FX Pedals for synths

[SJ_Digriz]

I've said it before, but the original MoogerFoogers seem to be voiced better for synth than guitar. I was lucky enough to get an MF-104SD when they first came ON SALE!!! at the Sweetwaters gearfest. It is a synth wet dream. I also have a ClusterFlux and Phaser. Typically I'm delay/verb and possibly phasor on synths. I don't use much else.

I've tried a bunch of the digital boxes but I'm still partial to a real spring reverb. Both the H9 and the BigSky are great for soundscape washy stuff (I have both pedals), but I'm really not a digital reverb guy. Most, if not all of the full sized spring boxes are voiced for guitar. They sound good in a specific way. But seem to get overwhelmed with highs and lows very easily. So, I've started trying different modular synth spring options and just end up using them with everything these days. I'm pretty partial to the COTK Reverberator myself. Although I also like the Synthesizers.com one too. I've tried 3 or 4 euro versions of springs and haven't cared for them so far.

I've been meaning to get round to trying my Helix with keys. But, haven't got round to it yet.

[deastman]

I have a number of different spring reverbs and assorted tanks. They all have their own sound. I’m partial to the longer Accutronics tanks which have a very dark sound.

[SJ_Digriz]

I have a number of different spring reverbs and assorted tanks. They all have their own sound. I’m partial to the longer Accutronics tanks which have a very dark sound.

I'm with you on the larger tanks. I think the smaller tanks don't work as well with wide frequency material. But that is just a personal preference thing of course. Heck overloading a small spring has its own purposes too. I just meant in terms of a "space" utility for an entire voice in the traditional sense.

[justin3am]

I also love me some spring reverb!
My main springverb is a Fostex 3180 which I have modded with an improved power supply and some higher quality opamps.
It can operate in stereo (2 sets of springs per channel) or in mono (4 sets of springs on a single channel). It has a BBD on each channel for a pre-delay effect but it's not adjustable. I've been meaning to check if I can hack a delay time control. Anyway, it sounds really lush. On some instruments it doesn't even sound like a spring. But if you hit it hard enough it gets that twangy-ness. It has an open feedback loop which can be a lot of fun, when using it with my Analog Heat. The only downside is the connections on the back are all RCA jacks, so I had to get an RCA>1/4" snake.

I have a number of different accutronics tanks that I can hook up to various driver/preamp combos but those are mainly for when I want to play with the springs. They don't sound that great when I'm looking for a clean effect.

I also really like the sound of the Vermona Retroverb and the Ekdahl Moisturizer.

[vurt]

I also have a ClusterFlux

whats your address and when are you next on holiday?

[SJ_Digriz]

I also have a ClusterFlux

whats your address and when are you next on holiday?

lol, you are a week late ... I spent all last week on vacation working on my garage to studio conversion though. another two years of vacations and I'll be ready to move in.

[LikeNoOrange]

The hands down best reverb pedal I've used on a synths is the Eventide H9; as far as reverb goes it just sounds way better than anything else I've used.

I've also used Strymon tape delay pedal and their smaller reverb one, as well as catalinbred echorec (real good for darker dub delay sounds).

[sin night]

The Boss DD-7 works well with synths, I bought one just for my Nord Rack 2x (I still have to try it with my Pulse 2, but I bet that's a nice match). I may buy a second DD-7 to keep it as a spare for other synths.

The MoogerFoogers are great; if you're interested in getting any of them, you should buy them while they are still avaible (the original models have been discontinued recentely... I hope Moog will make some new effects to replace them). The H9 (and also the other Eventide boxes) are great, too. These devices are expensive, but you will probably keep them for a long time.

Beware of the Moog delays, though: while they are wonderful, some of the second hand prices are really inflated (and those pedals weren't cheap to begin with). I found a few announces asking 2-3 times what I paid for a brand new MF-104M at the end of 2014... and don't ever think about the MF-104M SD... of course those remain unsold for months.


A cheap pedal which works well with synths is the Digitech Polara... of course it's not on the same league (and it doesn't offer the same amount of control) of the Eventide boxes, but it still does a good job with synths. Place it after a delay for a nice combo (my chain is Nord Rack 2x -> Boss DD-7 -> Digitech Polara).

[jopy]

If I were doing this exercise w/ hard synths - I'd only replace the EHX w/ an MXR Carbon Copy analog delay

I really like my carbon copy, but I occasionally get some weird distorted tones on high resonance sounds (from Moog subsequent and prophet 08). It seems to happen more with the mod engaged. Do you (or other readers) ever experience this? Advice on how to offset the problem? I wonder if it might be user error on my part. If it helps to know, I've never had this issue with my El Capistan.

[vurt]

cannot comment on how good it is for synths, but as theres a few pedal lovers here, i managed to snag a couple of klein bottles from vfe custom for the charity auction

[bill45]

New Line 6 HX Stomp could be interesting

[SJ_Digriz]

I have a Helix but I haven’t hooked it up to a synth yet. But the verbs, echos should work great. A couple have eq instead of rolling off highs and midhumped for guitar natively. Some are modeled after specific things, so may not work quite as well. That new compact thing might give an H9 a run for the money.

[waiting man]

Snatched a half-price brand new Keymaster.
Here’s a short double chorus test...(infos on track page)

https://soundcloud.com/fuzzyparts/keytest1/s-OonsK

The first pedal never worked too well on synths.
Since he’s posting here...thank you Sin Night for your multis.

[bill45]

I have a Helix but I haven’t hooked it up to a synth yet. But the verbs, echos should work great. A couple have eq instead of rolling off highs and midhumped for guitar natively. Some are modeled after specific things, so may not work quite as well. That new compact thing might give an H9 a run for the money.

You can run stereo signals into it.

[waiting man]

It’s nice how both Eh Germanium4 Big Muff (just distortion engaged) and Mooer Ultradrive mk2 in ultra mode can add grit without messing too much with the tone.

Nobels odr1 scoops a lot and Moog Drive is dark but with enormous low end.