Dylan Watts

What amp is The Dark Amp based on?

It's not really based on one specific amp. The idea was a clean foundation with the effects doing most of the work. Since Gilmour often used Hiwatts for that role, there's some influence there, but it isn't a direct model.

How do you set up the plugin to play?

I connect my guitar to an audio interface, route it into my DAW, and load the plugin on the audio track.

Does the plugin work on Windows and Mac?

The plugin is compatible with both Intel and AMD processors, as they both use the same x86 architecture.

Is The Sultan Amp a physical amp or a download?

The Sultan Amp is a digital product, so there's no physical shipment. You should have received an email with the download link right after your purchase.

Should the Sultan Amp's cab stay on, and how close can a Strat get to the demo tone?

The cab option should stay on unless you're using your own impulse responses. Different guitars and playing techniques will affect the tone, so you might not get the exact sound from the video, even with a Strat. However, if you use your fingers and set the Strat to the bridge/middle position, you should be able to get really close to the same sound.

Does the Sultan Amp need a MIDI controller or another guitar VST before it?

Some DAWs may allow external MIDI controllers to control plugin parameters through their own automation/mapping system, but The Sultan Amp itself is designed as an audio effect, not a MIDI-controlled instrument. You do not need to put another guitar VST before it. Just plug your electric guitar into an audio interface and load The Sultan Amp on the guitar track.

What does the HQ Fuzz option in The Dark Amp do?

HQ Fuzz simply enables oversampling on the fuzz stage, which reduces aliasing and makes the top end a bit smoother and more detailed, especially on sustained notes. It’s very subtle.

Do you add EQ after the amp plugin, and what if it sounds too bright?

I use Reaper. I just put the amp straight on the track with no extra EQ or anything after. If it’s sounding too bright, I’d try rolling the tone control back a bit on your Strat first. Different pickups and playing attack can make a big difference too.

Do you use the plugin's stock presets in your videos?

Normally I just use the presets that come with the amps, but for some songs I make exceptions. Brothers in Arms is one of them—I do not have a preset for that one yet, so I just tweak the sound to my liking. I always show the exact settings I use on screen.

Can you run the Sultan Amp plugin through a physical amp?

The Sultan Amp is a standalone plugin, so it’s meant to be used on its own. Running it through another amp like the Micro Mustang can make the tone harsh and unnatural. Try it directly into your interface or DAW to hear it as intended.

Is the Strat in your covers a custom model?

It’s a Vintera 50s Strat with a custom Warmoth neck.

What amp sim settings did you use for your early Sultans of Swing tone?

Same amp sim as You and Your Friend but it’s on the clean channel. The amp sim is called Tone Deluxe v2 btw, it is free. I have mids all the way up bass at like 6 and treble at 7. The. I add a compressor.

What free signal chain did you use before your own amp plugin?

I plug my guitar straight into an audio interface which goes into my DAW called reaper on my computer. I use a free amp sim called ToneDeluxev2 which the goes to a free compressor called orange squeezer.

What signal chain did you use for a Gilmour fuzz and rotary tone?

First I used the Keeley Dark Side pedal which has a fuzz and a rotary speaker simulator, then I put it through the clean channel on the tonedeluxev2 amp sim on my computer

What amp sim settings did you use for the You and Your Friend solo?

I put my amp sim on high gain mode and out the gain around 4. My eq setting are pretty much all at 5 excepts mids that are a bit higher. By tone switch is all the way down.

Are any other effects used besides the Sultan Amp plugin?

I just have an audio interface that connects my guitar to my computer. The rest is just the plug-in. The plug-in also has a built in compressor.

What do you need to get close to a Knopfler tone?

I use D’Addario 9–42 strings. A Strat-style guitar will work well. For the tone, all you need is a clean amp setting, plus compression and reverb.

Is your Strat a Custom Shop model, and which pickups does it have?

It is a Vintera 50s with the stock pickups. I changed the pick-guard and the pickup covers so it looks a bit different

Was that sound a wah pedal or an out-of-phase middle pickup?

Middle pickup out of phase. It would sound better with a wah peddle but I didn’t have one at hand.

How does the Sultan Amp sound with a Les Paul or a PRS?

A Les Paul or PRS will sound great, just warmer and thicker than a Knopfler-style tone.

Which guitars do you use for acoustic and electric covers?

This guitar is the Lava Me 41" Spruce Guitar. My main electric guitar is a Vintera 50s Strat

How do you get the Little Wing intro tone?

It is a clean tone at the edge of breakup with a bit of chorus.

Does the paid Sultan Amp have more features than the free demo?

No, the paid version does not have any extra features. The demo is fully functional. The full version just removes the white noise that comes in every 30 seconds.

Is the wear on your guitar natural or a relic finish?

Yes it’s natural. Although, the guitar came with a very thin finish so it wore pretty fast. I actually tried to restore this neck. If you look back at my old videos, you can see that the neck was very worn.

Do you change your guitar's setup for different artists' songs?

I haven’t made any changes to my guitar in the past year or so. I messed with the pickup heights one time and that’s about it

Would you switch to bigger frets if your guitar were refretted?

I would definitely stick with the same vintage frets. I am used to them so there is no reason for me to switch.

What strings do you use?

In this video I used D'Addario EPS520 ProSteels 9-42

Why is the action on your guitar set so high?

It’s very high because my guitar buzzes but I have grown to prefer it

How long have you been playing?

I have been learning Knopfler's technique for about 6 years now

How did you learn Knopfler's right-hand technique?

I figured it out by watching videos of Mark Knopfler over and over.

How do you hold the pick?

I hold the pick between my ring and middle finger for fingerstyle

Does anything outside Dire Straits help your technique?

I watch Mark’s hand up close and try to replicate it. Also learning some flamenco helps

What are your practice habits?

I practice with a metronome a lot and I try to learn a new riff every day. I find that learning as much as I can improves the other songs I play.

How can a beginner make faster progress on guitar?

I think that you can totally dive straight into song, it is what I did. I would say learn three or four of your favourite songs from start to finish (not just the intro) and get them down with good timing by using a metronome. When I am learning a lick I find it really helpful to start with the metronome at a slow speed and make sure I can play the lick perfectly 5 times in a row at that speed and then I continue to increase the speed.

Why play the double finger upstroke over the edge of the fretboard?

I’m not sure of the exact name for that specific movement. The double upstroke with the fingers is something you hear in flamenco-style playing, but playing it slightly over the fretboard is something I’ve only really seen Knopfler do. For me, playing it there makes the double stroke feel smoother and easier to control. It also gives the attack a slightly warmer tone.

Should you stop using the ring finger to play like Knopfler?

If you want to imitate Knopfler and get the closest sound possible it would help to have a similar technique. If you are already comfortable with your ring finger it’s probably not necessary to change your technique since there is more you can do.

How do you clean up fast thumb and index finger alternation?

if you watch Mark during live performances and try to replicate his hand that might help. Once I started anchoring my ring and pinky finger down things become a lot easier.

Which guitar hero is hardest to copy: Knopfler, Gilmour, SRV, Mayer or Hendrix?

For learning note for note they are all pretty similar. From an improvisation standpoint I would say it’s hardest to sound like Knopfler. Just my opinion.

On the two-finger upstrokes, how do you avoid hitting the wrong strings?

Yes only the three things. However I mute the strings I don’t intend to play with my left hand so I don’t have to be so conscious about what strings I’m hitting with my right.

Must the ring finger be anchored for Knopfler's right-hand technique?

Mark’s technique takes some time to get used to, but as long as one finger is down, you can get the same leverage needed to achieve the sound.

Why fret the D minor chord with the thumb over the neck instead of a barre?

Using thumb makes doing Hendrix embellishments easier but for Knopfler I would say use which ever way is more natural for your hand.

Can you play Knopfler's fingerstyle rhythm with a pick instead?

You can but it doesn’t sound the same. Al Di Maola would be a good example of someone who does a flamenco type rhythm with a pick.

How do you learn fast chicken picking like in Lady Writer?

Just practice slow and it helps the have your pinky or something anchored on the guitar so you get some leverage.

Does Knopfler's finger rhythm technique tear up your fingertips?

It’s not that bad, after like a week you get calluses

Do you use software to slow songs down when transcribing?

I just use the YouTube playback speed feature if I need to slow something down

Which interface and DAW do you recommend on macOS?

For macOS, I’d recommend looking at the Focusrite Scarlett series for audio interfaces. They offer excellent sound quality and are quite user-friendly. As for DAWs, Logic Pro X is a great choice for macOS.

Why might an amp sim tone hum, and how can you reduce it?

It’s likely the compression that’s causing the issue. When you compress a noisy guitar, the compressor can bring out unwanted hum or noise, making it more noticeable. You could try lowering the input levels or use a noise gate to reduce the noise, but keep in mind that this will affect your tone. It’s a bit of a trade-off between noise reduction and preserving the sound you want.

Do amp plugins work while you play or only on recorded audio?

You use plugins inside a DAW by putting one on your guitar track, and it processes your clean signal to give you the amp tone or effect you want, either in real time or after recording.

What speaker or cab do you use with the plugin?

It’s just the plug-in since it has its own cab sim. I use KRK headphones to listen to the output

Where do you get backing tracks without the guitar?

I usually cut the guitar out with a software called Spleeter. Or I get it from YouTube

How long did it take to learn Sultans of Swing?

Took me about 2 years, and I'm still learning stuff I didn't know before from watching Mark here on YouTube.

Which Knopfler song should a beginner start with?

I started with Sultans and it took me around a year to get it down. If that's too intimidating, learn either Six Blade Knife or So Far Away. Also it's important to learn the entire song instead of just the main riff.

Which pickup position do you use for Sultans of Swing?

However, I have been studying the isolated guitar track for about 2 years and to me the second position just doesn't sound as close as the middle position.

What's your favourite Dire Straits album?

Definitely the Alchemy Live album, but my favourite studio album literally changes every week.

How do you play the one-finger bend on the B major chord in Sultans of Swing?

To get the one finger bend, getting all the strings to ring out without buzz is really important and it is gonna be painful to build that callous cause it will probably shred up your finger. Something that might help with the vibrato is the move your thumb up or down on top of the neck and see where the sweet spot is for your hand to do that vibrato.

How do you combine the rhythm part with the licks in Sultans of Swing?

If you can already play the licks, I’d focus on the transitions between sections. Break the song down into smaller parts and practice moving between them slowly and in time using a metronome. I’d also spend some time practicing the rhythm part at a very slow tempo to make sure it feels solid. It’s a slow process, but worth it. Once everything feels comfortable, gradually increase the tempo.

Who plays the rhythm part on the Sultans of Swing record?

His brothers rhythm guitar doesn’t sound as prominent in Sultans as in other songs such as Wild West End or Down to the Waterline. If you listen to the isolated guitar track it sounds like Mark actually played two tracks and layered them on top of each other. In live version you can see Mark play lead bits and then rhythm bits as well.

What does the thumb play in the bass during the Sultans of Swing chord walk-down?

I most live versions that I have seen, mark plays the third of the chord in the base when he goes from the C to the B flat and the root when he gets to the A. However, he did a demo one time in a documentary and he played it a bit different so you could probably do whatever you like best.

Which Dire Straits songs are the hardest to play?

The hardest are definitely the live versions of Sultans of Swing, Tunnel of Love, and Telegraph Road. For studio recordings, I’d probably say Lady Writer is one of the hardest technically, while Sultans is probably the hardest to get feeling right.

Is there a tab that matches your Lady Writer cover?

There isn’t a tab for my exact version unfortunately. I mixed in parts from different live versions, mostly Rockpalast, so a standard tab could be a good starting point, then you can follow my video for the details.

In the Sultans of Swing rhythm, does the thumb strike alone or with the index finger?

I do both. There are instances where it sounds like Mark using his index across all the strings. For example, when the song starts It sounds to me like the first strike is the thumb with the index strumming the rest.

Why change the tuning for this Gilmour solo?

Gilmour hits the open D which is only possible with this tuning. Also there is a bend with pinch harmonics that is pretty tricky in standard.

Is the flamenco roll in Sultans of Swing played on the upstroke or downstroke?

When you do the upstroke you rake the strings with your first and middle finger.

Which pickup position sounds right for Slow Dancing in a Burning Room?

I’m honestly not sure, in my opinion the middle sounds more accurate on my guitar.

In So Far Away, does the slide run from the 2nd to the 9th fret, and on which strings?

That is correct and I am only plucking the D, G, and B strings

How do you keep cover videos from being blocked for copyright?

I make sure that the video is a minute or less and I try not to use the actual song in any of my videos. Occasional my videos do get copyright but most of the time they are fine.

What tools did you use to develop the Sultan Amp plugin?

I developed this plugin using the JUCE framework, which is great for audio plugin development. I used Xcode on macOS and Visual Studio on Windows.