Please help me make up my mind - post up and let me know whether anyone actually wants this thing?
Who's played the originals and who would pick one up, even if it only got 80% of the way there? I have never played an original. The Rand-O-Matic by Pefftronics (built in Iowa) was something I didn't prioritize, and in the blink of an eye they went from about $175 used to $400. I buy a lot of modulation and quirky delay pedals, so it'd be a definite yes for me.
Depending on the settings, they go from a flange/doubler to a glitched sci-fi blip box.
I want to hear his. The original is super mythical but not that impressive in person compared to current digitally controlled analog modulation pedals. At the time it was a bonkers pedal because it did random and nothing did random and random was the coolest thing a pedal could possibly do. Almost everything else with a similar sound was really just playing a longish sequence that would repeat. I owned a few of these in the early 2000s and they were fun but I eventually thought the one cool trick this pedal did sounded better coming from a Digitech Turbo Flange. And then when I had a Clusterflux I very rarely used the sample and hold waveform. Still, I have a deep soft spot in my heart for this pedal and would love to see an homage to it on the market.
I've not been 100% in love with any Alexander offering (though lord knows I've tried), mostly on the side of differing tastes (theirs are obviously not mine). But I'm glad they're even offering a chance at a work-a-like to the original Rand, but I fear it will err more on the side of generally tasteful (on par with overall usability) - after all, who really wants to pay $299 for a pedal that just does whatever it wants/one cool trick (depends on the trick, I guess)? Obviously, this thing will have to do slightly more, but I do doubt it will tick all the wild & crazy boxes that the myth has created for most (any "random" mode isn't truly random, anyway, but that hasn't stopped me from appreciating the option) - but then again, what really could that doesn't already exist? After all, we're livin' in a post-glitch world, baby!
I've read posts where folks seem to concur that the original tends to fail over time and is not repairable? I haven't heard the alexander version, but I'm pretty confident that they would be meticulous in being able to replicate the sounds, plus probably add some midi function to it as well.
Confuzzled wrote:I've read posts where folks seem to concur that the original tends to fail over time and is not repairable? I haven't heard the alexander version, but I'm pretty confident that they would be meticulous in being able to replicate the sounds, plus probably add some midi function to it as well.
The original pedals use a Max1044 charge pump which is very sensitive to static and tends to die pretty easily so my guess is lots of the broken ones have a power issue but there were multiple board iterations and the builds are pretty messy inside. A handful of sanded ICs doesn't help either.
I snagged a cheap used one in the late 9Ts that barely ever worked until it never ever worked. Since then I have found other ways to skin that rando cat, but I'd still like to have a work-alike to recalibrate my nostalgometer. Pretty sure I wouldn't go 3 hundo for one though.... Still awesome that he made it.....
"In a moment of unparalleled genius, Noel Parachute headed off this potential disaster by unplugging the microphone."
The old ones are not built that well. The MAX1044 is a point of failure for sure, as is the clock chip and its timing caps. Once it stops working you have to replace all the faulty parts and then recalibrate it. To my knowledge only the original designer has the procedure to accomplish that and he lives in Korea now. Vernon Reid sent both of his out for repair so they more or less work.
I have one beat to hell example that sounds awesome and one like new unit that barely works. It’ll be in the “never ever works” bucket soon enough.
I built a workalike a few years back for myself to save my OG from the road. The few that I’ve built this year have been on the Neo platform with MIDI and presets, because reasons. If we do offer them as regular production the pricing will be in line with the other Neo pedals, around $200
Last edited by AlexanderPedals on Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I've def played a couple "sort of worked" ones that were a huge bummer. I remember 10-15 years ago the sort of working ones still sold for $500+ which is insane.
I love anything with random so I'd love to hear it. Maybe with the Neo mode switching you could have one setting for OG-authenticity, one for extra-weird, one for more normal. Maybe separate settings for flange vs chorus? And maybe an analog gain stage to get some of that warmth we all love?
oldangelmidnight wrote:I love anything with random so I'd love to hear it. Maybe with the Neo mode switching you could have one setting for OG-authenticity, one for extra-weird, one for more normal. Maybe separate settings for flange vs chorus? And maybe an analog gain stage to get some of that warmth we all love?
It’s in there already. “Vintage” and “Modern” modes.
Didn't manage to catch you at the booth yesterday, but I told one of your dudes to poke you and tell you "maaaakkkeee ittttt". Very interested in having one that actually works.
AlexanderPedals wrote:The old ones are not built that well. The MAX1044 is a point of failure for sure, as is the clock chip and its timing caps. Once it stops working you have to replace all the faulty parts and then recalibrate it. To my knowledge only the original designer has the procedure to accomplish that and he lives in Korea now. Vernon Reid sent both of his out for repair so they more or less work.
I have one beat to hell example that sounds awesome and one like new unit that barely works. It’ll be in the “never ever works” bucket soon enough.
I built a workalike a few years back for myself to save my OG from the road. The few that I’ve built this year have been on the Neo platform with MIDI and presets, because reasons. If we do offer them as regular production the pricing will be in line with the other Neo pedals, around $200
interestinger and interestingerer
"In a moment of unparalleled genius, Noel Parachute headed off this potential disaster by unplugging the microphone."
In the event anyone is considering a Rocktron Hypnotic Flange to approximate this type of texture, just wanted to chime in to report it's pretty underwhelming. The Moog Minifooger Flange can also do sample hold with the right CV controller attached (but no presets).
interestinger and interestingerer
