Low Light
xtremehardy388
Posts: 2,759
Does anyone know what effect(s) Mike uses live? I know Boom has an organ and a piano but it sounds like Mike is using something like a phaser and wah but how does he get that "vintage mary-go-round" sound? I think it's spectacular.
Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
It has that "CArosel Waltz" sound that you are describing, also heard very clearly during the Black solo at Benroya HAll.
It's a gentle effect, with a magical tone, perfect for fatetning up clean tones.
It is a tube effect, and not cheap, but defintely worth every cent.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Here's another option:
http://www.gearwire.com/boss-rt20.html
People either really like this pedal, or really don't. The rotosphere and this boss pedal are both designed to emulate the sound of a leslie rotating speaker cabinet. Boom uses a real one which you can see from time to time in the 'Live at the Garden' video.
Whether or not you like this boss pedal depends on two things.
1. Sound on sound wrote a great review of this pedal a while back where they pointed out that judging authenticity in a leslie simulator is tricky since the sound of a leslie depends as much on where it's located in a room, the size of the room, and how it's mic'd. The Rotosphere has a sound you're already familiar with. This RT 20 has more of a "While My Guitar gently sleeps" type of Leslie sound. To my mind it is just gorgeous for getting late era Beatles tone from a strat. Definately mellower with less high end chirp than the Rotosphere. It's more of a vinatage British sea side merry go round, but definately still the merry go round sound.
2. The other thing to watch out for with this pedal is how you set it up in your chain. For some reason it really needs to be set up in an effects loop to be heard in all it's glory. There are probably folks on the board who can explain why better than me. All I know is that I own one, and when placed in a pedal chain before your amp it just turns into a tone muffler. Set it up in the effects loop and you are playing licks from 'The White Album' & 'Abbey Road'. There is an impedence switch for keyboard (line) vs. Guitar (instrument) level... but honestly this thing needs to be in an effects loop regardless in order to shine.
If you got to Harmony central you'll see that, like Line 6 stuff, this is one of those pedals that gets lots of 9's and 2's. The people who set it up correctly, in an effects loop, will give it top marks. People who put it in a chain before the amp will nuke it with low marks.
I mention Line 6 because of the similar deal with those pedals and power supplies. Used with an isolated proper power source those pedals sound fine, or at least 'hum' and noise free. Used in a power chain they sound horrible. Some people get that, some don't. The result in both situations is the harmony central numbers average out around 7 for pedals that perform a lot higher, so long as you know how to configure them.
By the way, just to be clear, lucyl is right. I'm almost positive you are thinking of the Rotosphere which Mike uses a lot. Is a brighter, chimey-er sounding pedal... perhaps a bit more warp and warbilier too. These pedals, the roto and the rt are definately different, but they are like different takes on Pizza. You might like both slices of the leslie sound. You might not. Definately worth taking each out for a test spin at a music store before buying.
On the plus side, so many people are down on the boss, you can find them for $150 sometimes on ebay. On the other hand, if you love a sound, sometimes there is no substitute. If you are trying to nail Mike's sound, it's the rotosphere you are after (oh... version II... there's a big difference).
Anyway... good luck. Should be fun testing things out either way!
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
1. Short Answer: For cheap? No.
2. Medium Answer: Nope.
3. Long Answer: Not Really... Depends on a few wiggle factors. Do you mean Boom's sound? Or keboard sounds in general? If you mean Boom's sound, my vote is see 1 and 2 above. Boom is playing a Hammond B3(ok... sometimes an Emu Hamond emulator),
That thar is a one in a billion vintage sound. That's why Boom is with the band.
If you are looking at trying to get some organlike sounds... well... yeah... you can *kinda* get something going on guitar... but you'll need to spend bucks.
Check out the Electro Harmonix Pog and or Hog. These pedals generate harmonic over and undertones. Run them through one of those leslie sim pedals and you are ... well maybe not in quite the same ball park... but at least at another ball park.
Another way to go might be to get into the wild and crazy world of midi guitars where you can trigger organ and or synth sounds (probably sample based unless you go crazy old school) via guitar... but that gets very dicey.
First you are looking at investing not only in some sort of guitar synth (probably roland) but you are going to need a guitar you are willing to drill into to mount a (roland) midi pickup.
Second, using a guitar to trigger midi is notoriously dicey and unreliable unless you are triggering the on board sounds of custom built roland guitar synths... which tend to sound little better than Casiotone territory.
If you go midi out from one of those units you can theoretically trigger the same emu hammond emulator boom uses (after spending the money to buy it that is) but you'll find that the midi tracking is "inspiration killing".
You might be able to use it for recording, where you are open to making several passes to nail it... but as a live option... no way... Midi tracking of outboard sounds from midi guitar interfaces is just too quirky and unreliable.
Oh... you could also check out the boss Harmonist pedals for an organ 'like' sound. Might be a little cheaper than the Hog, about the same as the Pog.
Again, won't be Hammond B3 quality, but run through a leslie sim it'll hint at the same idea.
Good luck.
I use high output humbuckers, and I only run the Rotosphere on clean, so I get away with running it up front. I do this because my signal goes into my board, and the final out might be connected to any of 4 different amps, depending on my mood. Running an effects loopp would require more cables and lots more connectign and disconnecting, and I can't be stuffed. TIhs way, I just plug'n'play !!
However, if I had weaker pups or singels etc, I would need to either run a clean boost in front of the Rotosphere, or put it in a loop. You can turn the gain up on the pedal, but it gets noisy, which you will read a lot of negative comments about.
If I was using it with a high gain tone, I might get teh same problem. Honestly, I don't find it a nice effect with higher gain stuff.
On a clean tone, it is like a fresh breeze off a snowfield.
I have no experience wiht teh BOSS, but I suspect that there is something ingtrinsic in the nature of this style of effect, that tone gets sucked, and boost at some point really helps. Putting it in the loop gives it a boost without amplifiing the noise.
BTW, when is Boom, going to be offically recognised as part of the band ?
I know they came kind of close with parts of 'Riot Act', but man I'd love to hear an album where they flat out integrate Boom as an equal contributer, and not just someone providing ornamentation.
Their cover of 'Interstellar Overdrive' is pretty cool.
I'm juast thinking that after an album and four or so years of touring, he really is part of the band. He is to me anyhoo !!
Coupla of the songs on teh last tour were done wiht just Ed and Boom prety much. I love keys in music, they add so much texture and interest, great tones, and nice melodic contrast to the vox and guitar parts.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
I hate to be picky, but unless there was a girl at your school called Mary, who used to go round, I'm thinking it is usually called a "merry-go-round" !
I still maintain the music hobby is cheap compared to racing anything !!!!!
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Love the Merry go hijack strategy. You'll definately put on a much more interesting show with one of those in your effects chain... though the stage setup and rider (no pun intended) will be a b#tch.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Depends on the pickups you are using as lucylespian said. Wooden horses can have nice sustain, esspecially if they are made of mahogany.
It is a very pretty sound, and while the big pedal is an expensive one-trick pony, it's a hell of a trick !!!!!
Hey, if you manage to steal a Mary-go-round, see if you can bag a showy (slang for side-show operator) with it, you might be able to use him as a roadie !!
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
i love it
hard to play the rhythm though
Even Flow Psycho Member #039
******Message Pit Australian Tour Members********
rumour starter President & Member #1
www.myspace.com/pappas99
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy