FX Pedals Thread: News, Views, Etc.

[gaf_thit]

I recently acquired the DOD fx747 analog stereo flanger. Will test it this weekend, but judging from reviews and yt vids, I will like it.
Also found a Digitech RP225 for next to nothing, or the price of a sixpack of industrial beer in Norway. The thing I like with these multifx pedals is that you can choose which parameter the exp.pedal controls. The envelope filter, which they have from acquiring DOD, is real nice to use with organs and such.
I also have the big GNX3000, which has stereo in and out, plus mic preamp and guitar in. Inbuilt usb 24-bit soundcard, mostly been using it with synths.

One other I gem I found a while back is the Behringer VM1 vintage time machine. Analog delay, echo and chorus/tremolo effects in one solid casing. Sounds great.

[khanyz]

Little-Bear R.Attack: a cheap Proco Rat clone with a switch for different modes. I don't use it a lot, but it's good for getting stuff messy.

How close a clone is it? I have a Biyang Mouse (with the correct resistor), which is Rat adjacent, and really like it.

I don't like the newer Rats, and don't use it enough to buy an old one.

[foosnark]

Little-Bear R.Attack: a cheap Proco Rat clone with a switch for different modes. I don't use it a lot, but it's good for getting stuff messy.

How close a clone is it? I have a Biyang Mouse (with the correct resistor), which is Rat adjacent, and really like it.

I don't like the newer Rats, and don't use it enough to buy an old one.

I never played with the originals so I couldn't say personally, but I've read a couple of opinions that the "Turbo" sounds quite a bit like the original Rat, while "Dirty" and "Vintage" don't particularly sound close to any version.

[khanyz]

I never played with the originals so I couldn't say personally, but I've read a couple of opinions that the "Turbo" sounds quite a bit like the original Rat, while "Dirty" and "Vintage" don't particularly sound close to any version.

Sounds similar to the Biyang then, so probably not worth it for me.

I have a few Biyangs/Eagletones and for the money (~£20 on sale) they are great, both sound and quality. I even got 2 extra OpAmps with one of them, to switch around. The Mouse is probably the best one I have, but the Eagletone Mozzer Fuzzer is good too.

My other cheapies are a £10 Joyo Flanger and a £20 Guitar Tech Analog Delay (which is really digital and made by Artec). Both are nice but my Tonerider Delay (BBD for £20! 6xBL3208A & BL3102) is my best bargain. Great sound and build.

[metalifuxx]

I used to have a collection of Electroharmonix pedals, but never was much of a pedal junkie. I recently got a Boss Me-80 as my only pedal. For the mods and reverbs it is fine, but the overdrives definitely leave me wanting. I have a vox ac-15 which doesnt really do drive all that great anyway. I would love to hear something that could take the jangly vox and make it drive and heavy for those times I want that. Any ideas?

What's your budget? I recommend a Crowther Hotcake (single version or the double hotcake) or Fulltone OCD.
My friend has one of the newer handwired AC-30s, and he recently sold most of his boost/overdrive/dirt pedals (Tubescreamers, Boss, T-Rex Mudhoney and a few others), only keeping the Fulltone OCD, and mostly using the Crowther Double Hotcake for overdrive/distortion/mild fuzz.

Myself, I found a used Keeley modded Boss DS-1 on the cheap ($50), and that sounded great on his amp as well. I also use a VHT V-Drive (found used for $50), which is such a versatile drive pedal that works on just about any guitar and amp. You can get light drive to classic TS overdrive to heavier distortion and even some big muff style fuzz tones. It has a non stepped sweepable voltage control knob, so you can bump it up to 15volts for more head room, leave it in the middle for 9v, or lower it down to 4.5 volts for fuzzy dying battery sounds. I actually use this pedal the most on its no-diode/no clip setting for a cleaner treble or mid boost.

I just picked up a used ModTone Envelope Funk Filter (Mutron filter clone) for those vowel talking lead funk sounds.

The gem in my collection is a vintage Boss DM-3 analog delay i found used for $30 some years ago. I would like a modern digital delay that has different modeling modes and a dedicated tap tempo button though, and got my eyes on a TC Nova delay or Strymon El Capistan tape delay.

I am not impressed with the Boss CH-1 chorus. Really want an analog chorus or Leslie/rotary pedal.

Also, even though I still use it in my chain for phasey filter sweeps, I don't like the Boss PH-3 Phaser, which gives you a very artifical thin weak digital sound with significant volume drop. Again I want to get an analog phaser or more so a Uni Vibe type pedal for that sweepy phasey sound. Both Boss digital Chorus and Phaser pedals only really sound good for faster extreme modulation sounds, not so great for subtle slower sounds. Tend to get lost in the mix or just give you an extreme volume drop.

Also on the radar would be a Ross style compressor to stick after the drive pedals.

I have a Vox 847 (battery only) wah, but the pots got really dirty/dusty and there is major crackling going on when you sweep it. I want to get just a standard CryBaby or the 535Q, or one of the optical Morley wahs.

Also not impressed with the ProCo Solo pedal. Which is not even close to a RAT (doesn't have the famed LM308 OpAmp), and is more so an 80's sounding lead overdrive/distortion with only a few usable settings. Its more of a crappy low budget tubescreamer mod with I beleive silicon diodes. I just did not do my research on it before I bought it (again used for about $40).

If you live in the US, browse your local Guitar Center's used section online. I always see decent second hand pedals in the $30-$100 range. And you have about 30-45 days to try them out and return them, no questions asked, if you don't like them.

My friend is a fan of Reverb.com, even though I have yet to buy something used from there. I have never used eBay, which just seems like a hassle most of the time.

[Uncle E]

Meanwhile, I've been working with a 'Us Dream' pedal from Joyo; which is in turn apparently based on a 'Suhr Riot'. not bad. not bad at all. I definitely 'know the thing' of wanting yet another overdrive/fuzz/distortion pedal, and along the way, this one is pretty cool... methinks it's kind of 'wild' and not 'smooth' like some overdrives. It's fuzzy with a lot of attitude.

I haven't tried the US Dream but the Riot is one of my favorite high gain pedals. It doesn't sound fuzzy to me but maybe that's a difference between the Suhr and Joyo versions. To me, the Riot and the MI Audio Megalith do the most convincing job of making clean amps sound like gained up Marshalls. For a medium gain Marshall JTM kind of sound, I like the Xotic SL Drive.

[Uncle E]

One other I gem I found a while back is the Behringer VM1 vintage time machine. Analog delay, echo and chorus/tremolo effects in one solid casing. Sounds great.

The Behringer VD1 Vintage Distortion is also cool. As the VM1 is their version of a Memory Man, the VD1 is their version of a Big Muff, only they did such a bad job of copying it that it sounds like a completely different pedal altogether...in a cool way! Basically, imagine the frequency response of a Big Muff but as a distortion pedal instead of a fuzz.

[bill45]

I want the MXR micro chorus.It can go from subtle to a leslie shimmer.
One knob, mono in and out,simple. Love the GNX3000.Tech21 character pedals.

[Stupid American Pig]

I used to have a collection of Electroharmonix pedals, but never was much of a pedal junkie. I recently got a Boss Me-80 as my only pedal. For the mods and reverbs it is fine, but the overdrives definitely leave me wanting. I have a vox ac-15 which doesnt really do drive all that great anyway. I would love to hear something that could take the jangly vox and make it drive and heavy for those times I want that. Any ideas?

What's your budget? I recommend a Crowther Hotcake (single version or the double hotcake) or Fulltone OCD.
My friend has one of the newer handwired AC-30s, and he recently sold most of his boost/overdrive/dirt pedals (Tubescreamers, Boss, T-Rex Mudhoney and a few others), only keeping the Fulltone OCD, and mostly using the Crowther Double Hotcake for overdrive/distortion/mild fuzz.

Myself, I found a used Keeley modded Boss DS-1 on the cheap ($50), and that sounded great on his amp as well. I also use a VHT V-Drive (found used for $50), which is such a versatile drive pedal that works on just about any guitar and amp. You can get light drive to classic TS overdrive to heavier distortion and even some big muff style fuzz tones. It has a non stepped sweepable voltage control knob, so you can bump it up to 15volts for more head room, leave it in the middle for 9v, or lower it down to 4.5 volts for fuzzy dying battery sounds. I actually use this pedal the most on its no-diode/no clip setting for a cleaner treble or mid boost.

I just picked up a used ModTone Envelope Funk Filter (Mutron filter clone) for those vowel talking lead funk sounds.

The gem in my collection is a vintage Boss DM-3 analog delay i found used for $30 some years ago. I would like a modern digital delay that has different modeling modes and a dedicated tap tempo button though, and got my eyes on a TC Nova delay or Strymon El Capistan tape delay.

I am not impressed with the Boss CH-1 chorus. Really want an analog chorus or Leslie/rotary pedal.

Also, even though I still use it in my chain for phasey filter sweeps, I don't like the Boss PH-3 Phaser, which gives you a very artifical thin weak digital sound with significant volume drop. Again I want to get an analog phaser or more so a Uni Vibe type pedal for that sweepy phasey sound. Both Boss digital Chorus and Phaser pedals only really sound good for faster extreme modulation sounds, not so great for subtle slower sounds. Tend to get lost in the mix or just give you an extreme volume drop.

Also on the radar would be a Ross style compressor to stick after the drive pedals.

I have a Vox 847 (battery only) wah, but the pots got really dirty/dusty and there is major crackling going on when you sweep it. I want to get just a standard CryBaby or the 535Q, or one of the optical Morley wahs.

Also not impressed with the ProCo Solo pedal. Which is not even close to a RAT (doesn't have the famed LM308 OpAmp), and is more so an 80's sounding lead overdrive/distortion with only a few usable settings. Its more of a crappy low budget tubescreamer mod with I beleive silicon diodes. I just did not do my research on it before I bought it (again used for about $40).

If you live in the US, browse your local Guitar Center's used section online. I always see decent second hand pedals in the $30-$100 range. And you have about 30-45 days to try them out and return them, no questions asked, if you don't like them.

My friend is a fan of Reverb.com, even though I have yet to buy something used from there. I have never used eBay, which just seems like a hassle most of the time.

I have a reverb store, I generally like the experience, Ive sold 2 things on Reverb and had no trouble with scams thus far.

I have actully had my eye on a fulltone OCD at my local guitar center, I may need to pick that up.

[bharris22]

I like Reverb, too. You can often use the "Make an Offer" feature to get a lower price from vendors, even on new items. I have bought a bunch of pedals that way.

[bill45]

The fulltone OCD in amplitude is so good that I'm thinking of getting the hardware version.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

I haven't tried the US Dream but the Riot is one of my favorite high gain pedals. It doesn't sound fuzzy to me but maybe that's a difference between the Suhr and Joyo versions. To me, the Riot and the MI Audio Megalith do the most convincing job of making clean amps sound like gained up Marshalls. For a medium gain Marshall JTM kind of sound, I like the Xotic SL Drive.

i'll try to upload a demo of the Us Dream. i've been using it a lot lately.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

...gonna have to check out Reverb store.

[Uncle E]

The fulltone OCD in amplitude is so good that I'm thinking of getting the hardware version.

You can't go wrong with an OCD. Try it next to an SL Drive.

My favorite plugin version of a pedal is the UAD Raw. It's their version of a Rat but I think it's much more useful than the real thing.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

Let's see if I've got this correct.

'Overdrive' is an amplification of the sound, with no big change in waveform. Then 'distortion' is one form or another of clipping of the waveform ('even' versus 'uneven' clipping), whereas 'fuzz' -- in its truest sense -- is an outright conversion of the sine wave, into a square wave?

Then these various overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedals have overlapping features and functionality. That is to say that some pedals can do some combination of all 3 things, and other pedals might have an overlap of say, overdrive and distortion.

Is all of that more or less correct?

I need a fuzz pedal or 3. lol