Widely recognized for his unique style of shredding, heavy metal/hard rock guitar maestro Tommy Bolan is best known for his Gold and Platinum selling work with the critically acclaimed metal band Warlock and for fronting his own band-N.Y.C. To see Tommy Bolan play is like seeing ten thousand volts of electricity right in front of you. Over-the-top playing and riveting live performances fueled with intense passion are what make up his persona on stage. Since 1987, Bolan has been a TASCAM enthusiast and, in addition to his use of the TASCAM DP-32 Digital Portastudio, he has also owned a DP-03 8-track recorder, a DP-01 Digital Portastudio, a Porta One and 02 Ministudio, plus a healthy assortment of accessory items. As usual, Bolan is running in high gear on a variety of new projects. He did, however, take a breather long enough to discuss his fondness for all things TASCAM.
Bolan recently reunited with Doro Pesch (lead vocalist of Warlock and her own band, Doro) and has been rockin’ festivals and shows around the world. Together, they have a forthcoming release titled Triumph and Agony Live coming out on September 24th. According to Bolan, “This is a live record/DVD boxset of the classic Warlock album Triumph and Agony, which I originally played on.” To contribute his guitar tracks, Bolan used his TASCAM DP-32 Digital Portastudio. He discussed his use of this and other TASCAM products.
“There is an intro song on this record Called “Legacy,” Bolan reports. “I created something that tied in with the album’s theme and I recorded and created all my tracks here in the USA on my DP-32. I knew from experience that my TASCAM recorded tracks would have the sonic quality required for a project of this type and that they would seamlessly fit right in. I sent my recorded DP-32 tracks to Doro in Germany, and she added her magic to it. It all came out great!”
“The TASCAM units are very easy to use,” Bolan added. “As I have used them on recent Warlock/Doro albums, I would load the song up on some open tracks and just start recording each new track from the very beginning—regardless of where I may actually start with my overdubs. This way, when I export those tracks, they all start at the exact same spot and can be easily synched up for mixing on the album.”
When queried about the user interface on his various TASCAM products, Bolan offered these thoughts. “TASCAM gear has very logically laid out menus,” he explained. “This enables me to quickly and easily get where I want to be so that I can record my tracks every bit as quickly as the ideas are forming. The interface never slows me down and, as a result, enables me to focus on the creative side of the music as opposed to the ‘engineering’ side. TASCAM products have well designed interfaces that foster creativity and efficiency at every turn.”
When asked about some of the other TASCAM gear he has owned over the years, Bolan reflected on the Model 12 digital mixer/recorder, the DP-006 Digital Portastudio, and TH-06 monitoring headphones. “The Model 12 is very cool and has that old school analog feel—with lots of knobs for that ‘hands on’ experience,” he said. “The very nature of its design brings out a different vibe, which can be really useful as part of the overall musical feel you might be going for. As for the DP-006, it’s great for when I travel, as it enables me to easily capture musical ideas that I can later flush out. That rockin’ little recorder provides maximum creativity and sonic capability for its size! I’ve also been very impressed with my TH-06 headphones. They sound terrific and I never lose the low end.”
As with all electronic gear, questions inevitably arise from time to time, so capable and responsive support is crucial to maintaining one’s creative flow. Here, too, Bolan was very complimentary of TASCAM customer and technical support services. “TASCAM gear is really pretty intuitive to use,” Bolan explained, “but on those occasions when I do have a question, everyone I’ve dealt with has been very knowledgeable and cool—and that’s hard to beat. The staff at TASCAM are top shelf all the way and they are always ready to help.”
Before shifting his attention back to the music, Bolan offered these parting comments, “TASCAM is the reference standard for me. The gear is sonically superior to anything I have used, and it’s made for the player. The company and the people behind those products are here to help you take your ideas to the next level. Thanks to TASCAM, it really is plug, play, and create!”
