Lo-Fi Warbly Modulation (for someone who doesn’t like modulation that much)

BintyTwanger77

I’m after the above, basically. I don’t use much modulation beyond tremolo (I’ve got my amp for that), but I would like something to give some warm, lofi chorus/vibrato movement to my sound: it would also be great if it were suitable for playing the odd Cocteau Twins/Cure tune. The pedals I have on the list are

Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl (not sure which version would be best)
Fairfield Shallow Water 
Zvex Instant LoFi Junky

Are these the best pedals for the job, or are there other suggestions that I’m missing here?

ICBM

Boss BF-2

MattBanshee

Clari-Not (if you can find one), or an Ezhi & Aka Flutter (if you can prise it out of my cold, dead hands)

BintyTwanger77

ICBM said:

Boss BF-2

Really? It sounds more “hifi” from demos, and it doesn’t sound very warbly or like you could get pitch vibrato from it. Am I missing something?

Fuengi

What about the Walrus pedals? Julia or Lillian I think are both modulation? 

JezWynd

BintyTwanger77 said:

ICBM said:

Boss BF-2

Really? It sounds more “hifi” from demos, and it doesn’t sound very warbly or like you could get pitch vibrato from it. Am I missing something?

The BF-2 wouldn’t be my first choice (or 2nd or 3rd). The Moog MF Flange can do a modulated warble but gets extreme very quickly.

The ZVex LoFi does a very nice modulated sound. It also has a fabulous compressor. Getting a good balance between the two is tricky as the compression drops off sharply as the vibrato blends in. But if the compression side of it doesn’t bother you then it’s a good choice.

ICBM

BintyTwanger77 said:

Really? It sounds more “hifi” from demos, and it doesn’t sound very warbly or like you could get pitch vibrato from it. Am I missing something?

I think so... it can be quite gritty and warbly sounding. It's also the exact pedal that the Cure and the Cocteau Twins used.

BintyTwanger77

JezWynd said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

ICBM said:

Boss BF-2

Really? It sounds more “hifi” from demos, and it doesn’t sound very warbly or like you could get pitch vibrato from it. Am I missing something?

The BF-2 wouldn’t be my first choice (or 2nd or 3rd). The Moog MF Flange can do a modulated warble but gets extreme very quickly.

The ZVex LoFi does a very nice modulated sound. It also has a fabulous compressor. Getting a good balance between the two is tricky as the compression drops off sharply as the vibrato blends in. But if the compression side of it doesn’t bother you then it’s a good choice.

The compression side was what had me in two minds, I play through an AC15 and it’s pretty bright and compressed on the cleans as it is.

Moe_Zambeek

I found the Zvex instant lofi far too compressed even with it setup for minimal compression. It’s a lovely sound but it was just too squashed sounding for me.

I have a Julia v2 which has a decent chorus and excellent vibrato. I really like it. Simple to use and a good range of usable sounds. 

I also have a Subdecay Starlight flanger which is also really nice and has some interesting step and random sample and hold options too.

I’d recommend looking at the Julia. 

lasermonkey

I can't say I've ever listened to the Cocteaus or The Cure and thought "lo-fi" when it comes to modulation. If you want a cheap way of getting some of those tones, the Behringer VB-2 clone is well worth getting (it's bang-on, sound wise) as is their CC300 Dimension C clone. You could probably get both for fifty quid second hand, which kinda makes sense if they're going to be used infrequently.

That said, I really like the Shallow Water demos I've heard. Instant Boards Of Canada remix in a box!

BintyTwanger77

@JezWynd You mentioned the Moog: I used to have a MF Chorus and think that might do the job, but the discontinued Minifoogers are like hen’s teeth now and get put on sale for daft prices on Reverb/eBay now.

JezWynd

BintyTwanger77 said:

JezWynd said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

ICBM said:

Boss BF-2

Really? It sounds more “hifi” from demos, and it doesn’t sound very warbly or like you could get pitch vibrato from it. Am I missing something?

The BF-2 wouldn’t be my first choice (or 2nd or 3rd). The Moog MF Flange can do a modulated warble but gets extreme very quickly.

The ZVex LoFi does a very nice modulated sound. It also has a fabulous compressor. Getting a good balance between the two is tricky as the compression drops off sharply as the vibrato blends in. But if the compression side of it doesn’t bother you then it’s a good choice.

The compression side was what had me in two minds, I play through an AC15 and it’s pretty bright and compressed on the cleans as it is.

I love the compression from the LoFi, I had one exclusively for that sound with it set full counter clockwise but it does drop off noticeably as soon as you start to introduce the vibrato.

Not sure exactly what flavour of warble you’re looking for but check out the Boss Vibrato, VB-2w. That does a cool vibrato sound and the momentary mode is very useful.

BintyTwanger77

lasermonkey said:

I can't say I've ever listened to the Cocteaus or The Cure and thought "lo-fi" when it comes to modulation. If you want a cheap way of getting some of those tones, the Behringer VB-2 clone is well worth getting (it's bang-on, sound wise) as is their CC300 Dimension C clone. You could probably get both for fifty quid second hand, which kinda makes sense if they're going to be used infrequently.

That said, I really like the Shallow Water demos I've heard. Instant Boards Of Canada remix in a box!

Ah, just to clarify, I was looking for something that gave me different options of Cocteau Twins sounds AND lofi as well.

stickyfiddle

Surprised no mentions of the Deco yet. Absolutely the best “vintage wobble” sounds available imo. 

Not quite a flange, phase or chorus but utterly fantastic 

brojangles

You can set up a lo fi warble sound with El Capistan too - shortest delay time, no feedback, full mix, add wow and flutter, tape crinkle and tape age to taste. 

BintyTwanger77

brojangles said:

You can set up a lo fi warble sound with El Capistan too - shortest delay time, no feedback, full mix, add wow and flutter, tape crinkle and tape age to taste. 

I’ve already got a Timeline (which come to think of it can probably give me a Cure-style chorus with the Dual delay engine) and I have a Jam Delay Llama Xtreme incoming, so not sure about another delay, but it is amazing how much the El Capistan can do.

Teetonetal

Lo-fi junky would be my first port of call.

The mini foogers are good, but I would not say lo-fi. They have very distinct sounds.

The CB stuff didn't do it for me, though the wv 2 was my favourite.

BintyTwanger77

stickyfiddle said:

Surprised no mentions of the Deco yet. Absolutely the best “vintage wobble” sounds available imo. 

Not quite a flange, phase or chorus but utterly fantastic 

Ooh, another Strymon... does it do those lovely fluttery pitch warbles?

joetele

Lofi Junky for me too. 

joetele

Oh also on the advice of @ICBM I'm expecting a Boss CE3 which apparently if you use output B and setting 2 (II) can give you the Lofi warbly effect. And it does a lush chorus on normal settings, so maybe that would cover those bases? 

dangriffiths

The GFI will do all that and mix two algorithms if required so you can a dimension C type sound and add lofi/warped.