Noise Board Advice

[Adoom]

Right folks, this will be the first of what I'm sure will be numerous threads asking for feedback and advice.

Now, I'm in the midst (as we all are, I'm sure) of sorting out my gear after never really being satisfied with it. I've been running into a GT-10 and borrowed small amps for as long as I've been running my fiddle through effects (aside from short interims with a lovely Laney tube stack I actually own, but that seems to have been comandeered by the guitarists of the band. Of which I am also one, but rarely electric.

Of course, an amp was the first port of call, (well second, I bought a Boomerang III, which I love) for which a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue seemed to suit my purposes. I'm most of the way through paying it off, and plan to mod the innocence out of it.

I'll also be picking up a cheap but tasty amp (probably solid state, one I won't mind messing up) and running a second line out if the Boomerang into it, for stereo looping.

I like to get weird. Many of us here, I am sure, do. Now, I plan on running the loops through pedals (something I've been doing in mono with some success), but seeing as I now won't have to worry about the inherent problems of running an acoustic violin into swamps of fuzz from the future, I'd like to be able to subtly affect them, but also hope to start getting real warped with them.

Dwarfcraft have utterly peaked my interest, some of Aens Manglers and other boxes of profound joy will find a place on this board, as will Smallsound/Bigsound (and both will find their way into my violin signal chain as well).

Are there any pedals you guys would recommend, ones that offer tweakability and some out there sounds? Cheaper ones (you know, CHEAP) would be appreciated also, though a few of the normal priced ones like Dwarfcraft are worth their weight in glory. I'm already doing that stuttering thing with delay times in one song, and I'm loathe to repeat myself, so I throw myself at the mercy of your superb and travelled knowledge.

Thanks!

[Mudfuzz]

First get thine a feedback looper, like a Samurai Switcher, Chick Chick Boom, Eye of god ect... or build your own, this will make any pedal[s] oscillate.

[Bassboar]

Fuzzhuger is a good place to look in terms of lower priced pedals, they are of supreme quality and good value. +1 on the Feedback Looper.

[D.o.S.]

Feedback looper is great. The ohnoho one seems the most useful, since it's momentary.

But, of course, you need other pedals to use that. I'd search out a cheap-o oscillating delay (someone else here'll be able to help you) or a reverb capable of extreme wetness and huge spaces first.

[snipelfritz]

Shame you're across the pond. I have a Yamaha G100II head I'm trying to unload. Got a working reverb tank and everything.

[Adoom]

Shame you're across the pond. I have a Yamaha G100II head I'm trying to unload. Got a working reverb tank and everything.

That is a shame. Looking it up I came across a giggle: "They were reportedly Yamaha's version of the Fender Twin Reverb. They sound like Fender Twin Reverbs." which I for some reason read in the voice of Christopher Walken talking to someone he has no patience for.

As for the feedback loopers, aye, aye. To feed it, I have currently a Line 6 Echo Park (which I beyond hate, due to the tap tempo on it), and a Boss DF-2. There was an absolutely mental delay I saw on here I'd like to replace (or chain) the Line 6 with, think it was for synths and had a billion knobs, and lines between them, linking explaining the chain. Also might see if I can get that Tonecore Verbzilla module to switch out the Echo Park. My recent experiments with the feedback that comes from my violin have taught me nothing but the importance of reverb in the making of pleasant sounds.

It can even make the tin whistle approachable. Nobody should ever be forced to learn an instrument in anything smaller than a church.

Those Fuzz Hugers sound lovely. Noted. Appreciated.

[D.o.S.]

There's an XP400 for sale in the b/s/t forum right now.

When I was a noisemaker, I lived and died on the infinite plate setting. Expression controllable Wet/Dry For the fucking win.

[dubkitty]

i'm doing a lot of ambient solo looping stuff currently, and as i've worked my way into the concept/project i've found that the single most useful effect other than reverb/delay is a multi-function modulation unit (mine is the TC SCF chorus/flanger), which gives you the ability to change the timbre of the instrument without going into the kind of distorted sound that pushes to the front of the mix. you can also combine modulation at various settings with distortion/overdrive/fuzz, filters, and a volume pedal to get all kinds of delightful effects ranging from orchestral voicings to dubbing detuned brass sections. a fairly cheap modulation box like one of the Ibanez Tone-Lok series would probably work fine...i'd look for something with the widest range of racket possible, and a sound you like. i also like using an octave divider to comp bass notes and faux bass synth swells. as a violinist you might have trouble finding something that'll track accurately; the only thing i could find that gave me a reasonably clean bass sound (most bass ODs do a fuzz note) is the E-H Octave Multiplexer, whose tracking gets a bit wonky sometimes. the nice thing is that the Multiplexer is cheap.

[theavondon]

Shame you're across the pond. I have a Yamaha G100II head I'm trying to unload. Got a working reverb tank and everything.

O RLY?

[aen]

I would recommend a Wah pedal or some kind of lowpass filter. With that you can instantly go from high to low frequencies, and everywhere in between. Really animates your sound and you can do it with your foot while your fingers are working elsewhere.

[Baxandall]

http://forum.noiseguide.com/

[theavondon]

http://forum.noiseguide.com/

Man, what is with that forum? It seems like every thread ends in a shitstorm or argument amongst the same ten guys. I wouldn't want to post there if I had to walk on eggshells all the time.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

my fave subjects this one, every time

Man, what is with that forum? It seems like every thread ends in a shitstorm or argument amongst the same ten guys. I wouldn't want to post there if I had to walk on eggshells all the time.[/quote]

Yep, I thought about the same thing. I like the noisemongers residing around here a lot nicer.

ABOUT NOISE RIG:

Feedback loopers are fun, choruses and flangers in the loop make great sirens and mechanical bird choirs. Echo and delay swells are pretty awesome, some - even cheap - delays can take off and oscillate even on their own. If the feedback looper pedal is equipped with a photo eye You can make it go lovely unstable if You want something extra to Your drones, too, and the moving stage lights can make playing with some settings just priceless.

There's a huge arrange of oscillating noisy fuzz boxes out there nowadays that are absolutely great for dirty noise - do some research on the Youtube. I heartily suggest the Dwarfcraft TGD, it's about as sick as they come. Placing wah afterwards can be a god way to control the droning. There' s manual control devices that work a bit like extra expression pedal for your pedals, like the T.I.P. third hand that should be fun to mess pedal knobs on the fly. And check the Kick Discs - they are the affordable and useful tool for the same with crammed pedal boards.

But why not trying noise devices and squarewave synths, also? Dwarfcraft Devices Rot Yr Brain and Thumping Double Squaresnakes, Audible Disease Synth Bomb and Dementia, King Capitol Punishment Sleep Drones etc, etc etc

Since You were looking for affordable devices, check out all the Electro Faustus noise devices. Buy EF through Fuzzhugger shop, check out the Fuzzhugger fx AB-Synth and Phantom Arcade while You're at it.

AND: if You have pedals with stereo ins and out, send the other out o Your pedals Input and You might have got a crazy mofo droning device out of an seemingly mundane and boring pedal.

go do some research on brands and devices mentioned, buy a few to see if You like them, hang around here and trade them away to others if You didn't. I guarantee Your band mates and neighbors will eventually learn to hate You for it - or they are REALLY cool dudes - so tell them hi from me.

[The Mad Owl]

+1 on the feedback looper

pedals to consider for a feedback loop:

step phasing
flange
delay
stuttering fuzz (devi makes the lp and ok)
synth wahs (or auto wahs)

[Doodahman1969]

Don't discount running a chain of cheapness i.e. DOD stuff, ibanez Soundtanks etc. perhaps in different signal chain than the good stuff.