Elevation
Download Tone
This song has its tempo set by the strong Trem effect in the MOD when we play it live. I’d say this tone is probably closer to their live Elevation sound from Live at Slane Castle than the studio version, but you could use it for both.
Performance Notes
Turn on the MOD and cycle the intro chords (E - A) in time with the trem modulations… its pretty easy to do. Then switch off the MOD when the band kicks in. I programmed an extra overdriven STOMP on this track but don’t use it that much anymore. For the middle section, I actually jump over to use the Pride tone and setup, so make sure that one is within the same bank as this one. Then when it comes back in, I use the Wah pedal for the chromatic run down.
In our version, I typically try and fit in a few bars from someone elses song in the middle of this one. I can’t Get No Satisfaction, Jumping Jack Flash, Back in Black, Glen Miller, Sweet Home Alabama, Schools Out, Walk This Way, Master of Puppets, Singing in the Rain. These all sound great with this super fuzzed out tone. Have fun with it.
Bullet in the Blue Sky
Download Tone
Staring at the Sun
Download Tone
I like this tone for this song, it was quite quick to program but is very effective in sounding like the original recording when played with a live band and a second acoustic.
Performance Notes
The acoustic does the main rhythm for this song, I play mostly the second guitar parts of keyboard parts for the verses. For the chorus, I use the wah and with a bridge pickup go for a very effected upper register riff.
On the outtro to the song, I sometimes turn on the REVERB I have programmed into this patch. Its a very short room delay and sounds completely unnatural. Its not authentic, so if in doubt, leave the reverb off on this patch!
The Fly
- Download Tone
There are different arrangements of this song when performed live by U2. Each has pretty unique sounds. This is my “Achtung Baby” version.
225ms Delay Base Tone (Short)
- Download Tone
For almost all the really old songs this should work well. I have a fairly crunchy base tone, more so than the 330 and 440 basic tones. The STOMP setting is quite over driven and best used just for solos.
-
Desire
For the solo at least, this delay is great. I think this is possibly the most difficult U2 song to really get the correct rhythm, its almost a Bo-Diddley beat. Its easier on acoustic than electric I have found. -
I Will Follow
For this classic just leave the delay on and you are good to go. Even works over the middle section. -
Out of Control
I sometimes turn the delay off for the verses to make it punchy, but you could leave it on throughout. Put the COMP and STOMP on for the solo to give it some extra ummph. -
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Recently I have been preferring to play this song with a shorter delay. It makes the main riff sound a little more urgent. -
God Part Two
This is mostly bass and drums until the second verse. But with the delay on you get a good big sound, I sometimes also use the WAH on this track. -
Red Hill Mining Town
Delay on throughout. I have to play very lightly on the intro to make it come through clean, but this delay works well for the verses, and I use the STOMP to play a solo in the vein of Atom Heart Mother Pink Floyd cause the chords are very similar to a few songs on that album. -
The Electric Co.
Delay on throughout, this one is a fast song! I use COMP to make the pre-solo section bigger, then hit STOMP for the actual solo which increases the gain but softens the actual tone a little.
330ms Delay Base Tone
Download Tone
This is another base tone that I use, its the same as the 440ms tone, but with a shorter 330ms delay setting. Everything else is the same, with the exception of the MOD setting that has a Chorus effect, just for Angel of Harlem.
Here are the songs I use this tone for:
- City of Blinding Lights
I start this sound with the distortion off, and turn it on when the slide part starts. The Verbzilla with Octo setting is also useful underneath this sound. - Angel of Harlem
Turn MOD on for this, the chorus makes the opening riff sound fuller. I use distortion for the second half of the song in order to take it to a new level live, and it allows me to throw in a big bluesy solo where there isn’t really one on the original. - Trip Through Your Wires
Distortion on, I try to play this lightly on the strings to be more of a texture than a rhythm part. We play this one with either second electric guitar or acoustic played by Bono. - Dancing Barefoot
I don’t normally play the rhythm for this song cause the acoustic does it, but the clean sound works in a pinch. - In God’s Country
Distortion on all the way through, use the COMP for solos.
440ms Delay Base Tone
-
All Because of You
I use the Wah on the lead riff with this song. Distortion on throughout. Turn the delays and reverbs off for the verses so that they are more punchy. Delays back on for the chorus. Turn the delays off for the Wah solo toward the end. -
Walk On
A lot of foot tapping with this song. Start with the delay on, distortion off. We play to a sequence so I just strum whole note chords over the piano intro. Distortion on for the riff, then off again for the verses. Distortion on for the bridge and chorus. Distortion off and MOD on for the middle piece (I stomp both pedals with a wide foot!), then as the build up comes in I turn off the MOD for one loop, then distortion on for one loop. Then COMP on for the outtro. I solo over the singing on the end of this song cause its a fun key to play in. -
Kite
Distortion on throughout. I play it with my fingers but its supposed to be played on the slide. Put the MOD on for the solo. -
Wild Horses
This is probably worth building into its own patch to be more Achtung Babyesque. Currently we play with the acoustic doing the main rhythm and I use the distortion and volume pedal to swell on the verses, then kick in for the chorus. -
All I Want Is You
This is one of my favorite songs by U2. I start with the distortion off for the first two verses, with delay on. I turn on the distortion for the start of the third verse and leave it on for the rest of the song. The Verbzilla is good for background “keys” texturing. At the end of this song we break from the original arrangements and I get to improvise a finger picked solo with the rest of the band vamping on the A - D chords. I try to add some Jeff Beck style riffs here and I will play it forever until the rest of the guys get bored and end the song! -
Hold Me, Thrill Me
Distortion on without delay for the intro chords, then I use Wah for the riff. I keep the wah on for most of the song, adding the delay for the chorus. On the chorus I emulate the strings by playing single notes with lots of delay and the wah. It works pretty well considering the studio version of this song is quite complex. -
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
For the intro I don’t use distortion, but then from the second verse on, distortion on. Delay on through out. We play this with a capo on 5th fret. This makes it easy for me to play the solos using big open chords while chunking on the low C (6th string, 8th fret). -
Sunday Bloody Sunday *
Delay on for the riff, off for the chords, on for the bridges. Crowds love this song. -
New York, New York
This song should probably have its own tone. I use the clean with delay for the verses and kick in distortion for the heavier sections. -
Acrobat
This is another of my favorites to play. Distortion on with delay the whole time. Most of the dynamics are played in the arrangement and fingering on this one, compared to the production work of the original. I’ll post one of our recordings at some point so you can see how we perform it. There are not many live U2 versions to compare to. -
Original of the Species
I keep the distortion and delay on pretty much whole way through and play very lightly during the verses to add dynamics. -
Sometimes You Can’t Make it on your Own
First verse, leave the delay off, then add it on the bridge. I add distortion for the start of the second verse and throughout the rest of the song. Use COMP for the solo section for extra boost. -
Stay
Clean no distortion for the first verse, I kick in distortion for the chorus and then back off for the second verse. I add the delay for the bridge to make the sound open out. For the later verses I have the distortion on and use the feedback from the amp/monitors to get the atmospheric wailing. -
Miracle Drug
Delay on throughout, I use clean tone for the first verse, kicking in distortion for the bridge and throughout. I sometimes use MOD for the solo to give it a different tone, turning it off half way through. -
The Electrical Storm
This arrangement takes a bit of pedalling. Clean tone for most of the verse work, Distortion for the chorus, I emulate the keyboards by playing harmonics on the guitar on the bridges. For the acoustic strumming turn the delay off to give it a tighter punch.
All Tones
- Download Tone
This is for me as a backup in case some git steals all my gear. But you are welcome to download this complete set of all my tones if you like.
Where the Streets Have No Name
- Download Tone
This is my tone for Where the Streets Have No Name. The original song has two delays. I use a stereo delay with a very slight offset and a short reverb (need to look up settings and post here).
The New Album
As soon as I have new sounds for the album I will post them here. I am going to have to learn it at some point.
