which TREMOLO pedal for my Rhodes ?

[digital 1010]

Empress Effects : Tap Tempo Tremolo

[clusterchord]

isnt that one digital, i mean i know its analog audio path, but modulator is generated digital if im not mistaken, like on their delays n stuff ?

[peteblues]

Originally Posted by digital 1010

Empress Effects : Tap Tempo Tremolo

at that price, he might as well get the speakeasy one.
I'm actually curious about a tremolo solution for the rhodes myself. Then again, I am considering an mk7 with built in tremolo, once they come out

[DntBelievtheHype]

I love my empress trem. It can get super squarewave choppy which is what I need personally, but the triangle and 'tube' settings can do warm and subtle as well. The rythmic patterns are cool too. Dead quiet operation and I payed $150 for it used. I had a TR-2 and for the price it was a decent trem that could get pretty choppy.

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

i'm looking to get close to stereo suitcase tremolo sound as i can

Fender Rhodes Vibrato Pre-Amp! - eBay (item 220383421310 end time Mar-30-09 21:44:21 PDT)

i like the sound i get from my Voodoo Lab Tremolo Pedal but it's mono. if i didnt already have a mark2 88 with stereo "vibrato" i'd go with the mxr.

[Brickman]

A tube tremolo would suit the Rhodes nicely , if u can wait u might consider this :

Effectrode Audiophile Effects Pedals | Delta-Trem

or u might try this beautiful tremolo , telenordia's TT3

YouTube - Telenordia TT3 Germanium Tremolo

Not the most feature laden tremolo but it does sound smooth .

[sedohr]

I'm using the MXR tremolo with my Rhodes 54. I love it.
However I haven't owned a suitcase so I wouldn't know if the MXR is similar or not. I just know it sounds right to me.

Kalli

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by sedohr

I'm using the MXR tremolo with my Rhodes 54. I love it.
However I haven't owned a suitcase so I wouldn't know if the MXR is similar or not. I just know it sounds right to me.

Kalli

hey, im actually wanting to pickup a rhodes54 as well, so i can take it to gigs, and leave the 73 in the studio. have you got any recordings, mp3s with your 54 going into MXR ??




@Brickman: thanks for them links. the effectrode seems nice , but its probably gonna go over 400. id probably go Speakeasy at that point.



i do like the sound of EHX, even tho i always have reservations about new EHX products, their durability and their self-noise..

MXR is real mistery at this point, never heard it.. no demos anywhere..

[aeonlux]

I really like my Empress Trem.

clean tone, asymmetrical vibrolux, square, and triangle waves, tap tempo with ratio scaling, switch between two speeds - leslie-style, rhythms/pattern mode, gain stage boost to maintain volume, solid build, great company, and true bypass.


cheers,
Ian

[clusterchord]

it looks interesting but its mono.



once u play a rhodes in slow ping pong trem, into a lexicon plate.. there is no going back..

[aeonlux]

Fair call, but once you use the pattern modes with the speed switching, there is no turning back. thumbsup

I also prefer to decouple panning from the trem, as you then have greater control for rhythmic and spatial effects. That said, I can appreciate what you said about ping-pong.

I used to have a Boss PN-2 - does what it says on the tin, but beware - it has a not-so-nice click due to amplitude issues. And then there is the gain issues.

Yep, the Empress Trem is mono. It's also another thing - musical - to this ear at least, and many more who have used it. The dozens of posts on more-pedal-oriented forums speak to that.


cheers,
Ian

[rochishin]

Have you thought about these guys?

:: EBS Sweden AB ::

Look under products then pedals, the first one should be a tremolo.

I've never tried their Tremolo pedal on a Rhodes.

Hope this didn't muddy the waters.

[DntBelievtheHype]

Originally Posted by aeonlux

Fair call, but once you use the pattern modes with the speed switching, there is no turning back. thumbsup

I also prefer to decouple panning from the trem, as you then have greater control for rhythmic and spatial effects. That said, I can appreciate what you said about ping-pong.

I used to have a Boss PN-2 - does what it says on the tin, but beware - it has a not-so-nice click due to amplitude issues. And then there is the gain issues.

Yep, the Empress Trem is mono. It's also another thing - musical - to this ear at least, and many more who have used it. The dozens of posts on more-pedal-oriented forums speak to that.


cheers,
Ian

The dual speed mode and the rhythmic patterns can sound really cool and have broadened my approach to using trem. Here's a clip I recorded when I first got the pedal- I'm running a bass guitar into a squarewave octaver (pollyanna), the #4 pattern on the Empress with squarewave depth maxed, and finally into an EHX Bass Micro Synth.

SoundClick artist: Dope Opera - page with MP3 music downloads

I have the micro synth set so that only the first note of the pattern (4beats per bar) triggers the filter (downward sweep) and the next 3 step down with the sweep. I'm also moving the start and stop frequency sliders around while playing, so don't mind the little flubs during the clip.

Obviously the application is a bit different, but it might give you an idea what the pedal is like.

[jproc]

I like the ElectroHarmonix Pulsar alot on mine, but one of the best things I ever tried on it was an old Rocktron Stereo Echo unit...

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by rochishin

Have you thought about these guys?

:: EBS Sweden AB ::

Look under products then pedals, the first one should be a tremolo.

I've never tried their Tremolo pedal on a Rhodes.

Hope this didn't muddy the waters.

that one sounds really smooth. i mean, as far as i can hear when the guy is playing sustained chords on bass guitar.


i think im leaning towards Stereo Pulsar for now, as a quik fix - found one locally and its dead cheap, and i had several rhodes players ok it. and then i'll probably pickup a Speakeasy down the road, or maybe effectrode if i get to hear it in action.



big thanks to all for your valuable advice.

[worm]

Did you get the pulsar? How is it?

[clusterchord]

i was about to buy a modded stereo pulsar, but the auction got canceled. he probalby sold it localy . it was nice bcs it had inputs for expression pedal to control the speed .... i'd really like that so i can tweak it while playing. and it had another stomp toggle switch for the waveform, instead of the original sml one, that u had to move by hand.


alas, i'm gonna buy the original now.. probably this week. keep you posted..


on a related note, since i have a rather capable studio tech... is there a web source on schematics/instructions how to do these mods.. like adding exp pedal control to some parameter on your pedal, that is normally accesed by the on board pot.. ?

i can see its rather common thing to do among pedal afficionados, guitar freaks etc..

thanks

[teamsterjim]

I would definately go with a stereo effect.
I haven't used a real Rhodes since the '80's but I had an old TC Stereo chorus and I " Y'd " out to 2 x Tremolo pedals with a pair of ancient Bose speakers.
No matter how good of a PhysMod or Sample I have it still can never get that sound.
A Wurlitzer sounds fine in mono, but a Rhodes has Gotsda' be stereo.

[Stiff]

I went with a T-rex Tremster thumbsup

[spybar]

Clusterchord,

Which Tremolo did you get in the end?
I'd love to know.

Some days ago I've played a real Rhodes with a built in Vibrato... and I fell in love... I want to be able to control the Vibrato as close to the real thing... but with a reasonable price...

I have Roland Fantom G7.
Its Rhodes sound is pretty good... I want to add some Tremolo effect to it (it FG7 has some nice Tremolo effect, but I want to use an analogue one).

I wonder if to get a Mono tremolo or a stereo one.

At first I thought about PiggyFX Tremolo costume made. I bought PiggyFX D.U.I. Overdrive Pedal, it has amazingly clear true bypass. I bought it to add some overdrive-dirt to my Rhodes & Hammond sounds, and it works wonderful! Though it's mono...

I thought about Electro-Harmonix Stereo Pulsar, but I saw that it's Mono In and 2 Stereo Out, right? What do you think about it?

Or what about Electro-Harmonix Wiggler Tube Vibrato/Tremolo? It has Vibrato! Rhodes has vibrato...

Or maybe Dunlop TS-1 MXR M159 Tremolo with 2 In & 2 Out?

I know there are some much more expensive tremolo pedal... I wonder if it worth it for my purpose.

I appreciate your help very much!

SpyBar

[danberkson]

this looks like the one..

Fender Rhodes Quadrapuss Stereo Multi Effect Rail by Vintage Vibe

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by spybar

[COLOR=Black]Clusterchord,

Which Tremolo did you get in the end?
I'd love to know.

hi Spybar.. i got the Stereo Pulsar in the end. haven't played it much, im refurbishing my rhodes atm. btw, in like 99% of situation you don't need a stereo in on a tremolo. dont worry about that. idea is to connect it summed mono, so it can be panned left right by the tremolo circuit.



that Vintage Vibe looks overkill, with very nice metal plate and many nice shiny pots for $650 ?!. for that money you can build, like, three original suitcase tremolos. some of their stuff and mods look phenomenal, but the usefulness doesn't always match the looks/high price. can you say "boutique" ?


i did buy spare parts from them for my rhodes (grommets, hammers etc).