Yeah, if you already have great pedals I guess it's hard to get excited about a not-so-great one, lol!Originally Posted by Gizmotron
Yeah, if you already have great pedals I guess it's hard to get excited about a not-so-great one, lol!
<sig out of order>
No need - in the UK, I have both the hi-gain channels on my Blackstar amp, plus a Blackstar LT Dual drive pedal, while in China I have a Blackstar HT-Metal tube distortion unit (hmmm, I'm sensing a theme developing here!). All of them are better than the Guv'nor, to be honest, and the last thing I need is yet more pedals!
I hear you. The only reason would have been for nostalgia.For me this all started due to my desire to get rid of anything I don't use or need. If I didn't have the modded Daddy-O I probably would have eventually wanted to add some sort of dirt pedal to my board. Honestly, my Mini Rectifier gives me all the gain I need (and way more) although since I don't play guitar live these days I don't need multiple levels of gain ready at the press of a button.
<sig out of order>
Yes, there is absolutely a special treat to be had by taking something ordinary and turning it into a good tool with a bit of thought and modification, especially when it neatly fills your needs like in your case.I hear you. The only reason would have been for nostalgia.
When gear stops being useful I try to move my stuff along free of charge to a needy person...perhaps I should do that with the Daddy-O.
Last edited by Gizmotron; 08-15-2019 at 04:30 PM.
Fun video where Rob Scallon and friends create a record breaking pedal board of 300 pedals. Coincidentally Alex Lifeson turns up too at the 21:12 mark!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWRfLuJ_NKw&t=1280s
^^ The Edge of U2 carries a large pedal board on tour. He uses the original pedal(s) for each song they recorded, of which there have been many over the years and decades.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
Sometimes we forget how important the smaller, new-gear additions can be. For me, this was made clear when I bought a new set of snare wires for one of my snare drums. This Tama drum just wasn't living up to what I thought it was capable of. My hunch was that new snare wires could help. It seemed that the snare tension was always wrong...too tight for quiet playing, too loose for heavier hits. So I bought a set of Fat Cat adjustable snare wires. There are two outer strands and one inner strand.
One sets the basic snare wire tension for a heavy hit. Then, one can adjust the middle wires to a looser setting so that one has sensitivity for quieter playing. It can take a while to get just the right combo but it improved the response significantly. A very cool solution.
(Some snare drums try to design around the issue with multiple throw-offs or a three-way throw-off so that one can adjust it when playing but it can sometimes be a drag to have to adjust it frequently. The Fat Cat snare wires step around this issue quite nicely, elegantly, and inexpensively.)
Very interesting. I've always been sort of a drummer wannabe. My brother, my cousin, and my son all play but it's something I never felt I had a knack for despite being surrounded with drummers that inspire me. At least there's always one to jam with.
It looks like I might be moving in the next couple of months if all goes well. The place we're interested in has a heated garage separate from the house. It's almost perfect for a jam room and/or recording studio. So my plan is to (finally) buy myself a decent drum kit and have it all mic'ed up. I could make as much noise as I like out there and not disturb anyone.
But right now I am trying not to spend any money at all before the (potential) move. Which is frustrating because (since getting a Strymon Big Sky reverb pedal) I've got my eye on Strymon's Timeline and Mobius pedals....drool....
<sig out of order>
Anyone want to add LEDs to their fretboard?
https://imgur.com/a/dyWuYJ6
<sig out of order>
I cannot say enough good things about the Strymon pedals. Their three big pedals are simply amazing together. A true mad-scientist lab of fun. But yet, very musical and usable effects.
I finally snapped up a way-underpriced used snare drum recently...a Pearl 3.5x14 maple floating shell snare. I passed on it 4 times because it just didn't sound good. I finally realized it was because it had a thick head on it that kept it from sounding its best. I took it home and put the usual Remos on it and presto: a lovely little popcorn snare sound jumped out at me. I have its big brother (6.5x14) so it is a lovely little combo now. I realized that it stuck around so long at the shop BECAUSE it had the crappy head on it. All for half of what it should go for.
Not guitar related, anyone familiar with RCF speakers? Just bought a 12” sub, it seems amazing. They’re expensive, but worth it.
Coming September 1st - "Dean Watson Revisited"!
I don't know those speakers.
I just did some trading with a friend yesterday and ended up with:
Korg EX-8000 Module
Yamaha QX-5 sequencer
Midiverb II
Speaking of sequencers, any recommendation on one? I wan't to start fooling around and create some complex patterns. Is it the way to go with a separate component or pure software? In general is the sequencer connected any midi-enabled keyboard via the midi-out from the sequencer? Sorry for the remedial newbie questions, I should probably do a little research before asking.
Yes, the two main styles would be either a stand-alone hardware MIDI sequencer or software sequencers. (A third category would be a built-in sequencer inside of a workstation/Synth.) If you are already working with a computer and software synths, software sequencing is probably best. But if you only have a few MIDI synths and no real software presence, an older hardware sequencer like what I just got is inexpensive and fairly handy.
I tend to use a hardware sequencer for quick sketching of ideas, making layers (setting up a sequencer pattern on one synth and then playing live over it with another or adding more layers to the sequence), and other quick things. It is fun to do that and then grab another instrument (bass, guitar, drums, etc.) to noodle on top.
As far as the connections, yes, the MIDI Out from the sequencer would feed the synth or synths you want to play when the sequencer playback is started. To get the patterns INTO the sequencer one can either connect a keyboard or a controller into the MIDI In of the sequencer. Or, some sequencers allow you to "Step-Program" your sequence (kinda tedious that way).
As you get more into it, you can create one "Track" to play a synth on a specific MIDI channel (let's say a bass line), and then set up other "Tracks" (like maybe a piano line and a lead line) to trigger other synths on other channels. (If you don't keep the various patterns and synths on separate channels, all the synths play all the lines.
(When I do more complex pieces, i usually use the more sophisticated sequencer in my workstations)
But yes, there are some good MIDI tutorials out there that address all the details of sequencing.
Thanks! That gives me a good idea of the landscape. I was also fishing for any experiences/specific recommendations on gear if you or anyone cares to share.
The Roland MSQ-100 was pretty good when I owned it (I gave it away and now am stunned that it goes for $200 or so!)
The Yamaha QX series is good. The QX-5 was better than the QX-21 and the QX-7. I think the 7 and 21 go for fairly low prices used and would probably be pretty good for you.
Otherwise, I am a bit out of the loop for modern recommendations.
EDIT: Some modern options:
https://ask.audio/articles/11-hardwa...hould-consider
Last edited by Gizmotron; 12-05-2019 at 05:00 PM.
many thanks for the input. I'll look around maybe an old but good cheap hw sequencer will be the ticket.
My wife just gave me the go-ahead to get one of these. But it's a bit intimidating. I'm always wary of having too many options and things to learn.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...thesizer-pedal
<sig out of order>
Wow. I share your reticence about complex gear, but I'll bet there's a ton you can do with that. Do you have a guitar with a 13-pin pickup, or will you just use the 1/4" input?
Bill
Last edited by Sputnik; 12-06-2019 at 04:19 PM.
Nice! No customer reviews on that pedal so I hope you let us know what you think.
Reading the description of all it can do it's pretty crazy how many different ways it can be used. I'm not really a fan of scrolling through menus on a device like this, but I do think it could be pretty inspiring.
I would also have to buy the GK-3 pickup and have it mounted on one of my guitars. That's another hassle and decision. I am leaning toward putting the pickup on my Strat, since that's already a Frankenstein guitar and isn't super valuable or anything. I really should research that a bit to understand what's involved.
<sig out of order>
If I take the plunge I certainly will post about my experience and impressions here.
<sig out of order>
That Boss synth sounds like a blast! I dig the jam with the JEM on the product page.
My wife gave me (at my request) a Boss Multi Overtone pedal for my birthday a few months ago and I love that thing. Made me want to explore more, but I doubt I could ever justify a sweet synth pedal like that.
It sounds impressive. I'm waiting for Boss to make the manual available so I will know how complicated it is to operate.
In the meantime, I still need to learn how to use the Boss SY-300 I picked up on the cheap. At least that one doesn't require a special pickup. Hell, maybe I should just practice playing keyboards more so I don't need a guitar synth.
Mounting a GK-3 is a pretty easy mod, I did it on one of my old guitars. One thing I noticed about the unit you're looking at is that you have the option of just using the regular 1/4" cable. You might want to start with that and see how it tracks before going the GK-3 route.
Tracking was the issue I finally gave up on guitar synth, though I'm sure things have improved tremendously since the time I was using one (15-ish years ago). I'll be curious how this works out for you.
Bill
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks