With something like a steel guitar, unless you're going to spend the time to learn how to make the samples work well and sound authentic, then you're better off writing to the loops, finding a different instrument for the part, or hiring a player. I like the Wavelore library, though, it seems like it's a good one and well thought out. Compoers are still after an outdated Wavelore plugin that hasn't been updated since like 2013, but it's the best we got till somone like Indiginus, Orange Tree or 8dio come along and make a MUCH better one and clean up in the process (I would buy for sure). I'm a huge fan of Kontakt VSTs for acoustic instruments. As an example, VIRs 'Mojo Horns' is very nice and Wavelore's 'Pedal Steel Guitar' is the BEST emulation I've ever heard of that instrument. That said, my bread & butter sounds come from East/West - I've got essentially all their sets.

Here are some audio clips of my playing, which I hope can help demonstrate certain pedal steel tips/technique audibly. There are no tabs at the moment, I was improvising most of this during a quick recording session. I laid these tracks down in a recording session at my home studio.

If you are interested in a riff or sound, let me know (contact page) and I’ll do my best to tell you how I played it. I’ll know the position(s) from the notes and string timbre.

E9 Neck of Pedal Steel

Pedal Bounce

For Some E9 flavor, check out my B +C pedal work on these riffs. I am skipping around positions while keeping a constant bass root note going on the 8th, 9th, and 10th strings: to widen the voicing and make it speak a little more.

1. Bouncy
2. Bouncy2
3. Bouncy (drone)
4. Bouncy2 (drone)

Classic Steel Sounds

Pedal Steel Vst Free

The following E9 improv riffs demonstrate that classic steel sound, almost like a celestial-crying floating sound. These also demonstrate using the volume pedal, in a way that slightly lowers your attack on strings, and then sustains notes for as long as needed.

1. Improvised Audio Samples.
2. Let's Float
3. Smooth (drone)
4. Let's Float

/recommended-free-vst.html. Smooth Sustain

Let’s keep it smooth on the volume pedal with these next examples: here’s some sustain out the yin-yang. The pedal steel with its hot output, volume pedal, and bar vibrato can sustain notes better/longer than many instruments. Listen to these glissandos, and how many notes can be made from only one “pick” of the strings.

1. SustainDown (drone)
2. SustainUp (drone)
3. SustainDown
4. SustainUp

E9 Light Staccatto

Some more E9 action, this time in the 4th, 3rd, and 1st string pocket. https://yellowne.weebly.com/blog/system-shock-2-mac-download. Played slightly staccato for a ‘lil West Coast effect, with horizontal bar movement.

1. Lightning (drone)
2. Horse (drone)
3. Lighting
4. Horse

Rock Pedals

Get you get your fuzz pedals out, crank up your tube amp, we can get down and dirty on E9 for sure.

1. DirtRun
2. Muddy
3. DirtRun (drone)
4. Muddy (drone)

Wavelore Pedal Steel Vst Plugin Pedal

C6 Neck:

Classic Rock

Let’s keep the distortion rolling, this time on the C6 neck– without reliance on pedals for playing notes. Almost sounds more like a rock guitar when no pedals are played.

1. ClassicRock
2. Rock Run
3. RockRun3
4. ClassicRock (drone)
5. RockRun (drone)
6. RockRun3 (drone)

Bluesy Runs

Here are some improvised bluesy runs, played in a similar mindset to Buddy Emmons’ pocket approach. Played on C6 neck with thumb and middle finger only. On tracks w/ multiple phrases, you may hear me develop my lines based on call and response, like having a conversation, or developing on a motif.

1. BluesRun1
2. BluesRun2
3. BluesRun3
4. BluesRun1(drone)
5. BluesRun2 (drone)
6. BluesRun3 (drone)

C6 Diminished Runs

Wavelore Pedal Steel Vst Plugin Plugins

Here’s where the fun begins! These examples start with the drone tracks, to give the dissonant sounds a little more context.

C6 Diminished Runs (Improv)

1. DimRun (drone)
2. DimRun2 (drone)
3. DimRun3 (drone)
4. DimRun
5. DimRun2
6. DimRun3

Minor Runs

Some minor runs (mostly minor pentatonic, and blues scale) on C6 neck. Also played with a similar mindset to Emmons’ pocket approach

1. MinorDown
2. ClassicRock
3. Rock Run
4. MinorDown (drone)
5. ClassicRock (drone)
6. RockRun (drone)

Additional Pedal Steel Audio for Learning and Inspiration: Free leslie speaker vst.