I need a pedal to do a few special effects.

Danny1969

So I'm in a band that is a tribute to the more indie side of the eighties, stuff like Talk Talk, The The and Echo and the Bunnymen rather than Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. For most of the work I can get by fine with my normal simple pedal board but there's a few songs that need some special effects, namely 

Auto Fade in effect ... whatever that's called
Intelligent harmonizer .... needs to stay in key rather than fixed interval 
Big reverb with octave above ... whatever that effect is called. 
Tap delay with dotted 8th 

I've been using a Pod Go and it can do all these but it simply sucks too much of the tone and headroom out of my sound, even when no effect is used so whatever I buy needs to be true bypass ... I don't want my whole signal going through an AD - DA chain even when the device isn't being used. 
Be nice if it wasn't huge, maybe the size of 2 pedals ish ?

Not interested in any Line 6 stuff unless you can bypass the complete device inc convertors. Don't need amps or cab simms as I'm using a real amp. 

Secret_Sam

You could use a Boss LS2 line selector to bypass your Pod. Usual Boss size and indestructible build.  About 100 quid. Job done.

Otherwise, the intelligent harmonizer is going to be pricey for a special effect that you don't use much.  That's Eventide territory. 

jellybelly

Danny1969 said:

So I'm in a band that is a tribute to the more indie side of the eighties, stuff like Talk Talk, The The and Echo and the Bunnymen rather than Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. For most of the work I can get by fine with my normal simple pedal board but there's a few songs that need some special effects, namely 

Auto Fade in effect ... whatever that's called
Intelligent harmonizer .... needs to stay in key rather than fixed interval 
Big reverb with octave above ... whatever that effect is called. 
Tap delay with dotted 8th 

I've been using a Pod Go and it can do all these but it simply sucks too much of the tone and headroom out of my sound, even when no effect is used so whatever I buy needs to be true bypass ... I don't want my whole signal going through an AD - DA chain even when the device isn't being used. 
Be nice if it wasn't huge, maybe the size of 2 pedals ish ?

Not interested in any Line 6 stuff unless you can bypass the complete device inc convertors. Don't need amps or cab simms as I'm using a real amp. 

Although I'm not certain about the intelligent harmonizer, the Zoom Multi Stomp might fit the bill IF you combine it with a true bypass switch - I did this for a while, let the zooms Footswitch cycle through effects and the bypass switch the whole thing in and out. 

FYI the HX FX can be set to 'true bypass' by clicking both the MODE and TAP switches simultaneously - if not powered on, signal passes straight through. No idea if the HX One does that someone too, but that's by far the most obvious candidate if so. 

Quick edit - I deffo CAN tell the difference between the bypass and DSP through on the HX FX. Tiny bit less headroom. Most apparent with an offset/1 meg pots and the extended top end that comes with them. 

jellybelly

Just checked - HX One DOES allow true bypass Vs DSP. 

It also has variable input impedance, which the HX FX doesn't. 

Get that 

ICBM

Secret_Sam said:

You could use a Boss LS2 line selector to bypass your Pod. Usual Boss size and indestructible build.  About 100 quid. Job done.

This. You can also adjust the loop level - it sounds like the problem with the Pod Go may be that it's cutting the level slightly, which sounds like a loss of tone and headroom when really it's just volume. (A friend has one, and I haven't noticed any tone suck with it personally.)

The Boss Harmonist will do in-key harmonies, but from memory it's quite limited in the harmony options.

springhead

Plethora X5 or X3?  Not sure about the fade in thing but it has a key based intelligent harmoniser and all the usual reverb’s, delays, modulation effects etc.  

Danny1969

ICBM said:

Secret_Sam said:

You could use a Boss LS2 line selector to bypass your Pod. Usual Boss size and indestructible build.  About 100 quid. Job done.

This. You can also adjust the loop level - it sounds like the problem with the Pod Go may be that it's cutting the level slightly, which sounds like a loss of tone and headroom when really it's just volume. (A friend has one, and I haven't noticed any tone suck with it personally.)

The Boss Harmonist will do in-key harmonies, but from memory it's quite limited in the harmony options.

It's a good idea and I could build a pedal that would bypass the Pod, I've built quite a few things like that but the Pod Go is large and I would rather have a solution that would fit on my normal board. 

What I notice about the Pod Go when it's in line is not the volume, I mean you can turn up the master so it's louder than the guitar would be plugged directly into the amp ... it's the loss of dynamics. the loss of touch sensitivity and sheer presence in the room. 

I don't mind paying £400 or similar if the effects I need are there and  high quality

monquixote

If you want to get spendy

Boss GT-1000 CORE

It's compact and more powerful than the Line 6

If you don't.

Boss GT 1

Or if you want super compact Zoom CDR or Multi Stomp.

Eventide seem to have the Max Dark for £399

https://store.eventideaudio.com/en-uk/products/h9-dark

stickyfiddle

jellybelly said:

Just checked - HX One DOES allow true bypass Vs DSP. 

It also has variable input impedance, which the HX FX doesn't. 

Get that 

This is my instinct. I'm thinking about one for exactly the same "guest effect" function on my board. 

Danny1969

monquixote said:

If you want to get spendy

Boss GT-1000 CORE

It's compact and more powerful than the Line 6

If you don't.

Boss GT 1

Or if you want super compact Zoom CDR or Multi Stomp.

Eventide seem to have the Max Dark for £399

https://store.eventideaudio.com/en-uk/products/h9-dark

Ah now that looks good and ... off to find a demo of it 

viz

Sounds like a bloody cool band

TheBigDipper

Just some points about the GTk Core. 

It doesn't have true bypass. Everything goes through the converters and buffers. I use one for mod/ delay/reverb effects into a pedal platform amp and it sounds fine to me playing through it all the time, sometimes with no effects turned on.  I did try bypassing it in an ES-5 loop (no ES-5 buffers on) and it was nigh on identical, just as musical and lively, so I just leave it at the end of the chain, now. 

The Harmoniser effects are OK with single note playing but only OK. They don't inspire me.

The Slow Gear effect is the closest thing on it to an auto swell. Odd triggering and I found it hard to be musical. It's one reason I still keep a Mobius on my board. The auto swell on the Mobius is excellent. 

It'll do the OPs reverb and delay needs and sound pretty decent at those. 

ICBM

monquixote said:

Boss GT 1

The GT-1 is a great-sounding unit, powerful and tiny, but I would not recommend it here... it's an absolute pig to edit on the fly. I've got both the guitar and bass versions and I do love the ability to literally put them in a gig bag pocket for going to jam sessions and practices, but I wouldn't gig with one - I've kept my ME-50 and 50B for exactly that reason.

Kebabkid

Cheap as chips and will cover most of this, the Zoom MS-70 CDR

monquixote

ICBM said:

monquixote said:

Boss GT 1

The GT-1 is a great-sounding unit, powerful and tiny, but I would not recommend it here... it's an absolute pig to edit on the fly. I've got both the guitar and bass versions and I do love the ability to literally put them in a gig bag pocket for going to jam sessions and practices, but I wouldn't gig with one - I've kept my ME-50 and 50B for exactly that reason.

I was assuming you would pre create one patch per song and then just click it on or off and never touch the controls at a gig.

ICBM

monquixote said:

I was assuming you would pre create one patch per song and then just click it on or off and never touch the controls at a gig.

It's the only sensible way, but even then it's a complete pain in the backside if something needs adjusting which you hadn't planned for. Much easier with something with knobs.

barrettisgold

A Digitech Harmonyman would work for the harmoniser. I have the Timebender which has the same tech but used for intelligent pitched delays. It works very well. There is one on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196159447171?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=VR-r2zsSRfu&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=uEHZI4kMS8y&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Littlejonny

I’ve often wished for such a device - a little multi fx unit that specialises in wacky fx…or at least the more avant garde side of things. I think EHX would be great at this. 

I actually use my Zoom G5 for this very reason. I have a bank set up with some crazy effects that I just bring in at various points in the set. I always get guitarists asking what I’m using…

as for the auto fade in - can’t you just volume pedal or am I missing something?

viz

ICBM said:

monquixote said:

I was assuming you would pre create one patch per song and then just click it on or off and never touch the controls at a gig.

It's the only sensible way, but even then it's a complete pain in the backside if something needs adjusting which you hadn't planned for. Much easier with something with knobs.

Yes but I seem to recall you have shares in the boss me-50

EricTheWeary

Littlejonny said:

I’ve often wished for such a device - a little multi fx unit that specialises in wacky fx…or at least the more avant garde side of things. I think EHX would be great at this. 

I actually use my Zoom G5 for this very reason. I have a bank set up with some crazy effects that I just bring in at various points in the set. I always get guitarists asking what I’m using…

DigiTech made the Space Station which was basically this, or this by the standards of the 1990s. Didn't sell well, hugely collectable now. 

Secret_Sam

ICBM said:

Secret_Sam said:

You could use a Boss LS2 line selector to bypass your Pod. Usual Boss size and indestructible build.  About 100 quid. Job done.

This. You can also adjust the loop level - it sounds like the problem with the Pod Go may be that it's cutting the level slightly, which sounds like a loss of tone and headroom when really it's just volume. (A friend has one, and I haven't noticed any tone suck with it personally.)

The Boss Harmonist will do in-key harmonies, but from memory it's quite limited in the harmony options.

Ha!  I had forgotten that the Boss Harmonist does that.  And I actually use one!

The harmony functions don't really work for me - a little bit laggy, and an utter pain to fiddle precisely with a tiny little button every time you want to change key.

I just leave the gadget set up to give parallel fourths.  This works really well (the person credited with the insight was Joe Zawinul, who used it to thicken up MiniMoog lines):

*  In a dominant scale (alright, mixolydian for those classically trained), a fourth up from any note is in the same scale, except that a fourth up from the 7th gives you a sharp 9 ... which usually sounds awesome.  Simply channel the ghost of Jimi Hendrix for confirmation.  

*  In a major scale, a fourth up from any note is in the same scale, except that a fourth up from the 4th is a flat 7, which will sound wierd.  The work-around is to play a sharp 4 instead of a 4.  Trust me, it just works.  

*  In a minor scale, a fourth up from any note is also in the same minor scale, except that a fourth up from the 3rd gives you a sharp 5 (or flat 6 if you look at it that way).  So the third might be an "avoid" note if you are in a dorian or medodic minor scale.  It will be fine if you are in a phrygian, aeolian or harmonic minor, or you are playing Jazz and using Altered harmony.  Try it on your specific tune and see. 

In simplest form:

Dominant: just play
Major: use a sharp 4th
Minor: maybe avoid the 3rd - try it and see