Considering FX pedals again... Now Un-Helixed... Hexit?!

Cabicular

Beholden to weight...
quote of the week for me @Drew_TNBD

stickyfiddle

menamestom said:

Not trying to change your mind but it might be worth waiting for the next firmware update, no idea what the 7 new effects are but they could include exactly what you are after.

I have thought about that, but I can't imagine it's going to tick all the boxes of 1) pitchshifting, 2) double tracker and 3) small stone. And who knows when that update might come.

I might get one or two, but it'll still niggle at me if not all of them. 

Octafish

I definitely recommend the DD500 for delay. Had one for 2 weeks now and really enjoying, I personally find it very easy/intuative to use/edit with great soudning delays and I'm loving the ability to save all my favourite settings. It also has a load of ready to go presets. Up untuil now I've been using the Flashbackx4 which has some great sounding delays (tape, tube, analogue etc) , but only space for 3 presets.

John_A

Wait for the Helix updates, verbs, pitch shifting will come, every time I get pedal GAS I just try a Helix model I haven't used yet.  I certainly don't miss Velcro, patch cables and trying to make stuff all line up in colour order on a board that weighs as much as me.

menamestom

stickyfiddle said:

menamestom said:

Not trying to change your mind but it might be worth waiting for the next firmware update, no idea what the 7 new effects are but they could include exactly what you are after.

I have thought about that, but I can't imagine it's going to tick all the boxes of 1) pitchshifting, 2) double tracker and 3) small stone. And who knows when that update might come.

I might get one or two, but it'll still niggle at me if not all of them. 

If you sell it, the update will come immediately and have everything you wanted.  If you wait for the update it will take ages and contain nothing you need, so yeah sell it so I can get my update

Your wish list is very similar to mine, I'd like some extra reverbs also.   I'm going to keep my LT whatever, but I may get a few choice effects for my pedal train junior.  

Flanging_Fred

Regarding the dd500,

 I've got one and I think it's a great pedal but I'm not sure I would recommend it in your situation (I don't think you're gigging atm right?).  To me the dd500 feels like a versatile but utilitarian tool, for getting the job done reliably. It does seem a little 'Vanilla' , which in some cases ( live or recording) can be a good thing.

If you're playing at home mostly I think I'd go with something more fun and with a bit of (I hate the word but) mojo? Just within the Boss line the dm2w or re-20 would maybe be better candidates, both sound great and are more fun IMO.

People seem to like the SA Nemesis if you still want some versatility.

Just my 2 riyals.

DesVegas

Can you not get some of the delays in there at a lower volume/mix to sound like a reverb?

Cirrus

This is only my own experience so don't think I'm applying this to you if you love modellers with menus and virtually unlimited options for tones... but I find when I'm in music creation mode I'm either being an artist or I'm playing with toys.

The former is a very hard frame of mind to get into, and it's very easy to slip into messing around with stuff.

And nothing makes me start messing around more than menus and unlimited options. So when I'm making music, individual pedals are what works for me. Preferably ones where I've worked out the one setting I like best years ago. No distractions. Same reason I like AC30s - top boost gain on 1/4-1/3, bass at 2pm, treble at 10am, cut at 2pm. Job done.

If I've got unlimited options at my fingertips I want to explore them all. For some that's inspiring, for me I just waste two hours trying all the different amps with different cab IRs . I go in search of new sounds as and when the music I'm working on asks me to.

menamestom

Cirrus said:

This is only my own experience so don't think I'm applying this to you if you love modellers with menus and virtually unlimited options for tones... but I find when I'm in music creation mode I'm either being an artist or I'm playing with toys.

Since having the LT, if I was being critical of myself it would be the opposite, I messed a bit at first but now I don't really scratch the surface and use it exactly like a simple pedalboard.  Pretty much like what I had before!

stickyfiddle

@Flanging_Fred I don't like delays with mojo. I like delays I can tweak and control and master! 

As for menus vs freedom vs tweaking vs creativity vs options vs just having 3 knobs vs getting on and playing the damn guitar I'm somewhere in the middle. I completely appreciate how powerful the Helix is, but ultimately I don't actually need a recording interface any more than I need super-complex routing through 12 different pedals. Having the uber-versatility of the Helix has shown me that actually what I want is a handful of great sounds that inspire me and for everything else to get out of the way. Since my shopping in Perth I've mostly played those two drive pedals straight into my amp and been very happy...

SRich

Regarding the lack of a phaser - quite why you'd need a Small Stone and a Deco (other than the conventional wisdom of "I want one and I want it now - I may sell it again in the future and re-buy it again ad infinitum - but I want one now"..... ) given that step and hold on the Doubletracking (right) foot switch on the Deco gives a great Phaser........

Deco's a great pedal.

VJIves

The Source Audio Nemesis is a lovely delay that doesn't have an evil LCD screen. Or the Chase Bliss Tonal Recall.

stickyfiddle

SRich said:

Regarding the lack of a phaser - quite why you'd need a Small Stone and a Deco (other than the conventional wisdom of "I want one and I want it now - I may sell it again in the future and re-buy it again ad infinitum - but I want one now"..... ) given that step and hold on the Doubletracking (right) foot switch on the Deco gives a great Phaser........

Deco's a great pedal.

It's because OK Computer is covered in Small Stone and I've never had one and no-one makes anything like it - even the multi-modulaition type pedals don't model it. It's actually quite strange.

SRich

@stickyfiddle ;I'd go with that.........never had one either. Now I do wonder.......

monquixote

stickyfiddle said:

dindude said:

Welcome back

I figured someone would say that. 

For delays, I've previously been a bit whelmed with Strymon stuff. I've had a Timefactor 3 times and they're getting silly cheap (for certain values of "cheap"!) these days so that's the default. 

I had a Timeline for a bit and it was very competent but just a little meh. Given I'm set on a Deco which can cover slapback I just fancy seeing what else is about. Part of me wonders if a Pigtronix would be good, but I recall @monquixote (I think) had no end of trouble with his, which is not ideal when you're 1000+ miles from a dealer.  Boss DD500, maybe? I really want flexible stereo/parallel delays, but not mega fussy on other details as they're all the same these days, aren't they?

Maybe another Timefactor would be good... :rolleyes: But they're a pain to power...

Yeah, leave well alone.

Sounds great, but not good to use and I'm not convinced about the build quality.

stickyfiddle

VJIves said:

The Source Audio Nemesis is a lovely delay that doesn't have an evil LCD screen. Or the Chase Bliss Tonal Recall.

The Chase Bliss is  100% the kind of delay pedals I hate. Mega-feature-packed but impossible to dial back to a sound you had yesterday if you move the knobs. The Source looks decent, but doesn't do parallel delays, right?

The frickin Empress looks/sounds spectacular though... Everything I want and more, smallish footprint, no need for external switches.  I remember discussing delays with Dan from Gigrig/TPS when the Superdelay was new. It never quite did it for me then, but this looks incredible.

Listen to these with headphones on...!

stickyfiddle

Right, definitely buying an Echosystem, but they're hard to get hold of and I should wait till the Helix sells for cashflow reasons, so will do exactly that. Just the analog modes are enough before you even get to the rest.



But I'm certainly going to start planning. There may be a powerpoint...

ruoma

ThorpyFX said:

The best delay pedal around is the Moog-MF104M... but it think they cost more than a helix at this point. A close second though.... is the new Boss DM-2W, which is much better than you'd expect considering the price point. 

Exactly this! The moog does hiss quite a bit though, but I guess that's analogue for ya. The BOSS would also be my first choice for an affordable analogue, although too bad it doesn't have tap tempo. Another one that looks really fun is the Hungry Robots the Wash.

It all depends really, do you want digital, analogue or tape?

Had the echosystem a while back and returned it. Just didn't have the mojo the big Moog has. And too many options for my tastes.

JezWynd

Pedals are way more fun and they come in a range of exciting colours. The Maxon AD900 edged the Boss DM-2w for analogue, but they're quite similar. For longer, slightly crisper repeats the DSD-3 and for everything else the DD-7. Multi delay units are handy but having the ability to lay them out on the floor one after another makes better sense to my ears and eyes.

Kebabkid

stickyfiddle said:

So I have a Helix. It is extremely clever and capable (frankly much more than I am, most days) but I'm finding myself missing "real" pedals rather more than expected. ( @Kebabkid predicted this happening...) 

Sorry Mike. Just from our limited meet ups and observing things on here for the past few years, you've always struck me as a pedal guy. Even down to BYOCs but good on you for giving it a go.
All the best