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Gizzorge
Silver Member
USA
245 Posts |
 Posted - 08/22/2007 : 22:28:04
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So what do you guys think are the prime boss pedals for the gazer sound? I hear the RV-5 Modulate mode is really good.
Anyone have any pedal combination/settings they would like to share?
I am running CS-3 (as a limiter) into a
OD-3...CE-2...DD-6...Marshall Vibratrem (cool pedal, but I need a PN-2!)PH-3...BF-2.....RV-3 (setting 7)
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2007 : 00:07:37
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"gazer?" does that mean like stoner type stuff? you youngsters and your "lingo"
*shakes fist and hobbles away on cane*
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Gizzorge
Silver Member
USA
245 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2007 : 00:11:36
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Ha, that was funny.
Shoegaze stuff is very spacey sounding stuff. Lot of washes of effects. The term was coined because the bands were always looking down at their shoes at the many pedals they used to get the "shoegaze" sound. |
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2007 : 03:32:36
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quote:
Originally posted by StratoSphere
"gazer?" does that mean like stoner type stuff? you youngsters and your "lingo"
*shakes fist and hobbles away on cane*
No dude, SHOEGAZE is the term for the bands that came primarily out of the UK like Jesus & Mary Chain, Curve, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride, and even Blur before the "girls who like boys who like girls who like girls" album.... |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2007 : 07:19:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Gizzorge
Ha, that was funny.
Shoegaze stuff is very spacey sounding stuff. Lot of washes of effects. The term was coined because the bands were always looking down at their shoes at the many pedals they used to get the "shoegaze" sound.
Sounds like something I really would like to do!
I suppose all Boss pedals can be used for this, not all at once of course, but for sonic mangeling a wide palette of sounds can make creativity flow. |
Edited by - Goran on 08/23/2007 07:21:46 |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2007 : 13:32:51
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ahhhhh! so trippy shit!!! why didnt you just say so.
delay/reverb is the most important id say...almost crucial. chorus, light phase, even octavers if used lightly, but especially filters. they are often overlooked but can really make some interesting noises. i like to run my filter first in the chain.
and if making wierd space noises is your bag, you almost need a whammy bar, and even better if you have a Floyd Rose type system. my personal favorite is a wah/longer delay combo with whammy bar dives. throw in a pinch harmonic and bingo....it sounds like a alien cat dying a slow death. add OC-2s to make it thicker. theres a lot of tricks |
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Caliban
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
145 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2007 : 18:55:10
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A VB-2, when applied before the requisite Fuzz/Delay/Reverb Shoegazy Combo, can be used to get that My Bloody Valentine detuned warble. Just set it to a gentle detune, as if you were rhythmically dipping the trem arm in time with the music.
Did someone mention Blur, btw? The VB-2 is also responsible for the drunken guitar on "Miss America" from "Modern Life Is Rubbish". |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 10:51:22
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quote:
Originally posted by jack
quote:
Originally posted by StratoSphere
"gazer?" does that mean like stoner type stuff? you youngsters and your "lingo"
*shakes fist and hobbles away on cane*
No dude, SHOEGAZE is the term for the bands that came primarily out of the UK like Jesus & Mary Chain, Curve, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride, and even Blur before the "girls who like boys who like girls who like girls" album....
Yes that is what I used to think as well when I read this topicline, was also wondering if that sound was coming back, but then I do not think so. And did some of those bands use lots of effects? Perhaps just tons of distortion so you could not really hear what was going on.
So you consider Blur as part of that phase? Alright I can see your point as Graham was a huge fan of -forgotten the name of the band now, it was an American band which also used lots of distortion-, and some of Coxon's solo work may sound a little like it.
These days the ShOEgaze sound is taken a litte up with bands like my Chemical Romance From Shoewatching we went to emotional guys with a heart for distortion
Long live the musicbuzz and the media with all their great self-explaining musical terms
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 10:53:11
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quote:
Originally posted by StratoSphere
ahhhhh! so trippy shit!!! why didnt you just say so.
delay/reverb is the most important id say...almost crucial. chorus, light phase, even octavers if used lightly, but especially filters. they are often overlooked but can really make some interesting noises. i like to run my filter first in the chain.
and if making wierd space noises is your bag, you almost need a whammy bar, and even better if you have a Floyd Rose type system. my personal favorite is a wah/longer delay combo with whammy bar dives. throw in a pinch harmonic and bingo....it sounds like a alien cat dying a slow death. add OC-2s to make it thicker. theres a lot of tricks
Hey STrato, would this recipe not make your sound too retro??!! |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 10:58:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Caliban
A VB-2, when applied before the requisite Fuzz/Delay/Reverb Shoegazy Combo, can be used to get that My Bloody Valentine detuned warble. Just set it to a gentle detune, as if you were rhythmically dipping the trem arm in time with the music.
Did someone mention Blur, btw? The VB-2 is also responsible for the drunken guitar on "Miss America" from "Modern Life Is Rubbish".
Aaagh that overrated VB-2 eh? use it for what it is suppose to mimick and you just want to use your Strat, use if in your own way and you think: "Heh this sounds great, cannot get that sound from anything else"
Now before anyone can progress to the VB-2 you will first need to score a few number one hits with your band. [To get those hits you could away HIRE a VB-2 to give you a little help to get those hits in the first place!!]
Thinking of that idea, some of use here may be so kind to give you a helping hand with a VB-2, but be warned, the hype is much bigger that the actual sound from the thing. [ as often is the case with hypes---------------] |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 15:37:40
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quote:
Originally posted by visserman
quote:
Originally posted by StratoSphere
ahhhhh! so trippy shit!!! why didnt you just say so.
delay/reverb is the most important id say...almost crucial. chorus, light phase, even octavers if used lightly, but especially filters. they are often overlooked but can really make some interesting noises. i like to run my filter first in the chain.
and if making wierd space noises is your bag, you almost need a whammy bar, and even better if you have a Floyd Rose type system. my personal favorite is a wah/longer delay combo with whammy bar dives. throw in a pinch harmonic and bingo....it sounds like a alien cat dying a slow death. add OC-2s to make it thicker. theres a lot of tricks
Hey STrato, would this recipe not make your sound too retro??!!
 only if youre wearing bell bottoms and a flared pirate shirt
ARGHHH! |
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Heart and Soul
Silver Member
USA
369 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 19:15:35
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i think a big factor alot of people overlook in shoegaze isn't so much a ton of distortion/fuzz but alot of gain...that's the difference to me, pure volume, since it tends to saturate more, and a reverb after the dist. makes it kinda crazy as well...that's more on the noisy side though...you'll have to forgive me cause i'm way more into MBV than any of the other shoegaze bands, secondly being JAMC...
and My Chemical Romance has NOTHING to do with shoegaze...a think a good band to check out as far as the new wave of gazers go would be Asobi Seksu...great band...more about lots of effects as everyone here has been saying and great vocals but most importantly is the nice fuzz tones...
one last interesting thing to me would be most of the things i read about bands say they never really used the panning on the PN-2...the irony...i heard they suck anyway, never tried one though...what do the owners say?...
cheers. |
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pedals 4 pv
Platinum Member
Canada
1351 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 20:50:36
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| hello Heart and soul.I your post you aren't real clear.Which sucks? Shoegaze bands or PN-2's? |
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Alice
Bronze Member
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 12:34:02
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He means he's heard the PN-2 sucks. It's considered a shoegazer classic because it's been attributed to My Bloody Valentine but the funny thing is I've never read anything where Kevin Shields says he used one.
Anyway, yeah it's got a bad reputation with snobs because it can have line noise and effect bleed under certain situations. Also the rate sensitivity is kind of wacky, meaning there's only a very small range on the dial where the speed is useful.
Personally I think it's a killer pedal and my friend actually has one and is starting to use it again. Even if it's not that great there really aren't any other pedals out there that provide the same exact combination of features. And if you know how to minimize the noise problems it sounds awesome.
I think to start off with you need to figure out what kind of shoegazer sound you're going for. There's quite a variety.
MBV is considered the quintessential shoegazer band. Their whole bag was primarily distortion washes and whammy bar.
If you are going for this sound I think your best bet distortion-wise is some kind of classic distortion turned to 11 or a few doubled up. That would mean a Big Muff or DS-1 combined with really good amp distortion(preferably from something tube) then some reverb.
Believe it or not the HM-2 Heavy Metal is great for this sound. Bilinda Butcher used one. It's got enough flexibility it can pretty much carry the whole shoegazer sound on it's own. The trouble is Kevin Shields did so much stuff in the studio with overdubs that it's a very hard sound to try to replicate live with just a few pedals. Your best bet is to have 2 guitarists, both with lots of distortion, playing the same parts at once. I think Stratosphere's suggestion about OC-2s would be really helpful too.
Lush had a much different approach. They weren't heavy on distortion like MBV. They were heavy on delay/reverb, chorus and phase shifters(or flangers) I think in that order. Their use of distortion was much subtler and more to accent certain parts. Emma Anderson (who was primarily responsible for their guitar sound) was more fond of rack stuff. A lot of Quadraverbs/Midiverbs and the like. Miki Berenyi on the other hand was a big time boss user. OD-1, DS-1, Super Chorus and DD-3. Just keep adding chorus pedals until you are really dizzy.
Medicine is probably one of the most underrated shoegazer bands and the best one to ever come from America. The main force of their sound was very creative use of feedback. Brad Laner also got a very unique sound by using an overdriven Yamaha 4-track as a distortion pedal. Also lot's of slow sweep phase-shifting to shape the feedback as well. It could be me, but I don't hear a lot of chorus, delay or tremolo in medicine songs. It's mostly enough distortion to get good feedback, some phase-shifting and wah with a little reverb over the top. It also helps to have really sexy beats and a hot chick singer.
That's the main stuff I can remember. At least, those are my favorites. I like Curve a lot too but they were very heavily produced. I don't think you could point to any pedals that are really signature for them. I could be wrong but I think they just used a lot of studio effects and synthesizers and simulated the sound live with a bunch of expensive rack stuff. Also Dean Garcia was primarily a bass player so they're not the best band to look at for a guitar sound.
Also, I wouldn't say shoegaze is coming back by any means but it's definitely still around. Heh, no it's not My Chemical Romance (ugh) nor does it have anything to do with emo. I fucking hate emo.
Anyway, most of the current bands are on the east coast right now but it's slowly starting to catch on on the west coast again too. Some of the bands still keeping it alive:
The Sky Drops
A Place to Bury Strangers
Darker My Love
The December Sound
I think it's mostly dead in England where it originated but I don't really know.
Hope that helps.
-Alice
P.S. You have an RV-3. I hate you. Just reminds me of how badly I want to get one again. Probably my all time favorite boss pedal. At least one of the top 3.
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Edited by - Alice on 08/28/2007 12:43:29 |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 13:09:26
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Thanks Alice, a lot of nice information!
Ask my son to download some of the groups mentioned. |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 13:45:32
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thanks for the info, alice. i always regarded them as a emo-screamo type deal. i dont think ive ever heard em though so ill have to check em out.
i love bands that are heavy on effects, or have that "stoner rock" sound. lately ive been into bands like Kyuss. they use a lot of tripped out delay stuff/sitars/ slow fuzz stuff.  |
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Question for the "shoegazers"
