In this week’s episode of Thinkin’ and Drinkin’ Bart converses with Cooper Carter, a well-read, well-rounded musician, with a passion for books, music, and digital technology. You will hear about his knowledge of guitars, his experiences as a production consultant, and of course his favorite tech. You don’t want to miss the crazy stories of why bands are throwing away their amps.
Meet Carter Cooper: “Guitar Wizard” and “YouTube sensation” Cooper Carter’s signature mix of songwriting and fiery guitar playing has delighted audiences across the country and the world. The creator of YouTube’s popular SoloAWeek™ channel, Cooper’s viral guitar work has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Vox, Guitar World Magazine, Revolver, ClassicFM, and more.
As a lead guitarist, he has performed live and recorded with dozens of artists, some of whom are listed below.
Cooper’s childhood was spent studying the music of songwriters such as Shawn Mullins, the Indigo Girls, and Matthew Sweet and the guitar work of Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, SRV, Gilmour, and others. In a summer program at Berklee College of Music in 2005, Cooper studied songwriting, advanced music theory, and rock guitar performance, developing a new appreciation for the techniques and styles of virtuoso guitar players like John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, and Greg Howe. As a solo artist, Cooper’s songwriting style reflects a combined love of the guitar’s unique voice and that of carefully-penned lyrics and heartfelt vocal melodies.
With Cooper Carter & the Royal Senders, he pairs a guitar-driven, energetic musical approach with a compositional and lyrical style informed by singer-songwriters greats.
Cooper is a leading authority on Fractal Audio products, including the flagship Axe-Fx III, which has gained immense popularity with the industry’s largest touring and recording acts.
As a production consultant, Cooper has worked with artists like Maroon 5, Journey, Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews Band, Dashboard Confessional, and Zach Brown Band, among others, to design tones heard on countless albums and stages across the globe.
He also routinely provides consulting services to companies across the music industry in the areas of business, marketing, video & media, and gear design.
What Bart has to say: I have a fractal that I use when playing guitar.. I found Cooper on YouTube and was very impressed with his playing and teaching. I was thrilled when he agreed to be a guest on the podcast.
In this episode, you’ll hear
Cooper talks about how he collects stems* to not only enjoy, but to learn and get production ideas. * Stems are stereo recordings sourced from mixes of multiple individual tracks.
Cooper discusses how he travels all over the country to work with various bands, guitar techs and front of house guys to make sure guitar tones are sounding the best they can in their given venue.
Links to Connect: