Show Us Your Junk! Ep. 17 - Kurt Ballou (God City Studio, Converge) | EarthQuaker Devices
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- In the new Show Us Your Junk! we visited Converge guitarist, recording engineer, and GCI gear honcho Kurt Ballou at his God City Studio in the heart of Witch City - Salem, Massachusetts, USA.
Though Salem, MA is notorious for the brutal witch trials held in 1692-93, the city has in recent years become known for a new kind of brutality - the crushing riffs and intense high-gain guitar tones dialed in by Kurt and his friends in the Merrimack Valley hardcore scene that sprouted up in the late 90s around bands like Converge, Cave In, and Piebald. See more: eqd.rocks/Kurt...
www.godcitystud...
www.convergecu...
Visit our site: www.earthquaker...
Like us on Facebook: / earthquakerdevices
Follow us on Twitter: / earthquakerdev
Follow us on Instagram: / earthquakerdev - เพลง
Oh how do we love some Kurt Ballou and EQD! Keep em coming, guys!!
Back at ya! Thanks for watching!
Kurt Ballou to college math teacher transformation: 80% complete
Lol he literally looks like the math teacher I had senior year of high school
I think we’re hitting at least 93% now
Underrated comment
“I used to larp in the woods a lot as a kid”
I like this guy.
I swear, everything this man touches turns to gold. It took me a while after owning Nails, Code Orange and Cult Leader records that Kurt Ballou’s name was on every single one of them. When it comes to hardcore, the dude is a master at his craft.
if it's heavy, it says Kurt Ballou.
Nails, Torche, Floor, Kvelertak, High on Fire, Converge, Russian Circles...
@@Brentqvaleenjoyer from parts unknown...that album is just brutal. best drum sound i ever heard in my life.
Nowadays when you learn that guys like Kurt or Will Putney are producing something (which at this point is VERY often), you know it’s gonna be a banger
Kurt is the unsung hero of metal mastering, he's mastered so many MASTAPIECES I can't begin to count them
totally!
True that
Fur sure.
My faves are Kvelertak, Harmonicraft and all the Nails albums. Had no idea this guy was behind so many amazing records. Blew my mind when I saw the list.
I wish I had a degree in Aerosmith engineering
james Doctor this comment is hilarious 😂
I'm a year too late but this comment needs sooo much more love!
11:47 is where he out of nowhere just gives away the secret to how all my favorite Mass HC bands got their sound. Wicked
I really appreciate how hecking spooky that intro was
spooky as HECK, right?
Kurt Ballou is by far one of the most innovative guitarists I've ever heard. Not to mention one of the greatest musical engineers ever
His work on ETID's From Parts Unknown will forever be my favorite piece of sonic assault, or at least it will be for many years to come.
Excellent engineer and such a unique playing style! Love Kurt and Converge! + He looks like Ned Flanders
thanks for watching, neighborino! hey diddly-ho!
As a plumber, it makes me anxious seeing Kurt's electronics bench being right under the sewer piping....
He's entitled to it
Based plumber
Average converge enjoyer
Man, I would love to hear Kurt Ballou produce a Sleep record at GodCity. His ability to record heavy music but still get such an expansive and atmospheric sound that would lend itself well to Sleep’s style.
I've not listened to a lot of Converge, but Kurt Ballou clearly knows how to make a good punk record. Plus he did Orchid's first two albums, which is already enough to make him a dream producer for me. As some guy said on Rate Your Music, "Kurt Ballou could make your little brother's pop punk band sound like Nasum."
Hahahahahah top comment
I saw converge at the TLA in Philly maybe a decade and a half ago. Started watching this video and didn’t even know this guy was in the band. To be fair, I’m not too big into that scene.
Kurt Ballou who LARPed as a kid. This man is a god given gift.
+20 nerd score
I love how he explains what the equipment means/does for him rather than what it is. Sometimes when the "show us your junk" people are just like "oh I have this thing" it doesn't really interest me (listening to a big list of things people have) but when the things they have connect with a story or a feeling or a history, it's way more powerful. This episode had a lot of that. In fairness, I love most of these episodes even when I don't really understand a certain realm of equipment as primarily a guitarist. I hope they let those kids out of the basement sometimes. :)
Thanks for watching our stuff Evan. We appreciate you! Have a great week.
Plagues has one of the coolest guitar sounds I’ve ever heard in heavy music. Kurt is an incredible sonic craftsman both behind the board and on the stage. Thanks for the vid!
thanks for watching!
Converge is my favourite hardcore band. It overtook black flag for me.
Thank you Kurt, for everything you do
That business card/PCB is one of the coolest ideas I've ever seen.
This is pretty awesome. I’ve always been a fan of his playing style and wondered what kind of person he was especially after all the recording he’s done. Absolute genius. Good stuff.
thanks for watching!
Kurt is the reason I bought my first tube amp recently. Orange Dual Terror and a vertical 2x12.
My favorite guitarist ever. Greetings from Russia! Also production of this video is superb, so thanks guys!
Awesome. Thanks for watching! Hello from Akron, Ohio!
I would check Converge out or book time at this studio based on Kurt Ballou's personality alone.
This isn't Hoarding,its just Awesomeness.👍
Old Traynor amps in the background. Very cool.
Buddy rocking the Neil Young tee working on that Traynor, has to be the most Canadian Musician thing I've seen all week
Had no idea he had an aerospace engineering degree. Dang!
Aerosmith Engineering
He's a clever boy
Yeah as an Electrical Engineering guy he definitely knows his stuff. What a bad ass.
Converge is the best heavy band to ever exist.
Kurt is such an inspiration love all the stuff he does from production to writing with converge. Hardcore/Metalcore has really reinvigorated my guitar playing, super awesome to see someone like this talk openly about all his production tactics and everything.
love how its always the nicest calmest guys who make the heaviest music
Grew up just north in the Sugar River Valley. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Kurt is so humble but the man is a beast on guitar and in the studio.
From Southshore MA can 100% confirm the Aerosmith thing. basically anytime you buy something from an old guy on Craigslist it used to belong to someone in Aerosmith.
Salem baby!! I'm from Vermont so go there once a year. High on Fire recorded there. I will make an album there, mark my words.
Wanna know what else Salem is famous for? CRAZY PARKING TICKETS.
THIS IS THE BEST EPISODE SO FAR!! GODCITY LOOKS LIKE SO MUCH FUN!
crazier parking tickets than Richmond, VA? moving the van every few hours is a drag when you're bummin' around town waiting to play a gig.
Gave me goosebumps to come across this, only to learn that Thrasher Magazine and Jake fucking Phelps influenced and had a hand in shaping KB's early musical tastea. Skateboarding and heavy music made me the person I am. For better and for worse until the day I die.
THANK YOU SKATEBOARDING, RIP PHELPER.
Such a smart and interesting guy. A lot of albums that I love have been recorded there
I have absolutely NO idea who this guy is, but any video showing us some hoarder's collection of gear and I'm stoked. This guy has some sweet stuff, I'll have to hear some of his music now to hear this equipment!! Thanks, Earthquaker!! I also think it's cool that you as a company don't try and force these people to only talk about your gear, very democratic of you, BRAVO!!
thanks for watching! we're gear nerds, and pedals aren't really a mac/pc thing - they're all compatible with each other, so why not?!
This has to be my favorite episode!!!
I would love to pick Kurt's brain and get an idea of how he approaches writing. Super sick video.
SOLID CHOICE! I’d love to see Will Yip on here.
thanks!
One of my absolute hero’s
"It is more of a conversation piece than a cymbal" =) =) =)
my favorite line in the whole thing!
I guess some insane dark-hardcore guys might want to use it on a record.
@@A-Grat-AIt probably is just like a gong at that point, string it up (because I'm sure it would instantly topple any regular cymbal stand) and use it for an intro or something.
I've been waiting for this for so long !!!!
here it is! enjoy!
yes! I needed this today... yay gear and recording!
thanks for watching!
Great video. Thanks, EQD.
thanks for checking it out!
love the sword casually hung behind the guitar!
love kurt love joyce manor love earthquaker perfect vid :)
Absolutely amazing video, y’all. ARE. KILLIN. IT.
I can't get enough of these video uploads. Learn something new every veiw! Thanks to all involved in making these. Sincerely
Thanks for checking 'em out, Cal!
The idea with business card is ingenious!! ;-)
This guy made Curl Up And Die sound absolutely epic. I don't think they ever took themselves seriously until they entered Godcity.
I love this show. EQD for the win. its super cool that they didn't cut his own handmade pedals out.
Thanks for watching! We show whatever people use in this series and our "Board to Death" videos. Check 'em out.
"this is more of a conversation piece than a cymbal"
You guys need to do one with Will Yip at Studio 4 in Conshohocken
Great video. Could listen to Kurt all day!
Thanks, Sam! I love Kurt's guitar playing and production work.
I can't wait until the day I get to work with Kurt. It will happen! Converge was, and is, one of my favorite bands and Petitioning The Empty Sky blew my 16 year old head off when I first heard em playing the songs from it when they came through Northampton MA and I still can't think of a song from that era that comes close to "Farewell Note To This City." Man, I'm geeking out heavy, but this is awesome!
Thanks for watching! I hope you get your chance!
日本語字幕ありがとうございました！本当に役に立ちました！
見てくれてありがとう！
I LOVE how good these videos look now!
thanks so much!
Kurt looks like Joaquin Phoenix in 'Her'
NAH HE IS NOT!
No he looks like Ned Flanders
In case anyone wondered why his tone and riffs are so genius in every record... you get a taste of how intellectual and thoughtful he is. One of my favorite guitarists ever.
thanks for watching! i think every band needs an engineer to sweat the details so everyone else can rock.
happy to see this
thanks for watching!
Best one yet
thank you!
My favorite heavy guitar player ever who records my favorite sounding music ever. Such a boss.
thanks for watching, Nate!
I feel spoiled with all this content, thank you for this one
more great content to come!
Great Video Guys!!!!
this geezer has got the most amazing amps
Love this! Big, big fan of Converge.
thanks for watching!
First!, and foremost thanks to earthquaker devices for exposing the younger generations to the masters, and Mr. Ballou is one of them, even tough you might not know it, he change underground music forever, thanks Kurt.
🙌🙌
So cool that he recorded joyce manor, the new album sounds great! Much love to Kurt
it really does. thanks for watching!
Awesome! Gear heaven. Great series this.
If we could get an EQD and GodCity Instruments collab I think my heart would explode. I feel like kurt and Jamie have a similar love for everything filthy 🤘
woah!
thanks for filming and sharing this! so interesting and insightful
it's our pleasure! thanks for watching.
I had no idea about the Boss OS-2 having that blend control. So neat.
It's a highly underrated Boss dirt pedal. I'm never getting rid of mine
I love that he has a honeytone in his amp room
Seriously amazing editing and production guys. You deserve way more views as a channel. Not only do you guys make insane pedals but god I really love your videos guys.
thanks for the kind words!
Kurt Ballou is the Man
he sure is
Fuck yessss Kurt Ballou and EarthQuaker, cant go wrong here...
Thanks
These are awesome. Loved this episode. Keep it up!
thank you!
I love this so much.
thanks!
Thank you for this!
you're welcome! thanks for watching!
You should go to Unknown Studios in Anacortes WA
we'll look into it!
Yeah! Go see Phil! :) @@EarthQuakerDevices
I'm a believer. Thanks EQD!
it's our pleasure. thanks for watching!
Watching this on Halloween with some hefty local craft ale and my Tele/Orange combo being flattered by your 'Afterneath' pedal.
Tonight should really not ever end...
it really shouldn't
He even produced the final Have Heart record, and it slays!!!
and Cursed I
This documentary is as rad as your pedals!
thanks so much!
Awesome stuff!
Thanks for checking it out
So many cool things!
thanks for watching!
LOL, is Kurt Ballou purposely going for that Ed Kemper look?
I hear they're casting for Mindhunter season 2
A cross between the look Ed Kemper and the knowledgeability of Steve Albini
MOTHER
😂😂😂
I'm not too familiar with Kurt or Converge, but these vids are so well done it just draw me in. Fantastic stuff.
thanks for the kind words, Billy! I'd suggest checking out the Converge album "Jane Doe" to get a feeling of what they're all about
@@EarthQuakerDevices Will do!
damn his guitars look awesome.
Legend!!!!
AWESOME!
thanks!
The more Kurt on the internet the better!
couldn't agree more
Really nice video. Hi from Greece!
Thanks, John! Hello from Akron, Ohio!
Ed Kemper has tons of gear.
Recently I put some Seymour Duncan 50s style p90s in a sg special. I can't help but to pick it up and play when I walk into my room 😎
that's the guitar u need and have congrats
really smart and interesting person
I came back 4 years later just to watch that few second clip featuring broken Peavey Dirty Dog. That pedal rules and there is not enough love or info going around about it. The only people I know that use it are Kurt Ballou and Dylan Carlson (and me, but who am I?)
To spread the love: it was designed by James Brown. No, not that one, the one who later started Amptweaker. He also designed Peavey Bandit, and Dirty Dog used couple of tones from that amp. Also: Dirty Dog got its name from mr. Brown's band.
😈
@@EarthQuakerDevices What does that mean? Are you telling me there is something on the way? EQD The Somewhat Unclean Poodle?
Bam Margera on the cover of that Thrasher. Full circle with my favorite peeps.
These are super good.
thanks, Lucas!
When I grow up, I want to be this guy