Guitar Icon Dean Zelinsky Launches DBZ Guitars Web Site
DBZ Guitars, Inc. founders Dean B Zelinsky and Jeff Diamant announced today the official launch of their website, DBZGuitars.com. Dean B Zelinsky, who also founded and eventually sold Dean Guitars, is taking a more stylish direction with his 2009 DBZ guitar designs, while still incorporating those edgy, sexy Zelinsky style cues for which he has been world-renowned since the late 1970s. Read more
Soundblox Multiwave Distortion Review
December 28, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Source Audio Soundblox Multiwave Distortion
Rock guitarists like distortion. How is that for an understatement? More specifically, rock guitar players eat, breathe, and sleep distortion. Many of them even have more than one on their pedalboards. There are also some that run more than one pedal simultaneously. Yeah, it seems that distortion is an integral part of the tonal diet of the rock musician.
But what do you do when you have tons of distortion pedals, but no more room on that ever-expanding pedal board? Easy – you downsize your setup.
Downsize may indeed sound like a dirty word to many guitarists, but there are benefits to getting rid of those three extra overdrives. For starters, your setup is easier to carry to gigs. But more importantly, you can fit new distortion boxes into the chain! Of course, with fewer pedals, you lose the possibility of quite a few different tones. What is a rocker to do?
Enter the Soundblox Multiwave Distortion pedal from the electronic gods over at Source Audio.
What makes the Soundblox Multiwave Distortion worthy to sit on your board? Easy. This sucker packs a wide variety of distortion tones, dished out by a SA601 56-bit Digital Signal Processor that has 24-bit A/D D/A conversion. What does that mean? It means an unbelievably large palette of sounds from slightly crunchy to ridiculous at best.
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This pedal has a whopping 21 types of distortion, sure to please any fuzz-hungry gear hog. Not to mention, the Soundblox Multiwave Distortion uses distortion algorithms that are totally different from your normal digital distortions. The pedal gives you the ability to control the single- and multi-band distortions, giving you more freedom with your tone.
One of the other features that make this pedal different than other ‘normal’ distortions is the Foldback and Octave sections, which give you yet more control of your distortion tone, allowing you to dial in some wicked sounds. Let’s put it this way: if you want a unique distortion pedal that can do some seriously whacked-out sounds, the Soundblox Multiwave Distortion is definitely for you. You can even tweak the pedal to give you some funky wah and synth distortion sounds.
If you are in need of a versatile (and way out) distortion sound check out the Soundblox Multiwave Distortion pedal from Source Audio. You will most likely be glad to replace at least one of your other distortions with this thing.
Here is a video demonstration. Enjoy!
Totally Tubular
December 23, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
In this day and age, products are so specialized that purchasing anything can make your mind spin. Guitar gear is no exception. There are so many options on the market that buying something as simple as a distortion pedal can be confusing. Do you want a new pedal or a vintage model (or a new reissue of vintage model)? Do you want a unit that dishes out grungy rhythm sounds or smooth, vintage-sounding leads? If you know exactly what sound you’re looking for before you even plug in, there’s a stomp box out there that offers it. But what if you don’t?
Fortunately, the folks at Hughes & Kettner haven’t forgotten that versatility is still important factor in anyone’s purchasing decision. Their ingenious Tube Factor is a simple (two footswitches, three knobs) pedal that uses a 12AX7A tube to produce a variety of tones.
The two footswitches on the Tube Factor are an on/off switch and a switch to toggle between the two basic effects: Factor 1 and Factor 2. Factor 1 is more of a tone-shaping tool than a distortion effect. It does a wonderful job of adding definition and punch to clean rhythm tones and can also be used as a boost for clear, bluesy leads. Factor 2 activates the drive mode, kicking out some serious gain and boosting the extreme and low ends for heavy lead and rhythm tones (the user’s manual describes it as “much like the trademark guitar sound of AC/DC”).
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The three knobs used to shape the sounds in either mode are Drive, Output and voicing. The Voicing control is not so much a traditional EQ: instead, it boosts different characteristics depending on which Factor and how much drive you’re using. Shaping your sound this way, as opposed to with a more conventional tone control, takes a little getting used to. But once you experiment with it a bit, you’ll quickly find the sweet spots where the effect complements your rig. The manual provides suggested settings ranging from Neutral (a Factor 1 effect) to Ultra Lead (extreme gain offered by Factor 2). Depending on your guitar and amp setup, they’re pretty accurate, but the Tube Factor’s simple controls make it so easy to experiment and find your own sounds.
The End Line
The Tube Factor is really two separate effects in one box. Factor 1 is subtle, but it does a nice job of fattening up the thin Strat sound or adding a bit of a kick to a clean tone. Factor 2 is a wonderful versatile distortion effect capable of everything from creamy blues tones to dirty rhythm sounds to screeching leads. If you’re looking for a distortion device that won’t limit your tone options, the Tube Factor is absolutely worth a stomp. Listen to the Tube Factor Demo.
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DOD, BOSS, and KORG Delay Pedals
December 20, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Whether it’s Eddie Cochran’s rockabilly slapback or the Edge’s autonomous counter-rhythms, listeners have always marveled at the shimmering textures and depth produced by delay units. And, just as guitarists have found new uses for delay effects over the years, manufacturers have improved on the quality and versatility of these boxes. We checked out units by Korg, DOD, and Boss to see what’s cool in the world of delay.
DOD FX 96 Echo FX Analog Delay
Featuring analog circuitry, the FX 96 is intended to reproduce the gloopy tones of early tape-echo machines and the bubbling repeats of pre-digital pedals. The pedal features the standard controls one would expect to find on an analog delay: Mix, Delay and Regen / Repeat. Also included is a Tape Quality control, an ingenious addition that lets you grunge up the sound quality of the virtual “tape” to heighten the sonic illusion.
DOD have really nailed those old tones, warts and all, with this pedal. Although Echoplex connoisseurs may not be totally convinced, the FX 96 does as mean a take as many expensive rack units dedicated to the same task. There is definitely a bit of Gilmour, Page and Brian May to be found amongst the DOD’s tumbling layers of repeats, warm slapbacks and psychedelic stoner mayhem.
Boss DD-5 Digital Delay
Using the DSP chip, Boss managed to cram a ridiculous amount of effects into the DD-5. Of the 11 available modes, 1 through 4 offer a range of clean, studio-quality delays from 1 ms to 2000 ms. Using the Panning Out socket, these silky delays can be delivered in stereo with the repeats arriving at their destination in alternating sequence.
Mode 5 is the Hold function, which is basically a mini-sampler allowing you to record up to two seconds of playing then use it as a backing. Gizz Butt of Prodigy uses this to lay down a bed of techno-babble to riff over in live performances. More digital trickery is afoot with Mode 6, which offers Hendrix-like backward swells. Although not a true reverse-taped effect, there are still some groovy suck-sounds in this mode. Finally, Mode 8 through 11 allows you to tap in a delay tempo via a footswitch.
Korg ToneWorks 301dl Dynamic Echo
This roadworthy device allows you to store two different sounds and has an extra footswitch to toggle between them. Each of the four controls on the 301dl has been assigned two functions, selected by a small toggle switch. In addition to setting the level, feedback and delay time, you can also manipulate the pre-delay, harmonic structure and relative aggression of the repeats. The unit even offers Ducking, which allows the effect to respond to the dynamics of your playing, lifting phrases out of the potential muddle of repeats.
Once you’ve invested some time in finding a sound, it can be easily stored in the Red or Green patch, ready for action. The flexibility of the 301 means you are a toe-tap away from chewing analog slap or glistening digital soundscapes. Add a Y-connector and you’re driving in stereo.
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The End Line
These three pedals are all very different but equally inspiring to use. The DOD delivers delay like they used to make it, without the bulk or hassle. Boss layers pro-quality sound in a simple format with funky features for good, clean fun. The Korg gives you precise control of its effects—and programmability to boot. In a world of missed schedules, these are some delays we can all enjoy.
DigiTech HarmonyMan Intelligent Pitch Shifter
December 6, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
DigiTech’s Harmony Man Intelligent Pitch Shifter gives me that tingly feeling that I hadn’t felt since my dad brought home that He-Man with a life-like thunder-punch and Kung-Fu grip. From what I’d heard, I would soon have the ability to create harmonies in the style of The Allman Brothers, Brian May, Racer X and Thin Lizzy. It’s rock-out time!
The DigiTech HarmonyMan Intelligent Pitch Shifter is the perfect solution for free-sprinted harmony-loving guitarists who don’t like to be limited by a set list or who have to change key during a song. Its ingenious “musicIQ” feature analyzes chord progressions and automatically determines the perfect scale and key for harmonization. Yet, while the unit does all the hard work for you, its dual pedal stomp-box is simple to use.
The HarmonyMan has four types of pitch-shifting effects: triad-centered interval, scalic interval, fixed and detune interval. The “Voice 1” and “Voice 2” knobs of the two pitch-shifted voices lets you select the type of harmony-interval that you’d like, with the settings displayed on a simple but effective alphanumeric LED display. A “Harmonic Key” display indicates which key is selected and doubles as a note indicator for the built-in chromatic tuner. The “Music IQ” select switch engages the automatic-scale/key-sensing function, and the store key allows you to program and save up to four harmony presets. You can enable 42 distinct voices that you select; the HarmonyMan can also combine two separate voices in any combination. In addition, you can dial in a 3rd or 5th above or below, an octave up, two octaves down, 24 semitones and a mixture of detune options.
The sidechain input and thru jacks let your rhythm guitarist control the “MusicIQ” feature, allowing you to play harmonized leads that mirror the rhythm guitarist’s chord changes without changing the rhythm guitar’s pitch. Other features include a programmable mix knob that lets you adjust the balance between the original guitar parts and the harmonized parts, mono/stereo outputs and true analog bypass.
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HarmonyMan Features:
While the HarmonyMan is easy to use, don’t expect it to instantly turn you into Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden or Brian May unless you’ve already programmed the proper pitch-shifting intervals. You’ll still want to have a general idea of what types of harmonies that you’ll want to use before taking the HarmonyMan onstage, however, once you do, it’s smooth jamming’ brother!
About the only features this pedal is missing are separate outputs for each harmony part and the original guitar signal. When using the stereo outputs, the harmonized signals are panned hard right and left with the original signal panned to the middle, but it would have been great to have separate outputs for each so each part could be processed with separate effects or sent to different amps.
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The Final Mojo
DigiTech has been coming out with some innovated cool stuff and the HarmonyMan Intelligent Pitch Shifter has now become one of my favorites. This pedal certainly talks the talk and walks the… well, you know. With a little patience, trial and error it’s possible to replicate all the classic harmonies from your favorite albums with splendid transparency and tracking. Best of all, you won’t have to put up with a theory challenged guitarist to botch up your harmonies again. It’s a rugged pedal. Not too big, not too small. “It makes a great addition to your pedal board even if you just want to create occasional chaos.” – says the free-spirited guitarists’. Musician’s Friend Stupid Deal of the Day
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Z. Vex Seek Wah Guitar Effects Pedal
November 24, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
So there you are, sitting in from of your digital recorder, trying to work out an overdub. Problem is, you keep going back to the same stock phrases. The same thing happens at practice when, while running through your band’s newest song, you suddenly realize you’re falling back on all your old, familiar tricks.
We all fall into creative ruts once in a while, and while opinions on the cause may vary, everyone seems to agree that nothing breaks you out of a funk like a cool new toy. And while that ’68 Strat in the store window could certainly get you excited again, the right effect could actually improve or expand your playing style, and it wouldn’t cost you nearly as much.
Enter the ZVex Seek Wah. The brainchild of a lunatic genius named Zachary Vex and manufactured in Minneapolis by his company, Z. Vex, the Seek Wah ($300 - $350) is part tremolo, part wah-wah, part analog sequencer and part something entirely new. To get an idea of what it does, think of what a wah-wah pedal sound like when you’re not rocking it back and forth. If the pedal is left in a high position, the sound is shrill and pinched, while in a low position, it’s muffled. Now imagine eight wah-wah pedals laid out in a circle, with your signal passing from one to the next, looping around and around. That, in short, is the sound of the Seek Wah.
Packed into a two-by-four-inch housing, the Seek Wah has eight tiny knobs with which you dial in a setting for each of the eight wah filters. A tempo knob lets you set the rate at which the signal loops through the filter, and a three-way toggle switch lets you choose whether the signal loops through a sequence of four, six or eight filters.
Thanks to this high level of control, you can instantly create mind-bendingly complex and shimmering vibratos, slow echo-like pulses or all varieties of time tremolo. The looping creates a rhythm of tonal peaks and valleys, something that makes the Seek Wah particularly useful and inspiring for songwriters. Allowing the Seek Wah to set the rhythm can create polyrhythms you might not have thought of on your own, let alone been able to execute.
One of the Seek Wah’s unique quirks is that all the rotary knobs work counter-intuitively: turning to the right “closes” the filter up, deadening the sound, and turning to the left “opens” it, giving you that classic wah bite. A row of flashing LEDs under the filter knobs gives a visual picture of the sequence, and the relative brightness of each one is a reflection of that particular filter setting.
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We found the Seek Wah was best suited to simple playing and sustained chords; fast picking and strumming tend to get lost, especially when the unit’s tempo is set high. Although the “backward” controls took some getting used to, it was easy to design a specific rhythm with the unit, as if it were a drum machine. By setting the Seek Wah for a sequence of four wah filters, we created a standard backbeat by setting the first and third wah controls at three o’clock and the second and fourth at eight o’clock. This was apparently what Z. Vex had in mind when they provided the Seek Wah with the three-way sequence switch. The six-filter setting works well with songs that are in ¾ or 6/8, and the eight-filter setting is good for all variations of 4/4.
The Seek Wah runs on a single 9-volt battery and, like all Z. Vex effects, is entirely hand-made and works as a true bypass when not activated. The unit comes in a colorfully hand-painted housing, adding one more level of individuality to this most-unique effect.
The End Line
In a perfect world, the Seek Wah’s already numerous knobs would have as additional companions controllers for effect blend and output level. These would make it more flexible in live situations. But near-perfect is entirely close enough, and even with its steep price tag, the Seek Wah is a must-have.
http://www.stevesmusiccenter.com/zvexseekwah.html
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Musician’s Friend: New Products
Uni-Vibe Inspired Effects Pedals
November 21, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Multiple personality disorder may be a debilitating condition in humans, but it’s a delightful quirk in effects pedals. With small digital multi-effects pedal so prevalent these days, it’s always refreshing to check out a few analog stomp boxes that feature some pleasantly psychotic twists.
To that end, we subjected three effects pedals to analysis: three distortion related units—inspired by the venerable Uni-Vibe—Jim Dunlop’s Uni-Vibe Stereo Chorus, Fulton’s Deja Vibe and Roger Mayer’s Voodoo Vibe. While no two pedals were exactly alike in function, each possesses a dual nature that, when fully exploited revealed unique opportunities for extreme sonic manipulation. Any guitarist bored by conventional sounds will find plenty to get excited about in these boxes.
All three pedals were tested with fresh 9-volt alkaline batteries, and their signals were sent to a variety of amps including a Marshall JCM800, a Fender Pro and a cute little solid state Fender Bronco. We also fed Uni-Vibe—inspired units into a multi-channel mixer to better examine their stereo output.
JIM DUNLOP UNI-VIBE STERO CHORUS
Back in the day, organists who couldn’t afford a bureau-sized Leslie speaker cabinet would beef up the tone of their Farfisa and Vox combo organs with a little unit called the Uni-Vibe. Manufactured by the Univox Company, the Uni-Vibe did a fair job of replicating the Doppler effect of a Leslie cabinet’s rotating horn. And unlike a Leslie, it weighed far less than a small refrigerator. It was Hendrix, again, who dug the Uni-Vibe as a guitar effect, claiming it for future six-stringers like Eric Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The Jim Dunlop Company, which owns the Uni-Vibe name, has been manufacturing several famous variations on the pedal for years. The Uni-Vibe Stereo Chorus can be thought as “one Uni-Vibe to go, hold the bells and whistles.” Unlike the Univox original, which consists of an AC-powered, book-sized enclosure connected to a speed-varying pedal, the Dunlop unit is of classic stomp-box proportions and runs on either a 9-volt batter or an adapter. Dunlop has also modified the circuit to vary continuously from “vibrato” to “chorus” (the original was an either-or proposition), and they’ve thrown in some clever stereo circuitry to boot.
The resulting sound is a solid simulation of the original. The chorus is whirly and whooshy, with plenty of air and phasing, while the vibrato imparts a mild pitch shift that undulates evenly throughout the entire range. There are no rude hiccups at the fast speeds, and the slow settings won’t give you that “who put the Quaaludes in my beer?” feeling. In addition to speed and intensity controls, the Uni-Vibe features a pilot light that faintly pulses in time to the speed settings.
The real fun comes when you work the mix control in association with the stereo output jacks. The mix ranges from “wide” to “mono,” and the outputs are labeled “left/chorus” and “right/vibrato”. With the mix set wide, the left output is dry and the right output is full, pitch-warbling vibrato. Pan the mix to mono and the left output comes alive with chorus, while the right channel’s vibrato gradually morphs into matching chorus. These various permutations give you the opportunity to use the Uni-Vibe with either the right output alone, varying the mix between vibrato and chorus, or with both outputs for a stereo spread that can range from vibrato-plus-dry to vibrato-plus-chorus (which sounded lovely in headphones) to dual-mono chorus.
With the Uni-Vibe in bypass mode, I was able to detect some signal coloration, a not unpleasant high-end sheen most evident in the pick attack. This minor complaint aside, the Uni-Vibe will please guitarists who want to add rotating speaker tone to their arsenal without breaking their back or spending an arm and a leg.
FULLTONE DEJA VIBE
If you are even remotely aware of Mike Fuller’s Fulltone pedals, you won’t be surprised to know that he’s nailed the vibe of the original Uni-Vibe. Fullton currently offers the Deja 1 (mono or stereo), which comes with a large knob for controlling the rate of speed, and the Deja 2 (mono or stereo), which features the more traditional pedal speed control. Although we set out to test a mono Deja Vibe 2, we were lucky enough to score a stereo Deja Vibe 1 in time to check out its dual-output capabilities. The controls on both units are simple and almost identical to the original Univox model: chorus/vibrato selector switch, intensity knob, on-off footswitch, speed pedal or knob and—perhaps the only concession to modern values—a “modern/dark” switch.
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Fullton pedals are known for both their stunning sound and rugged construction, and the Deja Vibe is no exception. The chorus and vibrato settings are warm and full, and the speed pedal gives you the ability to mimic the slow-to-fast rotary sound of a Leslie cabinet. Unlike the original pedal, the Deja Vibe has full bypass, so there’s no need to stick this in an effects loop to isolate it. About that modern/dark switch: the original Uni-Vibe was designed for the slightly higher and brighter outputs of compact organs, and the sound is somewhat dark when driven by a guitar. Flick the Deja Vibe from to dark to modern and you’ll get a nice little boost along with a less “loaded-down” tone. Furthermore, the stereo models feature true stereo output, creating a back-and-forth undulation in the sound field that none of the other Vibe pedals possessed.
The vibrato setting was especially nice with a slightly overdriven amp. Normally this is a recipe for disaster, since modulated pitch-shifting devices can get pretty ugly when distorted, but the Deja Vibe sounded like it was made for this purpose, achieving the wicked grind of Eric Clapton’s solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” That vibrato, by the way, has the loveliest bottom-end “thump.” I understand that connoisseurs of the original Uni-Vibe listen for just that thump when evaluating other units.
ROGER MAYER VOODOO VIBE
Roger Mayer didn’t invent the Uni-Vibe, but you can bet he spent plenty of time nipping and tucking at the guts of the models Hendrix owned. After Uni-Vibe production ceased, Mayer produced his Supervibe, used by both Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robin Trower. The Voodoo Vibe is the latest generation of this evolutionary chain, offering an immense amount of flexibility while remaining true to the Uni-Vibe tone.
The Voodoo Vibe is housed in a book-sized, cast-metal box with seven black pointer knobs. The function knob offers a choice of chorus, vibrato and (surprise!) tremolo. The speed of each effect can be set with the range knob, which chooses either a sine or triangle wave in slow medium or fast mode, and tuned in precisely with the fine knob. The intensity and output knobs vary the depth of the chosen effect and the final output of the signal, respectively, and the symmetry and bias controls actually shape the wave you’ve chosen, creating giddy roller-coaster sensations in the shower vibrato settings and helicopter-like “woof” sounds at faster speeds.
For those who desire the pedal option of the original Uni-Vibe, the Voodoo Vibes lets you control its speed by plugging any standard volume pedal into a couple of jacks on the back. The dual-output jacks are low impedance and deliberately active (though totally uncolored) for parallel processing and driving longer cable lengths. The power source can be either a 9-volt battery or an adaptor, and the Voodoo Vibe has a status LED.
The sound of the Voodoo is simply stunning. It was possible to teak it just so and imitate the original Uni-Vibe sound, but this unit is inspired by the Uni-Vibe, not just a clone or an upgrade of it. The vibrato effects call forth the aforementioned roller-coaster and helicopter sensations, as well as bubbly underwater effects, with ease. The chorus is so lush and full, it simply bears no comparison to the average pedal. And if you’ve been hoping to come across a vintage amp with a working tremolo circuit, save your time: the Voodoo Vibe can cop the shimmer of those old Fender, Vox and Ampeg tremolos, and go into some pretty extreme volume-chopping effects as well.
End Line – If the original Uni-Vibe sound is your Holy Grail, the Deja Vibe is your pedal. For a deep sound-shaping tool, check out Voodoo Vibe, a multifunctional monster that will put half a dozen little colored boxes out to pasture.
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Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde Ultimate Overdrive
Literature’s most famous split personality takes musical form in this two for one pedal. Many players use two distortion pedals—one for a mild, tube overdrive and another for a fuzzier sustain. Stomp them together and you get sonic meltdown. The trouble is the slightest tweak can result in annoying microphonic feedback or impotent mosquito buzz.
Bless the good Dr. Jekyll and his more aggressive alter ego, Mr. Hyde, for getting these two distinctive sounds to work together so well. The Jekyll & Hyde Overdrive is a maximum bang per buck bargain. Enclosed in a sheet metal casing worthy of a Sherman tank, this Siamese twin of sound boasts two selectors’ switches two status lights and a row of knobs that beg you to bend over and tweak em.
Jekyll the milder mannered channel can be shaped with drive, tone and volume controls. The voicing is very much of the Ibanez Tube Screamer/ProCo Rat School of overdrive, delivering a steroidal version of your basic signal with lots of dynamic headroom. The high midrange is gritty yet well balanced and a nice tube like honk appears in the low end when you roll back your tone control. Hyde, the aggressive half of the team, is brought out with drive, tone, eq, and volume controls as well as a sharp/blunt switch. Compared to Jekyll, Hyde has a little higher end edge coupled with a tight and sweet bottom that gives most settings the added thunk of 4×12 cabinets. The eq control mixes the ratio of lows to mids and in the extreme clockwise setting it nails the scooped mid sound once beloved of Metallica.
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While the effects can be used independent of each other, the real fun begins when they are both on. Push the brighter aspects of each channel and you’ll arrive at a tone that could shame the sun, with squealing pick attack and effortless harmonics. The darker side will create the illusion of a wall of Marshall’s, even when using a little 20-watt solid state practice amp. But beware: like any true psycho the Jekyll and Hyde can push too far. Max out both drive knobs and the resulting feedback won’t be pretty.
The End Line
The Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is a serious gigging tool for lovers of overheated overdrive, one that is easy to use and sounds great.
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Tech 21 CompTortion Guitar Effects Pedal Review
November 20, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Distortion and compression are twin faces of the same personality. Compression can give a guitar the violin like sustain many players seeks in a good distortion pedal, while distortion can iron out transients in a way similar to a compressor. The marriage of both effects in one pedal would seem a foregone conclusion, but a noise gate would be required to eliminate the resulting noise, and the interaction of all three items adds up to a rather dysfunctional family.
You can thank Tech 21 for organizing everything into one stomp box sized pedal without sacrificing a drop of professional sound quality. The CompTortion features controls for level, tone, compression, and distortion. Each effect can be dialed up independently or mixed together in whatever ratio you need. The noise gate is hardwired into the circuit and requires no controls. As an added testament to the lack of coloration in the CompTortion’s signal chain, both the compression and distortion can be dialed down, leaving a clean signal which can be boosted 12db via the level control.
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The pedal’s compression circuit is powerful, providing a range from 1:1 to a totally squashed 15:1. Lovers of country rock and power pop will embrace the clean compression settings. If you crave the long, vocal sustain of Robert Fripp or Tom Sholz, simply back off the compression and add more overdrive. Lose the compression altogether and dial up the tortion to find out why Kurt Cobain was so fond of the Tech 21 pedals.
The End Line – For those who crave effects of a more schizoid mature, the CompTortion is the Swiss Army knife of pedals, with noise suppression circuitry and an analog signal path… Just fantastico!
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Roger Mayer Octavia Harmonic Distortion
November 18, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Roger Mayer is known as the guy who built pedals for Jimi Hendrix, and Octavia is the creation perhaps best associated with his name. There’s a gleeful chaos to the Octavia’s circuit that no well adjusted microchip can match. You can hear it prominently on Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” solo—a nasal, metallic tone that adds a harmonic one octave above the note played.
The Octavia is housed in a rocket shaped pedal of heavy cast metal. There are no identifying graphics or LED status light on the top surface, but a look at the bottom plate identifies the input and output jacks and volume and drive controls. Inside, the circuit board is small, simple and structurally isolated from the foot switch, jacks, and controls.
Playing the Octavia with a Strat through the Marshall, it was easy enough to call up the classic “Purple Haze” sound. But limiting yourself to this one trick would be a waste of the Octavia’s endowments. This pedal revels in the sound of a circuit in agony. With the drive maxed out, the Octavia approximates the cheesiest and most sought after fuzz boxes of the 60s, with a static ridden snarl that transforms wide, consonant intervals into a bottom heavy power chords and closer voicings into raspy maladjusted power tools. Decreasing the drive brings out the Octavia’s penchant for the dynamic exaggeration, a strong pick attack produces manic crackling blats while a softer touch elicits a muted mumble, all while resonating with the metallic clang of ring modulation.
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I hesitate to criticize a pedal so gleefully psychotic, but while Mayer’s sci-fi housing will survive the war of the worlds, the flexible bottom plate, with its delicately threaded screws was rather lightweight. The addition of an LED would seem appropriate but then again if you can’t tell when this pedal is on seek counseling immediately.
The End Line
The Octavia’s classic harmonic distortion guarantees a hallucinatory ride. So hang on!
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