Dipping toe in 'ambient' or 'soundtrack-y' sounds, where to start?

Matt_McG

I'm slowly getting into making more use of effects in my playing, and I'm interesting in experimenting with more effected or ambient sounds. That might be using longer and more dramatic reverb sounds, degraded or modulated delays, or whatever. With the basic interest being more atmospheric or 'soundtracky' sounds that sit well in a mix with more conventional guitar tones, or pads that I can use when looping to improvise over.

I'm not really sure where best to start, though. I have a Flashback mini, but not wedded to it.

There seems to be a lot out there, whether that's mega-delay-reverb combination pedals, or quirky glitchy pedals from EQD, Old Blood Noise Endeavours, Walrus, or whoever. The OBNE Procession, for example, sounds great in videos, but ... maybe too much of a one trick (or three trick) pony?

I think the basic requirement is something that gives me a decent range of reverb sounds, possibly with modulation, and which either plays nice with the Flashback, or substitutes for it.

I'm open to buying one or two pedals, or spending a bit more on a 'do-it-all' solution, but I'm not going to be spending Eventide Space kind of money.

Matt

P.S. I'm handy enough with a soldering iron, and quite a few of the pedals on my board are DIY, so I'm open to DIY suggestions, too.

RandallFlagg

The Strymon Big Sky and Timeline are ambient staples but expensive

https://youtu.be/umtB3tK8_pw

Jez6345789

Unless you intend to gig it and need to create it live then there are any number of cheap plugins plus the stuff you get with something like logic that will get you into the ambient soundscapes world

RandallFlagg

Following Rabea's advice seems to make sense to me. Use a hall reverb with a big decay but cut the high end on the tail. Also use a delay with the ability to cut the high end.

I think being tuned down helps with those lovely sounds Rabea is getting.

Teetonetal

The obne procession is the most disappointing pedal I've owned. It is crying out for a reverb to fx mix knob. Without it I found it useless
.
Go 2nd hand:
Boss rv5 has a cracking modulated reverb. Boss PS3 for some pitchshifted reverse delay.

More spendy are the neunaber immerse or v4 wet pedals.

Do it all solution might be the mooer ocean machine.

EricTheWeary

You could have a look at the Mooer Ocean Machine,which is under £200 now, as a do it all ambient box ( which is what it was designed for). 

mattdavis

Strymon Flint has proven a very cost effective ambient sound creation tool for me. The 80s reverb with a long decay provides some very ethereal washes of sound and adding a bit of harmonic trem provides some movement to make it a little more interesting. 
Then you have 2 more reverbs and trems to play with. A favourite switch helps it’s live versatility. 

skunkwerx

The Boss Rv-6 has a shimmer effect which sounds great. 

I’d have bought one but alas, no fx loop on my amp.. 

Rabea also plays some wicked sounding stuff here using a few tone city pedals: (he starts at 8:38)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9C70YVJQECQ

steamabacus

Personally, I don't like to layer on reverb too heavily - I find it creates too much 'glue' which can 'gum up' the mix too much. I do use multiple delays though (up to 4, in stereo) - that seems to leave more room in the mix while still sounding big and expansive.

Other than delay, my single most important pedal for ambient sounds is a volume pedal to control the note attack.

Also, if you use a looper, you can create complex, highly textured ambient sounds simply by layering up simpler sounds one on top of the other - the 'orchestra' effect.

Matt_McG

Strymon Flint is maybe a bit steep, but, then again, I do like tremolo and the tremolo I have, I'm not mad keen on.

RV-6 is definitely one I've considered, as I've liked the sounds I've heard from it more than similarly priced other pedals (Polara, HOF).

lovebuzz

revers and delays.

affordable solutions:

Zoom G3 (new or old version)
Zoom cdr multistomp

both do reverbs and delays etc etc and can do several.effects at once.

the G3 includes a looper.

I cant see how a diy built would help, as reverb effects are digital.  unless, say, it's one with a belton brick chip instead of dsp

DarnWeight

Used?  For reverb, the V1 Neunaber stuff has come down a bit since the V2+EXP came out.  A Stereo WET will do ambient like nobody's business, plus you can flash them with the other algos...just one at a time with V1 though.  The aforementioned Zooms are particularly good for delays, plus you can stack/sync several of them which is, like, Ambient 101.  The Digitech Obscura is also lovely...solid build, really tweakable, small footprint, stereo in/out.  A touch of slow shallow phasing can add a nice bit of movement for ambient stuff too, without overpowering things...take your pick really.

markjohnson

Andy Othling's 'Ambient Tips' series on YouTube is the Haynes Manual of ambient guitar stuff. 

So his pedal choices are naturally a good place to start looking, and then go from there.



Cannot recommend highly enough

ToneControl

Can you get an Axefx? that can do all the complex time-based Fx you could ever need I would think

Or use PC-based FX set ups, in a DAW or using amplitube / guitarRig (or similar)

Matt_McG

AxeFX is a no go. I'm looking to keep the spend around the 200 quid ish mark.

Second hand Neunaber might be a go-er, though.

ToneControl

Matt_McG said:

AxeFX is a no go. I'm looking to keep the spend around the 200 quid ish mark.

Second hand Neunaber might be a go-er, though.

I loved my mate's Big Sky
I eventually bought one, but before that I got a "cloud reverby" type patch for my AxeFx2, and started to tweak it
after 6 or 12 months with the Big Sky, I sold it on, because the AxeFx2 patch sounded better

So: the reason I am telling you (since you have excluded the AxeFx2) is that I know what's in that patch, and that may be helpful:  

1. The Amp and cab blocks (set to brighter than usual, with less bass - you need a crisper sound to not saturate the reverb and delay), 
2. other optional FX
3. signal splits into 3:  
4. 2 parallel delays which then feed into a chorus and a reverb 
5. the other parallel signal bypasses those, and joins back at the end: this is the dry part, so changing the reverb output volume affects the dry/wet mix

The delays are both "Multidelay" set to "Diffusor", with different time settings, and 100% "master feedback"
The chorus is a bit of analog stereo 
the reverb is "Stone quarry" 100% wet, at -6dB output

From the Axefx2 manual, Diffusor is 

"A diffuser uses feedback delays to increase density, “smearing” transients to create interesting reverb effects. At certain time and feedback settings, taps can be heard individually, but the diffusor is typically used to create a lush blanket of sound. This algorithm chains four diffusors in series and controls the matrix with a single feedback parameter. MASTER FEEDBACK – Sets the feedback amount to determine density. Together with the individual delay time settings, this determines the character of the effect and the amount of “smear.”"

I had tried previously to get some of these ambient FX with separate pedals, but since I had the AF2, it was easier to experiment with it. Another option could be buying some cheap but good delay pedals, and mixing them back together?

Also amplitube and guitar rig may be an option

timbuk02

Specular Tempus reverb/delay ? Some great demos with ambient-scape playing

sticker

If its just to experiment have you thought of the Zoom MS-50CDR ?

Jonathanthomas83

You don't need to go expensive with this. I've been doing ambient, atmo, soundtrack stuff for years and I've found that a digital delay of any kind (TC Nova Delay, maybe, as it can do analog voicing too), as long as it has a mix knob and can do plenty of repeats, plate reverb and maybe a chorus for a bit of texture at times. I also like a compressor sometimes too.

EDIT: I'm now an Axe FX user with no pedals at all. I've had the Big Sky and Timeline and yes, people swear by them, but they're not all they're cracked up to be IMO. Here's a few of my favourites:

- DIG
- Nova Delay
- El Cap
- Mooer Ensemble King
- Boss RV-5
- Neunaber WET
- Flint

But the above are expensive, as you know. I'd imagine you can do it cheaper.

builttospill

I've got an older Neunaber Wet... the 2 knob version no tone control and it's the best most simple to use ambient reverbs I've ever laid my hands on.

builttospill

Teetonetal said:

The obne procession is the most disappointing pedal I've owned. It is crying out for a reverb to fx mix knob. Without it I found it useless
.
Go 2nd hand:
Boss rv5 has a cracking modulated reverb. Boss PS3 for some pitchshifted reverse delay.

More spendy are the neunaber immerse or v4 wet pedals.

Do it all solution might be the mooer ocean machine.

Agree regarding the procession... I enjoyed the hold function for a couple of uses but then the novelty quickly wore off...  to me it didn't feel like a reverb and it felt a bit gimmicky and I hated those filters.