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Starships Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj · 2010s+ · other

studio

Original Recording

Guitar

Unknown (likely sampled or synthesized guitar, model not specified in any source)

Pickups

Unknown (no evidence of real guitar pickups; likely digital/sample-based)

Amp

Unknown (no evidence of physical amp; likely processed in-the-box with plugins and studio effects)

Pickup Position

Unknown (likely digital/sample-based, not a physical pickup)

Studio recording, 2011-2012. No evidence of a real guitar or amp used; all sources point to heavy use of plugins and studio processing for the guitar riff in the clean section. Trevor Muzzy (engineer) mentions Apple Logic Bitcrusher, Urei 1176LN, Chandler Limited TG2, and Logic Pro Channel EQ as part of the processing chain. No live performance evidence for this tone.

Amp Settings

Mids

4.5

Bass

Gain

Reverb

3.5

Treble

Presence

Effects Chain

Apple Logic Bitcrusher · other
Waves Doubler · chorus

Guitar sample or DI → Chandler Limited TG2 preamp → Urei 1176LN compressor → Apple Logic Bitcrusher → Logic Pro Channel EQ → Waves Doubler → Digital reverb (plugin)

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Tone Character

bright and clear
polished and synthetic
tight transient attack
compressed and controlled dynamics
slightly processed/bitcrushed texture
doubled/wide stereo image
pop/dance-oriented clean tone
no audible amp breakup
studio-processed clarity
artificial, sample-like quality

Notes & Caveats

⚠️Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
⚠️No sources specify a real guitar, amp, or pickup used for the clean riff in 'Starships'; all evidence points to a processed/sample-based guitar part.
⚠️All cited gear (Urei 1176LN, Chandler TG2, Logic Bitcrusher, Channel EQ, Waves Doubler) are studio processors/plugins, not guitar pedals or amps.
⚠️Settings are estimated based on typical clean pop/dance guitar processing and the audible tone in the recording.
⚠️No evidence of a physical pedalboard or amp effects; all effects appear to be in-the-box plugins.
⚠️Pickup selector, guitar model, and amp model are unknown and likely not applicable for this recording.
⚠️If a real guitar was used, it was heavily processed and layered with plugins, making the original signal chain impossible to reconstruct from available sources.
⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Starships' riff features a modern, tight, high-gain pop-rock tone with pronounced attack, scooped mids, and bright, cutting treble. The low reverb and tight bass reflect the pop production style of the early 2010s, likely achieved with amp modeling or direct recording.