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I'm kinda finding a lot to like here:

I'm certain that there will be one or another ring-modulator stomp in my near future...

 

I bought a Maestro Music Modulator (designed & built by Tom Oberheim, marketed through Gibson,) in 1971 & have been happily ring modulating ever since. It's a big part of my sound, though I now use the built in ring modulator in the Boss GX700.

 

Scott, how are you liking the Boss Ring Mod effect? I find that the Ring Mod in my GT-series processors isn't quite . . . twisted enough. It seems to almost stay in tune, no matter what I do with the Frequency setting. Did they change the DSP that much between series?

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I'm kinda finding a lot to like here:

I'm certain that there will be one or another ring-modulator stomp in my near future...

 

I bought a Maestro Music Modulator (designed & built by Tom Oberheim, marketed through Gibson,) in 1971 & have been happily ring modulating ever since. It's a big part of my sound, though I now use the built in ring modulator in the Boss GX700.

 

Scott, how are you liking the Boss Ring Mod effect? I find that the Ring Mod in my GT-series processors isn't quite . . . twisted enough. It seems to almost stay in tune, no matter what I do with the Frequency setting. Did they change the DSP that much between series?

 

I don't have a dog in the analog vs digital fight, but I have to say my old analog Maestro ring modulator is fuller & richer, maybe more 3D, than the digital ring modulators in my Boss GX700 & SE70s. These are 20+ year old 16bit devices & digital conversion has come a long way since then, so this may just be that I'm hearing less than wonderful digital conversion, less than wonderful code writing, restricted dynamics, aliasing, who knows. But, I also never use the ring mod plug in in Digital Performer. Somehow, they all manage to be mathematically correct, i.e. the frequencies of the carrier & program are dutifully added & subtracted, but the end result is never as gnarly as the analog version. I put up with it in my guitar rack because I'm aiming for plug & play portability, & spicing up the ring mods with delays, reverb & chorus. I haven't yet gotten to porting my GX700 patches over to the GT10 to see if I'm liking a more modern digital processor better than the old ones. That was just one of many projects which took a back seat during the life events of 2 years ago. Some day, I can imagine my live guitar rig resembling Laurie Anderson's current set up; a Mac laptop & a MOTU UltraLite, with every bit of processing happening in software.

Scott Fraser
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I don't have a dog in the analog vs digital fight, but I have to say my old analog Maestro ring modulator is fuller & richer, maybe more 3D, than the digital ring modulators in my Boss GX700 & SE70s. These are 20+ year old 16bit devices & digital conversion has come a long way since then, so this may just be that I'm hearing less than wonderful digital conversion, less than wonderful code writing, restricted dynamics, aliasing, who knows. But, I also never use the ring mod plug in in Digital Performer. Somehow, they all manage to be mathematically correct, i.e. the frequencies of the carrier & program are dutifully added & subtracted, but the end result is never as gnarly as the analog version. I put up with it in my guitar rack because I'm aiming for plug & play portability, & spicing up the ring mods with delays, reverb & chorus. I haven't yet gotten to porting my GX700 patches over to the GT10 to see if I'm liking a more modern digital processor better than the old ones. That was just one of many projects which took a back seat during the life events of 2 years ago. Some day, I can imagine my live guitar rig resembling Laurie Anderson's current set up; a Mac laptop & a MOTU UltraLite, with every bit of processing happening in software.

 

Thanks for that. I'll be very interested to hear how you feel the GT-10's Ring Mod compares with the older Boss units.

 

For me, it's not an Analog vs Digital issue. My Line 6 M5 and my old Alesis Quadraverb+ deliver great Ring Mod sounds, but the Boss GT-series Ring Mods are just okay. The M5 and the Quadraverb allow me to filter out the high frequencies, as well. The Boss effect almost sounds like it's still trying to follow the musical scale, which a Ring Mod shouldn't do, at all. I'm not sure it's a true Sum & Difference engine, driving the effect.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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Figured we could use this as a catch-all for mew effects unit news and discussion...anyway, check this out - a box for acoustic guitars that uses the guitar body itself as the "speaker": http://www.gizmag.com/tonewoodamp-acoustic-guitar-effects/33958/

 

:D

 

Looks like Yamaha's dropped a similar thing on us:

 

[video:youtube]

 

a simpler version to be sure, but still sounds pretty good to me.

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Figured we could use this as a catch-all for mew effects unit news and discussion...anyway, check this out - a box for acoustic guitars that uses the guitar body itself as the "speaker": http://www.gizmag.com/tonewoodamp-acoustic-guitar-effects/33958/

 

:D

 

Looks like Yamaha's dropped a similar thing on us:

 

[video:youtube]

 

a simpler version to be sure, but still sounds pretty good to me.

 

Aaaaaah... an acoustic guitar line with those 'effects' built-in... Should've seen that coming...

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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My buddy has something very similar he has installed on his guitar. It can be used on any acoustic, it sticks on the back using magnets while the amp is inside so it can be taken off for strictly acoustic playing. It won't mar the finish. It's not that loud but does add effects like reverb and chorus and is louder for playing around the campfire. Although some acoustic snobbies might give you a hard time for using reverb LOL! They are cool though! :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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  • 2 weeks later...
floppy disc delay?

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

Ok...that IS cool!

 

:cool: Pretty cool, if QUITE pricey and of a pretty limited run. While it has some unique features, I certainly wouldn't trade my El Capistan for it... Rhythmic Multi-Head and Stereo-I/O options would have been nice... And what are those tiny jacks on the let side? The one 'page that the makers have up is actually not particularly rich with truly useful information...

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I was out playing at 2016 RobotFest today. Lots of fun, lots of very cool, but non-musical, devices, and then I saw two guys sitting at a table with a Squier guitar plugged in to ???? I stopped to admire their set-up, and they invited me to try it out. What they'd built, among other things, was a version of this -

 

Schumann PLL (Phase Loop Lock)

 

After a minute or so, I realized that I might never leave that table, if I didn't put the guitar down and back away. I gave them my card, and offered myself as a demo prop for future shows, since neither of them played guitar. It's even weirder than the description makes it sound . . .

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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^I couldn't guess at when they came out but the link above in Winston's post gives an email address: mail@schumannelectronics.com where you can contact the company and ask? :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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The PLL has a clone!

 

____ [video:youtube]

 

Cool. Looks like a Wizard Suit wearin' Prog Rocker's dream... :cool: And I DO mean that in a very good way.

 

So, Dannyalcatraz- if you had to choose between this and a Triskelion Harmonic Energizer MkII... which would ya stomp?

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Tough choice...but...I already have the Triskelion, which gives it an edge. ;)

 

I won't lie, though...you know I'm lookin' at it.:laugh:

 

The Tri is made in the USA and has fewer controls. The clone seems to have more features and is made in Germany.

 

I think the Tri wins out on factors like relative ease of use and it's being slightly more available.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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ok, maybe I'm pushing it, but in my opinion, mics can be "effects" in themselves. This review is about an older product, but 2 newer ones in the family are mentioned at the end, so this is going here: Copperphone

 

 

Cool. :cool:

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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+1 mics are a tool that have an "effect" not only for recording but for live performances as well. Blue Grass players invest heavily in them to get the most natural sound they can get through a PA. They want the natural sound of the guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, vocals etc., and pickups are just not allowed LOL! I think the acoustic pickup systems are finding their way into the genre more these days... :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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While this may not be terribly 'sexy' to a lot of players, various means of creating volume-swells are a big part of what I love to do, and touch-sensitive, input-triggered envelope-controlled devices such as the venerable (but long since improved upon) Boss SG-1 Slow Gear and Guyatone SV2 Slow Volume really work for my fingerstyle "touch" and "play-the-amp" approach. Playing rapid-fire pluck-and-mute lines produces violin-bowed sounds on EVERY note, and even faked "backwards" effects, that are easily 'touch-controlled' for longer and shorter notes. And it's not terribly "new"- neither the basic pedal type or this particular brand and model- but, it may be new enough to many players...

 

I've just pulled the trigger for a "pre-order" on the last of these VFE Bumblebee Swell + Compressor pedals. It's an envelope-volume-swell, it's an optical-compressor, but most importantly, it's BOTH together... This marks the third VFE pedal that I've bought, and for good reasons- great quality, excellent construction, small size, and reasonable prices... :cool:

 

____________________________ http://vfepedals.com/images/bb500.png

 

I've enjoyed my little purple Guyatone SV2, but besides having gotten a little damaged (runaway transient feedback + wah + octave-fuzz + phaser all at once hit it a little too hard! :crazy: ), it always was a little finicky and difficult to get just-right volume-swells without the sustaining envelope of longer notes getting cut-off too soon, too easily, too often.

 

Having this two-in-one pedal harness an optical compressor circuit on the back of its envelope-swell front-end should solve that! Aughtta be just swell! :thu:

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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ok, maybe I'm pushing it, but in my opinion, mics can be "effects" in themselves.

 

Yeah, in a sense. When I want the effect to be "this sounds amazing" I pull out various of my Neumann mics. It invariably works.

 

:cool::2thu:

 

What else do you ever do with various mics to get different sounds, Scott? Multi-mic combinations- close and far- for room-sounds, brighter or darker tones, lo-fi/vintage character, etc.?

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I've just pulled the trigger for a "pre-order" on the last of these VFE Bumblebee Swell + Compressor pedals. It's an envelope-volume-swell, it's an optical-compressor, but most importantly, it's BOTH together... This marks the third VFE pedal that I've bought, and for good reasons- great quality, excellent construction, small size, and reasonable prices... :cool:

 

____________________________ http://vfepedals.com/images/bb500.png

 

 

Lead me not into temptation, good sir!

 

 

 

Too late... Just watched the demo. Now I really want one. :keynana:

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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I've just pulled the trigger for a "pre-order" on the last of these VFE Bumblebee Swell + Compressor pedals.

 

Lead me not into temptation, good sir!

 

Too late... Just watched the demo. Now I really want one. :keynana:

 

I'm not sure, but I may have bought the last one made- at a ten dollar or more discount, in a cool wooden box- and with custom/unique color and graphics. Even if that's the case, though, there are still some recent production units out there among various retailers; let me know if you want one but can't find one, Dan', I'll probably know where to look...

 

Now, IMHO, the demo videos and clips that I've seen and heard just don't do them justice, they don't show much of the real potential of these at all. Maybe it's just my personal brand of fingerstyle "touch", damping and muting- I'm not half-bad at using these if I say so myself. With a little practice and getting the control-settings zeroed-in, I can get great violin-bowed notes in lead-lines, and "backwards" effects, picking and muting and picking to trigger the swell... Put that through some echo and reverb and it's so cool... :cool:

 

I'll be getting a new laptop before too long, so I should be able to record and post clips again.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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What else do you ever do with various mics to get different sounds, Scott? Multi-mic combinations- close and far- for room-sounds, brighter or darker tones, lo-fi/vintage character, etc.?

 

Close & distant mics is pretty common for me, mainly to get a more three dimensional picture, more of a sense of depth. I've done as many as 3 stereo pairs for solo acoustic guitar albums. Not liking the current trend of intentional distortion on acoustic sources, for me a lo-fi sound means using an AKG C451 instead of a more purist Neumann mic. The 451 is bright, & less three dimensional than a similar Neumann, so it can impart the sort of excitement you get by cranking high end EQ, but without the phase shift.

When stacking string parts I'll often move the mics around the room for each subsequent pass, replace good mics with crap mics, point mics away from the instruments, have the players switch bows, etc. All so that each set of overdubs has a different sonic quality.

Lots of tools, many applications, all depends on what you're building. And why.

Scott Fraser
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I've enjoyed my little purple Guyatone SV2, but besides having gotten a little damaged (runaway transient feedback + wah + octave-fuzz + phaser all at once hit it a little too hard! :crazy: ), it always was a little finicky and difficult to get just-right volume-swells without the sustaining envelope of longer notes getting cut-off too soon, too easily, too often.

 

Caevan, you and I both love these things! It might be worth your while to have the SV-2 checked out. Guyatone went out of business back in 2012/13?, so all of those little Guyatone boxes have gone way up in value. When I traded my Guyatone pedals in, the only one I kept is the SV2. I also have a Behringer Slow Motion . . . for under $20, it's worth keeping around.

 

One thought - I usually run my SV2 right at the front of my pedal chain, so that it always reads the same signal strength coming from the Guitar, something I learned from using my original Slow Gear. If I have anything in front of it, it'll be a Clean Boost, like my MXR Micro Amp, that's on all the time.

 

I keep hoping that Boss will reissue the Slow Gear as one of the Waza Craft series; so far, they've brought back the DM-2 and VB-2, which were out of production since the 80's, and the Slow Gear is one pedal they've been asked to reissue, many times.

 

For anyone who has one of the Line 6 M5/9/13 multi-effects, or the big green DL4 Delay Modeler, the Auto-Volume Echo works as an Attack Delay, and you can even dial back the Delay effect, to use it as just a Swell effect, if you like.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I've enjoyed my little purple Guyatone SV2, but besides having gotten a little damaged (runaway transient feedback + wah + octave-fuzz + phaser all at once hit it a little too hard! :crazy: ), it always was a little finicky and difficult to get just-right volume-swells without the sustaining envelope of longer notes getting cut-off too soon, too easily, too often.

 

Caevan, you and I both love these things! It might be worth your while to have the SV-2 checked out. Guyatone went out of business back in 2012/13?, so all of those little Guyatone boxes have gone way up in value. When I traded my Guyatone pedals in, the only one I kept is the SV2. I also have a Behringer Slow Motion . . . for under $20, it's worth keeping around.

 

One thought - I usually run my SV2 right at the front of my pedal chain, so that it always reads the same signal strength coming from the Guitar, something I learned from using my original Slow Gear. If I have anything in front of it, it'll be a Clean Boost, like my MXR Micro Amp, that's on all the time.

 

I keep hoping that Boss will reissue the Slow Gear as one of the Waza Craft series; so far, they've brought back the DM-2 and VB-2, which were out of production since the 80's, and the Slow Gear is one pedal they've been asked to reissue, many times.

 

For anyone who has one of the Line 6 M5/9/13 multi-effects, or the big green DL4 Delay Modeler, the Auto-Volume Echo works as an Attack Delay, and you can even dial back the Delay effect, to use it as just a Swell effect, if you like.

 

I'm sure that I will eventually get the SV2 repaired; its scratchy/grainy sound is only noticeable when using it with clean tones- its NOT noticeable with overdrive, distortion, or fuzz. However, the VFE Bumblebee- and some other similar pedals out there- are better yet than the Boss SG-2 AND the Guyatone SV2. I'm expeting to really, REALLY like the Bumblebee... :cool:

 

I've put the SV2 in a number of spots in my signal-chain, and found about as good of performance out of it as can be. It isn't too terribly fussy about where it's placed, in my experience, it's just a little fussy with notes getting cut-off no matter what. As you've experienced, a boost or compressor helps.

 

I really like the sound of overdrive or distortion ramping-up with the swell, when I place the SV2 or a volume-pedal (or using my guitar's volume-knob) in front of an overdriven/distorted tube-amp or an overdrive or distortion pedal; y' know, starting a little cleaner-sh :crazy: and quickly swelling to more dirtier... ;) I know that many prefer to swell the dirt, but THAT'S how I roll...

 

The built-in n'gate/swell in the old Johnson J-Station digital-modeling/multi-effects desktop preamp that I used to have was pretty good; very good, really. That in the DigiTech GNX4 was pretty good, too.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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