Something special happens with the preamp in the sole mate. I don't know what it is but when that thing is plugged in the tone seems more alive.
It breathes...it creates a beautiful atmosphere and gives you a nice tail end to finish off your lines. Humans love echo. We don't walk into a closet to sing we sing in the shower so our voices will reverberate. We love that cinematic drum shot. The amps of tomorrow will have convolution reverb. I like that kind of reverb for voice because a vocal chamber is impractical and would probably get mistaken for an oubliette(If I built it) however when it comes to guitar and amps, especially reverbless tube amps...the Van Amps is just cool. It has a groove all it's own. It doesn't sound like the larger spring reverb in my Jazz Chorus...it has it's own presence. It's a little pricey compared with all the new digital reverb pedals but they sound too contrived. Tubes rule and springs make tubes bounce. I still prefer to think it of it as an affordable alternative to a tube spring reverb. I guess the glass is half full in this instance.
My favs so far are the VanAmps Solemate, Strymon BlueSky and the Strymon Flint.
But I have just scored an old Matamp Tube Spring Reverb, that I´m getting modded for a guitar plus a line input....sure this is a keeper and will be used on the console, too.
....but I still think the Strymon Flint is an awesome pedal for all amps that don´t have reverb/tremolo... and I guess soundwise it´s better anyway than most inbuilt rev/trems I´ve heard.....so I guess I´ll have to get one, too....love it!
__________________ "You'd be surprised that "f*ck it!" can be a profound philosophy."
picksail; 28th August 2008, 08:55 AM
"The best sounding sluttiest gear of all time... is a great song" --Greg Wells
But I have just scored an old Matamp Tube Spring Reverb, that I´m getting modded for a guitar plus a line input....sure this is a keeper and will be used on the console, too.
Wasn't the Matamp reverb used by Peter Green in Fleetwood Mac?
I think that once you start getting into the super long modulated reverbs, they are no longer an emulation of anything in the physical world. The Lexicon 224 Concert Hall algorithm, introduced in 1979, doesn't really sound like a concert hall. Especially when you turn the "mode enhancement" (chorus) up, and set the decay to 70 seconds.
Actually I like that aspect of advanced reverbs. I've had springs in amps and seldom used them, most sort of lost your tone if you were not playing clean. But I do dig some of the really deep long throw reverbs and weird effects my HD500 has. Cave is a fav and the Octaverb, you set an expression pedal to control the decay times to back them off. Sometimes I just dig that really deep long throw reverb which just trails off. The HD is not as vibrant and good as many pedals I have had but it has some cool models which do the job.
Delays aren't really natural either and that is sort of the whole point, it is being able to create things which are not normal. Repeating on a 1/4 note and a dotted 1/8th is anything but natural. I picked up from Pagey a long time back that 1 ms was basically the amp being placed 1ft away. Delays and reverb can be a real hoot to mess with.
Just my opinion but I have loved effect pedals ever since the very first ones were out. Makes playing so much more interesting and fun.
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Me and the upright bass player in our band love our Strymon Blue Sky(s). He had a Space before that which he didn't like as well. I had a Van Amps Sole Mate which I dug but wanted more options eventually.
Interesting that on ProGuitarShop's standout pedal choices they only have one reverb, the Hardwire Supernatural ambient verb. Not that it means a whole lot but they do deal in some fairly exotic pedals. I loved the RV-7 and was considering opting for another one might try that newer Supernatural model.
Made the mistake of trying that small low priced Mooer Shimverb, big mistake while the little phaser in that line is really nice, the reverb is pretty crappy. It seems to break up on my clean tones even though it is buffered by my delay. I did not want to drop a ton of bucks for a reverb but the Mooer goes in the trade off pile. That RV-7 was a really great reverb which never lost your straight tone and it is not much bucks.
I am not a spring guy myself just does not work for my styles. I prefer some of the more modern reverb and Hardwire (Digitech) owns Lexicon, they use the same chip for reverbs in the Hardwire plus internal voltage pump for better headroom and clarity. The Supernatural is supposed to be a really great sounding featured reverb.
So many options its damn hard to make a choice. I just do not want to drop a ton for just a reverb and I do not care much about spring or spring mimics.
I tried a few out today and the RV7 was the stand out.
I tried the TC Nova Verb, TC Hall of Fame, a couple of different Holy Grails, the boss Digital one, the Boss Fender one ect.. Whatever they had in store at the time (Which is usually limited). The Hardwire RV7 was to my taste, the best of the bunch. I don't like to drown in verb, only very little to let the tone breath a bit. I had to get very specific with the knobs to get it just right, but once I did, it sounded amazing!
I will qualify my opinion with the experience I had in store though. I was playing through a Mesa Mini Recto and a 112 cab which I really couldn't dial a good tone into under fluro lights. I told the Salesman I play through a Gibson LP custom and he brings me an awful example of a LP studio with a horrid freboard, dead strings and a bunch of other issues (Which I've come to expect from Gibson these days, sadly). All this could attribute to me not liking the other pedals so I'll have to go back and try again.
The Hall of Fame was a close second for me, but it was really hard for me to get the slight and bright tone I like out of a reverb. It's way too easy to drench your sound in reverb with a hall of fame. Still a good pedal though if you like that kind of thing.
On another note, massively impressed with TC this month. I got a Flashback and a Corona which are both awesome. I mailed in my form for a free Spark Boost and it came in a week when the form said 8-10 weeks! Fantastic company
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Everything I said is just my 0.02 cents and not to be taken too seriously! I don't mean any harm, even if I inadvertently caused some!
The Hardwire series is a vastly underated series of pedals from my experience.
I mean its not a Strymon but what is? I wish I could afford them.
I have yet to come across any reverb that killed like the RV-7 and left my true tone untouched.
I had gotten several tone printpedals but I got tired of them quickly. They are Ok the Flashback was the stand out pedal. If you like that one the new X4 is a killer, everything you liked about the little one and more. The Mojo OD went back the same day, just did not appeal to me. Chorus was OK but I have had better.I plan to pick up the Wampler chorus when I can.
I got really tired of the tc toneprint idea. They seem to refuse to release a public editor which would make these pedals heads above most in the price range at this time. A killer idea, but they seem to be stuck into the notion of teen age hero worship and sounding like so and so, being able to customize your own pedal to your own tastes would be a real winner. Trying to use "so-and-so" idea of a good delay or preset leaves much to be desired. I find very few of the toneprints even usable. I prefer the unit's general modes being able to go deeper in the params would be a real winner.
Anyway the X4 is a great delay regardless of the "toneprint" hype.
FWIW- Hardwire Supernatural from PGS has the best plate algorithm I've ever heard from a pedal. And by "best," I basically mean closest to an EMT 140 sound. Thick, detailed, and non-digital sounding.
The pedal goes 100% wet, too, which is a biggie for me. If I understand correctly, the RV7 can't do 100% (though the reverbs on that pedal are definitely quality).
FWIW- Hardwire Supernatural from PGS has the best plate algorithm I've ever heard from a pedal. And by "best," I basically mean closest to an EMT 140 sound. Thick, detailed, and non-digital sounding.
The pedal goes 100% wet, too, which is a biggie for me. If I understand correctly, the RV7 can't do 100% (though the reverbs on that pedal are definitely quality).
I forget on the RV-7 but most Hardwire either mix to 100% either way or there is a kill dry switch inside the bottom (I believe w most pedals offering a kill dry it only works when the buffer mode is on as well, also a toggle on the bottom of the board). I loved the RV-7 and the plate mode got most of my use, I thought it sounded like the real deal as well.
I constantly hear the Supernatural model is an improvement but more of the modes are less traditional reverb modes.
What impressed me about the Hardwire outside of its Lexicon mode reverbs is that it never washed out ones true tone or basic voice, it carried into the reverb sound intact. Great pedals really, silly inexpensive for the quality, never heard of anyone trying one out and dropping it.
with the Matamp tube spring and the Flint I´m done for some time
Wondering about how the Flint verbs differ from the blue sky...
Guessing the Flint is stronger for springs and possible blue sky for closer to plate land??
..guess I could also go listen to the clips on their site
Wondering about how the Flint verbs differ from the blue sky...
Guessing the Flint is stronger for springs and possible blue sky for closer to plate land??
..guess I could also go listen to the clips on their site
Flint spring is ok. But the 70's (emt plate) and 80's (something awesome) are where it shines for me. Great long lush details. The blue sky is ok with the shimmer and mod modes and its infinite plate. Great for non subtle textures.
Flint spring is ok. But the 70's (emt plate) and 80's (something awesome) are where it shines for me. Great long lush details. The blue sky is ok with the shimmer and mod modes and its infinite plate. Great for non subtle textures.
All are great, but yeah the 70's and 80's verbs really shine, very useable and sound amazing when the decay is fully cranked
Flint spring is ok. But the 70's (emt plate) and 80's (something awesome) are where it shines for me. Great long lush details. The blue sky is ok with the shimmer and mod modes and its infinite plate. Great for non subtle textures.
Thanks, gotta check these out.
I'm looking for to use one on a console aux send to get as close to plate like as possible.
Was tossing around the al capistan for delay & spring type as well but have to choose just 1.
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