so. ab-synth.

[deadbeatriot]

i got mine a while ago now. long enough that i can say i'm well past the honeymoon stage.

here's the thing - is it just me, or are ab-synths suuuuper temperamental? mine sounds fucking fantastic one day, and then not so great the next. it seems to just get really hard to control some days.

does anybody else run into this? i did notice that there are a few sweet spots that are really finicky to get to (kinda like balancing the pickups on a jazz bass, imho) and when i get em, it makes everything worth it. but some days i just can't seem to find em.

[hclapp219]

Well, I play the same guitar through it all the time, so that certainly helps. And to be honest, I haven't touched the oscillation knob in months. I just found I spot I was happy with and use my volume and occasionally tone knobs to get different noises. I toyed with the idea of getting the fifth knob and boss toggle added, but this has pedal has so many sounds already that I ended up deciding not to.

What is the rest of your rig?

[Big Mon]

Always knew exactly where to set the dials on the one I had. I have to say that Absynth>Phantom Octave(with the oscillation mode OFF on the Absy) was one of the coolest tones I've ever heard. Phuzz Phaze-y

[deadbeatriot]

it's a 5k with a voice mod. i use the same tele through a stock epi valve jr.

today is one of those days it sounds rad.

[Big Mon]

it's a 5k with a voice mod. i use the same tele through a stock epi valve jr.

today is one of those days it sounds rad.

Thing is,as you adjust the starve control,there's a slight scrathciness as it re-biases,and once in a while,it takes a moment to catch up to itself(when turning the knob). So that may be part of the deal. It;s not yr run of the mill set-and-forget type of affair. And then you have a 5k,so there must be a world of possibilities,tone-wise

[Bellyheart]

When I had mine it was always the same. I usually set my knobs about the same so everyday was the same kind of sounds. I did notice it wasn't there as much when I played with a band, due to my quiet amp and nothing else.

[Jero]

I kind of felt that way for a while and just put it aside for a few weeks. Eventually picked it up again and have been using it every day since (been a few months now). Regardless, I've never wanted to get rid of it.

[deadbeatriot]

still fiddling with it. it's not really a problem so much as i was wondering if anybody else had the same issue.

sure as hell ain't gonna get rid of it though.

[FuzzHugger]

I'm glad you (sort of) like your AB-Synth!

Hope this comes across okay--I'm speaking from my personal experience here!--but I think it's more likely a phenomenon in general with gear, whether guitars, amps, pedals... Some days, everything aligns for that perfect combination of playing. Fingers, mood, tone, guitar pedal, amp. And things sound just right. Other days are "off" days for one reason or another.

I definitely have this experience with my gear. I love the AB-Synth, but there are days when I'm just not feeling it, and I can't put my finger on why...so I grab an Algal Bloom or something else. I sometimes have a magical experience with a pedal one day, and it drives me nuts the next day.

As far as circuitry, the AB-Synth is extremely stable. With the same guitar and amp settings, the AB-Synth's settings are going to deliver the same sounds, pretty much no exception. (Of course, depending on playing.) It doesn't have germanium transistors, or any unstable/fluctuating parts.
Even oscillation...using the same guitar and amp, I can test the oscillation between three AB-Synths, and get the exact same reaction--pitch, speed, etc--on all three.

That's not to say you can't struggle to get exactly what you're looking for! Or that some days it won't please you more than other days. The knobs all have pretty wide-ranges, so there's lots of tweaking to be done, which might contribute to having to "dig in" to get what you want.
Hopefully, you have more "just right" days than meh days!

[sonidero]

Awesome answer from the best pedal maker there is, Misunderstood Dreamer... I put my Ab-Synth in my chain just now and it's making synth sequences as I type... I was with hclapp219 when he got his in Austin and have heard Jero jamming on his and it's made me a true believer... Right now I'm running Strat > EHX Blackfinger > EHX 2Ube > Pigtronix Attack Sustain (super dope pedal) > Algal Bloom > Dead Hipster > Ab-Synth > Black Big Muff > Algal Bloom > Dinosaur Fuzz (secret weapon) > Snowdrift > EHX 2880 > El Capistan > Split to two Kalamazoo's and I'm at one with the Fuzz Gods

I can't thank Tom (Wu name) Misunderstood Dreamer enough for making me play not only my guitar but all my gear more because I sound so incredibly super sonic cool through the FuzzHuggers... Much hype...

[julius_deane]

My AB-Synth is super stable. I pretty much know by looking at the knobs what sound will get before I even turn it on. Word of advise I got from Tom early on: what pedals you have in front of it can have an effect on the pedal. The only pedals I've put in front of it that don't mess with it (on or off) are my FuzzHugger Hugger Boost and Pitchblack.

[deadbeatriot]

i've been moving it around in the chain, and i realized that the bag i keep my pedal board in probably keeps tweaking the knobs. one of these days i'm just gonna tape the fuckin things down and get it right!

[Bellyheart]

Just remember your settings.

[Jero]

Just remember your settings.

This. Also, I keep a small notebook by my gear so if I find a new setting, or have a combination of pedals set just right, I can jot it down right quick.

I played my absynth(5k) with guitar yesterday (usually use bass), and I couldn't stop. I fuzzing love this pedal

[Bellyheart]

Yeah, exactly, I do the same with my trogotronic...and eventually you'll just remember.