Man, my wallet hurts. (Pedal Content)

[JasonE]

I have been running a little wild for the past couple of months. This is a little out of character for me, well, maybe not so far out there.

I first got on a drive pedal bender. I really appreciate overdrives and have a pretty good collection of them. In this go around I found the first drive pedal that I had to own two of. That has never happened before. I liked it so well with different settings that I decided I needed one for each setting. I usually find that a pedal does something great at one setting and has a little variation on that and I use it for that thing it does great. These are the pedals that got added to the collection in the last 2 months.

Keeley AT Mod
Keeley AT Mod
JHS @
DryBell The Engine
Crowther Hot Cake

Then I got on a compressor binge. So I now have more compressor pedals incoming. Here are the ones that got added to the collection.
Origin Effects Cali76
Keeley Compressor Pro
Source Audio Atlas

Hopefully I am done for a good while. This round made my credit card smoke a little. I have never bought this many pedals in that short of a time frame. I nope I don't repeat this again any time soon.

I love the drives I bought and will be doing a big compressor shootout this week. I have also learned a good bit about compressor pedals through this. I am very familiar with rack mount and digital compressors in digital mixers and DAWs. Guitar pedals are a bit different and I have learned about some sort of hidden features in them. I am thinking about putting up an informative post on these things or making a video about it because to someone that knows and understand compressors these things were not obvious so I am sure I am not the only one that didn't or doesn't know these things. I will post more information once I get to play with these pedals and test all of this out and verify what I have learned.

 

[Greywolf]

Sound Investments ! And if you think Your wallet hurts ... we can chat over coffee sometime ... lol

 

[Tony M.]

Pedals...

 

[Greywolf]

I have a running "play money " account so when I see something special I jump on it ... that being said , when the bill comes in I still WINCE.

 

[JasonE]

I have a running "play money " account so when I see something special I jump on it ... that being said , when the bill comes in I still WINCE.

I have one of those too but I made all of these purchases from a different account.

 

[JasonE]

I also bought a 25' PRS Signature cable in this binge. I plan on buying an 18' as well soon. Then I think I will be done for a while.

Thankfully I haven't felt the need to buy a new guitar. I actually feel like I should sell some of the ones I have as well as purge some amps. Although I am now reconsidering two of the amps that I thought I might want to sell and I am not thinking about selling one I was going to keep... Ugh, life decisions.

 

[Lewguitar]

I have been running a little wild for the past couple of months. This is a little out of character for me, well, maybe not so far out there.

I first got on a drive pedal bender. I really appreciate overdrives and have a pretty good collection of them. In this go around I found the first drive pedal that I had to own two of. That has never happened before. I liked it so well with different settings that I decided I needed one for each setting. I usually find that a pedal does something great at one setting and has a little variation on that and I use it for that thing it does great. These are the pedals that got added to the collection in the last 2 months.

Keeley AT Mod
Keeley AT Mod
JHS @
DryBell The Engine
Crowther Hot Cake

Then I got on a compressor binge. So I now have more compressor pedals incoming. Here are the ones that got added to the collection.
Origin Effects Cali76
Keeley Compressor Pro
Source Audio Atlas

Hopefully I am done for a good while. This round made my credit card smoke a little. I have never bought this many pedals in that short of a time frame. I nope I don't repeat this again any time soon.

I love the drives I bought and will be doing a big compressor shootout this week. I have also learned a good bit about compressor pedals through this. I am very familiar with rack mount and digital compressors in digital mixers and DAWs. Guitar pedals are a bit different and I have learned about some sort of hidden features in them. I am thinking about putting up an informative post on these things or making a video about it because to someone that knows and understand compressors these things were not obvious so I am sure I am not the only one that didn't or doesn't know these things. I will post more information once I get to play with these pedals and test all of this out and verify what I have learned.

So are you liking the Hot Cake a little more?

 

[JasonE]

So are you liking the Hot Cake a little more?

I haven't been able to spend more time with it yet. I plan on doing that this weekend. I think the thing I was not liking about it is that I am not a big fan of fuzz pedals. That is probably because I tend to mostly play Fender amps or amps with Fender circuits in them. Fuzz pedals sound terrible through those circuits but sound glorious through a Marshall. I just may need to not push it too high on the gain knob and stay out of that fuzz territory. I plan on testing it out through my Twin Sister amp, which is a modified Marshall JTM45 circuit.

 

[JasonE]

Interesting. I don't hear it as being a fuzz pedal. I DO hear the Keeley Andy Timmons pedal as being a fuzz of sorts which is why I am selling mine. I like it, but not enough to keep it. (love the Halo delay though!) Also going to let a new Wampler Ego compressor go and a few other pedals, including a Teese Wah Wah.

What I hear from a fuzz that I don't like is the really distorted low end. That is what I was hearing when I cranked the gain up on it. I think the Hot Cake can definitely get into the fuzz territory from what I have heard so far and what I heard in some videos. I saw some folks talking about how it can go from light OD into fuzz territory and that is why they love it. From the little bit I got to play with it so far, I agree with that assessment.

 

[Lewguitar]

What I hear from a fuzz that I don't like is the really distorted low end. That is what I was hearing when I cranked the gain up on it. I think the Hot Cake can definitely get into the fuzz territory from what I have heard so far and what I heard in some videos. I saw some folks talking about how it can go from light OD into fuzz territory and that is why they love it. From the little bit I got to play with it so far, I agree with that assessment.

Yeah, i don't crank the gain up high enough on the Hot Cake to turn it into a fuzz. I use it for more of a ZZ Top fat grind for playing those John Lee Hooker inspired boogie rhythms and ZZ top style guitar solos.

I'm not into more distortion/overdrive than that - sounds corny to me. Like the buzzy distortion you hear walking into a Guitar Center when a kid is checking out an amp's distortion channel.

When i do want more fuzz, like to emulate an Eric Johnson violin tone, I use my Dover Drive. EJ uses one too on his little board that he uses for clinics and what not.

 

[JasonE]

Yeah, i don't crank the gain up high enough on the Hot Cake to turn it into a fuzz,

I did and I will again. That is one of the first things I do to a drive pedal when checking them out. I want to know what the gain range is and how it sounds at low and very high settings. That gives me a really good idea what things I could use the pedal for. Some really shine at one end or the other of the gain knob.

I also tend to set the drive pedals up for a lead tone then roll my guitar volume back for a rhythm tone. That way all I have to do is roll the guitar volume up for more gain and volume when needed.

 

[Lewguitar]

I also tend to set the drive pedals up for a lead tone then roll my guitar volume back for a rhythm tone. That way all I have to do is roll the guitar volume up for more gain and volume when needed.

My Klons do that better than any other pedal I've used. Jeff Beck tone!

Of course no one can actually sound like Jeff Beck except Jeff.

 

[Bogner]

I have been running a little wild for the past couple of months. This is a little out of character for me, well, maybe not so far out there.

I first got on a drive pedal bender. I really appreciate overdrives and have a pretty good collection of them. In this go around I found the first drive pedal that I had to own two of. That has never happened before. I liked it so well with different settings that I decided I needed one for each setting. I usually find that a pedal does something great at one setting and has a little variation on that and I use it for that thing it does great. These are the pedals that got added to the collection in the last 2 months.

Keeley AT Mod
Keeley AT Mod
JHS @
DryBell The Engine
Crowther Hot Cake

Then I got on a compressor binge. So I now have more compressor pedals incoming. Here are the ones that got added to the collection.
Origin Effects Cali76
Keeley Compressor Pro
Source Audio Atlas

Hopefully I am done for a good while. This round made my credit card smoke a little. I have never bought this many pedals in that short of a time frame. I nope I don't repeat this again any time soon.

I love the drives I bought and will be doing a big compressor shootout this week. I have also learned a good bit about compressor pedals through this. I am very familiar with rack mount and digital compressors in digital mixers and DAWs. Guitar pedals are a bit different and I have learned about some sort of hidden features in them. I am thinking about putting up an informative post on these things or making a video about it because to someone that knows and understand compressors these things were not obvious so I am sure I am not the only one that didn't or doesn't know these things. I will post more information once I get to play with these pedals and test all of this out and verify what I have learned.

I Am Sorry For My Part In This...

 

[JasonE]

I Am Sorry For My Part In This...

But are you really? I think not.

 

[Bogner]

But are you really? I think not.

Yes I Am Sorry For Making Your Wallet Hurt But I Will Never Apologize For Giving Great Gear Recommendations.

 

[JasonE]

Yes I Am Sorry For Making Your Wallet Hurt But I Will Never Apologize For Giving Great Gear Recommendations.

My wallet has hurt many times before and it will hurt many times in the future. Don't be sorry. Look at all of the fun I will be having with new pedals in the foreseeable future. I am also going to become a great resource for others interested in the pedals I have purchased.

 

[JasonE]

One thing I have already determined is that I am going to either do a video or a write up on these compressor pedals. The second one showed up yesterday and the last one will get here today. I have already put some things together that were not obvious to me when doing my research. I also have something surprising to reveal already that I was not expecting. I don't have any endorsements so I can be completely honest about all of these things and now worry about ticking off someone that is paying me to do the review.

I put a post on TGP about the compressor pedals when I started my research and search. That ahs been an interesting thread that has brought a couple of things to light for me that helped me with the three I chose to buy. I will put all of that together and make this much easier for anyone else looking for the information I was looking for. I know compressors fairly well and use them all the time in live mixing situations as well as in my DAW. I have been using them for many years and had outboard rack mount units before I got my digital board. The guitar pedal market has really been lacking IMHO when it comes to compression. I can't wait to have all of the pedals connected up at the same time and really run them through the paces. I am hoping to reveal more soon.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I haven't been able to spend more time with it yet. I plan on doing that this weekend. I think the thing I was not liking about it is that I am not a big fan of fuzz pedals. That is probably because I tend to mostly play Fender amps or amps with Fender circuits in them. Fuzz pedals sound terrible through those circuits but sound glorious through a Marshall. I just may need to not push it too high on the gain knob and stay out of that fuzz territory. I plan on testing it out through my Twin Sister amp, which is a modified Marshall JTM45 circuit.

Definitely need to rough up a clean amp signal with an overdrive like the Hotcake before slamming the fuzz on.

 

[László]

I know compressors fairly well and use them all the time in live mixing situations as well as in my DAW. I have been using them for many years and had outboard rack mount units before I got my digital board. The guitar pedal market has really been lacking IMHO when it comes to compression. I can't wait to have all of the pedals connected up at the same time and really run them through the paces. I am hoping to reveal more soon.

Well over 30 studio rat years here for me, and I STILL want to see that video!

Because you're right - guitar compressor pedals are usually very compromised compared to studio compressors, whether hardware or plugin types. And of course, so many players have no idea how to use them to achieve the results they're after, and wind up ditching them and saying, "I hate compressors."

Compression is perhaps the most misunderstood guitar effect of them all. Many aren't aware of the relationship between amount of compression and how the noise floor is raised; most aren't aware of how the attack, release and ratio parameters affect feel, timing and rhythm. So they sense something's amiss, but don't know what to do about it.

Players who use a compressor to enhance sustain are often dismayed to discover that a compressor can seem to reduce it, depending on settings.

Even if you understand the ins and outs of compressors well - I do - it's interesting to see and hear comparisons of gear, the differences between various models, etc. It'd be interesting for folks to know what type of compressor a pedal is based on, and how the different types actually work compared to studio gear (VCA, optical, FET, etc.).

I'd love to see this stuff comprehensively addressed in a guitar-related video. It'd be well worth watching. Looking forward to your exposition!

 

[JasonE]

Well over 30 studio rat years here for me, and I STILL want to see that video!

Because you're right - guitar compressor pedals are usually very compromised compared to studio compressors, whether hardware or plugin types. And of course, so many players have no idea how to use them to achieve the results they're after, and wind up ditching them and saying, "I hate compressors."

Compression is perhaps the most misunderstood guitar effect of them all. Many aren't aware of the relationship between amount of compression and how the noise floor is raised; most aren't aware of how the attack, release and ratio parameters affect feel, timing and rhythm. So they sense something's amiss, but don't know what to do about it.

Players who use a compressor to enhance sustain are often dismayed to discover that a compressor can seem to reduce it, depending on settings.

Even if you understand the ins and outs of compressors well - I do - it's interesting to see and hear comparisons of gear, the differences between various models, etc. It'd be interesting for folks to know what type of compressor a pedal is based on, and how the different types actually work compared to studio gear (VCA, optical, FET, etc.).

I'd love to see this stuff comprehensively addressed in a guitar-related video. It'd be well worth watching. Looking forward to your exposition!

What sorts of things would you have questions on with these pedals?

I am asking because just yesterday I stumbled across two threads on TGP started by the same person that say a lot of what I thought needed to be said. He came at it from a slightly different angle than I was thinking but he put a lot of great information in his posts. They are actually old threads but all very relevant. My angle on these is a bit more on a comparison of the different types of pedals and dialing them in.

I have all of the pedals here now and the main thought I had when I bought all three of them was right. I could have bought any one of these and been happy with the results. Now that I have all three of them I am playing with some things I would not have done if I only bought one.