rewind

by 44ofjuly

There was a top ten list from 2005. As much as I would like to take a step back and come up with a list for 2006, the stuff that I could write about was pretty limited. Not that no new gadgets have gotten my attention, but a lack of gear funds means more dreaming than buying, and no playing. Perhaps the only consolation is that there’s more time to get more sounds with the ones I already have. Inspiration often comes from mismatching pedals and random tweaking of knobs and such stuff. A pathetic way of trying to stay positive, you might think… but so be it!

Don’t expect any top 10 lists though. I’m just doing my best with a couple of stuff that has given me some fun and laughter and ultimately, inspiration for making some noise, sound, music and whatever. And so, let see…

More is still more and beyond

I have always liked pedals that have a lot of functions and options for shaping sounds and among all the pedals that I have come across in 1996, a certain tremolo pedal definitely falls into this category of “More is still more”. The Empress Effects Tremolo!

Worthy of an in depth review by itself, the Empress Tremolo has quite a number of features to satisfy tremolo lovers around. For the price, it’s hard competition for most standalone tremolo pedals. Not the case of being a jack of all trades but a master of none, instead, the master of all lies in this deliciously looking orange enclosure. From choppy to smooth, asymmetrical sounding to tube tremolo sounds, tap tempo to ramping effects and more, there will never be enough that can be written about this pedal. Play it!

For anyone interested, check out the sound clips available on their website: (http://www.empresseffects.com)

Walking one path the other side in return

Among the many effects manufacturers, one of my favourites has to be Electro-Harmonix. For over 30 years, it has produced many memorable effects. Carrying on this tradition, the Harmonic Octave Generator came by in 2006 (and reviewed a couple of months back). It can do quite a number of things, but the challenge is to work its magic into your music. In short, I love it!

How the East was won

The best things for 2006 was seeing the coming of Om Laboratories with its 7 levels (with the first one, Saharsrara Overdrive pedal that appeared in August this year) and getting to know the person behind Goosoniqueworx, being inspired in creating music with the pedals that I have gotten from him. Best of all, both pedal makers are living on this tiny island but making stuff that’s on par with the rest of the stuff that are made far away on the other side of the globe. (Ed: We sooooo deserve an endorsement!)

Part 1: Om Laboratories

I think there’s more that Om Laboratories has to offer. I hope 2007 will see more Om Lab creations to appear and satisfy my indulgence. In the meantime, having the previous incarnation of the Saharsrara Overdrive should tide me over till the next Om Laboratories pedal comes along. Not in the year 2010 or 2020, I hope!

Part 2: Goosoniqueworx

Amongst the pedals that I have gotten in 2006, 2 pedals definitely stand out. One pedal being the Noise Therapy (reviewed in the last issue) and the other gadget that doesn’t produce any sound by itself, but yet is the heart and soul of my setup: The Goosoniqueworx Blend pedal.

Oh yeah, you ain’t seeing the wrong thing. It’s a Boss volume pedal in the centre, where the volume knob was replaced with a stomp switch and a “zheng”ed (Hokkien for ‘modified’) interior with the blend circuit in it.

As mentioned earlier, this blend circuit is the center of my setup. Bridging the gap between different effect pedals, dry and wet signal; it gives me the freedom to control the way that I want my effects to react, interact and anywhere in between.

While a looper pedal has been pretty useful, the Blend pedal definitely makes it more fun for my “one man indulgence” sound building act.

Unlike the usual A/B box, the blend pedal allows anywhere in between. After some re-arrangement of my pedals and having the Blend pedal in the middle setting, it’s as good as having 2 different sounds playing at the same time but yet using just one instrument. Adding in a looper pedal, the possibilities are frightening.

Anyway, too many words kill. Have a listen to the clip that was done with the Blend pedal with absolute minimal indulgence. No overdubbing or post tweaking was done. Everything was recorded straight into my 8 track machine, one guitar, a couple of pedals and the Blend pedal.

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=4271513&q=hi

After using this pedal for a few months, the only bad thing that I can think of is that one is definitely not enough. Anyone got any hollow Boss volume or wah pedals for sale? Let me know.

Noise pain Noise

Whatever I have to say about the Noise Therapy, it’s been said in the last issue. Noise makers, you know you want it!

In the mean time, anyone interested to check out more Goosoniqueworx pedals, just get in touch with da boss at goosonique@yahoo.com.sg

Tone generator went up the expressway

Bumblefoot made me do it! While I can’t try to play the guitar seriously, the idea of playing a fretless guitar seemed really exciting. And with that, this beautiful Crafted In Japan Fender Telecaster went through a transformation (through the good hands of Malcolm Tan), turning it into a different sounding instrument.

Gone are the typical characteristics of how a Telecaster is. It sounds pretty mellow and intimate. The sound clip for the blend pedal was done with the fretless Tele by the way. While fretting techniques need to be more accurate to sound in tune, this wasn’t too much once you are used to the feel. In short, this tone generator rocks!

Nothing too fancy or over the top, but the abovementioned items have been seeing some extra playing time over the rest of the gear that came my way in 2006. Whatever next year is going to bring… Perhaps I might just give up everything and go into baking bread at home. Homemade bread seriously rocks too…

Have a good end to the year and hopefully, 2007 will be better, if not on par, with 2005, rather than 2006.