Positive Mental Trip

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip loves the simplicity of the 1 knob Phasor. Also a fan of DOD pedals(gonk, Envelope Filter etc.) you can hear the swirl of the phasor 201 Re-issue and also the sounds of the BOSS BF-3 Flanger mixed into 2 different tracks and blended into the mix. December Winds was a b-side off of “The Black and White Album” which was an album recorded and no budget and it was not toured in support of. Both guitar tracks had the 06’ Fulltone OCD > phasor or flanger. The bass tracks on this song were wet as well. 1 bass track uses the Radial LONDON BONES guitar distortion pedal, and another track uses a trippy synth from ZOOM B3 bass multi effects unit.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip is using the Two-Notes Le Clean tube preamp in the studio recording electric guitar sounds for the 3 rd album. Between the Fly Rig 5 and the Le Clean I can achieve a lot of cool guitar sounds direct without plug ins and with very little post production needed. The Two-Notes Le Clean is definitely the best real tube preamp for studio use I’ve found so far. Guitar tracks are sounding great direct with this pedal. I put a few of my fav pedals in line before I like a would and amp and just go.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has experimented a lot with the Source Audio VENTRIS dual engine reverb. He loves it with or without the expression pedal. “The Ventris is definitely my favorite reverb pedal I have ever played. I am very inspired by this pedal and hope to record with it on many albums in the next few years. Really love the shimmer sounds on this pedal and how you can combine it with the other great reverb sounds. Few pedals close to the $400 range do I ever feel are really worth it but this one really has the goods. The Strymon Timeline for Delay and the Source Audio VENTRIS reverb are the only 2 expensive digital pedals that have really blown my mind lately. And I’ve tried quite a few.”

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has been using a BOSS BCB 60 pedalboard for his top jacked pedals he uses in the studio. Also known as “minifooger board” or “rig B”. He doesn’t have a lot of faith in the construction of the board especcially the clips that close it. “It’s a great studio board for my top jacked minifoogers but I don’t see any plastic clip pedalboards being good for any live situation. As far as pedalboards go compared to the SKB PS-45 and the nice Furman pedalboards, they just don’t make ones as nice as they did 10 years ago. They claim it’s evolution and all but I’m not sure it is.”

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip explored and experimented with the Big MUFF sounds in the JHS MUFFULETTA extensively in 2018. Luke played this pedal almost every day for about 5 months straight while borrowing it. He did not play it live and it may appear on only one track on the 2019 PMT album. “I was really impressed by the JHS version and to have all those Big Muff sounds in one box. A small unit like that just blew my mind. I think JHS doing it has pushed EHX to release these affordable higher quality op-amp and Triangle muffs that are in small enclosures. I’m a huge fan of Big Muff sounds, guys like J Mascis of Dinosaur JR and his really dirty lead sounds that just scream those albums over the top of very dirty rythms at times. I also loved bands like MUDHONEY who just had these really dirty cool rythm guitar riffs and basically were using very few pedals and the main pedal being a Big Muff to my knowledge and still making great music. I love Piece of Cake. Then you got guys like David Gilmour who really hit your soul with those expressive guitar solos and sounds. The Big Muff can cover so much ground and be used in so many different contexts and styles of music. So to have the practically the full catalog of big muffs in one small pedal was something I had a blast with.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip sang through a Telefunken Ela M 251 E Large Diaphragm Tube Microphone during the “Change Your Mind” Recording sessions in 2011. “Change Your Mind” was released in 2012. 5 songs on “Change Your Mind” we’re recorded/tracked at applehead recording studios where Luke sang “Smile”, “Change Your Mind”, “Paradox”, “Good Times”, and “Break of Dawn”. Luke also might have sang through a Telefunken M 16 on some of these songs. It is unclear which mics were used on which songs we only know for sure the ELA M 251 E and the M 16 were used. 26 seconds into this homemade video of “No Escape” (a PMT song which still has not made it on an album) you see Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip singing through what appears to be a Telefunken ELA M 251 E. This is definitely the best microphone (arguably) Luke ever tracked/recorded vocals on a Positive Mental Trip album with. Telefunken microphones are legendary for being some of the best mics in the world in the best studios in the world.

Alana "Duchess Of Funk" Orchid played a Music Man Stingray 5 bass during the recording sessions for Positive Mental Trip's 2012 album "Change Your Mind" at Applehead Recording Studios. She also performed live with the band from 2012 to 2014. Known for her exceptional funk style, Alana is a prominent session and live bass player in the Woodstock area. Additional details about her career can be found in her biography.

Positive Mental Trip play an earthquaker Devices fuzz pedal.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has been known to use many of the TC Electronic 4 knob Toneprint pedals. Luke is rarely seen using the TC Electronic Flashback V.1 live but it has been used on many Positive Mental Trip recordings since 2017.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has been seen using a BOSS DD-20 live and in the studio. He has used BOSS digital Delay/echo pedals almost exclusively live since 2015. He is most commonly seen using the BOSS DD-3 and BOSS TE-2 Tera Echo live on his “tight 12” live board but sometimes switches those 2 out for the 4 killer presets on the DD-20 giga Delay for select shows. You can hear ambient psychadelic sounds only the DD-20 makes on certain songs on “the black and white album”.(2017)

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip is known to use the MOOG Low Pass Filter with and without expression pedals on guitar as well as bass on studio recordings. Positive Mental Trip uses many MOOG pedals on the 2018-2019 recordings on multiple instruments.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used mostly the BOSS PH-3 w/ and without expression live since 2016 and on the 2017 album. He has been seen using both the TC Electronic Helix Phaser and the BOSS PH-3 side by side live in late 2017-2018. Recently though Luke has been using an old school BOSS PH-2 Super Phaser on some 2019 recordings and has been seen bringing it onto live boards in 2019. In the 2006-2009 Positive Mental Trip live band era Luke used an EHX Small Stone Phaser which Steve Repka still uses when he plays with PMT live. Positive Mental Trip has been experimenting with the MOOG 12 stage phaser sounds on electronic drums, bass, vocals, acoustic guitars and electric guitars in the studio but will most likely not be using anything but the BOSS PH-2, PH-3 and TC Electronic Helix Phaser to re-create the MOOG sounds live.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has had a Fender VG American Stratocaster in his live show as his main electric guitar from 2008-2016. In 2017-2019 PMT era Luke has been seen using a Gibson Sg standard as well as a Godin Multiac nylon string synth guitar as well. The VG Fender Stratocaster is heard on almost all electric guitar tracks on Positive Mental trip’s “change your mind” (2012) and “The Black and White Album” (2017) The Fender american VG Stratocaster will always be a part of Positive Mental Trip’s live show and recordings even if it starts to be less and less as the years go on. Luke has said he will be using the Roland pickup on the guitar to utilize alternate tunings on the new album without having to change to a guitar with a different tuning. It’s always cool to try different tunings as it forces your to write differently and step outside of your comfort zone into another realm of guitar sounds.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip is known to use the MOOG Cluster Flux in the studio on guitar, bass, and drum sounds. Luke has said ....”when using electronic drum pads like the Roland octopad and the like to record drum parts on albums I love to add effects. My favorite effects to use on cymbals are the MOOG MF Chorus, MOOG Cluster Flux, and MOOG MF Flange. This seems to give the cold and sterile electronic drum cymbal sounds a bit more movement and makes them sound more real and more interesting to me. I also love to play with subtle use of my TC Electronic Gauss Tape Echo and Echoplex w/ tap tempo on drum sounds for bass snare and Tom sounds. I’ve been known to experiment with all kinds of effects on all instruments in the studio.”

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used a Godin Multiac on and off for stripped down (loop show) PMT Gigs in 2018. He has sometimes been seen using it as an acoustic live for some smaller shows and sit ins. The Godin Multiac has a very nice classical guitar sound. You can hear it on songs like “Footsteps” on Positive Mental Trip’s 2017 album. During east coast Positive Mental Trip solo loop tours from 2008-2010 Luke did not have this guitar and was using his Gibson custom acoustic, a schecter C1 Elite w/synth pickup and a Roland GR-20 (for all bass and synth sounds), and a Fender Custom American VG Stratocaster for all lead guitar sounds. The Godin Multiac was not used for any acoustic guitar sounds on the 1 st Positive Mental Trip album “change your mind”. It only appeared on one song and used only for its classical guitar sounds on the 2017 Positive Mental Trip album . In 2018-2019 Luke has been using the Godin Multiac a lot on the newer recordings w/ the Roland GR-55 guitar synth guitar pedal. He uses the combination of the Godin Multiac and the GR-55 for all 2018-2019 PMT loop shows for looping bass lines and other experimental sounds.This combination tends to liven up the show and build thick fat heavy bass synth loops as well as ambient soundscapes. The newer PMT loop shows (2018-2019 era) Luke is ussually joined by a couple Positive Mental Trip band members. Luke has stated many times that after doing those solo loop tours in the 2008-2010 era playing alone is not what he wants to do musically. He is never seen using the Godin Multiac through his VOX AC 15 or any other electric amp. The Godin Multiac ussually goes into a Yamaha mixer with all other instruments to be looped and into the BOSS RC-30. Occasionally when sitting in with other acts or doing a very stripped down acoustic set Luke will use the Godin Multiac as opposed to the Gibson J-185 Custom acoustic he has been see playing on stage since 2007.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used the BOSS TR-2 Tremolo as his only tremolo pedal since 2011. The BOSS TR-2 can only be heard on “hoping for the best” on the 2012 album “Change Your Mind” and was not used on the live board in the shows in support of that album. It has been seen in his live rig as a constant on stages in the northeast since 2016 and he is known for using an EBOW with this pedal live.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip is using a MOOG MF Chorus on his “studio Minifooger board” during the recording sessions for the new album. Luke is using the MF Chorus on drums, guitar(acoustic and electric), and basslines currently during the recording sessions of the 3 rd Positive Mental Trip album “Love Never Dies” (2019). He has never used a MOOG Chorus sound live as the Tc Electronic Corona Chorus has been used as the only chorus pedal in his live electric guitar rig since 2016.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip was seen playing his 2009 Gibson SG Standard live for the 1 st time in spring 2017. He played it during the entire show at the Hyde Park amphitheater in stafford springs, CT may 26th of 2017. Luke rarely plays one guitar for an entire concert but played a few shows with the 2009 Gibson SG Standard as his only guitar for both sets in 2019. Mostly an American Fender Stratocaster was used for electric guitar parts on the 2017 Positive Mental Trip album but a few of the parts were played using the Gibson SG Standard as well toward the end of the sessions. The 2009 Gibson SG Standard has been a favorite during recording sessions for the 3 rd Positive Mental Trip album(2018-2019). Almost all electric guitar parts for the 3 rd album have been recorded using the Gibson SG or a Walt B Les Paul Custom Guitar. (Both with Gibson style humbuckers)

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has been seen using the MOOG MF Flange during the recording sessions for the 3 rd album.(“Love Never Dies” 2019) It has been used on drums (especcially on cymbals) as well as guitar parts performed by Luke during many recording sessions. Luke has been seen using his “minifooger studio pedalboard” to track dirty/wet vocals on one of the mics when using 4-5 microphones at once on vocal takes. It is unsure whether the MF Flange will be on any vocal tracks that make it on the album. Luke has never used any MOOG Flanger live. The BOSS BF-3 flanger which has the “momentary” setting/function is a pedal you will see Luke stepping on and off of (sometimes up to 10 times a song) when he plays with PMT or John Pinder and Crooked Toe live.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used a 2007 Fender American Custom VG Stratocaster live and in the studio since 2007. It was the only electric guitar used on the 2012 album “change your mind” and was used on almost all electric guitar tracks on the 2017 album as well. (“The black and white album”) Luke was known to play an American Fender stratocaster he was borrowing off of a friend and a Mexican Fender Stratocaster live during the 2005-2006 Positive Mental Trip Band era. The Fender Stratocaster will always be a huge part of Positive Mental Trip’s live guitar sound. Even when Luke Weiler is seen playing another guitar live you will always ussually see a Fender Stratocaster on a stand ready right behind him. Ussually if Luke is not playing a Fender Stratocaster live during a Positive Mental Trip set another guitarist is playing a Fender Stratocaster standing right next to him shredding.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip is known to use the Moog Moogerfooger MF-102 Ring Modulator in his recordings, specifically during the tracking of instrument and vocal parts in March and April 2019. Numerous demos featuring this gear have been released on the PMT Bandcamp page, many of which are expected to become tracks on the band's third album. The Bandcamp page also details the use of Moog pedals across various instruments, including vocals, drums, guitar, and bass. For live performances, Luke often replicates the Moog MF-102 Ring Modulator's studio sounds using either the Electro-Harmonix Ring Thing or the DOD Gonkulator. This information is corroborated by a YouTube video by PMTluke, titled "Electro-Harmonix RING THING PART 1 w/ PMT Luke."

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used a BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter live and in the studio since 2015. It can be heard on many songs on the 2017 PMT studio album. Songs like “The Strange Customer”, “Drag To Need”, “As A Friend”, “Circles” and many other Positive Mental Trip songs on “The Black and White Album” have that BOSS PH-3 signature Phaser sound that only the BOSS PH-3 makes. Luke is known to use many other Phasers (or Phasors) live and in the studio but none sound like the BOSS PH-3. It has this grit to it. Most of the Phaser sounds on the 3rd Positive Mental Trip Album will come from the MOOG 12 Stage Phaser... but they will be replicated live with the BOSS PH-3, PH-2 and the TC Electronic HELIX Phaser.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used a BOSS DD3 as part of his live guitar sound since 2016. Show to show he has really used it a lot of different ways. (Stutter, glitch, insane, but mostly for just pretty digital Delay sounds on rhythm and lead guitar) The DD3 is the main digital Delay used on most guitar parts on PMT’s 2017 “The Black and White album”. The Line 6 POD HD 500, BOSS DD20, and BOSS TERA ECHO are also on the album but 80 percent of the digital Delay sounds on “the black and white album” come from the BOSS DD3.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used the reverb on his VOX AC 15...and the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Reverb live since 2015. The TC Electronic HOF V.1 has been the only reverb pedal played at every Positive Mental Trip show 2015-2019. You can hear the TC HOF V.1 very clearly used at the same time as the BOSS PH3 on “as a friend” on PMT’s 2017 album “The Black and White” album. The song has never been played live. The TC Electronic HOF Reverb has been played live every show sometimes with a little help from the spring Reverb on the VOX AC 15 sometimes without depending on the gig.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has never played any synthesizer live... yet. However you can clearly hear the Korg Microkorg on many tracks on “the black and white album“(2017) and on “the squirrel...”.(which is a demo that will become a final version that will appear on the forthcoming 2019 PMT album “Love Never Dies”. The Squirrel .... will be the 1 st Positive Mental Trip song that really features the microkorg as the main instrument giving the song its mojo. Luke Weiler plays every instrument on the track as of now but in its finality we will see about special guests.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip uses a Tech21 Trademark 60 amplifier, his sole solid-state amp. Although it hasn't been used in live performances, it may feature on a few tracks of the 2019 album "Love Never Dies." If Luke opts for a two-amp stereo setup during live shows, the Tech21 Trademark 60 could complement his VOX AC15. This information is discussed in the YouTube video by PMTluke.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip player a Gibson Custom J-185 rosewood cutaway acoustic guitar live at almost every show from 2008-2018. However after 10 hard years of rock n roll the Gibson has been retired from live shows in hopes that it will stay in good condition. The guitar is still played almost every day in the studio and is on many recordings and will always continue to be. The Gretsch Rancher Falcon Jumbo acoustic guitar will be the live Positive Mental Trip acoustic played by Luke Weiler from 2019-?. Luke played the Gibson at over 500 shows and even took it on a plane to the San Francisco California in 2010 for “Power To The Peaceful” where he played an opening set @ The Fillmore opening for Michael Franti. Cappy Franti and loud and Conscious (who were members of Positive Mental Trip at the time) took the stage at the Fillmore as Positive Mental Trip that night. The Gibson was brought upstairs where every member of michael Franti and spearhead was asked to sign it. (as well as cappy Franti) The Gibson J 185 Custom rosewood is every acoustic guitar part recording during the applehead recording sessions on “change your mind”(2012) The Gibson J 185 is also the only steel string acoustic heard on “the back and white album”. The Gibson J 185 Custom and the Gretsch Rancher Falcon Jumbo acoustic guitar have both been used on many sessions for the 3 rd album. If it’s a really special show at an amazing venue or an anniversary show it may come out of “live show retirement”. However it was time for the Gibson to pass the live torch to the Gretsch Rancher Falcon before she ”lost her cool” sound on records of the future.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip will play a Gretsch Rancher Falcon live as his acoustic guitar 2019-?. The Gibson J 185 Custom rosewood cutaway guitar was retired/played its final live show at the Athens Jam For Tots in December 2018. The Grestch Rancher Falcon is already on 2 recordings. Has been a favorite in the studio right along side the J 185 Custom which will continue to be recorded on all future albums.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has used the TC Electronic Polytune (not the Mini version) as the first pedal in his signal path, except when a wah or filter is side-chained to the right. This setup is demonstrated in the YouTube video "PMT Luke Live Pedalboard Demo 'Jam For Tots 2017,'" showcasing his lead guitar sounds. Weiler used the Polytune live from 2015 to 2019.

Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip has played a Barber Electronics Tone Press compressor live (and sometimes in the studio) from 2015-2019. Luke loves Barber Electronics and has some other great compressors but the Tone Press will definitely stay on the Positive Mental Trip live pedalboard for many more years. Luke Weiler is a huge fan of Parralel Compression and really enjoys the way the Barber Electronics Tone Press Compressor works well with every electric guitar he throws at it live and in the studio.