Which pedal are you buying next, for your synths?

[Arpangel]

Pedals have taken over from Eurorack as my main source of GAS.
I’ll keep this short, I’m now lusting after a Specular Tempus, but I’m wondering what choices others are making for use with synth's, I’m particularly addicted to delays, what other effects are your favourites for keyboards?

[The Elf]

I've sold a lot of my pedals now, but my favourites used to be:
EH Clone Theory
MXR Phase 100
MXR Distortion+
Boss CE-1
Boss Dimension C

Now I have a MIDIVerb 4 in my rack and a Line 6 Helix on the floor. The Helix does everything my pedals ever did, but it's much, much easier to live with.

For live I also have a Digitech RP500 and RP1000 I can draft in, should I need it. More often I use plug-ins within Cantabile, which has made playing live a breeze, and taken set-up time down to a handful of minutes.

[nathanscribe]

I've been through more pedals than I can remember, but at the moment I've got a few Boss compacts, some Yamaha 01 series, some EHX, Moogerfoogers... other bits and bobs. Mostly delay, chorus, phase, flange. Some EQ and comp. A couple of OD/distortion. The main oddities are the Moog ring mod and MURF (modulated filter bank).

The MURF is great for evolving stuff that would otherwise be rather static. I got good mileage out of the Strymon El Capistan for several years until I replaced it with an actual tape echo and spring reverb. Their Volante looks good, but I'll stick with the genuinely wonky old stuff.

For reverb I tend to use rack units, but I do like pedals for modulation effects.

[Arpangel]

Trouble is, I’m not sure if I have room or need anymore? But every day there’s an interesting one that seems to do something new, or, something old, in a new way!

[mick.n]

A brake pedal that will hopefully stop me from buying more synths.

[ManFromGlass]

On the bright (?) side. It appears that the production run of Specular Tempus is all sold. Lusting after that one, too.

[Arpangel]

On the bright (?) side. It appears that the production run of Specular Tempus is all sold. Lusting after that one, too.

I know, damn!
I’m after an EHX Ring Thing, and a Moog delay, if I can find one.

[BillB]

I have to own up, every time I hear a synth through a Strymon Big Sky or Blue Sky I go “oooooh”. On the one hand it is kind of old hat, and on the other it can be instant blade runner, which is a sound I still lust after. Not really interested in Shimmer, that is badly over-used, but I do like the unworldly smoothness and length of the Strymon reverbs I have heard. Also love the stereo in/out. Sticking a stereo synth through a mono-in pedal does my head in.

Having said that, I can’t really justify £300-400 on an FX pedal. I am wondering whether the Korg NTS-1 (£100) could scratch that itch, but I haven’t heard a really good demo that isolates the FX and runs the reverbs at full decay. If you come across any, please post a link.

It is intriguing that the NTS-1 is also a development platform, not only for third-party DSP modelling, but also the actual physical controls can be altered. There are some interesting examples on the Korg website, including a Mod/Delay/Reverb FX pedal!

[The Elf]

I like what I've heard from the Big Sky, but I can get pretty much the same sound from my Helix - which means I can also get it from Helix Native. If you're a Helix hardware user you can get Helix Native relatively cheaply.

Not a hardware pedal reply, but might be of interest.

[BillB]

No Helix here.

I suspect I could get the reverb sound(s) I am after with a Valhalla VST reverb, but I do like plugging wires between boxes.... silly, really.

[The Elf]

Yep, Valhalla remains my most used software reverb.

Well, I can definitely recommend Helix in any of its variants for keys. These days my entire live rig can run through one!

[ManFromGlass]

I really like the efficiency of in-the-box but there is something about pedals with wires everywhere and knobs. Not owning a synth with knobs I am finding much happiness with pedal knobs. And just pulling out a wire and sticking it elsewhere as it makes a click as it slides home!

[Arpangel]

No Helix here.

I suspect I could get the reverb sound(s) I am after with a Valhalla VST reverb, but I do like plugging wires between boxes.... silly, really.

No, you won’t, I’ve got the a Big Sky, and Valhalla Room and Vintage Verb, totally different vibes.
If you want a slightly cheaper pedal that can take you to similar places, I said "similar", try the Neunabor Immerse, it’s more of an Eventide flavour that one, worth a try.
The Big Sky is a unique, and truly beautiful pedal, that can’t be replicated, it’s a means of transportation, I would try and get one, don’t waste your money on anything else, if this is the sound you’re after.

[Dan LB]

I mainly use a Big Sky, a Timeline, a Shallow Water, and a T-Rex Sweeper, but right now I’m lusting after a Hologram Microcosm

https://www.hologramelectronics.com/microcosm

I’d also love a Strymon Mobius at some stage.

[Arpangel]

I mainly use a Big Sky, a Timeline, a Shallow Water, and a T-Rex Sweeper, but right now I’m lusting after a Hologram Microcosm

https://www.hologramelectronics.com/microcosm

I’d also love a Strymon Mobius at some stage.

Hmmm? That’s just on the edge of not being a "proper" pedal, by that I mean dead simple!
I try to stick to knobs and when I see a display I start to loose interest, the Big Sky being an exception.

[Dan LB]

Hmmm? That’s just on the edge of not being a "proper" pedal, by that I mean dead simple!
I try to stick to knobs and when I see a display I start to loose interest, the Big Sky being an exception.

????

There’s no ‘display’ on it......

[Adam Inglis]

Wow, that looks interesting!

Thanks to someone here raving about it (?Arpangel or BillB?) I bought a Big Sky a while ago.
Absolutely gorgeous - but a huge plus is the very effective tweakability of the thing via all those wonderful knobs. It is now sitting on a bracket next to my mixer, plumbed permanently into an aux buss, for instant gratification while mixing.

Other aux busses feature a TC phaser into a Boss Super chorus, stereo return, massive.
A Boss Dimension C into an SPL Vitalizer, redefines stereo! - but careful with that width knob, the universe starts to fold in on itself.
A surprising one is a modified Boss CE-2 (the vibrato mod - which just consists of cutting an internal track). Panning this against the dry signal gives a really gorgeous stereo effect, especially for bass synths, and doesn't disappear in mono.

[Arpangel]

Wow, that looks interesting!

Thanks to someone here raving about it (?Arpangel or BillB?) I bought a Big Sky a while ago.
Absolutely gorgeous - but a huge plus is the very effective tweakability of the thing via all those wonderful knobs. It is now sitting on a bracket next to my mixer, plumbed permanently into an aux buss, for instant gratification while mixing.

Other aux busses feature a TC phaser into a Boss Super chorus, stereo return, massive.
A Boss Dimension C into an SPL Vitalizer, redefines stereo! - but careful with that width knob, the universe starts to fold in on itself.
A surprising one is a modified Boss CE-2 (the vibrato mod - which just consists of cutting an internal track). Panning this against the dry signal gives a really gorgeous stereo effect, especially for bass synths, and doesn't disappear in mono.

I know that pedal doesn’t have a display, but it looks complicated, pedals should be obvious at first glance, when you think about it, after all, they are designed to go on a dark floor!
We’re back to programming again, it’s not what it’s all about.
Martin, are you like me? gets a bit insecure if there aren’t input level meters on effects? I do, and I miss rack units for that.

[ManFromGlass]

I’m finding the more interesting pedals would be a pain in the back if they were on the floor. They’ve become schizophrenic in the very least because they need to be reachable by hand and yet they still have footswitches on them.
The biggest downside I’m finding with these pedals is that they don’t have enough controller pedal inputs. Some companies are making multi footswitches to control their pedals.
So now we have pedals on the floor to control pedals that should or shouldn’t be on the floor! It’s a Brave and awesome sounding new world!

[Martin Walker]

Martin, are you like me? gets a bit insecure if there aren’t input level meters on effects? I do, and I miss rack units for that.

Not sure if this was intended for me, but hey, here's go anyway

Actually I do get a bit insecure even with 'analogue-modeled' plug-in effects if there's no level indicator. It doesn't have to be a meter (sometimes even signal present/overload indicators are quite sufficient), but if you have little idea of the intended drive levels you can end up doing a lot of experimentation to find out when the developer/manufacturer intended.

I've used plug-ins that end up abandoned for master buss work because they sound harsh, only to later discover that the maker intended them for 'line level' work round about -18dBFS, where they sound lovely. But how are we supposed to know that unless there's level indication or at the very least a mention in the manual of recommended input level?

Answers on a postcard please

Others provide both input and output level controls so you can use them successfully over a wide range of input levels, but once again a level indicator can be vital so you know that you're driving the gear (plug-in OR hardware) in a 'sensible' manner. Yes, of course we can use our ears, and do tests at various input levels, but it ought to be easier than this.

Martin

[Drew Stephenson]

What is this 'manual' you speak of?

[Arpangel]

I don’t know, life....
Just as I’m selling my newly bought Minim pedal, I did a couple of really interesting tracks with it yesterday.
My cheaply acquired Moog Grandmother is doing sterling service, and has more than paid for itself in terms of music produced, and yesterday, I was transported to nirvana on a raft of heavenly tape style delays and modulations, it was 1975 all over again, so the record button was duly pressed. Again, it’s in keeping with the wildly abstract soundscapes I’m doing lately, and I think, I’m on the way to another CD, that’s two in under a month.
So the Minim is staying, there’s nothing like trying to sell something to make you realise how wonderful it really is.