function f(x) Clusterfuzz / Third Rail [ongoing reviews]

[frigid midget]

Still loving mine. Stacks like a champ too.

BUT...I find myself not touching most of those controls

I just stick to my favorite setting, and toggle between the different clipping options now and than. The volume needs some adjusting when changing clipping type.

But other than that: 8 bit, fuzz, tone...All fully clockwhise, for maximum sizzle

I can get a similar tone out of my mastotron, but the mastotron trades in a bit of velvro/sputter for some low end and gnarl. Neither is 'better' than the other one, but they're in the same ballpark as far as that particular settting goes. The mastotron is versatile as shit, but the clusterfuzz still wins in that departement.

[Chankgeez]

I just stick to my favorite setting, and toggle between the different clipping options now and than.

That alone is worth the price of admission.

(Although, I've kinda been wanting to try a Joe Gore Gross Distortion.)

[frigid midget]

Holy shitdickballs...Just accidentally found a hidden trick that sounds insanely awesome

I might be making an ass of myself here, for all I know I overlooked it in the manual and in the demos online, but here goes:

Volume to taste, all the other controls all the way clockwhise (pretty my default setting on all my dirt peds)...

I haven't tried this with the other clipping options, so it might work in all of 'em, but I had mine switched all the way clockwhise.

No big deal, right? Now turn down your guitar's volume halfway. BAM, octave up goodness

So am I the last Clusterfuzz user on earth to find out about this? If I had known earlier I'd gotten this mahfakker even sooner

[Chankgeez]

The manaul is actually a great place to start, but the Clusterfuzz can do so many things that're not in the manual.

I can't remember if anyone's posted it earler in this thread, but David Torn found a nice octave down setting in LED clipping mode.

Here's his photo of the settings (roll the guitar volume knob down until you hear the octave) :



and here's a clip of it:

https://soundcloud.com/jayapala/clust-occ-low-oct-ex

[culturejam]

The manaul is actually a great place to start, but the Clusterfuzz can do so many things that're not in the manual.

There are some sounds it can do, but only with certain pickups or with certain amp settings or some other highly variable factor. So we left out of the manual anything we thought that the average player might not be able to do with any old guitar and amp.

Now turn down your guitar's volume halfway. BAM, octave up goodness

I'll give this a try with a few different guitars. If I can consistently reproduce it, I'll add it to the manual (and give you credit!)

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, I found that out trying to replicate Torn's octave down setting. I can get it, but not as pronounced as Torn.

[frigid midget]

Dunno what it is, but maybe the octave thing likes my jazzmaster's low output single coils or something
It's best noticable on the upper three strings, the higher the better. I like it so much I'm thinking of maybe looking into the possibility of modding the clusterfuzz so I'd get that effect by flicking a toggle switch, regardless of my guitar's volume...

[frigid midget]

The manaul is actually a great place to start, but the Clusterfuzz can do so many things that're not in the manual.

There are some sounds it can do, but only with certain pickups or with certain amp settings or some other highly variable factor. So we left out of the manual anything we thought that the average player might not be able to do with any old guitar and amp.

Now turn down your guitar's volume halfway. BAM, octave up goodness

I'll give this a try with a few different guitars. If I can consistently reproduce it, I'll add it to the manual (and give you credit!)

Edit: If Function (FX) ever starts taking custom orders, or in case there'll ever be mini-versions of the current pedals, my vote goes to my "everything cranked, Si2 clipping" setting, in one small pedal, with just the fitler toggle switch and a volume control.

Not that I'd replace my Clusterfuzz with one of those, but that particular setting could pretty much become my go-to dirt tone that I'd hardly ever turn off. Soooo many different shades by just messing with your guitar's volume and the little toggle switch. I'm not even the kind of guy that gives a shit about "cleaning up" his tone with the guitar's volume, I always keep that mahfakker dimed. But there's quite a few different tones between the subtle octave up thing when the colume's durned down, and the super saturated sizzling fuzzyness at full volume . The filter switch gets me from fat ballsy distortion, to biting angry fuzz, even when all the other parameters are the same...

Daaaaays of fun, and I've hardly even scratched the surface of the other clipping options. Fuck if it seems like I'm sucking up here, I just can't remember the last time I was this psyched over a fuzz pedal

[deeohgee]

My Clusterfuzz arrived on Friday, what a frigging amazing fuzz. So many shades of fuzz and drive.
Here's a clip showing some what can happen with the 8-Bit control maxed, its in FET mode and the fuzz is on the whole time, just variations from the guitars volume pot.

https://soundcloud.com/dan-ogrady-1/flyseye

[Chankgeez]

Sounds awesome, deeohgee. Nice job.

[culturejam]

As I said on TGP, I think the opening sounds a lot like a David Torn composition. I mean that in a good way.

[deeohgee]

As I said on TGP, I think the opening sounds a lot like a David Torn composition. I mean that in a good way.

[popvulture]

My Clusterfuzz arrived on Friday, what a frigging amazing fuzz. So many shades of fuzz and drive.
Here's a clip showing some what can happen with the 8-Bit control maxed, its in FET mode and the fuzz is on the whole time, just variations from the guitars volume pot.

https://soundcloud.com/dan-ogrady-1/flyseye

What'd you do for that drone in the background—is that the Ct5? If so (or if it's via other means), curious what settings you used. Sounds killer!

[deeohgee]

My Clusterfuzz arrived on Friday, what a frigging amazing fuzz. So many shades of fuzz and drive.
Here's a clip showing some what can happen with the 8-Bit control maxed, its in FET mode and the fuzz is on the whole time, just variations from the guitars volume pot.

https://soundcloud.com/dan-ogrady-1/flyseye

What'd you do for that drone in the background—is that the Ct5? If so (or if it's via other means), curious what settings you used. Sounds killer!

Cheers popvulture, it was done with a CT5 in mode 2, it's a short reverse loop fed into an AD900.

[popvulture]

Sweet! I need to mess with mine more. Early on I found a setting I loved and just left it on my board to do that one particular thing. Bit of a waste, need to dig deeper.