Synth / Organ Pedals

monquixote

I really need something to replace the B9 that died on me for putting organ/synth pads under my chords, but I can't make my mind up. 

I'd kind of like a C9 or a Pitch Fork, but I'm sworn off EHX because of the shit build quality having been let down one too many times in the past.

I need something robust, compact and not stupidly expensive. 

So far the Boss Overtone and EQD Organizer are the obvious standouts.

I know Greg Koch and GG just do it with Chorus/Vibe pedals, but I'm not that talented

Ideas?

shady

I use a Boss PS-6 for organ stuff along with m'flanger for a Leslie type effect, PGS has a demo showing it off to good use...has a bunch of other weird shit you're never gonna use mind...

steamabacus

I've no personal experience with it but the Zoom MS50G has an organ effect.

monquixote

steamabacus said:

I've no personal experience with it but the Zoom MS50G has an organ effect.

If it's the same as the one on the G3 then it's total balls. 

DesVegas

ms50g. do not buy it for its organ. buy it for its filters

gusman2x

Subdecay Octasynth looks cool. It's monophonic though, I don't know if the B9 was mono?

joeyowen

if you like the freeze esq sound but want to avoid EHX, ZCat do a nice hold reverb.

Roland synth pickup, but costs a lot.

Pitchfork? Although that's EHX.

This is hard

guitarfishbay

Surely the main ingredients are octave and modulation.  There is probably a bit of envelope filtering going on, but you might be able to leave it out depending on how synthy you need the attack.

So if you are ok with doing a bit of tap dancing you could make your own with a pitch shifter and a chorus pedal.  In series you'd have to have the pitch effect first then the chorus to get it to track properly, and you wouldn't be able to just pitch shift the octave signal without introducing weird routing, but IIRC when I tried using a Micro POG with a chorus it sounded pretty decent.

Not the most elegant solution but maybe worth consideration.

impmann

The Organizer (EQD) is fab - it sounds more like a church organ, though. You can shove a leslie or similar effect after it to make it sound more like a Hammond etc but it doesn't sound like a B9.

Out of curiosity what has gone wrong with your B9? Can't it be fixed?

Roland

joeyowen said:

Roland synth pickup, but costs a lot.

This does the job.  It's not cheap, even with second hand hex pickup and GR33.  It's not simple, because you need a second cable from the guitar, and cabling to feed either the guitar amp power stage, or the PA. However, having done all that, it does give you real synth sounds, including organ and strings, with the ability to fade and modulate with foot pedals.  

monquixote

gusman2x said:

Subdecay Octasynth looks cool. It's monophonic though, I don't know if the B9 was mono?

I would need something polyphonic much as I love Subdecay. 

guitarfishbay said:

So if you are ok with doing a bit of tap dancing you could make your own with a pitch shifter and a chorus pedal. 

I recently invested in a true bypass looper so that doesn't have to be a problem.

impmann said:

The Organizer (EQD) is fab - it sounds more like a church organ, though. You can shove a leslie or similar effect after it to make it sound more like a Hammond etc but it doesn't sound like a B9.

Out of curiosity what has gone wrong with your B9? Can't it be fixed?

I've got my money back on the B9 now. It could have been fixed, but I've had sufficient bad experiences with EHX and that coupled with a few niggles about it means I wanted something different. It is less of a concern now I have the TB looper so i could get a C9 which looks to be more versatile. 

The EQD does sound nice in the demos, but I'm slightly wary of the slight delay that it seems to have.

juansolo

<vulture mode>

What did you do with your broken B9?

</vulture mode>

Drew_TNBD

juansolo said:

<vulture mode>

What did you do with your broken B9?

</vulture mode>

Guessing he returned it for a refund

Hmmm... Nick if I was in your boat, I'd be trying to find an old EHX POG or something, one that was built before they turned to shit!

Or: Digitech Whammy DT plus a Boss chorus plus a DD2 or 3 with it's momentary hold mode? Can't remember which one it is, but one has a momentary hold mode which could take the place of any EHX Freeze action that you might need.

Wouldn't be exactly the same, but would sound cool!

Richardj

I have one of these - http://www.zcatpedals.com/?dir=view&id=poly-octaver-2 - on the way. Curious to see how close it can get and I can add extra 'verb from the Big Reverb TI and a bit of subtle vibrato from the amp.

monquixote

Drew_fx said:

juansolo said:

<vulture mode>

What did you do with your broken B9?

</vulture mode>

Guessing he returned it for a refund

Hmmm... Nick if I was in your boat, I'd be trying to find an old EHX POG or something, one that was built before they turned to shit!

Or: Digitech Whammy DT plus a Boss chorus plus a DD2 or 3 with it's momentary hold mode? Can't remember which one it is, but one has a momentary hold mode which could take the place of any EHX Freeze action that you might need.

Wouldn't be exactly the same, but would sound cool!

Yeah I got store credit and used it to buy something else (which arrived broken, but that's another saga)

Has there ever been a time when EHX weren't shady on reliability?

I do quite fancy a POG and the Echolution 2 (should it ever arrive) can do some interesting shimmer effects so we shall see what can be achieved.

hugbot

guitarfishbay said:

Surely the main ingredients are octave and modulation.  There is probably a bit of envelope filtering going on, but you might be able to leave it out depending on how synthy you need the attack.

So if you are ok with doing a bit of tap dancing you could make your own with a pitch shifter and a chorus pedal.  In series you'd have to have the pitch effect first then the chorus to get it to track properly, and you wouldn't be able to just pitch shift the octave signal without introducing weird routing, but IIRC when I tried using a Micro POG with a chorus it sounded pretty decent.

Not the most elegant solution but maybe worth consideration.

In my opinion though organ sounds are a lot about the attack/decay of the instrument, and how different it is from the attack of a guitar.

SquireJapan

hugbot said:

In my opinion though organ sounds are a lot about the attack/decay of the instrument, and how different it is from the attack of a guitar.

I have the EQD Organizer ... you're right, the attack is the main thing. I can only make it sound like an organ if I use volume swells.

If I'm honest, it's the only EQD pedal that's not doing it for me - and of course it's the only one I bought without playing it first...

english_bob

Drew_fx said:

Or: Digitech Whammy DT plus a Boss chorus plus a DD2 or 3 with it's momentary hold mode? Can't remember which one it is, but one has a momentary hold mode which could take the place of any EHX Freeze action that you might need.

Wouldn't be exactly the same, but would sound cool!

From memory, the DD-3 hold mode doesn't mute/bypass/otherwise divert the incoming dry signal when you engage the hold, so each new note you play gets added to whatever you already had "in the hold". To do what the Freeze  does you'd need to invent all kinds of weird and wonderful signal routing jiggery-pokery.

EricTheWeary

T Rex have a new compact pedal the Quint. Certainly advertised for organ sounds but is octave up and down plus fifths IIRC. Terrible name though.

Drew_TNBD

english_bob said:

Drew_fx said:

Or: Digitech Whammy DT plus a Boss chorus plus a DD2 or 3 with it's momentary hold mode? Can't remember which one it is, but one has a momentary hold mode which could take the place of any EHX Freeze action that you might need.

Wouldn't be exactly the same, but would sound cool!

From memory, the DD-3 hold mode doesn't mute/bypass/otherwise divert the incoming dry signal when you engage the hold, so each new note you play gets added to whatever you already had "in the hold". To do what the Freeze  does you'd need to invent all kinds of weird and wonderful signal routing jiggery-pokery.

True true!

juansolo

monquixote said:

Drew_fx said:

juansolo said:

<vulture mode>

What did you do with your broken B9?

</vulture mode>

Guessing he returned it for a refund

Hmmm... Nick if I was in your boat, I'd be trying to find an old EHX POG or something, one that was built before they turned to shit!

Or: Digitech Whammy DT plus a Boss chorus plus a DD2 or 3 with it's momentary hold mode? Can't remember which one it is, but one has a momentary hold mode which could take the place of any EHX Freeze action that you might need.

Wouldn't be exactly the same, but would sound cool!

Yeah I got store credit and used it to buy something else (which arrived broken, but that's another saga)

Has there ever been a time when EHX weren't shady on reliability?

I do quite fancy a POG and the Echolution 2 (should it ever arrive) can do some interesting shimmer effects so we shall see what can be achieved.

You've got to try

Anyone with a flakey B9/C9 they want to pass on for peanuts, I'm yer man