Getting to Know
Roman’sGear: Practice/Live Show Equipment
Quality and durability are two key components of Roman Anton’s equipment selection, which is a plethora of elite standard, very deliberately chosen musical gear. The sound of each individual track has sometimes resulted in a consequent purchase, and everything that’s added to the collection is purposeful.
Quality is essential for Roman Anton’s vision, as exemplified in their carefully crafted collection of music, comprising of 8 Launches some of which have been already released. TheseLaunches include 80 tracks which have been painstakingly practiced, perfectedand performed over three years, then recorded in the studio. Launch 1, TierraDel Fuego was released on the website in 2019. Launch II, The Changerwas released in 2023. Launch III, The Last Clear Chance is coming outnow, in 2024.
Each of the 80 tracks were composed by Roman Anton along, by another band member or together, using a simple flow to achieve his goal; sound, tempo, ef-fects, equipment required.
Roman, the lead singer, principal writer, guitarist, pianist and producer in his own self-named band, explained: “In the beginning I wrote it all in acoustic, on guitar or piano, and played and practiced it that way. Now I spend more time working on the composition, thinking about the various ways the song can sound.”
Miss My Friend and Walk This Road from Launch I are good examples. I wrote both songs on a Taylor acoustic I bought in the early 90s—they are now both played live, on electric. Walk This Road has an effect blend of the Boss Chorus and the Boss Flanger, which is my default pedal mix. Miss My Friend was converted from a heavy distortion sound that we recorded at Grand Studio, here
in Bangkok, in 2016, to a less heavy distortion, also through a Boss distortion pedal.”
Here’s where the evolution takes Roman and the band away from their more steady three piece set up toward less obvious instruments. They band have around ten songs involving keyboard as the primary instrument and a handful of songs where they’ve added back-up instruments like trumpet, flute, violin, and certain electronic samples and patches.
“Lately I’ve been writing on a Roland Fantom G8, which has some great non-standard sounds. We recently used a clear, mellow-sounding flute sample on a recording and I am very pleased with the sound. I’ve also used a tubular bell sounding patch or sample that I can play polyphonically, like a regular piano, but I get a whole range of effects that run along with the chords. That songs it’s called Pancake Day, and we released it on Launch 2.”
I was talking with the band at their home studio high above Bangkok on the 30th floor of a modern complex. I learned that one of the bigger transitions the band made was when drummer Roger DeNoon moved to head set. That move is not without its own problems as every breath, sneeze and errant drumstick hit get picked up by the mic. “We were working three part harmonies so regularly and they have become such an important part of our writing, practicing and recording process that we moved away from a boom mic to a headset,” Roger added. “Our practice sessions were going over three hours and
I was getting worn our trying to find the mic. So we converted over. We have a couple of different nicknames for the headsets, some of which are not too friendly, but they have definitely freed me up to play with greater motion.”
“Our later songs seem to have moved to a heavier rock sound,” Frank added, after we spoke at one of their recent gigs at Bangkok’s Queen Bee, a well-known live music venue in the downtown area. “I use the wah-wah on bass and distort much more than we used to, and Roman definitely is hitting his distortion pedals, even when we play our acoustic sets. It doesn’t take much to get Roger playing harder and louder when Roman and I go heavy,” Frank said as he laughed, as Roger smiled and rolled his eyes at the comment. Roger goes back and forth from electric Roland V drums to the house kit or the band’s custom Soo SCD Series drums, a Thailand-made favorite.
“I always prefer the acoustic kit”Roger said, loud enough so that both Roman and Frank could hear. Everyone smiled in response. He went on, “Wego back and forth from acoustic to electric on our recordings and when we playat smaller venues. I am very pleasedwith how we sound on both, but I think you’ll really appreciate the studio acousticset on our newer recordings.” The band leaves theirstudio gear intact and have their travel gear ready for their frequent gigs inBangkok. Like any big city, it’s tight and congested so good packing is alwaysa priority, Jirath “Rath” Apiwachnithik, the “fourth” band member,said, as he was breaking down the gear aftera show at The Queen Bee, a well knownwell-knownvenue on Sukhumvit Soi 26 in Bangkok..“It’s not always clear that we’ll be on time to set up and sound checkor have a decent place to unload, so sometimes, the guys will start with anacoustic set as I get the heavier gear ready off stage somewhere.”
Rath added, “We were recording once, at Dynamic Studios, and we have two Strats, a Les Paul, an Ibanez and Frank’s custom, all ready to go. The sound guys are in the booth listening to Frank go through his lead solo on two different guitars. Even with the same pedal settings the sounds varied so much. So, I talked with Frank for awhile about what he was trying to do. Frank ended up going back to his first choice, his custom-made. Even though that’s where he started, it’s important to have choices when we are rehearsing and recording.”
Rath added, “We were recording once, at Dynamic Studios, and we have two Strats, a Les Paul, an Ibanez and Frank’s custom, all ready to go. The sound guys are in the booth listening to Frank go through his lead solo on two different guitars. Even with the same pedal settings the sounds varied so much. So, I talked with Frank for awhile about what he was trying to do. Frank ended up going back to his first choice, his custom-made. Even though that’s where he started, it’s important to have choices when we are rehearsing and recording.”
Roman Anton’s practice/live show equipment
Bass guitars:
Squier by Fender P-BASS Affinity Series
Sterling by MusicMan SUB Series 5 String
Bass String/s:
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Bass 5
Bass Amp:
Ampeg BA115HP
Mic to Bass Amp:
Shure SM57
Bass Effects:
BOSS ME 20B
MXR Bass Compressor
MXR Bass Octave
MXR Deluxe
Electric Guitars:
Fender (USA) Stratocaster Black/White(pickguard) Serial Number: U515076684
Fender (USA) Stratocaster Black Serial Number: N8351682
Gibson Les Paul
Guitar Strings:
D’ Addario XL (Nickel Wound) EXL110
Ernie Ball Super Slinky
Guitar Effects:
MOOER
AALBERG AUDIO (EKKO)
BOSS Distortion DS-1
BOSS SUPER CHORUS CH-1
BOSS FLANGER BF-3
BOSS ME-80
Wireless Transmitter for guitar:
Line 6 Relay TBP 12 Transmitter
Guitar Picks:
Fender (thin/medium)
Guitar Amp:
Roland CUBE 60
Keyboards:
Roland Fantom 68
Roli Seaboard GRAND Stage
Drumset:
Roland V-DRUMS
Percussion Sound Module TD-9
Drum amp:
Roland KC-550
Drum Sticks:
Zildjian 5A Anti-vibe
Vic Firth
Cowbell:
LP
Acoustic Guitars:
Taylor Academy 12e
Taylor Custom GS5
Jasmine by Takamine ES33C
Microphones:
Heil PR20 (Roman’s mic)
Shure SM10A (drummer’s mic)
Mixer:
YAMAHA Mixing Console MGP32X
Voice Effects:
BOSS VE-20 Vocal Processor
BOSS VE-2 Vocal Harmonist
Accessories:
Sound Brenner Pulse
Monster cables, Fender Cables
Dunlop Mic Stand Pick Holder (7 inch)
Strobo Clips: ( Peterson Strobe Tuners)