Dude. Albini on Gearwire on Barge Concepts vs. Harmonic Perc

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:31 pm

http://www.gearwire.com/bp1-albini-comparison.html

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:39 pm

Albini <3 the Orange Tiny Terror.

Tweez · Post by **Tweez** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:08 pm

Wow there really is quite a difference between the two. Do you reckon the 'Crazy Japanese friends' are Melt Banana?

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:09 pm

WOW.

This helps, a LOT, with my own Perky Fuzz. I have a set of tests now to use, and a sound to aim for. I have had problems with that in particular so far. I think I know what I have to do.

And that BP pedal sounds like crap. WTF is with those knobs not doing anything? You could see him trying to make them do anything.

EDIT: Steve don' like teh buffers. Good, cause I don't either and I don't put them in my pedals. When I print this batch of boards I might send him one of mine just because he's awesome.

Tweez · Post by **Tweez** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:19 pm

There's a picture of the board on Chuck Collins' site, but he's understandably reluctant to give too much away about the circuit, other than to prove Barge Concepts wrong.

If you make an accurate clone PenPen, count me in for one

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:28 pm

Seriously the barge concepts is so wack, and the original sounds so good.

lol @ the fat dude's disclaimer

Tweez · Post by **Tweez** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:29 pm

Mike wrote:Seriously the barge concepts is so wack, and the original sounds so good.

It really does, thanks for the link Mike, it's opened my eyes a bit

.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:39 pm

Accurate is the tough part. I have two schems for the original, and they have some notable differences. I'm trying to get the ratios right for the biasing, that is the biggest difference. The other problem I have is the diodes. The original used Germ diodes. I don't have any, because they are expensive and out of production. So I'm trying to get the clipping right using silicon diodes.

Though, Steve mentioned lack of low end in the BP pedal, that normally means they have caps that are too small in value. This is a bit of a problem, in one schem it has 0.01uF caps for the couplers, the other has ? for the input and 1uF for the inter-stage coupler. Both have an output cap of 1uF, so that should be right. Also, one version has a treble bleed at the input stage (? in value) and the other has a 1nF bleed at the end.

I am a bit baffled about Steve's comment about the blend control. I just show two basic volume controls, one on the input (drive or dist or whatever) and one on the end, in both versions. That is how I'm going to make mine.

I'm just trying to get close with mine.

Post by **Doog** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:40 pm

Ooh, cool link. Cheers Mikey, lookin' forward to seeing this.

Next week on Gearwire-
Brian Gibson of Lightning Bolt: what banjo string is best for your bass?

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:01 pm

Albini is probably annoyed they're using his name to sell all these pedals, either directly or indirectly.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:17 pm

Interesting clip, cheers Mike.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:31 pm

jcyphe wrote:Albini is probably annoyed they're using his name to sell all these pedals, either directly or indirectly.

Maybe so - but watch the clip - he knows his stuff (despite being slightly baffled by the added drive circuit) but to be fair to him, he knows the sound that he loves and you cannot recreate it with that BC pedal.

James · Post by **James** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:44 pm

I want his guitar.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:49 pm

Yeah it actually looks like one of the nice models - I like the fact it doesn't have the incomplete headstock.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:57 pm

Mike wrote:
jcyphe wrote:Albini is probably annoyed they're using his name to sell all these pedals, either directly or indirectly.
Maybe so - but watch the clip - he knows his stuff (despite being slightly baffled by the added drive circuit) but to be fair to him, he knows the sound that he loves and you cannot recreate it with that BC pedal.

???

I am not saying he isn't being honest or doesn't know what he's talking about. Clearly most places I have read people are interested in these various copies because of him and even mention him directly or indirectly in the sales hype.

As soon as you posted I knew it wasn't going to sound like his. When I saw the Fat Guy disclaimer I could have basically skipped the rest of the video because eventhough Steve Albini talks about gear and is available on his forum, I thought why on earth would he waste his time to do a review for Gear Wire unless he just wanted to say "this is not going to make you sound like me", and it was exactly the result I expected.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:06 pm

jcyphe wrote:
Mike wrote:
jcyphe wrote:Albini is probably annoyed they're using his name to sell all these pedals, either directly or indirectly.
Maybe so - but watch the clip - he knows his stuff (despite being slightly baffled by the added drive circuit) but to be fair to him, he knows the sound that he loves and you cannot recreate it with that BC pedal.
???

Sorry dude, I misread your initial post to be like this

jcyphe wrote:Albini is probably just annoyed they're using his name to sell all these pedals, either directly or indirectly.

fiveways · Post by **fiveways** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:27 pm

2 cents worth:

notice that through the entire video alibini doesnt touch the harmonics knob[except to make sure it is cranked], and leaves it cranked on the barge. now, maybe i am weird, but if i had a huge amount of high end treble harmonic content in my pedal, and noticed a harmonics knob all the way to the right, you figure i would want to turn it down a bit and see what happens. but he doesnt touch it.....not once.

this just makes me wanna try one more. that video was complete crap and showed me nothing of what the barge could do. granted the interfax sounds amazing.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... e+concepts

notice the harmonics controls the over all tone structure on the barge in this clip. the drive the gain amount. i think steve probably needed a few days with it and to give it a touch more of a chance. granted i have factored in a lot of what he says into this, but this clip shows another side of it and i would be interested in hearing someone who understand the modifaction that barge has done to it [added a drive section, which i assume with both on sound like the perc with more controls].

basically, steve albini might have been defeated by a second footswitch and a additional knob.........

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:30 pm

That Google video of the Barge makes it sound great. I am not really familiar with Albini's guitar tone, and really don't care about replicating his sound or the original Interfax but in his clip the Barge sounded like ass, and in that Google clip it sounds good.

fiveways · Post by **fiveways** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:31 pm

though for some reasons the one albini used as 4 knobs. so i wil revise.

albini was defeated by 2 knobs and a footswitch is my opinion.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:32 pm

fiveways wrote:2 cents worth:

notice that through the entire video alibini doesnt touch the harmonics knob[except to make sure it is cranked], and leaves it cranked on the barge. now, maybe i am weird, but if i had a huge amount of high end treble harmonic content in my pedal, and noticed a harmonics knob all the way to the right, you figure i would want to turn it down a bit and see what happens. but he doesnt touch it.....not once.

this just makes me wanna try one more. that video was complete crap and showed me nothing of what the barge could do. granted the interfax sounds amazing.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... e+concepts

notice the harmonics controls the over all tone structure on the barge in this clip. the drive the gain amount. i think steve probably needed a few days with it and to give it a touch more of a chance. granted i have factored in a lot of what he says into this, but this clip shows another side of it and i would be interested in hearing someone who understand the modifaction that barge has done to it [added a drive section, which i assume with both on sound like the perc with more controls].

basically, steve albini might have been defeated by a second footswitch and a additional knob.........

You must have completely missed the part of the video where Steve turned all of the knobs in every position.

Oh, and the part where Steve said that he uses his with the gain all the way up, and when he uses the exact same settings on this one it sounds nothing like it. Which I also hear in that google vid. The difference is the guitar being used, and we have no info about the amp being used.