December 20, 2009
December 18, 2009
State of the Stomp – Dec 2009
Boutique –adjective
of, designating, or characteristic of a small, exclusive producer or business: one of California’s best boutique wineries.[1]
Like in so many other arenas of life, the dawn and maturation of Internet has reshaped the landscape of guitar audio effects. Before the spice started to flow all that seemed to exist were larger companies that had established themselves, and the regional mad scientist audioscapers that occasionally got launched into the limelight (such as it was). A simplistic view to be sure, but one I feel captures the general situation in the early 90’s. From this period burst a few hard-nosed types that would create a market for boutique pedals using innovative designs and pioneering the use of new types of components for the arena. It was an age of naivety that would soon be awash in marketing-speak, psychological tomfoolery, and the pains of nostalgia.
Here at the dawn of 2010 parts that were previously impossible to obtain are so common that pedals costing less than $50 brag on including them. The large bulk of ‘holy grail’ pedals from the golden age of rock and roll have been broken down on work-benches and oscilloscopes hundreds of times over leaving a trail of ready-to-solder schematics, layouts, and part lists all over the internet.
This is a golden age; there are a monstrous amount of documented effects builders.[2] Where there was a paucity of information, now there are reviews, demonstrations, and interactive conversations of nearly every effect released. The dark side of this is, as the volume of this information increases, filtering and classifying that information becomes far more difficult than finding it in the first place. In a landscape filled with shill reviews, undercover marketing, and forum astroturfing[3] only the savviest consumer can even pretend to wade through all of it unaffected.
What does this all mean? That which was once boutique is no longer, and a large segment of pedal builders claiming the moniker are rehashing proven designs with a pretty new paint-job on the front. The word “boutique” is dead in this market, the core torn out of it by businesses looking to make a buck.
The following list sums up what I consider current state of the market. I thought about placing names beside each group, but feared that some people would be offended, and that some businesses could be seen as rejected or endorsed. This is not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather to capture largest swath possible.
Mass Produced: Mostly manufactured overseas, made from commodity parts. Can be well engineered, durable, easily replaced, and sound great. Accounting & marketing groups have a large input into what products are offered.
Hackers: Individuals who cut their teeth building kits and schematics from the Internet. Pedals in their line-ups are not so much engineered as evolved variations of classic effects. These classic pedals are often given a nod in the marketing literature, naming, or graphic design, but not always. Advanced members of this group often sell refined nostalgia and “mojo” as much as pedals, mostly aimed at the most liquid of music toy-buyers, middle-aged men.
Free-Range: A free-spirited version of a hacker, who moves past building other people’s designs and attempts to craft new sounds and ideas through experimentation, experience, and innovative use of new and old materials on the market. They often have no formal audio electronics training and believe that an interesting sounding product supersedes build quality.
Designers: Highly organized individuals who have a set of strong ideas and move toward realizing them. They may have an engineering background, but if not will find an engineer (or many) to work with them. This group is very concerned with quality control, and the ability to reproduce a product in large enough numbers to fulfill as many orders as possible. The idea of “mojo” is dismissed for consistency and usability.
Artisan: These people are often Hackers who took it to the next level. Moving past the easy and available clones they research classic equipment, consider design improvements, and create collectible grade pedals that are marked by attention to detail in as many stages of the process as they can.
These individuals and businesses aren’t going to self-identify for the convenience of the pedal-buying public. It is the responsibility of journalists and enthusiasts to evaluate effects with a trained ear and eye, and not just prop up the latest craze flying down the pipe. Sadly the bulk of review journalism provided by national outlets barely pretends to be objective for fear of undermining their advertising buck (and very existence). Demonstrations provided by builders, distributors, or zealous fans should be looked upon with a skeptical eye. The first two are trying to sell you something and the last is trying to affirm their own choices in the eyes of the world… so be wary!
I personally have waffled on unleashing unkind words about a product, and have even decided against writing any review at all after trying something out. This ends today. My relationships with people aside, what I want to do more than anything is to share my experiences with products. This may be for positive or negative, but the kid gloves need to come off if I am to move forward. I’ve been far too concerned with being nice, and not concerned enough with being fair. Looking inward and exploring this fairness doctrine, I find there has been a direct correlation between the size of the builder and my willingness to write a negative review. I can dig into a big corporation pedal and not think twice, while I would labor over every word while examining on the exact same pedal crafted by a one-man shop. This boutique central bias should be phased out along with the use of the word. With the above framework as a foundation and a renewed sense of purpose I’m excited to moving forward once again.
With the above framework as a foundation and a renewed sense of purpose I’m excited to move forward once again.
[2] More than 1700 brand represented on http://www.effectsdatabase.com as of 12/11/2009.
[3] Astroturfing is an English-language euphemism referring to political, advertising, or public relations campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but designed to mask its origins to create the impression of being spontaneous, popular "grassroots" behavior.
December 7, 2009
December 1, 2009
Quick and Easy – Bass Effect Holiday Shopping Guide 2009
Notes:
- This guide is based on my opinion and/or the general ‘buzz’ that surrounds the pedal.
- These are things I have bought for myself, or am considering buying.
- Rare, wait-list based, and generally unavailable pedals were not considered.
- No promotional fees have been paid to me by any manufactuer or dealer, they get mentioned because I like them.
- I’ll recommend Tonefactor as a dealer because I love them (and I stole a photo for this article).
Where to buy?
I don’t have any working relationships or deals with any of these people, but I might be ‘known’ because of my purchasing problem.
- Tonefactor.com – Great service, quick free shipping, and a pleasent community of gear junkys chatting about all things effects (and bacon).
- AnalogueHaven – Synth gear is the bread and butter here, but also stock a wide range of effects including some very small run and unique stuff.
- Pedalgeek – Solid service, knowledge, and selection.
- Analogman – A bit more limited selection than some of the others, but excellent service and top notch products and mods. Plus Analog Man’s guide to Vintage Effects book will make any effect-head happY!
Overdrive / Distorition
- Catalinbread – SFT ($159.95 Street):
I’ve struggled for a long time hunting out a ‘low grind’ pedal that met my needs on bass guitar and had only found the desired sound in a couple of rare, expensive, and hard-to-find botique numbers. Playing with the SFT for the first time was like pouring water on lava… it was SMOKING. I’ve had it since it arrived on the scene, and it’s moved up to the number one position for my low gain dirt needs.
When we originally set out on our quest to make the best Bass overdrive ever, we never imagined that it could also sound so amazing with guitar – but then we got to thinking about some of the classic late ‘60s/early ‘70s ‘Ya-Yas’ era tones and thought we should take a stab at them. And heck while we’re at it, it would be really cool if it worked for the more modern drop tuned heavy stuff too. Made sense since those tones were due in large part to guitars being played through amps designed for bass, right?
And what about the Bass tones? We wanted a pedal that FINALLY let you control the amount of grind solely based on your finger attack. You know the feeling – full and rich and clean when you brush lightly and some nice wooly edge when you dig in. At the other end of the sonic spectrum we wanted a drive pedal that could deliver bone-crunching grind and still hold together without sounding thin or turning into a sludgy mess no matter how hard you hit it.
- Tech 21 VT Bass Pedal ($149 Street):
I have no experiance at all with this pedal, but the general clamor has lingered for months and months now. Enough time has passed for intial hype-machine to wear off and I’m still curious. Would make a great stocking stuffer! ;)
For bass players who demand to be heard, the sound of a tower of power pumping through a stack of 10-inchers is the legendary bass tone of choice, and the VT Bass bass pedal delivers. From chunky funk with the ubiquitous flip-top to the higher-gain growl of indie rock, this pedal has range to spare. Still need more? Lean on the Character control for the fat, distorted sound of Crimson and King s X—it all sounds massive. From clean SVT thump to dirty, earth-quaking crunch, you dial it in.
Each pedal in the Character Series is loaded with the tonal DNA for a specific style of guitar amplifier. By simply twisting a few knobs, you can build those sought-after tones or hot-rod your own. From rare vintage classics to roaring modern icons, every variation is delivered in the distinctive voicing of that amp style. The intuitive amp-like controls let you get your hands dirty from the get-go to explore decades of blistering tones.
Being a genuine SansAmp, each Character Series pedal is way more than a stompbox. Each can be used as a stand-alone pre-amp to drive a power amp, a studio mixer, or a PA system, with the rich SansAmp cabinet emulation that sounds huge&mmdash;even straight into a computer soundcard. Or plug them into your guitar amp to take your tone on the road.
Fuzz
- EHX – Bass Big Muff ($76.50 Street):
This pedal isn’t the best of all possible worlds, but stands as a strong contendor for best-fuzz-for-your-buck, and is a marvouslous introduction into the world of Big Muff style pedals. Check out my review if you are really curious.
The Prodigy reborn with underworld insticts comes to life wielding the drive of the original classic Big Muff Pi and the earthy support of a bass tailored design with no loss of low end. This is the pedal that bass players who loved the Big Muff sound have been waiting for.
Product Features:
- Controls for Volume – Tone – Sustain
- Mini Switch for Bass Boost
- Long, creamy sustain, fat fuzz sound, solid treble and transparent bass sound
- Wounded Paw – Battering Ram ($190 Street):
The Battering Ram is one of those pedals that has captured my heart as a ‘toolkit’ pedal. Want to head to an audition, but not lug the whole mess? Battering Ram. Want to jam with some buddys and keep it simple? Battering Ram. Want to blow the doors off your girlfriend’s Honda civic? Battering Ram. Need to read the review? Battering Ram.
Stomp on the OVERDRIVE switch and you turn the pedal on and activate the overdrive section. It’s a smooth overdrive which can go from completely clean to growling distortion.
The LO switch adds in the lower frequencies to make it full-range for bass as well as guitar.
The HI knob lets you either boost or cut the highs to dial in the tone you want.Stomp on the FUZZ switch and the fuzz section gets added on top of the overdrive sound. This is a parallel processed pedal which means the fuzz section works from the clean guitar signal and gets mixed with the overdrive instead of one section following the other like in most 2 stage pedals.
The fuzz is a snarling, raspy beast which can get right out of control if you crank up the SUSTAIN. The deep lows are filtered out to keep it tight and bright. The TONE control goes from high-end cut to flat to a mid-cut, high end boost. And for another set of sounds there is the OCT switch to change the fuzz section into an octave up fuzz. Crazy.This pedal can be used in a number of ways. Have the overdrive on all the time for your basic tone and stomp on the fuzz for that important bridge, chorus or solo. Or use both sections to shape your distortion sound. Use the overdrive for the lower frequencies to keep the growl without getting muddy and use the fuzz for the searing top end. Or keep the overdrive section tame and use the fuzz section with the octave switch on to add that one bit of octave up.
Update: Due to some requests the input and output jacks have been switched so the IN is now on the right and the OUT on the left. I haven’t updated the picture yet but all new orders will reflect this change as of July 8th, 2009.
- Fender – Sub-Lime Bass Fuzz ($139.99 Street):
I don’t have this one currently, but its VERY high on my want to try list. Clips I’ve heard have been promising, and I love pedals that allow you to dial in your tone and then forget about it.
It’s big, green and ferocious. Frankenstein’s monster? Good guess, but no. Introducing the Fender® Sub-Lime™ bass fuzz pedal.
Set it at your feet between you and your speakers, and transform the sound of your bass with classic Fender fuzz ranging from the barest touch of evil to an utterly seismic roar. Best of all, tailor your tone by setting the crossover frequency wherever you want the fuzz to happen–low-frequency fuzz, high-frequency fuzz and anything in between–all without sacrificing all-important low-end muscle and fundamental bass tone.
Dressed in sublime lime green, the big, heavy-duty cast design evokes Fender’s great old pedals of the ’70s and boasts an enormous control dial that fluoresces entrancingly from green to red.
Simple volume and drive controls let you easily dial in the loudness and range of fuzz tones. Runs on 9-volt battery or DC power.
Envelope Filters
- 3Leaf Audio – Groove Regulator ($199 Street – Note: I paid wholesale for this pedal after doing the review and asking to buy one):
I’m a simple man when it comes to filters, because they confuse me quickly and they don’t make children blind when I stomp on them like a fuzz does. That said, I like them! This pedal captures much of what was great about the Lovetone Meatball without the PhD in applied accoustics required to dial in that kick ass sound a second time! This one went under the review knife in August and came away sparkling.
Welcome to 3Leaf Audio, home of the fattest, funkiest envelope filter ever created. Handmade in Seattle, Washington, the award-winning Groove Regulator is derived from the circuit of the legendary Lovetone Meatball and enhanced for extra funk. While many competitors are adopting a “more is better” mentality and cramming the most switches, knobs and jacks into their pedals as possible, the Groove Regulator represents the perfect blend of versatility and simplicity. It’s designed to sound good on any setting, without the hours of tweaking required from other pedals. It works with any instrument and is guaranteed to give you the most funk for your buck of any effects pedal out there.
- WMD – Super Fatman ($279 Street):
So right after I finishing mentioning how stupid I am when it comes to filters, I recommend this knob heavy gizmo? Paradox or not, WMD cranked out a great pedal with the origional fatman, and this SUPER Fatman has the G.A.S. pumping through my engine.
Features:
- Fat & Warm Pure Analog Circuitry
- 12 Filter Frequency Ranges
- Tweakable Filter Feedback
- LP/BP/HP Filter Modes
- Reverse Sweep
- Tweakable Attack Speed
- .07 to 8 Hz Tri/Square LFO
- CV/Expression Pedal Input
- CV/LFO blendable with envelope
- RGB LED shows ENV and LFO
- Wet/Dry blend in or out of phase
- Epoxy paint base and silkscreen
- Standard 9V Power Jack
Other stomp-box fun
- Mojo Hand – Gyro - Vibrato/Leslie Simulator: ($239 Street):
I’ve never used a vibrato/leslie simulator on bass. I sure would give it a shot though. Modulation is one of those flavors that I’ve not explored in any kind of length or breath and I’ve been building up a collection of reference items for each type. The Gyro definately has my attention and I’d love to sit down and spend some quality time with this yellow swirly.
True Pitch Shifting Vibrato as well as Rotating Speaker Simulation. The 3 way toggle chooses between Vibrato, Leslie, and Blended (which mixes the two). Expression pedal jack controls speed. Works in conjunction with Mojo Hand’s upcoming Ramp Unit. True Bypass Switching Powder Coated, Screen Printed enclosure.
- Boomerang Musical Products – Boomerang III Looper ($439 street):
My best purchase of 2009! I’ve been through a host of loopers that I could never really get the hang of. This bad-boy is dead easy to use. I thought I was going to miss the quantize function that Boss Loopers bring to the table, but frankly after just a little bit of practice I was able to work it out.
Loading ...Cruising
Been a little busy and distracted, but my absence is (as always) to be followed by a flood of activity. I’m working on a couple of videos that should see the light in the next few days. I’ll also be doing a few highlights of newer products I’ve seen floating around to prepare you for the POST x-mas self-shopping season.
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