#Where to put ehx microsynth in chain how to

It all comes down to taste but I would recommend transistor units for single coils and finger picking and optical units for humbuckers and if youâ€™re using a lot of gain pedals. There are no rules as to what type of compression you should use for specific amps, guitars or musical styles. There are also FET and tube units although these are rare among pedals. Optical compressors, based around light dependent resistors, are smoother and more subtle, much like the studio outboard units. Compressors based around a transistor circuit, like the DynaComp, are often favoured by finger pickers, for their fast and aggressive compression. There are mainly two types of compressor pedals. What type of compressor should you choose? Read more about Davidâ€™s Rattle That Lock gear in this in-depth feature. Using compression throughout the set and setting the amount of compression high, allow him to use less gain from his overdrive and distortion pedals and get a more focused and cutting tone, emphasising on the mid range. On the recent Rattle That Lock tour, compressors are a dominating part of Davidâ€™s tone. The pedals were now placed first in the chain. Perhaps he mainly used it for cleans or, that they simply werenâ€™t used to compressor pedals and set it up much like a studio unit, compressing the entire signal and the front end of the amp for a better balance and more headroom.ĭuring the 80s and 90s David experimented with several different compressor pedals in his rigs for different tones and applications, sometimes using two or all three compressors at once, like the intro on Time. The pedal seems to have been placed somewhere in the middle of his effects chain. His first unit was a mid 70s MXR (scrip logo) DynaComp. David Gilmour and compressorsĭavid Gilmour has been using compressor pedals since early 1977, during the Animals tour. Some modern units also offer more controls and often a blend function, which will retain that crisp attack of your picking and allow you to dial in the right amount of compression. The sustain is basically one control for all the controls you have on your studio unit, while the volume can be used to compensate or boost. These had two controls – sustain and volume. However, the amplifying of the lower frequencies, will make the overall volume sound more consistent and fatter and therefore, make it stand out more in a mix, with more mid range and sustain.Ĭompressors for guitar started to appear in the mid 70s, with the MXR DynaComp and Ross Compressor among others. Peaking transients will be smoother, making the signal to appear lower in volume.

#Where to put ehx microsynth in chain how to

In this feature weâ€™ll look at a handful of models and how to incorporate these in your rig, with David Gilmourâ€™s tones in mind.Ī compressor controls the dynamic range of a sound by making the quiet notes louder and the louder notes more quiet. I could probably keep going about the particulars but that’s the basic gist of my process.A compressor may not be on the top of your list but it really is a powerful tool for enhancing and sculpting your tone. The detune function on the Pol圜horus is also really handy at helping create the detuned oscillator vibe that I love about analog synths. The top-line synth parts were made the same way, basically with MicroSynth programming and EHX pedals for coloration. The POG-2 added the octaves below for a more convincing synth bass sound. Next I made a squelchy, resonant synth bass sound ala the Roland TB-303 with the MicroSynth. The SuperEgo and Holy Grail gave the comps an extended decay with washy ambience. With the POG-2, I made some organ sounds and comped some chords. No looping! The Big Muff Pi came in handy for these sounds too! Mind you, I played all the ‘drum’ sounds straight through. Then in the same fashion made a 12-bit-like HH sound and recorded it. Next I filtered the MicroSynth to have a higher frequency cutoff for my snare sound, eq’d the amp accordingly, recorded that. Then played and recorded a four-on-the-floor bass drum pattern to a click track. Ran the guitar through an ‘80s Fender 75 with the bass rolled up, mids a little less than half-way, and treble about one-quarter.

Then I filtered the MicroSynth to get a low frequency tone as my bass drum sound. To start, I tuned down my E-string, muted all the strings with a strip of foam so that I got a dull thump.

“I played the Caius guitar with built-in MicroSynth plugged into a chain of all my EHX pedals. Here are pics of Chico’s guitar and pedalboard. Chico Mann, a prolific afrobeat artist, turned us on to a tune he did using his guitar with its built-in EHX MicroSynth.