Ambient guitar pedals

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MagicPigDetectiveMagicPigDetective Frets: 2993
edited May 2020 in FX
I'm sure this has been discussed before but there are a lot of new shiny pedals out since then.

I'm really getting into ambient style guitar. A volume pedal for swells, into a compressor, then fuzz/dirt if needed. The pedal order then is Walrus Audio Lillian (phaser) > Catalinbread Callisto (chorus) > Boss DD200 > Walrus Audio Slo > Strymon Flint > looper

Just to give an idea of what I'm up to, here's a very rough recording of something spontaneous with my iPhone:



I know I could play around with that order. But I also want to expand on this to make more cavernous ethereal sounds. Also darker sounds. Combine delays and reverbs in interesting ways. Mixing the flint 80's on full decay and the Slo is fun.  

I'm leaning towards trying the new EQD Afterneath V3 or OBNE Dark Star (for the octave and granular effect) at the moment.
Or perhaps another delay, such as a Walrus Audio Arp 87.
Or another type of effect, something a bit more out there? Red Panda etc
I know the Eventides, Meris and co are incredible, but not willing to pay that much at the moment.

Any pedals you recommend? I know @joetele has tried them all!  
Or just go ahead and discuss ambient guitar in general  

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Comments

  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Chords of Orion is the youtube channel by the chap who goes through ambient set ups, tests new pedals in an ambient context,etc, so probably worth a look. 
    The Mooer Ocean Machine was the pedal designed with ambient guitar in mind, if you can find a decent clip of Devin Townsend using it it's almost an instrument in itself. Devin discusses it from 19 minutes in on this ( and does eventually start making ambient sounds with it):
        
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • phil_bphil_b Frets: 2010
    Eric beat me to it but chords of Orion is a good place for all things ambient

    HX effects is a good tool for experimenting with multiple reverbs and delays without having to buy all separate pedals
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  • MagicPigDetectiveMagicPigDetective Frets: 2993
    edited May 2020
    Chords of Orion is the youtube channel by the chap who goes through ambient set ups, tests new pedals in an ambient context,etc, so probably worth a look. 
    The Mooer Ocean Machine was the pedal designed with ambient guitar in mind, if you can find a decent clip of Devin Townsend using it it's almost an instrument in itself. Devin discusses it from 19 minutes in on this ( and does eventually start making ambient sounds with it):
     
    Yes agree, Chords of Orion is a good channel, the Godfather (or Ser Davos) of ambient guitar. It was in fact a video of his that led to my current pedal train and taught me how to do swells. 
    Mooer interesting, not sure if I want a multifx but will give it a look. I like the tweaking of the pedals and dials on the fly. 
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  • I run my reverb first so that everything is being given that "movement" if that makes sense, then you're not just giving the rest of your pedals a "dry" sound to manipulate but a long affected "wet" one. 
    I run a collection of dirt pedals after which then means you're distorting the whole ambient/ wet signal and then delays at the end to manipulate how long this all last for. I hope that makes sense? I also have my SLO pretty early on so I can use the latch mode into any pedals I want- essential for ambience. 
    From what you've described I would only change the orders so that your two reverbs run into the delays and stick your drive pedals between them.
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  • joetelejoetele Frets: 947
    Red Panda Particle is also fun for granular delay as well as standard delay, reverse, glitches etc. 

    I used to have a Rever which was nice but for me didn't have enough variety with the reverb and delay. 
    MUSIC: Pale Blurs
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Chords of Orion is the youtube channel by the chap who goes through ambient set ups, tests new pedals in an ambient context,etc, so probably worth a look. 
    The Mooer Ocean Machine was the pedal designed with ambient guitar in mind, if you can find a decent clip of Devin Townsend using it it's almost an instrument in itself. Devin discusses it from 19 minutes in on this ( and does eventually start making ambient sounds with it):
     
    Yes agree, Chords of Orion is a good channel, the Godfather (or Ser Davos) of ambient guitar. It was in fact a video of his that led to my current pedal train and taught me how to do swells. 
    Mooer interesting, not sure if I want a multifx but will give it a look. I like the tweaking of the pedals and dials on the fly. 
    I was interested in the Mooer before it came out as a one stop shop for delays and reverbs ( essentially what the Source Audio Collider has turned out to be) but it turned out to be a little unwieldy looking for that so on the fly stuff is where it's at with it I think.
    Some of it's sounds have come out on the Mooer D7 ( delay) and A7 ( reverb) pedals, they are about £99 each and quite tiny so would be nice for adding some crazy ambiance on a budget/ small pedalboard in a more straightforward way.


    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Vintage-TVintage-T Frets: 405
    I can highly recommend the EQD Avalanche Run, very very nice Ambient noises, flexible options when pairing with an expression pedal too
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  • joetelejoetele Frets: 947
    Vintage-T said:
    I can highly recommend the EQD Avalanche Run, very very nice Ambient noises, flexible options when pairing with an expression pedal too
    Yeah that's the big daddy for people who don't want the big box Strymons for sure 
    MUSIC: Pale Blurs
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  • StrangefanStrangefan Frets: 5845
    I have the fender reflecting pool... Now that's an ambient pedal
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  • joetelejoetele Frets: 947
    I have the fender reflecting pool... Now that's an ambient pedal
    Yeah, loved this one too. One day I'll pick it up 
    MUSIC: Pale Blurs
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  • Big fan of the DIG, El Cap and Neunaber WET for this kind of stuff. I no longer have the El Cap but I use Sound Toys Echoboy. I plan on getting another one sometime though. I use the WET plugin and also Eventide Space plugin too. And the Valhalla plugins are superb for that kind of stuff too, highly recommended. There's some monstrous Blade Runner style reverbs on Valhalla Vintage Verb!
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • Creed_ClicksCreed_Clicks Frets: 1385
    Avalanche Run or Afterneath might be worth a look. At the moment, I am using a Boss DD8, and a Sub Decay Spring Theory reverb pedal. The depth turned up on the spring or room setting gives a really nice long delay type effect.
    The Avalanche Run, if I could justify the price, would be worth a peek.
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  • VJIvesVJIves Frets: 466
    The Hungry Robot pedal The Wash is great to have at the end of an ambient chain. You can keep things ticking over in a more interesting way than if you just threw in like, a Freeze or a Plus pedal. 
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    edited May 2020
    Deffo get a Montreal Assembly count to 5
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    Drone Ranger is the only pedal thats made my wallet twitch lately

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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    edited May 2020
    I play a lot of ambient - just two or three pedals is all you need and a volume pedal. Check out Mikhail Medvedev - I have a couple of his albums via Bandcamp. His YouTube channel is here: 










    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • I run my reverb first so that everything is being given that "movement" if that makes sense, then you're not just giving the rest of your pedals a "dry" sound to manipulate but a long affected "wet" one. 
    I run a collection of dirt pedals after which then means you're distorting the whole ambient/ wet signal and then delays at the end to manipulate how long this all last for. I hope that makes sense? I also have my SLO pretty early on so I can use the latch mode into any pedals I want- essential for ambience. 
    From what you've described I would only change the orders so that your two reverbs run into the delays and stick your drive pedals between them.
    You would expect good advice from someone named iheartreverb! I'll give that a go, thanks. 
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  • BeexterBeexter Frets: 597
    EHX SuperEgo with whatever you fancy in the loop.
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601

    Any pedals you recommend? I know @joetele has tried them all!  
    Or just go ahead and discuss ambient guitar in general  


    When recording I use an old Line 6 POD HD Pro - delays, chorus and reverbs in the loop and drives in the front. I find it gives a better tone. I always record in stereo.

    I use a looper - TC electronics - and often record a loop, reverse it and slow it down. The looper does this - it creates an ethereal pad I can play over. I also often use an octave pedal (Pitchford) which is usually setup in fifths to thicken the sound. Then into chorus/delay and reverb. I often like to use two reverbs - one after the other - to make the sound more complex.

    A delay I use a lot is the TC Electronics Triple Delay - a great ambient pedal as you can stack delays that run into each other. Set the delays for different types - ping pong, digital etc and different time lengths and repeats .. creates interesting movement and complexity. I also have a Timeline and Dig. The Dig is fantastic - dual delay unit.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • bob28bob28 Frets: 14
    Source Audio SA260 is a great delay pedal with tons of features. It has too many options  =)
    https://www.awkwardsound.com/source-audio-sa260-nemesis-guitar-delay-effects-pedal-review/
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