ShortScale.org

thecookman wrote:Lotta hate for them Modulation pedals I see.

I really like the FL9, its a subtle Flanger that doesn't kill your tone. The Boss CE-2 is another favourate, more so because of association.

thecookman wrote:Lotta hate for them Modulation pedals I see.

It's like that on HCFX, too. From what I've seen (mostly on HCFX), they're associated with "80s music". Not sure which genres or guitarists they're specifically referring to, but several of my favorite guitarists during that decade used flangers and chorus pedals--the guys in The Chameleons, The Church, Andy Summers, etc.

And of course the usual "phaser...only for the slow parts" joke.

Still really like the CE-2, though, and would like to get a Deluxe Electric Mistress someday if I can justify it.

thecookman wrote:Lotta hate for them Modulation pedals I see.

park me here.

plaidbeer wrote:Not sure which genres or guitarists they're specifically referring to, but several of my favorite guitarists during that decade used flangers and chorus pedals--the guys in The Chameleons, The Church, Andy Summers, etc.

I think that is a good question on reference. The Flanger to me instantly says The Cure, John McGeoch and The Chameleons, with Chorus i think of Killing Joke, HOL, Ride, KOD, Cocteau Twins etc. All cool as fuck bands. What 80s bands are they listening to over there?

Fran wrote:

plaidbeer wrote:Not sure which genres or guitarists they're specifically referring to, but several of my favorite guitarists during that decade used flangers and chorus pedals--the guys in The Chameleons, The Church, Andy Summers, etc.

I think that is a good question on reference. The Flanger to me instantly says The Cure, John McGeoch and The Chameleons, with Chorus i think of Killing Joke, HOL, Ride, KOD, Cocteau Twins etc. All cool as fuck bands. What 80s bands are they listening to over there?

There are lots of people over there who like the bands you've mentioned so I'm kind of surprised that the catch-all of "80s" is used when it really doesn't mean anything, at least not to me. So, my guess is that those remarks are directed towards arena rock or old Top-40 "hard rock" like VH, Def Leppard, etc.? Maybe I should start a thread about it just to find out.

Nick wrote:I don't need a fucking Wah Wah pedal because they make EVERYTHING sound worse. Same goes for a phaser, flanger, etc. It all colors the fucking sound of my guitar, which is supposed to sound like a guitar. It doesn't need to sound like an airplane, or a spaceship, or Don't even get me started on fucking envelope filters they all sound like garbled up nonsense and non musical.

Two words for ya: LEE. RANALDO.

Getting back into Sister in a big way is what set me off on my phaser odyssey a year or so ago. Where would Lee Ranaldo be without modulation FX? Yet he still somehow manages to make it sound like a guy playing a guitar rather than checking the idling speed of his spaceship (or worse, playing a synthesizer).

Lotta love for them modulation pedals here!

plaidbeer wrote:

Fran wrote:

plaidbeer wrote:Not sure which genres or guitarists they're specifically referring to, but several of my favorite guitarists during that decade used flangers and chorus pedals--the guys in The Chameleons, The Church, Andy Summers, etc.

I think that is a good question on reference. The Flanger to me instantly says The Cure, John McGeoch and The Chameleons, with Chorus i think of Killing Joke, HOL, Ride, KOD, Cocteau Twins etc. All cool as fuck bands. What 80s bands are they listening to over there?

There are lots of people over there who like the bands you've mentioned so I'm kind of surprised that the catch-all of "80s" is used when it really doesn't mean anything, at least not to me. So, my guess is that those remarks are directed towards arena rock or old Top-40 "hard rock" like VH, Def Leppard, etc.? Maybe I should start a thread about it just to find out.

Well, EVH used a Phaser and very rarely. I dont remember Def Leppard using any modulation other than maybe Chorus on solo's like most Hair Metal bands which is like you say, what they are probably referring to.
As you know, Chorus became widely available in the early 80's so it was bound to get overused, maybe. But that's like saying Wah and Fuzz are 60's effects or Tremolo, Reverb and Echo are 50's. Seems silly to categorize any of them to a decade because they have all been in use since their introduction, also to some extremely good and completely awful music.

UlricvonCatalyst wrote:

Nick wrote:I don't need a fucking Wah Wah pedal because they make EVERYTHING sound worse. Same goes for a phaser, flanger, etc. It all colors the fucking sound of my guitar, which is supposed to sound like a guitar. It doesn't need to sound like an airplane, or a spaceship, or Don't even get me started on fucking envelope filters they all sound like garbled up nonsense and non musical.

Two words for ya: LEE. RANALDO.

Getting back into Sister in a big way is what set me off on my phaser odyssey a year or so ago. Where would Lee Ranaldo be without modulation FX? Yet he still somehow manages to make it sound like a guy playing a guitar rather than checking the idling speed of his spaceship (or worse, playing a synthesizer).

Lotta love for them modulation pedals here!

I didn't think SY really started using pedals until the 90's, Sister is my favourite record of all time and I never noticed any phaser usage on it - maybe I haven't been listening hard enough. I know Lee has used delay a lot but didn't know he used phasers, Thurston on the other hand has had a Phase 90 on his board for years.

Down to 4 pedals.
Tuner
Compression
Overdrive
Muff.

Don't want anything else.

i've nothing against modulation pedals used well (and most bands you see out and about don't use them well), but i can't ever get them to work for me, so avoid like the plague.

for me, the equipment I use depends on what I need for the job. so +1 to that point. I currently use a tuner, overdrive and delay, but thats all i need at the moment.

stewart wrote:i've nothing against modulation pedals used well (and most bands you see out and about don't use them well), but i can't ever get them to work for me, so avoid like the plague.

I think in BI the way you cleverly use delay is great, any modulation would probably mess the sound up.

I try and play with what ever I can. I love effects but keep a very minimal board for gigging. I do have a larger pedal board that has tuner > vibrato > synth wah > fuzz > dist/boost > digital delay > analogue delay > reverb. This is just so that I can really experiment with sounds.

CBA to find the quotes but someone here said that modulation has a range, it can be very subtle or OTT. Agree agree agree. Pedals are a skill just like everything else and treated any differently from that makes them sounds shite. Some pedals are plug and play, some aren't. Modulation is a really finnicky forum, lots of stuff that sounds conventionally crap can be plugged and placed differently, have sweet spots etc. etc.

It takes time and vision to create a sound that doesn't detract from what your playing, or create sounds that have never been heard before. Modulation has been a big part of the industry, since near its inception and has definitely created some of the most iconic sounds in the business, Machine Gun anyone?

Hurb wrote:I don't care about this thread but was happy to see Mikes name at the end of it!


Yay Mike

Aww <3 Hurb.

as i'm playing at home more than anything my board changes a lot depending on what I feel like playing and can go from just a tuner to a board full of stuff. But when I go practicing I keep it to just dirt, reverb, delay and tuner at the moment until we work on things a lot more.

FUCK AN KORRUS
Love FLANGE


Don't play live (doubt anyone would let me) so just sit around on the floor at home meddling with pedals to see what noises/textures/sounds I can come up with, usually with the help of my little daughter (she's a Wah wizard)
Never really use more than 3 pedals at a time max and can make some extraordinary noise depending on what’s in the chain and their positions.
This all of course at household friendly volumes, sometime soon I’m going to be renting a local practice room to see what stuff sounds like at proper volumes and get some recordings and "product demos" done.

If you are going to use effects you need to get something that inspires and work from there even if it is only for just one project/tune.

johnnyseven wrote:

UlricvonCatalyst wrote:

Nick wrote:I don't need a fucking Wah Wah pedal because they make EVERYTHING sound worse. Same goes for a phaser, flanger, etc. It all colors the fucking sound of my guitar, which is supposed to sound like a guitar. It doesn't need to sound like an airplane, or a spaceship, or Don't even get me started on fucking envelope filters they all sound like garbled up nonsense and non musical.

Two words for ya: LEE. RANALDO.

Getting back into Sister in a big way is what set me off on my phaser odyssey a year or so ago. Where would Lee Ranaldo be without modulation FX? Yet he still somehow manages to make it sound like a guy playing a guitar rather than checking the idling speed of his spaceship (or worse, playing a synthesizer).

Lotta love for them modulation pedals here!

I didn't think SY really started using pedals until the 90's, Sister is my favourite record of all time and I never noticed any phaser usage on it - maybe I haven't been listening hard enough. I know Lee has used delay a lot but didn't know he used phasers, Thurston on the other hand has had a Phase 90 on his board for years.

whoa, Sister is also my favourite record of all time. small (clone) world. I've also never heard any phasers on it, just distortion/fuzz and wah, although the 'fuzz' tones might just be the wah set to treble.

I had a flanger once, but I couldn't seem to find any use for it besides full out noise. Chorus for me is equally useless; the only thing my small clone is good for is teh kurtdz. Delay, dirt. fuzz= I'm happy.

honeyiscool wrote:I like effects that work with the sound of a guitar, rather than against it. I love tremolo, I think tremolo about a very human quality about it. Chorus and reverb definitely help out. Fuzz, octaver, wah, you can really work these things in interesting ways, too, though it gets harder and harder. For me, it ends at effects like phaser or flanger. They basically sound like you turned on an effect and no longer are particularly musical or interesting because the first few songs you ever really liked with flanger on (Dennis and Lois by Happy Mondays, Girls and Boys by Blur, for me) are probably the only songs you thought it was well used. If it actually made a guitar sound like an airplane, it'd be nice, but largely it makes it sound like you bought a flanger.

Have a listen to John McGeoch's guitar on Juju by Siouxsie and The Banshees and then tell me that flangers are not 'particularly musical'.

Ainm wrote:

honeyiscool wrote:I like effects that work with the sound of a guitar, rather than against it. I love tremolo, I think tremolo about a very human quality about it. Chorus and reverb definitely help out. Fuzz, octaver, wah, you can really work these things in interesting ways, too, though it gets harder and harder. For me, it ends at effects like phaser or flanger. They basically sound like you turned on an effect and no longer are particularly musical or interesting because the first few songs you ever really liked with flanger on (Dennis and Lois by Happy Mondays, Girls and Boys by Blur, for me) are probably the only songs you thought it was well used. If it actually made a guitar sound like an airplane, it'd be nice, but largely it makes it sound like you bought a flanger.

Have a listen to John McGeoch's guitar on Juju by Siouxsie and The Banshees and then tell me that flangers are not 'particularly musical'.

+1. Arabian knights alone is brilliant.

at our debut gig the other night, i used

CV esquier > volume pedal > behringer dd100 > rc20xl > pathfinder 15 into 2x12

sounded right well, i thought. shame i can't actually play. should've snapped a pic of it.