PRS Pedals - who's got the trio? (date-stamp Jan 2023)

[shinksma]

I was lucky enough to get a Horsemeat for Christmas. I'm sure eventually I'll get the other two.

Anyone here have all three? What order do you like to run them? What other pedals work well (or poorly) with them?

And, of course: what is the next effects pedal that PRS should release? Delays/Echoes/Reverbs seem to be very popular in general, and while I would say there is a plethora of good pedals out there on the market, the same is true of what PRS released already.

What other classic pedals has PRSh expressed fascination with recently?

 

[Greywolf]

Phase shifter / Univibe / Leslie / Delay ... but then I have all that and fuzz with the Keeley Dark Side .....

 

[Wakester]

I now have 2 of the 3. Just not sure if i want a compressor or not.

 

[aamefford]

I was thinking the compressor as my first, as it's been noted that it works pretty well as a clean(ish) boost as well. Plus I still just can't get past "Horse Meat."

 

[matt3310]

I have all three. Love the Horsemeat!

 

[shinksma]

Phase shifter / Univibe / Leslie / Delay ... but then I have all that and fuzz with the Keeley Dark Side .....

Yeah, well, that is the bit that always amazes me, that not only do new pedals keep coming out, and new brands (like PRS), but that they also keep selling enough to keep those new brands around, usually.

I've been meaning to check out the Dark Side - is it all that and a bag of chips?

I have all three. Love the Horsemeat!

Got a photo of your board to share?

I was thinking the compressor as my first, as it's been noted that it works pretty well as a clean(ish) boost as well. Plus I still just can't get past "Horse Meat."

It has been said [citation required], and I agree, that compressors work "best" with single coil guitars. Since I use HB-equipped guitars a lot, and single-coil modes on HBs are somehow never quite the same as true single coils, I am unclear how much I would use it - basically only when I'm pretending to be David Gilmour, using my Silver Sky or 305, etc.

I'm also struggling with "only" two controls, one of which is output "gain" (level). I'm used to compressor/limiters/sustainers with at least one more control (attack). My brain makes this akin to a delay pedal with only one combined control for "feedback" and "delay time" like they have on some simple effects controls on practice amps (like my Roland micro-cube).

As as I heard in a recent YouTube video (Phillip KcKnight), compression effects are "for the chef, not the client" - i.e. it help s the player play what they want. So online video demos are counter-intuitive and also beset by the built-in compression of all audio of the delivery service.

I guess I need to try one to decide if I should get one, and the only way to try one is probably to get one.

 

[gemyneye]

I actually don't have any which technically doesn't answer your question, but I am happy with my current pedal situation but was really tempted by all 3.

 

[shinksma]

I don't know if it is worthwhile to start a "New Pedal Day" thread, so instead I'll add a couple of thoughts about the Horsemeat here:

I added it to my "primary" pedalboard last night, replacing the spot occupied by an OCD-clone (Joyo Ultimate Overdrive). Other drives on that board are a fuzz (Earthquaker Dreamcrusher) and a Keeley Oxblood.

The Horsemeat sounds a lot like the Oxblood. In retrospect, Keeley made the Oxblood as their own twist on a Klone, and specifically designed it to have a lot more distortion that the original Klon Centaur, and more mid-range control, while also being able to be used as a clean boost. Many reviewers call it a "transparent overdrive". Sound familiar?

Which seems to be the same design intent (and result) around the Horsemeat.

I will admit it didn't take long to dial in both of them to sound extremely similar over a range of tones. If I mucked about longer, I could probably figure out where one doesn't overlap the other (I think the Clipping and Phat controls on the Oxblood would be one place to start, vs the Voice control on the Horsemeat).

So I'm probably going to take one off that board, maybe put the OCD-clone back on.

It's not like I don't have other boards to put a "transparent overdrive Klone" on...

 

[gemyneye]

I wonder how they compare to my M-EQDriver (Origin effects) and MELODY (JRocket) for the Horsemeat, and COMPPLUS (Keeley) for the Mary Cries. Has anyone compared?

 

[alantig]

I have the Mary Cries and the Horsemeat. I'm essentially running the Mary Cries into the Horsemeat - I'm going into an EP Booster, then Mary Cries, then my G-System, and the Horsemeat is in a loop on the G-System. So far, I've kept the MC on all the time - I do need to play with it a bit more, but for now, it's good the way it is.

I tried the Wind Through The Trees, but I struggled a little with it. I said at the time that I would need to work w/it a little more to learn how to dial it in. Since then, I picked up the Warm Audio Jet Phaser at a great sale price, so my phaser needs (between the JP, the G-System, and plug-ins) are pretty covered for now, especially considering I don't use it a ton.

 

[SamIV]

No, I’m too cheap. I suffer from that SE/S2 personality disorder.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I have the Mary Cries and the Horsemeat. I'm essentially running the Mary Cries into the Horsemeat - I'm going into an EP Booster, then Mary Cries, then my G-System, and the Horsemeat is in a loop on the G-System. So far, I've kept the MC on all the time - I do need to play with it a bit more, but for now, it's good the way it is.

I tried the Wind Through The Trees, but I struggled a little with it. I said at the time that I would need to work w/it a little more to learn how to dial it in. Since then, I picked up the Warm Audio Jet Phaser at a great sale price, so my phaser needs (between the JP, the G-System, and plug-ins) are pretty covered for now, especially considering I don't use it a ton.

I’m guessing if it was the other way, there would be tears.

 

[shinksma]

I have the Mary Cries and the Horsemeat. I'm essentially running the Mary Cries into the Horsemeat - I'm going into an EP Booster, then Mary Cries, then my G-System, and the Horsemeat is in a loop on the G-System.

I can't imagine many instances (well, none, really) where I wouldn't have a compressor at the start of a signal chain. Heck, I'd be tempted to put it in front of that EP Booster.

I tried the Wind Through The Trees, but I struggled a little with it. I said at the time that I would need to work w/it a little more to learn how to dial it in. Since then, I picked up the Warm Audio Jet Phaser at a great sale price, so my phaser needs (between the JP, the G-System, and plug-ins) are pretty covered for now, especially considering I don't use it a ton.

I have a large handful of modulation effects, including flangers, phasers, choruses, and "rotary effects" like the Boss RT-20.

I haven't heard anything that the WTTT does that screams "buy me". But I find that usually you have to mess with a new effects pedal to find something unique and useful, especially one that does things slightly differently from existing offerings (e.g. PRS's description of WTTT as being "two flangers fighting each other").

 

[andy474x]

I’m still loving my Horsemeat, it has the right top end presence to sound natural, and the voice control is wonderful for dialing in the right amount of cut.

The WTTT is a very niche thing. I was sure there would be something like that, given Paul’s love for flangers and such. Personally, I’m not so much into those kinds of effects, and I have a rule that pedals don’t get a big piece of real estate on the board without getting the use to justify it.

The Mary Cries… I’m also not big on compressors, the “we had to put a light on it so you could tell when it’s on” statement was probably not the best way to market it, including to me.

I could see PRS doing a righteous job of an analog delay with modulation. Making the modulation stay relative to the delay time would be a neat trick, there’s something magic about getting the modulation rate to sync with the repeats on a DMM, but when you change one, the other gets thrown off. They would probably do other neat stuff with it too, since Paul loves modulation.

And maybe a vibe?

 

[shinksma]

And maybe a vibe?

A really good emulation of a Univibe is missing from my pedal collection. I have some attempts that sound OK, and for sure any audience would never know the same if I used them live (except I don't really play that kind of music live). I find many "Vibe" effects sound too much like phasers.

But a PRS version of a Univibe that was closer than most of the usual suspects? Hmm, that would be cool.

The Mary Cries… I’m also not big on compressors, the “we had to put a light on it so you could tell when it’s on” statement was probably not the best way to market it, including to me.

Lol - indeed, I understand why they do it, but if you look at many YouTube demos, where it is used in subtle ways the light never seems to come on - it's only when you slam the ceiling down it really seems to light up. But that is true of other compressors too.

OTOH, Gilmour's CS-2 didn't have any fancy lights (other than "on") - he just used his ears...

 

[gush]

I don't enjoy a compressor but it's a necessity for recording. I have a Barber Tone Press but not sure it's right for me.

I'd like to get a good honest opinion of the prs comp pedal.

 

[alantig]

I'd like to get a good honest opinion of the prs comp pedal.

What do you want to know? I can test some things Saturday.

 

[aphantomvaper]

I’m guessing if it was the other way, there would be tears.

I'm trying to figure out which way you meant this 'cos they both make sense. Tear crying or tear torn?

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

I only have the Horsemeat. Honestly, nothing special to my ears. At this point, there are so many good drive pedals that it’s hard to say that one is exceptional. I got it at the same time as getting one of the Victory Amps preamp pedals… the Victory is a permanent fixture on my board now. Since I’m now a pedals-only guy (into a Quilter, no more tube amps) I use pedals for my “base” tone. Maybe the Horsemeat goosing a nice tube amp is where it shines.

 

[gush]

What do you want to know? I can test some things Saturday.

I'd say the three things I would ask are does it compress well? Does it color you're tone? Does
it add noise?

Thanks!