did this

[Tristan]

looks so cute

seriously, have you thought about making little toys?
little decorative blinky lamp toys

Ha! I do sometimes, but mainly it's all this RFX stuff.

I think a pedal's got to sound new and different.
And it's got to look good too... Got to be something you want to carry round with you. (So being cute and small helps!)

I think that second aspect puts some people off sometimes... They think equipment has to look 'serious' and 'proper'.
I say bollocks to that. It's got to sound 'serious' and 'proper' (whatever that is), but if you have a problem with cuteness, then go away.

If I had to make pedals that were lumpy and grey (sound or appearance) I would stop right now!

I think it's really important to have some people who absolutely hate what you do! You can't do it without them - and the massive hordes who love you. The worst thing is if everyone 'quite likes' it. Gotta piss some people off!

But not here - among my peeps!

Totally agreed!
Got a good chuckle out of the hate part, I see what you mean.

[D-Rainger]

Sorry about the no soundclip situation. Fact is, my recording set up is now a pile of boxes and cables on the floor... very much 'in transition'. Got to get something rough together at least though.

I'm realising this filter sounds alot like the filter in a Roland 303 bass machine - gets quite 'acid' at times, and then you can blend in some white noise too.

I will rig something up.

Also, I've been spending some time adjusting the PCB so a synf person can plug a CV-type cable in instead of Igor, a do their evil business with it. Show any pedal to one of them and they go 'Woww!!!..... Awesome! .........I love it!................................. Can you plug a CV in?'

[Tristan]

I came in here for soundclips but I must say the being able to plug in a CV source and I hope also an expression pedal is great news!
Honestly, I tried the Dwarf and while it's totally awesome we couldn't get the Igor to work really, you have to press so incredibly hard with your foot to make it do something and the range goes from all to nothing in a split second, an expression pedal input would be very welcome I think.
Being able to do 303 style filtering sounds like a blast too!

[D-Rainger]

I came in here for soundclips but I must say the being able to plug in a CV source and I hope also an expression pedal is great news!
Honestly, I tried the Dwarf and while it's totally awesome we couldn't get the Igor to work really, you have to press so incredibly hard with your foot to make it do something and the range goes from all to nothing in a split second, an expression pedal input would be very welcome I think.
Being able to do 303 style filtering sounds like a blast too!

Thanks! I'm sorry you had a problem with the Igor though - did you try turning it over? It has hard and soft pressing sides that work with different pressures. Can I ask where you tried it? If there's a problem with it I'll happily send another one. (It was a round one, yes?)

The Dwarf - and this new pedal - will both work with a regular expression pedal, but you need an adaptor.
I have to say I use Igors all the time, and they work great for me. Maybe it's not right for everyone, but it'd be neat to have a chance to convince you...!

I appreciate your feedback!

[Tristan]

It was uni's, I think we tried flipping it over and it was a little better but it still needed a lot of pressure, it was a round Igor indeed.
Cool to know you can use a regular expression pedal too, what kind of adaptor do you need?
I want to visit London sometime, if I do I'll definitely try to hit your shop and maybe take something home on the way out.

[sylnau]

Wow!! Can't wait to hear this!
Don't forget to send some to Axe and you shall receive in Canada!

I'd like to try the Dwarf too. So much things I want to try.

[Tristan]

The Dwarf is really good, it's got a pretty unique voice to it, synthy but it can do both gated and more sustainy vocal sounds, combined with the ability to use an expression pedal (which I didn't know of) makes it quite powerful.

[D-Rainger]

It was uni's, I think we tried flipping it over and it was a little better but it still needed a lot of pressure, it was a round Igor indeed.
Cool to know you can use a regular expression pedal too, what kind of adaptor do you need?
I want to visit London sometime, if I do I'll definitely try to hit your shop and maybe take something home on the way out.

You should get uni to email me ( david@raingerfx.com ) their address and I'll send them a replacement.
It needs a 1/4" down to minijack adaptor (mono or stereo).

[D-Rainger]

Wow!! Can't wait to hear this!
Don't forget to send some to Axe and you shall receive in Canada!

They'll be the first to get it!

[jrmy]

Wow!! Can't wait to hear this!
Don't forget to send some to Axe and you shall receive in Canada!

They'll be the first to get it!

Hopefully Empire Guitars in Providence will be the second!

[D-Rainger]

Wow!! Can't wait to hear this!
Don't forget to send some to Axe and you shall receive in Canada!

They'll be the first to get it!

Hopefully Empire Guitars in Providence will be the second!

OH yeah!

[sylnau]

We need some clips!!!

The Dwarf is really good, it's got a pretty unique voice to it, synthy but it can do both gated and more sustainy vocal sounds, combined with the ability to use an expression pedal (which I didn't know of) makes it quite powerful.

Is the Dwarf (when non gated) similar to a Muff or more like a distortion?

[Tristan]

None of those, it's quite synthy, not the thickest but also not the thinnest sound, kinda midrangey but with a vocal touch maybe, I really loved it on single notes, didn't really try chords with it yet.

[D-Rainger]

I don't have a Muff at the moment - haven't had for a while - but (from when I did) I don't remember it sounding similar to the Dwarf at all. Would be very interested to hear anyone else's comparisons. I think Dwarfy might be a lot more mental and extreme sounding...?

(The circuit is related to MXR Blue Box, if anything...)

I've been having a lot of fun with one of the chips inside it... How to fuck it up! That's how the new Igor mode in it came up.

A while ago Devi put all her schematics online, and I had a look... Lots were totally insane - things connected up wrong, backwards, only half connected... but I found it quite inspiring, breaking the rules like that.
My Dad - who's an old skool electrical engineer - was very down on it. Said it was 'unsanitory'! I said 'but what if it sounds good?!'

That's gotta be the winning argument. I guess that's what she said.

So, in that spirit, I was thinking about a bass Dwarf - using the same chip, able to do 'record stop' pitch changes with the Igor, or drop down to pre-determined bassy pitch.
You know how on classic Jam & Lewis production from the 80s, they'd use a synth bass, and just before the downbeat they'd have a fast gliss up and down the keys? Sounds like that, but more controllable.

They were the shit, those guys...
I can't stop playing this (Don't let the hair put you off!)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWd__w5UWVc[/youtube]

[sylnau]