For guitarists chasing the legendary shimmering sound of The Edge on U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name,” the quest for perfect replication can be a long and winding road. Many have attempted to capture this elusive tone, often falling short of the authentic sound heard on the record. Frustrated with generic presets, we delved deep into the sonic architecture of this iconic track to construct a Kemper Profiler rig that truly captures the magic.
You can find the meticulously crafted result available on Rig Manager under the tag “U2 Streets”. This rig is the culmination of dedicated research and experimentation, designed to bring you closer than ever to the genuine “Streets” sound.
Deconstructing the Sonic DNA: Key Components of The Edge’s Tone
Our journey to recreate this iconic sound began with understanding the fundamental elements that define The Edge’s guitar tone on “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Through careful analysis, we identified several crucial components:
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The Guitar: The foundation of this sound is a Fender Stratocaster, specifically utilizing the bridge and middle pickups in combination (position 2 on the pickup selector). This pickup configuration provides a bright, articulate tone essential for the signature chime.
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The Amplifier: The Vox AC30 amplifier is integral to The Edge’s sound. Known for its brilliant top-end and characteristic overdrive when pushed, the AC30 provides the sonic canvas upon which the effects are layered. Our rig starts with a profile of a Vox AC30, ensuring the core amp tone is authentic.
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Compression: A compressor is placed at the very front of the signal chain. This crucial element evens out the dynamics, adding sustain and ensuring each note rings out clearly, even amidst the complex delay patterns.
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Delay – The Secret Weapon: The Edge’s innovative use of delay is paramount to his signature sound. For “Streets,” a multi-layered delay approach is employed:
- Slapback Delay: A short slapback delay, set around 100ms with a 50% mix, adds a subtle rhythmic thickness and early reflections, creating a sense of space.
- Dual Delay Engines: The heart of the “Streets” delay sound lies in two interconnected delay engines. In our Kemper rig, we utilize the Dual Delay module to emulate this setup.
- Primary Delay: Set to approximately 350ms, this is the dominant delay, creating the main rhythmic echoes that define the song.
- Secondary Delay: A longer delay, around 524ms, acts as a subtle counterpoint, adding depth and complexity to the rhythmic texture. The mix is intentionally skewed towards the primary delay, with the secondary delay providing a more understated, single repeat after each strum. Feedback settings are also carefully balanced, with the primary delay having a higher feedback (around 33%) than the secondary (around 6%), allowing the main delay to echo more prominently. The overall mix between the two delays is set to approximately 31.6%, further emphasizing the primary delay’s role.
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Hall Reverb: To add a final layer of spaciousness and polish, a hall reverb is placed at the end of the effects chain. A pre-delay of 160ms and a decay time of 4.2 seconds, with a mix around 25.5%, creates a lush, ambient wash without overpowering the clarity of the delays.
Experience the “Streets” Sound on Your Kemper Profiler
By meticulously recreating these key elements within the Kemper Profiler environment, the “U2 Streets” rig aims to provide an authentic and inspiring playing experience. The rig is designed to be plug-and-play, allowing you to instantly access this iconic tone.
We encourage you to download the “U2 Streets” rig from Rig Manager and put it to the test. Experiment with your Stratocaster in the second pickup position, and prepare to be transported to the anthemic soundscape of “Where the Streets Have No Name.”
Your feedback is invaluable. After exploring the rig, please share your thoughts and experiences. This recipe is a labor of passion, refined over days of dedicated work, and we hope it resonates with your ears as much as it does with ours.
