very well known and his paintings are very expensive and I certainly could not afford to license a painting for a CD cover.. However, after seeing that we were related (there are not that many Taaffe's in the world) and discovering that his paintings complement my music perfectly, I did contact him (well his assistant). They graciously allowed me to use any of his paintings for my albums. I was thrilled, thankful and chose his painting "bathylipsis". This makes this a true "Taaffe" (pronounced Tayf) Album. It did add a little pressure to make this album as good as I could make it. The nice thing is that I had already been working on it and so the themes were already present and the artwork just seemed to fit perfectly. It worked out really nicely without me doing anything other than my musical style" Denis comments.

Denis Films Now Available For Rent, Download and Purchase at AMAZON

Besides selling Denis's albums as downloads and on CD, Amazon.com now has several of Denis's films and video documentaries available for rent via video on demand and/or purchase on DVD . The available titles are:

1.Guitarist Denis Taaffe: history & progress II on DVD or for rent via video on demand

2. Guitarist Denis Taaffe: History & progress I on DVD or for rent via video on demand

3. Guitarist Denis Taaffe: Sounds In Depth on DVD or for rent via video on demand

4. jimmy carter, Killer Rabbits and UFO's on DVD or for rent via video on demand

5. Search for the Indiana yetti2 on DVD only

6. Search for the Indiana yetti on DVD or for rent via video on demand

7. Enemy combatants: America's new food Source on DVD or for rent via video on demand

8. The ron Little Chronicles on DVD or for rent via video on demand

Denis begins work on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.146

Denis is beginning to work on The fifth album of 2010 Modern Rock Guitar Vol.146. "Well, I am going to try some things that i have been meaning to try, new musical ideas and methods that I have not used before and see where they lead."

More modern Rock guitar albums coming to Amazon.COM

More Modern Rock Guitar Albums form Denis's back catalog will soon be available at Amazon.COM on CD."Well, it's very time consuming as I have to redo the artwork in the right format, but I am trying top get all 145 CD's of mine available on Amazon.COM on CD. So I am working on that as well as other projects." Denis comments.

03/03/2010 New Albums Now Available at Amazon.com -

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.144 "Guitar Optics" - NEW!!! just released third new album of 2010

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.143 "Structured Silence" - second album of 2010

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.142 "Guitar harvest" - first album of 2010

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.101 "At the Station"-2007

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.90 "Point of no return"-2006

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.53 "illusions"-2006

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.18 "metropolis"-2006

"Well, slowly I am getting all of my old albums and my new ones to be handled and sold by amazon.com which I am very pleased about. before this because of the costs, these were internet only downloads but now are actual physical CD's which is really what I had hoped for. There are still more old albums and new ones that need to be processed which is usually getting the artwork in the right format. I do notice a huge difference though between old and new albums sound quality and musically as well" Denis comments.

Denis is working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.145

The fourth Denis album of 2010 is being worked on. "Well, so far, I am allowing the theme for this album to develop itself naturally and so far it is working out very well. I have improvised and created three tracks which tend to point to a musical theme and I try to compliment that" Denis comments.

02/27/2010 New Album completed update - Modern Rock Guitar Vol.144 "Guitar Optics"

"The new album vol.144 is completed and it has been processed and the proof approved so it will be available shortly on Amazon.com .I am really pleased with this album as it is what I envisioned and it is musically mature which is a hard thing to describe. I think a lot of it is how space is used, early albums were crammed with a wall of sound for every track ,now there is a variety in dynamics throughout the album which makes it a listenable album. I also added an extra synced looper for this album , so instead of 2 loopers I used 3 on this album and in doing so I had to be careful that the music was not to busy or that it was just a wall of sound. It is only 9 tracks that are fairly long but it came out to about 70 minutes or so." Denis comments.

Denis is working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.145

The fourth Denis album of 2010 is being worked on. "Well, so far, I have three tracks done for it and I really like two of them and will probably scrap the third which just has a bass line I find very annoying. I could make quite a few albums out of the scraps of music I threw out but would end with albums I hate. so , Instead those get added to an archive of unused material. Every album has at least 1 or 2 extra tracks that I don't use. I am thankful that every new album allows me to explore new ideas ,new sounds and new approaches to playing and recording.Vol.145 will certainly be an interesting album"

Denis is completing 2 new films

Denis is completing 2 films. one is a new film and one is the sounds in depth guitar documentary ."well, actually , one is a new film and the other is a guitar orientated film which is being transferred to DVD and will be available at amazon.com. the other film is not really guitar related and I cant divulge anymore about it, except to say its a pain in the butt and takes forever. I much prefer creating albums. But, its almost done and then I will concentrate on getting the rest of my cd's to Amazon and creating new albums, Films are fun and very time consuming and most I have done are less than serious, goofy and are pointless except that they were really done to learn how to edit film and so on. Though, I would like to work on a more serious film which I am planning".

3 more albums coming to Amazon.com

Modern Rock guitar vol.144 "guitar optics"(NEW) ,

Modern Rock guitar vol. 90 "point of no return"

Modern Rock guitar.vol.101 "At the Station"

02/07/2010 New Album completed - Modern Rock Guitar Vol.144

"The new album vol.144 is completed. I have yet to create the artwork for it and after that I have to send it to be processed and eventually it will end up on Amazon.com .I am really pleased with this album as it is what I envisioned and it is musically mature which is a hard thing to describe. I think a lot of it is how space is used, early albums were crammed with a wall of sound for every track ,now there is a variety in dynamics throughout the album which makes it a listenable album. I also added an extra synced looper for this album , so instead of 2 loopers I used 3 on this album and in doing so I had to be careful that the music was not to busy or that it was just a wall of sound. It is only 9 tracks that are fairly long but it came out to about 70 minutes or so." Denis comments.

Denis is working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.145

More albums coming to Amazon.com

Modern rock guitar.vol.144 (NEW) , Modern rock guitar.vol.101 "At the Station" These are in the proofing process.

01/25/2010 New video documentary added

"Denis Goes to an Auction" parts I and II have been added to the video film & music page under non music videos (near the bottom of the page). The documentary combines fiction and non fiction. New for 2010. You can watch it here

01/24/2010 New album completed - Modern rock guitar vol.143 "Structured Silence"

The second Denis album of 2010 has been completed and has to go through the manufacturing process. "Well, vol.143 Structured Silence is one of my favorites. The reason for this is because it has new musical themes and is not an album that I had to struggle to make. These always end up being the best albums. perhaps it is because I was really inspired and so the recordings came easily and defined the theme of the album. Also, musically, it is a mature album. When you are a young musician you tend to want to cram every second with notes or chords. As you mature as a musician you realize that the use of silence and space can be much more powerful and I hear this on this album. nothing was rushed. I am sending it to amazon.com so it should be available soon" Denis mentions.

Denis is working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.144

The third Denis album of 2010 is being worked on. "Well, so far, I have 2 tracks for this album. I think I will try some new musical ideas and see how that works out. Sometimes musical ideas can work perfectly and other times they can really cause chaos. we will see. Also, I will use my regular guitar, some variax line 6 guitar and some boss rc-50 loops which I don't use often. In the 'guitar world', guitar albums are usually a show of how fast someone can play or shredding solo after solo and that is fine, but for me, musically, I just cant listen to that all day. Guitar doesn't have to be shredding solo's on every track, its nice that it can create that and it has its place and I don't mind hearing it sometimes, but you cant have that without ignoring the overall things that make music pleasant to listen too such as melody, chord structure, space and so on. So I am conscious of this. When I was younger , if a record didn't have shredding guitar solo's (forget the music) from track 1 to the end then it was 'crap'. Paul Gilbert with racer x is an example, the music/songs were basic and ok, but hearing the guy shred was why you listened to the album and it was impressive. But, compare that with his playing on his mr.Big albums; big difference (though I am not a big fan of mr.Big either haha). Well, in the long term, the albums I enjoy the most have a lot less screaming solo's and a lot more substance musically. That is not to say that there aren't any screaming solo's like an adult contemporary snore fest album though haahah.I guess there has to be a balance of both" Denis states.

They are HERE!!! NEW 6 Denis Albums arrived at Amazon.com!!!!

New Denis albums are available exclusively at Amazon.com via CD or mp3 download. All of the albums are available as CD purchases and some have not yet been converted to mp3 downloads, but will be soon.

Modern rock guitar vol.24" Go for it" - "definitely one of my favorites, as it is the first album where I switched from drum machines to drum samples for more realistic drums" Denis comments.

Modern rock guitar vol. 51 "Alien encounters 1" "yes, this is part of a 2 CD set, vol.51 and vol.52 and the themes are intertwined and spread to both albums. I do recall that the the themes were immediately apparent" Denis mentions.

Modern Rock guitar vol. 52 "Alien encounters 2" "The follow up to vol.51, very similar to vol.51,but it expands on many of the themes from vol.51" .

Modern rock guitar vol..67 "Above water" " This album has its own theme and sound that is rather unique" Denis states.

Modern rock guitar vol.140 "Texas Highways" "This is a new one and the sound quality is better than some earlier albums and the themes are more refined"

Modern rock guitar.vol.141"Guitar Embryo" "This is a new album as well and has a lot of musical ideas but remains faithful to the main theme"

Denis explains why you should download entire albums instead of mp3 song downloads

With the popularity of itunes and others who have .99 cent downloads for one song, Denis argues that downloading an entire album makes more sense : "Well, generic pop music has made the 99 cent mp3 download very popular, so you can download the latest radio hit ,but you miss out on quite a bit in my opinion. To me, an album is like a painter's canvas. An album has a theme as a painting has a theme. you certainly wouldn't cut out the smile of the Mona Lisa ,you would want to enjoy the entire painting. well, its the same thing with a music album. when you only purchase a single track of an album, you are only getting part of the "picture" or the theme/intent of the album. The album is a tapestry that a musician uses to create his work on. My albums, for example, each have a particular theme and that theme is explored and expanded on from track to track. Why would one only want one track from an album and miss out on the overall picture. Think if you were to only buy/hear one song from Pink Floyd's concept album "the wall", you would be missing the intention of the musicians, missing the vision and themes/intent of the album. I am not against mp3 downloads ,but it should be for the entire album " Denis mentions.

NEW Denis DVD coming soon to Amazon.com

Denis's 1 hour DVD called "Guitarist Denis Taaffe: Sounds in Depth" is coming to DVD and will be available at Amazon. COM exclusively. The documentary shot last year has Denis demonstrating his guitar sounds and approach to music and using guitar loops done on the fly. A lower quality has been available on you tube and at dtguitar.com for some time." well, as I recall, I approached this not as a instructional DVD, but more as a way to demonstrate my approach to guitar, music and improvisation. Sometimes you can learn from a guitarist just by watching him play. The DVD is of better quality video and audio" Denis mentions.

Denis Albums coming soon to Amazon.com

Modern rock guitar.vol.142"Guitar Harvest" (NEW) , Modern rock guitar.vol.18 , Modern rock guitar.vol.53 and modern rock guitar vol.143 as well as the new DVD "guitarist Denis Taaffe: sounds in depth" .These are in the proofing process.

01/16/2010 New album completed - Modern rock guitar vol.142 "Guitar Harvest"

The first Denis album of 2010 has been completed and has to go through the manufacturing process. "Well, Guitar harvest has some tracks that were recorded over the 2009 holidays appropriately enough. It is not heave on guitar leads, but has some intense guitar moments and is very musical. I am really pleased with it." Denis mentions.

Denis is working on a New album - Modern rock guitar vol.143

"Well, this album will have some new sounding tracks as I have found a new approach to guitar loops that is quite interesting. Layering repeating patterns with different harmonies gives some really interesting results." Denis states.

NEW 6 Denis Albums coming to Amazon.com!!!!

New Denis albums will be available exclusively at Amazon.com via CD or mp3 download. The proofs have been approved for the following (these include new and old titles):

Modern rock guitar vol.24" Go for it" - "definitely one of my favorites, as it is the first album where I switched from drum machines to drum samples for more realistic drums" Denis comments.

Modern rock guitar vol. 51 "Alien encounters 1" "yes, this is part of a 2 cd set, vol.51 and vol.52 and the themes are intertwined and spread to both albums. I do recall that the the themes were immediately apparent" Denis mentions.

Modern Rock guitar vol. 52 "Alien encounters 2" "The follow up to vol.51, very similar to vol.51,but it expands on many of the themes from vol.51" .

Modern rock guitar vol..67 "Above water" " This album has its own theme and sound that is rather unique" Denis states.

Modern rock guitar vol.140 "Texas Highways" "This is a new one and the sound quality is better than some earlier albums and the themes are more refined"

Modern rock guitar.vol.141"Guitar Embryo" "This is a new album as well and has a lot of musical ideas but remains faithful to the main theme"

Denis's goal is to have all of his albums available on CD and mp3 download via Amazon.com. "This is a rare thing in that in that, in the past, all my albums except the first were mp3 downloads only. With createspace and Amazon.com, each album is now available in the form of a CD. I really am lucky in a way, because I would never have the means to pay to have all my albums made into CD's. So, to have them truly exist in physical form is great" Denis mentions.

Denis Albums coming soon to Amazon.com

Modern rock guitar.vol.142"Guitar Harvest" (NEW) , Modern rock guitar.vol.18 and Modern rock guitar.vol.53 .These are in the proofing process.

12/29/2009 Happy holidays!!!!

happy holidays to all !!!

Denis's Progress

Another year is about to expire and this year has been a very musical year for Denis. The biggest achievements are Denis's new albums and seeing many of Denis's albums take physical form as finished Cd's sold via amazon.com!!! Rather than just being internet only albums. Also, Denis created a few films and participated in the grammy awards process again this year. Also, Denis's playing has improvised and the recording quality has improved. After playing over 20 years, it is very difficult to improve on one's guitar playing because you get used to playing things a certain way. So to try different ways and break some playing habits is quite difficult. "Well, my playing has really improved this year by leaps and bounds. In particular, I took a listen to my guitar playing and soloing and I wanted to create a soloing style that was pleasant to listen to. I think some of my playing was a little rough. So this has been a great year for improvement. I also concentrated on arpeggios, not in a sweeping style but just in general playing. To play them cleanly took time, but to use them in your playing took a long time and is quite difficult, but was well worth it I can actually listen to my soloing, even with no accompaniment and enjoy it and find it much more musical then it was in the past. I also spent a long time working on the sound quality of my recordings and tried to improve on those" Denis mentions.

Denis completes and releases 2 more new albums to end 2009

Denis has completed and released 2 new albums for 2009. they are Modern rock guitar vol.140 "Texas Highways" and Modern Rock guitar Vol.141 "Guitar Embryo" ." Vol.140 is definitely a modern rock guitar album and was very conventional except that I used a Parker p-42 for that album. It gave me a different sound as the p-42 is a pretty clean sounding strat like guitar. However, I do find that the Parker p-10 is just my main guitar. I don't have 2 of them by accident and it just sounds superior to even the parker p-42 though the electronics are the same. I used the line 6 variax for some tracks on vol.141 and used the p-10.I don't recall using the p-42 for vol.141 at all. Vol.141 is a really complete album and has really good sound quality recording wise. I also spent a lot of time on bass management for the mastering of that CD and it worked out great. " Denis mentions. Both albums have been sent for processing and will be available only at amazon.com!!!

Denis 2010 gear update

Denis is preparing for 2010 with similar gear as 2009. " Well, most of my gear is no longer made and so its hard to get a hold of, but I was able to add 2 lexicon jamman's (for a total of 4) which are midi loopers which are no longer made and sought after. They are fantastic for bass and other loops,. I also added another boomerang pedalboard, so I use 2 of those now. I also added 2 more ultratwin stereo combo amps. So I have 4 of those now. I like those best because they have 2 separate stereo ch's, so its like 4 amps in one and of course they no longer make those either. This is what I learned , is to stick with something when you find a piece of gear that works, you better get back ups if they are not made anymore. I still have never found anything that loops better than a lexicon jamman and syncs with midi. I have tried so many ,but none do what the lexicons do. this is due to the logic of how they go about looping. the lexicon is done the right way for me anyway. I tried many many others and they use the other approach which is a nightmare to loop with midi correctly. Also, I had 4 tube amps and got rid of all of them, when modeling it just didn't work for me at all. I instead got 2 more ultra twin amps which are like fender twin knockoff's,but stereo. But they have those Jensen speakers and give a really unique sound that I just cant get with celestions [speakers] at all. The longer I stick with my gear the more of it becomes "vintage" haha, well no longer made anyway which is a shame as some of the equipment doesn't get replaced with a better sounding unit?! So it will be fun to incorporate some of these extra pieces of gear and see where it leads" Denis mentions

Denis Albums in 5.1 surround

Denis's music in 5.1 surround sound may become a reality." Well, I have been setting up a home theater with surround sound and it it got me curious about 5.1 recordings and to see if i could do some 5.1 recordings. well, as it turns out, I found a plugin that does allow me to record in 5.1 and as long as you have a 5.1 6.1 or 7.1 receiver ,I can encode the 5.1 surround in normal cd tracks. I am experimenting with this. It would be a lot of fun to dedicate certain ch's for one guitar part and another for the drums etc....I think vol.142 , the next album will have the 5.1 encoding, though it will still play in stereo on normal cd players. you can do some really neat panning not only left and right as with stereo ,but also front and back and sideways with 5.1,well we will see, but I hope that all of my 2010 albums will be in 5.1" Denis states.

Denis working on 142'nd modern rock guitar album

Denis is preparing modern rock guitar vol.142. " Well, I am really inspired to try out some new musical ideas that have I have been experimenting with" Denis mentions.

Denis CD's continue to be ported to CD at Amazon.com

Denis albums continue to be ported to CD on amazon.com. "slowly but surely all my albums will eventually be available at amazon.com on CD, this includes new CD's as well, the latest include vol.67, vol.140,vol.141,vol 51,vol.52 and others" Denis mentions.

12/07/2009 Denis 52nd Grammy© Awards update

Denis did not garner enough votes to become a Grammy© nominee in the 2009 52nd Grammy© Awards.. Denis was in the entry list in the following categories:

Best Rock Instrumental Performance- Modern rock Guitar Vol.133 "Guitarglyphs" see listing here 1 of 48

Best Pop Instrumental Performance -for the track "Amun Ra " see listing here 1 of 86

Best Rock Album- Modern Rock guitar Vol.133 "Guitarglyphs" see listing here

Record of the Year - for the track "Amun Ra" see listing here

Album of the Year - Modern rock Guitar Vol.133 "Guitarglyphs" see listing here

Note that being included in the entry list does not constitute a Grammy© nomination, but it is the entry list from which recording© academy members vote and the top5 in each category become Grammy© nominee's (and then one more round to decide the Grammy© winner. Votes for Grammy nominee's must be in by November 05,2008. This is Denis's 7th time to be included in the Grammy© entry list, (he has appeared in the 44th, 45th,46th, 49th, 50th and 51st annual Grammy© awards entry lists previously). Denis has been a voting member of the recording academy since 2000.

Denis prepares to complete his 140th Modern Rock Guitar Album

Denis is about to complete and release his 140th modern rock guitar album which is so far untitled. it will be the last album for 2009.

Denis adds a parker P42

Denis has added a Parker P-42 guitar for his latest album recordings. " the Parker p-42 is much like my parker p-10's,in that it has similar electronics, however, the p-42 feels and plays more like a strat. it is also very quiet and more accurate than the p-10.both guitars fill specific purposes though." Denis mentions.

Denis Experiments with 5.1 surround sound

Denis has been experimenting mixing his albums in 5.1 surround. "5.1 is quite something, it allows you to really envelop the listener. However, I also noticed that a standard 2 track stereo recording can be manipulated to sound similar to a 5.1 mix. We will see as 5.1 mix downs give you better control of where to place things in the stereo field. So experimenting with this." Denis states.

09/25/2009 Denis Included in 52nd Grammy© Awards Entry List!!

Denis has been included in the 2009 52nd Grammy© Awards entry list in the following categories:

Best Rock Instrumental Performance- Modern rock Guitar Vol.133 "Guitarglyphs" see listing here 1 of 48

Best Pop Instrumental Performance -for the track "Amun Ra " see listing here 1 of 86

Best Rock Album- Modern Rock guitar Vol.133 "Guitarglyphs" see listing here

Record of the Year - for the track "Amun Ra" see listing here

Album of the Year - Modern rock Guitar Vol.133 "Guitarglyphs" see listing here

"I am very pleased to be included in the entry list for this year's Grammy Awards. I make no illusions as the chances of being nominated or winning, however, for me, I am just pleased to be included with some really well known musicians. Truthfully, it's quite something just to be included as an independent musician without a record label or anyone backing you. I believe in my music and this kinds of justifies it in a way or at least makes it relevant ; record label or not. This year I was included in all the categories I wanted to be included in." Denis mentions.

We will keep you updated on the results of the entry list voting....keep your fingers crossed for Denis

Denis complete his 139th Modern Rock Guitar Album

Denis has completed and released his 139th modern rock guitar album called "Deep Space 1".It is available at amazon.com on Cd and mp3 download. This is Denis's 5th new CD of 2009.

Denis releases 3 films on DVD available at amazon.com

By popular demand, "President Jimmy carter,Killer Rabbbits & UFO's" "Enemy combatants:America's new food source" & "the Ron little chronicles" are available on DVD at amazon.com. "Just in time for christmas, these make great stocking stuffers!!.....haah.I am thrilled to have a DVD version of these stupid films which does grow on you after a few viewings.Well the dvd version is of higher quality video wise and I had to create the DVD box cover & liner notes for it which worked out well "Denis states. Other films coming soon.

More Denis albums at amazon.com

more Denis albums come to Amazon.com exclusively on CD & digital download .They are:

Modern rock guitar vol.55 "Alternate Paths"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.139 "Deep Space 1"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.99 "Urban Expansion"

More Denis CD's and DVD's coming soon to amazon.com

More albums are coming soon to Amazon.com as well as some film titles.

Denis working on his 140th modern rock guitar album

Denis is working on Volume 140 of his modern rock guitar series..

Denis releases new films

Denis has completed and released several new films. first the documentary "search for the indiana Yetti" available on your tube and soon to amazon dvd. Denis also completed and released "Denis goes to the auction parts 1 &2".. "These films are done jsut for fun and range from silly to retarded for the most part"

09/02/2009 Denis completes & releases 138th New Album

Denis has completed & Released a new album called Modern rock Guitar vol.138 "Global Hawk".It will be available at Amazon.com on CD & digital download shortly. See the Cover here!!!

Denis completes entry for 52nd Grammy© Awards

Denis has completed his entry for the 52nd Grammy© awards. Single tracks from the album "Modern Rock Guitar vol.133 "GuitarGlyphs" and the album itself should be in several categories in the entry list which is used to determine 52nd Grammy© nominee's later in the year via a voting process, though it depends on the discretion of the Recording Academy© what categories it will appear in (if any). He has participated in the 44th,45th,46th,49th,50th and 51st Grammy© awards. (Denis appeared in the entry list from which Grammy© nominee's are selected for these years, but was not selected as a Grammy© nominee as he did not gain enough votes). "Well, If accepted, this will be my 7th year participating in the Grammy wards process.I still get satisfaction from appearing on the Entry list with many well known musicians andhpas one day I will garner enough votes to become a nominee.Its called determination or insanity haahh" Denis states.

Denis about to complete his 139th Modern Rock Guitar Album

Denis is about to complete his 139th modern rock guitaralbum This album came about pretty much by chance. The tracks are very interesting and have shaped their own theme.in fact, I may need one or two tracks to complete it. I am pleased to go back and listen tomy early albums and see how I have improved musically and the sound quality is better as well. One day, I will really have to try to make others aware of these albums as they really do collectively create a musical world of sorts." Denis states.

Denis's Film Jimmy carter,Killer Rabbbits & UFO's to be released on DVD

By popular demand, "President Jimmy carter,Killer Rabbbits & UFO's" will be available on DVD at amazon.com. "Just in time for christmas, these make great stocking stuffers!!.....haah.I will be glad to have a DVD version of this silly film which does grow on you after a few viewings.Well the dvd version is of higher quality video wise and I had to create the DVD box cover & liner notes for it which worked out well "Denis states. Other films are soon to follow including the 1 hour documentary Guitarist Denis Taaffe:Sounds In Depth, Enemy combatants:America's new food source parts1-4 and other films as well.

More Denis albums coming soon to amazon.com

8 more albums are coming soon to Amazon.com exclusively on cd & digital download .They are:

Modern rock guitar vol.32 "Life Cycle"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.38 "The Enigma Machine"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.44"IWATO"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.56 "The Machine"

Modern rock guitar Vol.98 "Life in the new ice age" Featuring the line 6 variax guitar

Modern Rock guiitar Vol.100 "Natural Textures"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.116"Supersonic"

Modern Rock guitar vol.138 "Global hawk"

"While creating the cover for these album, I was stuck by the quality of one particular album ,modern rock guitar vol.56 "The Machine".Perhaps it is just that I had not listened to it in a very long time, but it captures many magical musical moments.I would like to get some cd reviews for these albums, but must be careful.In the past, I would send CD's out for reviews only to find them for sael used on amazon.com (sometimes unopened!!!) and usually at really outrageous prices.So, I am really trying to limit this type of thing from happening." Denis states

07/23/2009 Now Available on amazon.com

5 more albums are now available exclusively oncd & digital download at amazon.com.They are:

Modern Rock guitar Vol.25 "The Road Less Traveled"

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.34 "Mirage"

Modern Rock gutiar Vol.117 "Virus"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.118 "Cross Polination"

Modern rock Guitar Vol.137 "Life On wires"

Also, coming soon are Modern Rock guitar Vol.44 "IWATO" & Modern Rock guitar vol.116 "supersonic" & Modern rock guitar vol.38 "The Enigma Machine"

"While it is time consuming to get all the cd's to be available on amazon.com, it is working out very well. Not only past albums but future ones will be available as well." Denis mentions.

Denis Working on new album - Modern Rock guitar volume 138

Denis is working on his 138th full length album coming soon!! "This album is almost complete and I am really pleased with the results. The sound quality has improved quite a bit because of the new studio and my playing continues to improve" Denis states.

07/14/2009 More Of Denis's albums going to Amazon

5 more albums are going to be available exclusively at amazon.com.They are:

Modern Rock guitar Vol.25 "The Road Less Traveled"

Modern Rock Guitar Vol.34 "Mirage"

Modern Rock gutiar Vol.117 "Virus"

Modern Rock guitar Vol.118 "Cross Polination"

Modern rock Guitar Vol.137 "Life On wires"

Also, coming soon are Modern Rock guitar Vol.44 "IWATO" & Modern Rock guitar vol.116 "supersonic"

"This is a slow process. as I need to redesign all the album covers and liner notes for each album and then submit it to get a final proof. After it is approved then it is another 15 dasy or so before it becomes available on Amazon.com . However, this allows all 137 of my albums to be available on CD which is fantastic." Denis mentions.

Denis Working on new album - Modern Rock guitar volume 138

5 Denis is working on his 138th full length album coming soon!! "I only have three tracks ready for this album ,but much of the time has been spent in remodeling the studio and the new tracks sound really great. The sound quality has improved as a result."Denis states.

Denis will submit an album to the Recording Academy© to participate in the 52nd Grammy awards process.He has participated in the 44th,45th,46th,49th,50th and 51st Grammy© awards. (Denis appeared in the entry list from which Grammy© nominee's are selected for these years, but was not selected as a Grammy© nominee as he did not gain enough votes). "This will be my 7th year of participating in the Grammy Awards process and yet I have not gotten enough votes to move on to the next round. However, for me, simply to participate is enough reward for me. Without a record label, I do not stand much of a chance, but as an indipendent musician, participating alone is an accomplishment in itself for me in any case" Denis states.

Denis's Home studio remodeled

Denis's home studio has undergone a remodel including new gear and sound treatment. "yes, the new studio is really nice!! Geez, it took about 120 sq ft of acoustic foam, 2 42" lcd monitors, new computers, new DAW, new amps,etc..and some custom made stands and so forth to get it to a level that would work really well. This took a long time to complete and now the problem is running out of space for gear. In fact, I learned that ,the studio cant be wired up in one day, no kidding, it took a good week or more to get it wired up correctly. the mackie mixer helped to route audio signals around and even now there is more to do. however, it is ncie to be able to switch between a DAW and a standalone recorder without having to repatch everything.I will put up some pics eventually." Denis mentions.

06/13/2009 Denis Completes and releases his 137th album (his third album of 2009)

Denis has released his 137th studio album called Modern rock guitar Vol.137 "Life On Wires".It will be available exclusively via amazon.com on CD and digital download. "This album was a difficult one to complete for several reasons. I was in the middle of redoing my studio and experimenting with a lot of gear. In the process I realized that I have a signature sound that I don't want to lose, so I had to stay faithful to that. Also, I began using a Sonar DAW (digital audio workstation and adat interface and emu system) which took time to learn as well. I am very pleased with my progress both in terms of guitar technique and musically as well. I really listened to my soloing and I wanted to sound pleasing to the ear rather than just screaming guitar leads. Still working on that ahah, but my playing has grown a lot which is saying something considering how long I have been playing. Some of the tracks are really have a life of their own and the guitar is there to support the song. On other tracks the guitar takes center stage. All the tracks were performed and recorded live and were improvised on the spot. What strikes me is how all the tracks came together and gave the album a real direction and they each complement each other". You can hear samples and see the cover for the album here

Denis plans to renew his Recording Academy© membership for 2008. Denis has been a voting member of the Recording academy© since 2000. Being a voting member allows Denis to submit product and participate in the Grammy© awards process. He has participated in the 44th,45th,46th,49th,50th and 51st Grammy© awards. (Denis appeared in the entry list from which Grammy© nominee's are selected for these years, but was not selected as a Grammy© nominee as he did not gain enough votes). "Well, I plan to continue to participate in the Grammy© awards process and to do so I must renew my membership each year. I was pleased to be able to participate in the Grammy Awards process last year, so I will continue this year which will be my 7th year of participating." Denis states.

Denis revamps Home Studio and Gear

Denis is in the process of redoing his studio with some new gear and more acoustic treatment ."Well, I am still using my Roland digital recorders ,but also using a Sonar Daw which sounds really good as well. I use two ultratwin amps which aren't made anymore (of course argh!!),so I had to really hunt to get two more which I use for recording and as backups. I also tracked down two more lexicon jamman rackmount loopers that aren't made anymore either. Its a a pain, but these things are essential to my sound. The ultra twins use jensen speakers which I love and each combo amp is stereo but has two separate ch's a stereo main and a streeo aux, so its like two amps in one. This makes it great for bringing in loops and switching between regular playing as well. I also added some tube amps and discovered that they work well by themselves but they don't work well with the amp modeling I use with the ultratwin,so they have a purpose,but I have to switch them in and out. It works well. Also, I am working on the room itself. Adding some more acoustic foam, bass traps and diffusers trying to make the room sound good as well."

Denis begins work on his 138th Modern Rock Guitar Album

Denis is working on his 138th album."Well, this album will have more looping than the last few as I have a few loopers ,but they will be subtle such as looping certain phrases and so on,I have experimented with this and it works really well.we will see what direction it takes me in musically" Denis states.

Denis 2008 news entries moved to archived news

Denis's news entries for 2008 have been moved to the news archives which can be accessed via the home page of dtguitar.com

Denis instructional guitar book "Alien Guitar Secrets for the Intermediate and Advanced Guitarist" now available on Amazon.com

Denis's instructional book is now available for sale on Amazon.com "Well, this is good news, however I have no control over the pricing of the book which I think is about $37-38 doll which is a little higher than I would like. Well, there is some good information there though certainly." Denis mentions.

05/09/2009 Denis about to complete his 137th album

Denis has been spending a lot of time in the studio experimenting with new gear and different setups and has recorded a new album in the process. "Wow, it has been a while, but believe me this has not been time wasted. I have been experimenting with different gear and setups and recording setups as well. I got rid of what didn't work for me and expanded what did work for me and I am very pleased with the results. This type of gear experimentation is difficult because it asks that you forgo what your used to and to try different things. Even now, there are still some things I need to work out gear wise, but musically , the results are really great. My recordings become clearer and they just sound quite polished. This album was in the process of my experimentation, so you have some recordings with a DAW (on a PC using Sonar) and some using my Roland recorders and some are a combination of both. however, the premise is the same, recording live, improvised on the spot with no overdubs added later. This is definitely a challenge but a lot of fun too" Denis stated.

Denis adds Mackie 1642-vlz3 4 bus Mixer

Denis has added a Mackie 1642-vlz3 4bus mixer to his home studio. "After my experience with the Mackie 32x8 8bus mixer ,I really missed the routing options a multi bus mixer brings to a studio. So, this is a prefect mixer for me. It only has 10 mic preamps and 4 buses, but it has 16 ch's and direct outputs and inserts on the first 8 ch's. In any case, I have had a Mackie 1402 14ch 2 bus mixer which I have had for ten years or so and I was pleased with it. well, the sound quality is simply amazing!!! I can track to my Roland recorders and the Sonar DAW ,both at the same time, but it just organizes my studio as well. The mic pre's are amazing as well; they are the xdr2 preamps. I tried some of the Behringer mixers and they have nice faders but then the sound quality is compromised, without question the mackie sounds ten times better!!! It really frees me to use a lot of my recording equipment such as multiple Roland recorders which was more difficult to do before" Denis stated.

Yamaha Pacifica, Ernie ball/musicman guitar?

Denis has been playing a yamaha Pacifica for his 137th album which is very strat like, but after one album is in need of a refret job." I guess I wore down the frets quickly.It is just a fun guitar to play because the neck is just very small, so it takes little effort to move around on it, but the tone is just right. Well, it's only a few frets that are just worn way down. So, it will have to be repaired. Interestingly, I really enjoyed playing with the single coils rather than the humbucking pickups. I have an endorsement deal with Ernie Ball/Musicman and I am planning on getting with them for a guitar, maybe with a similar neck,but more durable haha..

Crate v33 all tube combo amps

Denis will be parting with at least one if not two of his Crate v33 all tube combo amps.He used them most recently for his 134th album "guitarshrimp"."Well, they are not bad amps at all and certainly have that tube sound, but they are really really loud and many times I use modeling which is better suited to solid state amps. I will keep one, but I think that is all. I am a little disappointed with the f/x loop which is too noisy to be used for recording, it would be ok live. It is better after replacing the preamp tubes ,but still quite noisy. Well, we will see. I mean they work in certain situations, but for me, it really has to work with my existing setup. Some gear does and some gear doesn't. " Denis states.

Soundtech amp and furman power conditioner repaired

Denis found a local repair shop who quickly repaired Denis's furman power conditioner and soundtech amp. "Yes, they fixed these two units quickly, the sound tech volume controls were just stripped and needed a good cleaning. It now works as it did and the furman always had a power switch problem. I was about to replace both, but was glad to get these units repaired. Gear that is used often grows on you and so its great that they should last a long time now" Denis adds.

New Albums on Amazon.com

Besides the albums listed in the last post, the following albums are now also available on amazon.com:

Modern Rock guitar Vol.93

Modern Rock guitar Vol.112

Modern Rock guitar Vol.121

Modern Rock guitar Vol.125

Modern Rock guitar Vol.128

Modern Rock guitar Vol.136

Modern Rock guitar Vol.33

Modern Rock guitar Vol.26

Modern Rock guitar Vol.27

In the near future....

" Well, I am continuing to get my past albums produced to be on amazon. That is very time consuming ,but very well worth it. I am also spending time on my guitar setup and studio recordings. I will continue to record albums. Also, doing some video film work. Also, even after all this time, I am still playing, improving and developing my style and so on.I cant wait to record a new album after I get vol 137 completed (it's about 90% there)." Denis mentions.

3/10/2009 More Denis Albums going to Amazon.com

Denis is slowly but surely getting albums to be handled exclusively by amazon.com. This allows for actual CD's to be ordered as well as mp3 downloads of the albums.So far they handle the following albums:

Modern Rock guitar Vol.110

Modern Rock guitar Vol.119

Modern Rock guitar Vol.122

Modern Rock guitar Vol.123

Modern Rock guitar Vol.124

Modern Rock guitar Vol.126

Modern Rock guitar Vol.127

Modern Rock guitar Vol.129

Modern Rock guitar Vol.130

Modern Rock guitar Vol.131

Modern Rock guitar Vol.132

Modern Rock guitar Vol.133

Modern Rock guitar Vol.134

Modern Rock guitar Vol.135

Also, coming soon (these albums are in process of being distributed on CD and mp3 downloads via amazon.com):

Modern Rock guitar Vol.93

Modern Rock guitar Vol.112

Modern Rock guitar Vol.121

Modern Rock guitar Vol.125

Modern Rock guitar Vol.128

Modern Rock guitar Vol.136

"Well,this is a fantastic opportunity to actually have all of my albums made and be available on CD rather than just mp3 downloads. It takes allot of time though, to get everything together for one album, artwork, tracks and so on, but eventually all my albums including new ones will be distributed this way" Denis mentions.. You can also hear samples of all of Denis's albums by going to the dtguitar album selector!!!

New Guitar mp3 samples

Denis has added some new guitar audio samples for some of the later albums (vol.118 and on). You can also hear the new audio samples by going to the dtguitar album selector!!!

Denis working on vol.137

Denis is working on vol.137 in between getting all the other albums to amazon.com stay tuned.....

2/23/2009 Denis completes Vol.136

Denis has completed and released his 136th album called Modern Rock Guitar Vol.136 "Revolutions" . "Well, I finished vol.136 quite by accident, in that I was recording but was also in the process of rearranging my studio room and equipment, partly in transition with new gear and recording with Sonar instead of Roland recorders. So it was created in quite a chaotic atmosphere, but it worked very well!!!" Denis mentions. The albums will be available on CD via Amazon.com and samples made available at dtguitar.com.

Denis completes Vol.135

Denis has completed and released his 135th album called Modern Rock Guitar Vol.135 "The Belltowers of St . Guitarmos" . "Well, this is a solid album and I really like the theme that show themselves throughout the album, this is what I strive for in an album, its well balanced and easy to listen to!!!" Denis mentions. The albums will be available on CD via Amazon.com and samples made available at dtguitar.com.

Denis completes Vol.134

Denis has completed and released his 134th album called Modern Rock Guitar Vol.134 "Guitarshrimp" . "Well, this is a very different album than my previous albums as it has a lot of different kinds of heavy metal guitar styles from classic metal guitar to detuned post modern death metal guitar hahah. A vey fun album and Tiny ,my cat made his vocal debut on this one.It actually turned out extremely well !!!" Denis mentions. The albums will be available on CD via Amazon.com and samples made available at dtguitar.com.

Denis working on vol.137

Denis has been hard at work on vol.137 which promises to be quite different in that he is recording on a different equipment and using different amps and of course, new musical ideas!!!...stay tuned....