Is there a "Distortion" pedal you *Won't* use?

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:46 pm

Inspired by this thread, I figure it might be easier to rule some out?

seaneldon · Post by **seaneldon** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:50 pm

unless the band absolutely insists on using THEIR AMP with THEIR DISTORTION PEDAL, i usually do "dirty" tracks through an amp that's dirty already. for instance, if they wanna use a pedal to get overdrive sounds out of their shitty one channel solid state peavey amp, i will insist they go into my blonde bassman or orange ad30 which can get much better "dirty" sounds naturally.

if they really want to use a pedal, i do have some inhouse stuff that is all selected by me. it's mostly snob-guitar-guy shit. fulltone ocd, that budda pedal with the preamp tubes, or a visual sound jekyll and hyde. they sound pretty good recorded.

i refuse to use a boss ds-1, or anything made by digitech.

if a band comes in with a pod or modeling device, i can convince them to do it MY way 95% of the time. the other 5% usually go to other studios who don't care how the records sound.

covert · Post by **covert** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:05 am

For a start, any pedal that says metal or some variant on it (exception: Danelectro Black Liquorice Metal). Next if it says metal and digital or some variant of that. Third I tend to hate Big Muffs. Fourth most Boss Distortion variants. The OD's can be okay.

helmuth · Post by **helmuth** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:14 am

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:28 am

A lot of people like the Danelectro Fab-Tone, but I do not. The rest of the Danelectro line, for the most part, are quite fine by me.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:29 pm

By the way, guys, I happen to collect crappy distortion pedals. If you have any that you hate and don't want and would like to donate to the cause, please get in touch with me. Seriously. I have a small, but pleasant selection. I'm in search of some that don't say "DOD" on them, but I'll take whatever. The crappier and more useless (short of not passing signal) the better.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

peterr · Post by **peterr** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:48 pm

cgarges wrote:By the way, guys, I happen to collect crappy distortion pedals. If you have any that you hate and don't want and would like to donate to the cause, please get in touch with me. Seriously. I have a small, but pleasant selection. I'm in search of some that don't say "DOD" on them, but I'll take whatever. The crappier and more useless (short of not passing signal) the better.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

lol.

Russian Recording · Post by **Russian Recording** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:49 pm

seaneldon wrote: if a band comes in with a pod or modeling device, i can convince them to do it MY way 95% of the time. the other 5% usually go to other studios who don't care how the records sound.

maybe those other studios care about making records sound the way the BAND wants them to sound.

I made a record with a band where this shredder dude thought his Line 6 amp was the shit. I didn't think it was the shit, in fact i thought it was shit. But it was his sound and his choice and it was my job to do what he wanted. Bands really respect an engineer that respects them. They came back to do a full length, and this time he had a Bogner. He learned from his own mistakes, and figured out what sounded good to HIM.

RE: Metal Zone
definately crap for guitars, but keep that fucker around for some drum machines or even kick durms or snares. Im telling you...

jaguarsg · Post by **jaguarsg** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:18 pm

Michael Gregory Bridavsky wrote: RE: Metal Zone
definately crap for guitars, but keep that fucker around for some drum machines or even kick drums or snares. Im telling you...

don't forget with keys; instant industrial.

linus · Post by **linus** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:41 am

People dis Line 6 all the time (I have no plans on buying one anytime soon) but when I saw Secret Machines at Coachella last year the guitar amps on stage were Line 6 and the sound was fantastic. If he came in with that sound I'd say cool. We'll do it your way.

If a guitarist comes into your studio and has a sh*t sound I think it's totally reasonable to say, "Hey, would you mind trying out this (insert boutique amp/pedal combination here) for a minute?" If he/she likes it cool, if not, they should be recorded with their own gear and the sound they want.

junkyardtodd · Post by **junkyardtodd** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:26 am

AstroDan wrote:A lot of people like the Danelectro Fab-Tone, but I do not. The rest of the Danelectro line, for the most part, are quite fine by me.

I hated my Fab Tone for actual live rock sounds, but when I plug it into my mid 50's Magnatone Student amp, I get instant "giant guitar" at incredibly low volume.

My MXR Distortion + also sounds really good through it. Isn't that supposed to be Bob Moulds pedal of choice?

Mark Alan Miller · Post by **Mark Alan Miller** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:38 am

jaguarsg wrote:
Michael Gregory Bridavsky wrote: RE: Metal Zone
definately crap for guitars, but keep that fucker around for some drum machines or even kick drums or snares. Im telling you...
don't forget with keys; instant industrial.

Don't take this personally, but no, it's simply instant fuzzy synths. Or instant crap "industrial".
Distortion does not industrial make. (Same applies to drums or vocals with distortion. Overused, cliche, and simply not required to make good "industrial".)
That being said, yes, sometimes a little fur on a synth sound can be a good thing. Been known to do it myself. It's like, yes, a lot of industrial has distorted stuff in it. But it isn't a defining element, IMO, nor is it required. I think it's leaned on waaaaay too much - an easy way to sound "aggro".

Just some thoughts.

ryanlikestorock · Post by **ryanlikestorock** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:39 am

My job is always to be sure that the band sounds the way they want to sound, then capturing that sound. The band is always right and I tend to have varying degrees of understanding of their ideas. Pretty ideal, I know... but true. I always hated bringing my band to a studio only to hear that the engineer hated my amp, etc.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:39 am

The mxr pedals are the weapon of choice for a surprisingly large number of the players featured at guitargeeks.com.

Bob Mould's "rig" as pictured there is remarkably complicated, although it is nowhere near as elaborate as Jerry Garcia's.

floid · Post by **floid** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:53 am

for instance, if they wanna use a pedal to get overdrive sounds out of their shitty one channel solid state peavey amp, i will insist they go into my blonde bassman or orange ad30 which can get much better "dirty" sounds naturally.

but some of us really do like those shitty peaveys! of course, in MS (home of peavey), they're a dime a dozen and it's pretty much a given that you'll have been through two or three of 'em before you find the one you like...and sure, sometimes they're not perfect for the job, but after years of playing thru 'em you get a feel for their limits, know their personality i suppose: i've got an old Studio Pro 25watt, a dinky little Rage that i loaded with an old shitty 1963 Jensen speaker (no bass response at all - complements the eq curve perfectly), and an Artist VT (granted, it's at least got tube power amp) that i put thru the cab of an old Pacer that rattles in the most sublime and haunting ways...oh, and whenever i'm doing drummachines, i'll at least try them on my old Basic 50, it's worked so well so many times in the past.
Are these my only amps? no way - i've got a sweet little BLues JR. and some old funky Guyatone too, along with the other amps that float in and out of the circle around here...but the point is each of those fine Peavey products i just mentioned do something that i can dig, and unless some 5grand boutique job falls outta the sky, i'll keep using them (and probably still would even then).

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Is there a "Distortion" pedal you Won't use?

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