Winston Psmith

I feel like he really gets it, in terms of that initial excitement, that "OH, WOW, it does THIS!" factor you should get when plugging into a new pedal.

. . . and even different pedals of the same effects group, for slightly different "flavors" of Overdrive or Distortion. Try the "All Knobs At Noon" comparison between a TS9 Tube Screamer and a BD-2 Blues Driver, for example. Respectfully, with regard to @Larryz's observation that most other Instruments don't sound their best when run through Guitar pedals - dynamics, gain structure, and frequency response have a lot to do with it - Jean-Luc Ponty was able to conjure heavenly sounds, running an Electric Violin through a Phaser, and Eddie Harris did some beautiful things running his Sax through an Echoplex. Exceptions that prove the rule, perhaps?

Something from the 2022 Christmas album . . . Waking Dream - Winston Psmith Project

Greetings, @Thethirdapple I use both individual pedals, and MFX, for different reasons, so let me see if I can come up with a good answer. You're right, to a degree, about the "depth" or feel of individual pedals. While it's not as simple as Analog vs Digital, I have yet to craft a 4-stage Phaser sound in any of my MFX that has quite the tone and feel of a simple Phase 90; I can get really close, but . . . Pedals are also very user-friendly. You turn the knobs until you find a sound that you like, and you're set. Some players really dislike programming MFX, and scrolling through parameters trying to create a sound. It's a very different process, and for a lot of players, it's not as much fun. The flip side is that MFX are very cost-effective. For the price of four or five pedals, you can probably find a MFX that has all or most of the sounds in those pedals, plus a lot more. It also makes it very easy to have different sounds set up for different tunes. Depending on which MFX device you choose, you'll get 20, or 60, or 100, or even 200 User Presets, which is like having 200 different Amp+Effects rigs in one box. You may not use them all, but you may also find some effects you hadn't tried before. One last point. In a loud, live club, with people dancing, and drinking, and possibly singing along, no one is going to hear the subtleties of a carefully-chosen boutique pedal array, and if some drunken dancer spills their drink on your pedalboard . . . well, That's All, Folks. A decent MFX will more than do the job, with a minimum of cables, connections, and AC adapters, and if you've backed up your User Patches (which you should), even if your MFX gets drowned, you can quickly restore your sounds into another of the same model.

Helios Creed offered one of the best, and most pertinent, pieces of advice for Space-Rock Guitarists: "Tune up before the hallucinogens kick in." I'll be very interested to see how other Guitarists integrate their Guitars and effects into the signal paths of Modular Synths. Many Analog, and Virtual Analog Synths have an Audio In jack, that allows you to use your Guitar, or just about anything else, as an Oscillator. It does not, however, quite turn your Guitar into a Synth. In a very real sense, you're using much of the Synth as a Signal Processor. Unlike patching together a chain of effects pedals, which are then in a fixed order, "patching" as an active verb is a large part of playing and using a Modular system. You can change the order of the various Modules, and how one or more Modules influence the others, depending on where they are in the signal path, and how they're patched into one another. Think about trying to switch the order of your effects pedals IRT, while playing live: even with one of those Loop Switchers on your board, you probably can't change the order of your effects pedals themselves, and unless you have an Expression Pedal controlling some of the parameters, you probably can't change any of the settings on your pedals IRT, without turning knobs. OTOH, Modular systems are a knob-twirlers paradise . . . @Dannyalcatraz- At one point, you'd shown me a video of a Guitarist with his Guitar plugged into a Neutron Semi-Modular Synth, and that's what he'd done, plugged his Guitar into the Synth's Audio In.

Dynamics-driven effects are not an entirely new concept, but I haven't seen it taken to this level with Guitar effects, until now. Part of the beauty, and insanity, of a Modular Synth system is the interactivity of all the various Modules, or components. Guitar effects chains are linear; the signal starts with your Compressor, or OD, goes through your Mod effects, into your Delay/Reverb effects, then out to your Amp. Turning a knob on your Phaser may change your overall sound, but it won't change any of the settings on your other pedals. Modular systems reach forwards and backwards. In a Modular Synth rig, turning a knob on any given Module can also have an influence on other Modules, depending on how you've arranged all those Patch Cables: turning up the Rate on a Phaser might also increase the Density of your Reverb, or decrease the Gain on your OD, and this are just some straight-forward examples. A dear friend once warned me that a Modular Synth wasn't merely an Instrument, it was a way of life. While I'm not sure how many Guitarists will embrace this, it seems to me to be a logical extension of what's happening with Guitar effects, and the resurgence of Modular Synths. I'd be very interested in patching the Chorus or Delay pedals to my Semi-Modular Synth, and turning some knobs.

Interesting . . . I have to wonder if they're compatible with the voltage of Modular Synth rigs, or other pedals with patch connections, like Konami's pedals?

@surfergirl- I have two concerns with cheap import pedals. One is that I don't really want to support a nationalized industry ripping off designs by independent makers. This is also why a lot of people aren't fond of Behringer, either, but that's another subject . . . The second part is dependability. Cheap is as cheap does: If something doesn't last, it's not really a bargain, and the real cost is greater than the money you threw away on it. At risk of ranting here, but . . . If someone buys a $25 pedal because it's just $25, and then it doesn't last, it's not just their $25 that's been wasted. It's all the time, and human labor, and materials dug out of the Earth, so someone could send a piece of disposable crap halfway around the world, just to have it wind up as toxic waste in a landfill somewhere.

Doing a quick search on those Boulevard Pedals, they only seem to have a presence on Reverb(?), and they only seem to have 4 pedals. I suspect that the Darkship and the smaller Airship are using the same Delay chip, as they both max out at 1300 ms.

In general, a Boost Pedal should give your signal a boost across all frequency bands; think of it as a "MORE" or even a "LOUDER" pedal. While adding a Boost Pedal to your signal chain might also increase compression or even signal clipping, a Boost Pedal in and of itself shouldn't add any Distortion or tone coloration. Treble Boosts do pretty much what the name describes, adding a distinctive High Frequency Boost to your Guitar signal. Treble Boosts were very popular among 70's British Prog Guitarists, like Steve Howe, for cutting through dense Synth & KB tones. Since Guitars and Synths occupy much of the same frequency range, they can wind up stepping on one another in the mix. (FWIW, many of those Prog Guitarists were also using Gibson Guitars with HB's, instead of SC's, like your Strats, and some players feel that HB's can 'muddy" your tone.)

14 years ago today, I found this scruffy mutt lost, strayed, or abandoned. He has turned out to be the smartest and sweetest of all of our dogs, and as of today, he is a very healthy, happy nearly 15-year-old dog. FWIW, in my landscaping and catering work, I drive all over, and in just under 30 years, I've found somewhere around 50 dogs, running loose. We have gotten ALL of them safely back home, but for Nemo, who was clearly supposed to find his way here, to us. If I found a bag with $1,000,000 in it tomorrow morning, that bag of money would still only rate as the second best thing I'd ever found by the side of the road: Nemo is #1! FWIW - I did NOT name him after the little lost fish in the movie. I named him that because he had no name, no backstory when he came to us, and "Nemo" means "no one" in Latin.

If they didn't want to be seen on camera, they should have moved away from where he was filming as soon as they saw he was filming his performance. By inserting themselves in the process, and starting a confrontation, I'm sure they wound up with a LOT of people recording them, who might not have paid any attention, otherwise.

I use MFX extensively, both live and for recording, although most of my experience is with Boss' GT-series MFX, so my remarks will reflect that. Faced with 100 or so User Presets, and maybe a dozen Amp Models to choose among, there's a temptation to try one of everything. Why not, they're all in there for a reason, right? It's kind of the reverse of "One-Size-Fits-All." In trying to offer something for everybody, almost any MFX is going to include Models or Effects you probably don't need, and won't use. One approach is to treat the Amp Modeler(s) in the MFX much like a real Amp, which is to say, design an Amp Model (or two, or three) with settings that generally work for you, and build your User Presets around it, by adding effects to the initial Amp Model, just as we would with a real-world rig consisting of an Amp and some effects. Anything with a Level Meter will help you sort out Level Matching, but as Caevan points out above, some effects carry their own psycho-acoustic imprint; Tremolo may seem to produce an overall drop in output levels, while OD/Distortion effects will generally be perceived as "louder," although perversely, I've seen where some OD/Distortion effects result in an overall drop in Output levels!?! One size definitely does NOT fit all . . . Most of us have one Amp we rely on for whatever sounds we need, supplemented and enhanced by effects pedals, or rack gear. IDK anyone who shows up at a gig with an array of different Amps for different tunes? A Marshall or Soldano for Metal, a Fender Twin for Blues, a Vox for some throwback British Invasion tunes? Great way to alienate your bandmates, and incur the wrath of the FOH sound crew. Two elements to be wary of, in many MFX - Compression and EQ. My approach to both is "Less Is More." In every Boss MFX I've ever heard, I've found that if a Factory Preset was too noisy, I could cut the noise simply by turning the Compressor Off. That doesn't mean that the Compressor itself was overly noisy, just that the Factory Presets were cranked way up, and the Compressor boosted the Noise level, by treating it as a low-powered signal. You'll also find some kind of Tone or EQ settings where you might not expect it, like a High Cut and Low Cut in the Mod & Delay effects. Even where expected, there's not a lot of useful info. The OD/Distortion Models will have some kind of Tone settings, so will the Amp Models, and very often the Compressor, and of course, there's usually an onboard Equalizer. All good, except for the fact that most of the Tone controls don't tell you which frequencies they're contouring, or by how much, so you can wind up slicing and dicing your signal at different stages in the signal chain, without being entirely sure what you're doing to it.

I've looked into them, and even for my boards, but I'm still not sure. The Boss MS-3 tempts me, as much for the added effects as the switching ability, but not enough to have bought one, yet.

Looking this over carefully, it appears to be a dedicated switching unit, rather than being a full-function MFX. Given that, it's meant to accompany and control a pedalboard full of effects pedals, with the User Presets controlling which pedals are included in the signal chain, and what order they're in. I don't see any indication that there are any onboard effects, otherwise. AFAIK, the Boss MS-3 is the only Loop Switcher that's also a MFX device?

Can a Guitarist jump in here? Couple of thoughts, not altogether related. Long before I saw David Byrne walking onstage with a Boombox and an A/E Guitar, to perform "Psycho Killer," I saw Todd Rundgren in NYC's Central Park, singing "Hello, It's Me," with only a tape deck as accompaniment, no Guitar, no other instrumentation. I guess it's partly about what the audience will accept, which is, of course, part of what's up for discussion here. I have to wonder where Sequencers and Arpeggiators fit into this discussion, or something like the Akai MPC? Are Sequences or SMF's (I know, old tech but . . .) viewed as "backing tracks" as well? Much of 80's Synth-Pop, and a good bit of current Dance Music, would be impossible without Sequencers & Arpeggiators, but I've never heard a Depeche Mode or Vince Clark fan complain. I remember seeing Howard Jones performing sometime in the mid-80's, surrounded by Synths that were being triggered via MIDI, and accompanied only by Jed Hoile, a mime. As far as Rhythm accompaniment, just for a start, almost any Chord played on a Guitar will have to take a different form on a Keytar, so they're not really interchangeable. It does seem that there's a prejudice or pre-judgement regarding Keytars, but I suspect part of that is because they're very easy to play poorly, a trait they share with the Guitar, in many ways.

Sounds like a good way to spend your day!

With every Boss MFX I've owned and used, I've found that turning Off the Compressor in the Factory Presets cuts the noise level considerably. It is possible to dial in a more-or-less clean Boost with the GT-1, and there is a Full Range Amp Model available, which have less tone coloration than most of the Guitar Amp models. If you haven't already got a GT-1, I might suggest looking into the GT-1B Bass MFX. It has Ring Mod & Bass Synth effects onboard, which the GT-1 doesn't.

Guitar guy here, so take what I say from that perspective . . . Most Guitar-oriented pedals are designed so the Output Impedance won't tend to overload the Input Impedance of the next pedal in line, so you're generally safe chaining Guitar effects pedals; that's the simple answer on Guitar pedals. Less sure about the Output from the Hammond SKX, particularly as it was designed with onboard effects. While looking quickly at the specs for that Hammond SKX, it seems to have most of the effects you'd be looking to augment with Guitar pedals, including Wah & Ring Mod, while the website for the Melodica model specifically mentions that the onboard mic makes it easy to plug into outboard effects. That would suggest the Melodica, at least, is safe for use with outboard effects. I have a Boss GT-1, among other Boss MFX, and I've run various Synths and MonoSynths through it, with no issues. IMHO, it's not entirely sure if it wants to be an entry-level MFX, or something more, in which case, it falls short. Tera Echo is interesting.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Looks good . . . Any issues with weight imbalance? That would be my biggest concern, having the thing dive sideways towards the floor.

I have some vague, not especially pleasant memories of Finger Ease from long ago, like early 1970's? The phrase "Greasy Kid's Stuff . . ." comes to mind. I try not to put anything on my fretboards except a good lemon oil conditioner, not those myriad petroleum-based "lemon oils." For finger noise, especially on my Hex PU-equipped Guitars, I use flat wounds.

Sounds like I'm not the only one who's had a roller-coaster ride lately. The Good - Back in January, my wife and celebrated - well, sort of - 27 years of marriage, and I turned 68. FWIW, by the time my father was my age, he'd been dead for nearly 10 years, so I guess I win, or something? So far, everyone in our household is in good health, for our respective ages, so . . . In no particular order otherwise - Novparolo had some very fun gigs, made some new friends, and kept putting out Music, at our usual rate of about three or four new tracks every time we get together, which is about once a month. My wife had a very successful gig as the on-site chef for a yoga retreat in Sedona, and the next job is already on the calendar. Got to see some of my Guitar heroes live, including John McLaughlin with Shakti, Hot Tuna's "Last Run" tour, and Steve Hackett's "Foxtrot At Fifty." I'm finishing up a fun, if challenging, album project, which will leave me with only two other projects to get back to. I've made some major advances on clearing my Music Room, including stacks of magazines and books, a beat-to-hell computer desk and old but sturdy bookshelf, and so on. Among other good things, that allowed me to start digging into my FX Rack once again!!! Different friends asked to care for their dogs or cats, or gardens and houseplants, while they were away, so I've had a lot of good animal connections. One hound mix who stayed with us decided that he wanted his bed next to where I sleep, and a neighbor's German Shepherd thinks of me as his "Fun Friend," because I was taking him for walks and sessions of tennis ball, while his person was away. This weekend, I start another week of cat-sitting for my current favorite cat buddy. I got a few cool toys, mostly Delays, but perhaps the coolest was the Schecter Sustainer Guitar another EM friend gave me a little while back! A Sustainer Guitar had been high on my Holy Grail Gear list for a long time, so having one drop into my lap was a surprise, to say the least! The Bad - feel free to blow by this part . . . Around three weeks into January, one of my oldest and dearest friends, brother Musicians, and former housemates died, after surviving a heart attack and several strokes over the last few years. As a morbid bookend to the year, one of my wife's oldest and dearest friends died unexpectedly just over a week ago, leaving a family behind. Doubleplusungood. Back in the Fall, another old friend mentioned, almost offhandedly, that they had cancer, and were getting ready to undergo a series of radiation treatments. Haven't heard any news yet as to how that's going. Finally - I hope - just about one week before Christmas, my wife was essentially squeezed out of a regular private chef's job, one that the previous management had asked her to take on as a personal favor!?!? There were (unsubstantiated) rumors concerning the previous chef, and the circumstances under which they left the job, none of them good. To add irony to injury, yesterday, my wife got an automatically-generated "Happy Birthday" message from the same people who'd just let her go from her job!?!?! It's like something out of "The Office." Still, having said that, let me go back to the beginning - everyone here is in good health, we have other, possibly better work already ongoing, and no real crisis hanging over our heads, at least not as of this morning. Today, I'm going to pick out a nice fat Yule Log to burn this evening, and for the holiday weekend, I'm planning to watch all of my King Crimson DVD's, and dig back into my KC and Mahavishnu transcripts. I'm thinking that Sustainer Guitar might be just thing for some of those tunes. Idle hands, you know? Wishing all the best to all of you, whatever you celebrate!

Damn, brother, I'm glad your eye recovered! Good work on getting the film project to completion! I'll have my answer for you in a bit, just trying to organize my thoughts, such as they are . . .

I can't imagine that the photos really do it justice. Wishing you much enjoyment with it, @Larryz!