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Author Topic: Re: Analog 101  (Read 59345 times)

Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« on: March 22, 2007, 01:56:27 PM »
Since I have yet to see such a thread, I decided to start one in hopes that newbies would need not to post regarding analog setups. (Maybe a sticky is in order?)

Now, to the meaty stuff:

For starters, you brought yourself into this thread because youre planning to get an analog setup, or maybe an established vet looking to make the move from a processor to analog, or maybe you just want some suggestions. Rgardless of the reason, this thread would serve as a guide toward true analog freedom.

Here are my basic seven rules for going analog:

1. First, check your influences, and have a background of the tone you plan on making. Good tone starts with good knowledge of the tone you're aiming for. For example, know your playing style, are you a soloist? or maybe a riffmeister? Take time to also learn the basic aspects of tone, do you want a bottom-heavy sound? Or maybe a very meaty midrange focus? Or just outright scream mode? These would be good indicators of what you'll need in the long run for your tone-shaping.

2. With number one in mind, start off with a good Dirt (Distortion/Overdrive) pedal. If your going for some clean grit, or mild overdrive, I'd suggest picking up a dedicated overdrive (i.e. SD-1, OD-3, Badmonkey, XTD). If you want that Overdriven sound, but want more dirt you can go along with pedals that have a blend of both (i.e. BD-2, OS-2, Screaming Blues, Bluesbreaker, MXR Dist+). Going into the whole classis rock and rock arena, a good distortion will suit you well (i.e. DS-1, DS-2, Hot Head, Hot Rod). Lastly if your into the whole super-saturated molten metal sound, a metal-tuned distortion will more than tickle your tone fancy (i.e. MT-2, Metal Master, Metal Planet, Doubleshot, Dime Dist, Jackhammer, Crush Zone). Rememberm whilst each pedal can cater to a variety of sounds, they will have a certain sweet spot when it comes to the tone. Like how a screamer would give you a warm bodied tone when run through a clean amp, but can give you insane dirt when used to blast a dirty amp.

3. Of course, there are gray areas in grit; don't stop at just buying one pedal for dirt. Don;t be afraid to mix and match pedals, and learn to experiment. For example, you can use a good OD or Booster to cascade a medium hot distortion (i.e. SD-1+GV-2, or TS808+DS-1 or so on) this will give you more harmonics and add a certain depth an character to your distortion that you cant usually get with just one dirt pedal. Using a good dirt to boost an amp is also a great idea, it will give you a certain amount of harmonic distortion that you otherwise wont get when using an amp, or a dirt pedal alone.

4. Learn to evolve. After building up your dirt, add some dimension by using modulation, reverb and delay. Adding a chorus after your dirt will give you expansive riffing and add depth to your solos. A delay or reverb will add extra dimension to your passages and so on. Also, a Wah can be a good way to add character to your rig, like sweeping a wah to filter out sounds can make for a great effect.

5. Mix and Match, having a few pedals of a certain kind isnt really a bad thing, you can have two choruses and you can cascade them, or switch them out depending on your mood. This will give you more ways to experiment with your tone.

6. Add tweakability, use a compressor, gate and eq to add variations to your tone. A comp can add dynamics to your picking style and add thump to your notes. A gate can add clamping and fast stops to your palm muted progressions, while a eq can give you a boost in your solos or add a second variation to your regular tone.

7. BUDGET yourself, going analog is expensive, but it has its perks like the sound and the ease of use. But always remember to pick out the good from the great. Not because a pedal is the most expensive make it the best. (For example, I use a danelectro FAB chorus in my rig, a cheap chorus, but a wonderful sounding one at that) You'll need to spend time trying out effects to see which sound best, and always weigh your options before buying.


Next, would be how to construct your setup:

1. The chain, otherwise known as the way your pedals are arranged in your grid. As a rule of thumb, dynamics will come first (compressor), followed by a wah, then dirt, then an eq, followed by modulation then time based effects. Stuff like gates can be put after dirt to clamp down chords, or at the END of the chain to use as a noise reduction device. Of course you can change the layout of the pedals to give different sounds, use the above recommendation as a guide only, and dont be afraid to experiment.

2. The power, if your going to assemble a big chain or even a modest chain, a good power supply is a must! (Unless you plan on spending for 9v batteries every so often.)

3. The board, although not completely necessary, a board will help keep your things together and make transport a breeze.


Basically, those are the main points to ponder on when going analog, its a bit involved, but the tone you'll get in the long run will more than just make you feel good you went through all the trouble.

(Others, please do add if you have any suggestions to share.)

http://talk.philmusic.com/board/index.php/topic,18346.0.html
Above is the effects Chain thread by Poundcake.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2007, 07:41:01 PM by gjuanengo »
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Offline vaisteen2003

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2007, 02:09:10 PM »
wow great article sir
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Offline feraskulio

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2007, 02:16:06 PM »
Add ko lang please buy at least decent cables, ganda nga ng fx at gitara, grounded nman cables mo.  Sheesh!

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Offline changedmynametojimi

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2007, 02:29:13 PM »
Quote
1. The chain, otherwise known as the way your pedals are arranged in your grid. As a rule of thumb, dynamics will come first (compressor), followed by a wah, then dirt, then an eq, followed by modulation then time based effects. Stuff like gates can be put after dirt to clamp down chords, or at the END of the chain to use as a noise reduction device. Of course you can change the layout of the pedals to give different sounds, use the above recommendation as a guide only, and dont be afraid to experiment.

pasensya na bossing, from where ba ito? amp o guitar?

Offline vaisteen2003

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2007, 03:02:47 PM »
Quote
1. The chain, otherwise known as the way your pedals are arranged in your grid. As a rule of thumb, dynamics will come first (compressor), followed by a wah, then dirt, then an eq, followed by modulation then time based effects. Stuff like gates can be put after dirt to clamp down chords, or at the END of the chain to use as a noise reduction device. Of course you can change the layout of the pedals to give different sounds, use the above recommendation as a guide only, and dont be afraid to experiment.

pasensya na bossing, from where ba ito? amp o guitar?

sir sa guitar. kasi guitar ung nasa start ng chain eh. sa guitar naggagaling ung signal then it passes through the effects then ang output mo is ung amp.
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Offline tito rens

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2007, 03:03:29 PM »
Just a suggestion, when you make your board/chain, make sure its convenient. You may have all these pedals and sound great, but they weight a ton.  :-D Practicaliity also comes into place here, for example, would you really need 3 dirt boxes for a 30 minute set? If you were practicing in your room, would you need all your effects turned on at the same time? Mixing and matching is important but do not over do your pedals. Use only what you need! :-D
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Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2007, 03:04:08 PM »
Oh my bad, ill add photoshopped cartoon layouts later.

Its Guitar->Comp/Dynamics->Wah->Dirt->(Gate)->EQ->Mod->Delay/Rev->(gate)->guitar
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Offline helmetboy

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2007, 03:06:19 PM »
nice article sir  :-D. tinapos ko basahin kahit mahaba hehehehe...
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Offline spilledmilk

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2007, 03:23:12 PM »
question...pedals like digitech X-series...can we also put these under the 'analog" category?

OT: SD2 ba digital?
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Offline badongrodrigs

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2007, 03:35:25 PM »
there's a thread where discussed ung pedal chains ng mga ibang users dito. maybe you could find it useful  :-D

http://talk.philmusic.com/board/index.php/topic,18346.0.html

Offline lickerz101

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2007, 04:08:35 PM »
very informative article....thanks  :-)
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Offline IncX

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2007, 04:26:14 PM »

good article... i suggest that this be sticky-ied.

 

Offline Poundcake

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2007, 05:19:26 PM »
Quote
1. The chain, otherwise known as the way your pedals are arranged in your grid. As a rule of thumb, dynamics will come first (compressor), followed by a wah, then dirt, then an eq, followed by modulation then time based effects. Stuff like gates can be put after dirt to clamp down chords, or at the END of the chain to use as a noise reduction device. Of course you can change the layout of the pedals to give different sounds, use the above recommendation as a guide only, and dont be afraid to experiment.

pasensya na bossing, from where ba ito? amp o guitar?

the noise gate/suppressor should be placed at the very beginning of the pedal chain. hum/noise can be detected more easily before compression and distortion/ODing. compressed/leveled signals are much harder to work with for noise suppressors because a compressor also pulls up the volume of noise.

other than that, great post :)
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Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2007, 07:12:43 PM »
Quote
1. The chain, otherwise known as the way your pedals are arranged in your grid. As a rule of thumb, dynamics will come first (compressor), followed by a wah, then dirt, then an eq, followed by modulation then time based effects. Stuff like gates can be put after dirt to clamp down chords, or at the END of the chain to use as a noise reduction device. Of course you can change the layout of the pedals to give different sounds, use the above recommendation as a guide only, and dont be afraid to experiment.

pasensya na bossing, from where ba ito? amp o guitar?

the noise gate/suppressor should be placed at the very beginning of the pedal chain. hum/noise can be detected more easily before compression and distortion/ODing. compressed/leveled signals are much harder to work with for noise suppressors because a compressor also pulls up the volume of noise.

other than that, great post :)


Actually, it varies. Some gates, like the rocktron HUSH and ISP Decimator were designed to be placed last. The MXR smart gate, in between the disto and eq, I havent tried the boss, boston and behringer units yet, but in my experience, the usual end or end of dirt position works best.

But to each his own.  :-D
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Offline anoemous

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2007, 07:24:43 PM »
wow, this is a very informative article, i learned a lot about these analogs (though digital kasi ginagamit ko ngayon, ala pang budget eh  :-D). but i have some question regarding on how to use these pedals. kasi im wondering kung pano sa actual performance mo and you will use a lot of effects on a particular song, pano yung transition sa pag apak dun sa pedal? for example, naka phaser ka muna, then kelangan mo mag distortion, pano yun, mag ooverlap ba yung tunog nung distortion sa phaser pag inapakan mo na yun, or magmimix yung tunog nila? so kelangan ba muna na i off ko yung phaser bago ko apakan yung distortion para di sha mag mix? :?  kasi nasanay ako sa digital and hindi ko pa mashado natatry gumamit ng multi effects.  :lol: thanx!
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Offline psychic_sushi

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2007, 07:27:40 PM »
Nice one!  :-)

But as for the pedal board bit for transpo... if you're a proletariat commuter like me, i sometimes thing i'm courting danger when i bring mine....  :oops:

the trick around that, is to bring only what you need! not your whole collection! (You'll sound better too with less on your guitar's umbelical cord)   :wink:
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Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2007, 07:36:25 PM »
wow, this is a very informative article, i learned a lot about these analogs (though digital kasi ginagamit ko ngayon, ala pang budget eh  :-D). but i have some question regarding on how to use these pedals. kasi im wondering kung pano sa actual performance mo and you will use a lot of effects on a particular song, pano yung transition sa pag apak dun sa pedal? for example, naka phaser ka muna, then kelangan mo mag distortion, pano yun, mag ooverlap ba yung tunog nung distortion sa phaser pag inapakan mo na yun, or magmimix yung tunog nila? so kelangan ba muna na i off ko yung phaser bago ko apakan yung distortion para di sha mag mix? :?  kasi nasanay ako sa digital and hindi ko pa mashado natatry gumamit ng multi effects.  :lol: thanx!

The sounds will mix, if the phase is after the disto, you get a phasing distorted sound, if its before, then a distorted phasing sound. again, its in layout. In theory you can run all your peds at once, but why?

Nice one!  :-)

But as for the pedal board bit for transpo... if you're a proletariat commuter like me, i sometimes thing i'm courting danger when i bring mine....  :oops:

the trick around that, is to bring only what you need! not your whole collection! (You'll sound better too with less on your guitar's umbelical cord)   :wink:

Thats another good point. I also have a mini board, 1/3 of the size of my main board.

On that board I usually just keep my Keeley MT2, Boston eq and a dano Chorus. since those are what I use the most.
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Offline anoemous

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2007, 07:47:27 PM »
wow, this is a very informative article, i learned a lot about these analogs (though digital kasi ginagamit ko ngayon, ala pang budget eh  :-D). but i have some question regarding on how to use these pedals. kasi im wondering kung pano sa actual performance mo and you will use a lot of effects on a particular song, pano yung transition sa pag apak dun sa pedal? for example, naka phaser ka muna, then kelangan mo mag distortion, pano yun, mag ooverlap ba yung tunog nung distortion sa phaser pag inapakan mo na yun, or magmimix yung tunog nila? so kelangan ba muna na i off ko yung phaser bago ko apakan yung distortion para di sha mag mix? :?  kasi nasanay ako sa digital and hindi ko pa mashado natatry gumamit ng multi effects.  :lol: thanx!

The sounds will mix, if the phase is after the disto, you get a phasing distorted sound, if its before, then a distorted phasing sound. again, its in layout. In theory you can run all your peds at once, but why?

Nice one!  :-)

But as for the pedal board bit for transpo... if you're a proletariat commuter like me, i sometimes thing i'm courting danger when i bring mine....  :oops:

the trick around that, is to bring only what you need! not your whole collection! (You'll sound better too with less on your guitar's umbelical cord)   :wink:

Thats another good point. I also have a mini board, 1/3 of the size of my main board.

On that board I usually just keep my Keeley MT2, Boston eq and a dano Chorus. since those are what I use the most.

oh ok, so it means that i have to turn off first the phaser before i step on the distortion.  :-)
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Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2007, 08:06:50 PM »
Yes, if youre going after a dry (uneffected) distortion sound.

Another thing I do is put the pedals close so when I step on the active, I also can step on the inactive pedal, (one off, other on) on one stomp!
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Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2007, 10:01:22 PM »
question...pedals like digitech X-series...can we also put these under the 'analog" category?

OT: SD2 ba digital?

Technically, NO. They use the AudioDNA DSP, this enables them to mimic the sounds of many pedals, which would describe the somewhat HYBRID sound that comes out of the X-series pedals.

Also, many delays and some modulations use digital technology, which would make them Hybrids.
But we still consider them analog because they come as singles, and well, sound way better than digital units because of the relative simplicity of the pedal's electronics.

The SD-2 is a TOTALLY ANALOG pedal.
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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2007, 10:05:00 PM »
ayos to  :evil:

Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2007, 10:20:03 PM »
Thanks bro! I'll keep you posted on any new epiphanies hahaha.

Sticky maybe?
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Offline ayofish

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2007, 10:29:14 PM »
wow, this is a very informative article, i learned a lot about these analogs (though digital kasi ginagamit ko ngayon, ala pang budget eh  :-D). but i have some question regarding on how to use these pedals. kasi im wondering kung pano sa actual performance mo and you will use a lot of effects on a particular song, pano yung transition sa pag apak dun sa pedal? for example, naka phaser ka muna, then kelangan mo mag distortion, pano yun, mag ooverlap ba yung tunog nung distortion sa phaser pag inapakan mo na yun, or magmimix yung tunog nila? so kelangan ba muna na i off ko yung phaser bago ko apakan yung distortion para di sha mag mix? :?  kasi nasanay ako sa digital and hindi ko pa mashado natatry gumamit ng multi effects.  :lol: thanx!

sir kasama sa practice kung pano mo magagawa na parang alang lapses sa sound mo kung gaano mo kasmooth na pag palit palit ang on and off pedals to get ur sound. honestly it took me a few weeks bago ako nasanay.. ehhehhe
i have totally no regrets on my move from digital multi effects to analogs heheeh analogs just sound way better!!!!!!
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Offline gjuanengo

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #23 on: March 22, 2007, 10:31:14 PM »
wow, this is a very informative article, i learned a lot about these analogs (though digital kasi ginagamit ko ngayon, ala pang budget eh  :-D). but i have some question regarding on how to use these pedals. kasi im wondering kung pano sa actual performance mo and you will use a lot of effects on a particular song, pano yung transition sa pag apak dun sa pedal? for example, naka phaser ka muna, then kelangan mo mag distortion, pano yun, mag ooverlap ba yung tunog nung distortion sa phaser pag inapakan mo na yun, or magmimix yung tunog nila? so kelangan ba muna na i off ko yung phaser bago ko apakan yung distortion para di sha mag mix? :?  kasi nasanay ako sa digital and hindi ko pa mashado natatry gumamit ng multi effects.  :lol: thanx!

sir kasama sa practice kung pano mo magagawa na parang alang lapses sa sound mo kung gaano mo kasmooth na pag palit palit ang on and off pedals to get ur sound. honestly it took me a few weeks bago ako nasanay.. ehhehhe
i have totally no regrets on my move from digital multi effects to analogs heheeh analogs just sound way better!!!!!!


I'd call it high-gain tap dancing. Hahaha. It is still quite hard, I usually use breaks or some passages to mix the effects then make the switch.
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Offline plugzzzz

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Re: Analog 101
« Reply #24 on: March 22, 2007, 10:50:02 PM »
has anyone here tried ISP deciminator???...
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