Grateful Dead Music Forum

I have worked my way through many effects softwares out there. Also I have some DigiTech RP50 thing (either it is crap or I don't know how to use it properly) but this question is about effects software. Or effects in general, although I have no experience with pedals, amps, etc. (except my tiny little amp which actually sounds great on some songs like Simple Twist, but I like to have my guitar plugged into the computer so it is no help for me there)

Anyhow, the question...

Why is it so hard for me to find a good effect for soloing? I'm looking for effects that just slightly enhance the sound of the guitar, not completely distort them.

My problem is that I can find effects that sound good on the mid->high notes. Or ones that sound good on the lower notes.

But to find ones that sound good on both the low and the mid notes is damn near impossible. I found a handful, only 1 or 2 that I really like.

And I'm not picky, I'm not trying to get the absolute best sound possible. Just soemthing that produces a nice clear sound for all the notes on the guitar (well I don't care too much about the highest notes... but at least everything up to around the E on the 12th fret of the High E string)

Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to tweak an effect that I find to make it work better? I mean is it really dependent on my guitar or something? I have played with almost every setting on the guitar itself, to no avail.

Or is it from my lack of a preamp? (I just use the bypass mode on the digitech before going into the sound card)

If it is tweaking that I need to do, then what kind of settings on these virtual amp model effects things should I be looking for to play with in order to get a clearer sound on the lower notes?

any help appreciated... thx

dont use digital effects

Sounds to me like you may be concentrating on the wrong effects. If you are just looking to enhace the sound of the guitar, all I would use is probably VERY slight overdrive ( NOT distortion ), some compression, and probably run it through a graphic equalizer to beef up the highs.

Any type of modualting effect, like flangers, choruses, phasers, etc, is definitely going to make a noticeable difference in your sound. Not saying that they're bad, just it doesn't sound like they're what you want to be using.

thanks wisedyes, I'll check that out...

what I'm trying to find is a sound similar to say, any of the guitarists that played with Van Morrison throughout the years.

Are these the kinds of settings I should be playing around with? Anything else I would need?

If you are not looking for something drastic, stick with modulation effects (chorus, vibrato, tremolo, flanger). Many people put Phaser in that camp as well (and so do I in application) but the purist will say that it is a filter effect like a wah and it is but don't get hung up on that.

The key here from what you stated is to only use effects that allow you to dial in the wet/dry % allowing you to use as much or as little as you'd like.

thanks strummin... narrows down my choices somewhat, so I appreciate that

what I'm really confused about is the "ripple" sound... not the song ripple, but it is just the best word I can think of to describe it.

I guess the guitarist is doing some hammer ons or pull offs or something but it sounds like a ripple, really delicate with some ambience... but when he continues on playing single notes, they have some nice ambience but they are without this "rippling" effect.

I mean it only seems to effect these hammer ons, pull offs or whatever they are. Any ideas?

ycomp wrote:thanks strummin... narrows down my choices somewhat, so I appreciate that

what I'm really confused about is the "ripple" sound...

Glad to help! I think you are looking for a tremolo/vibrato modulation effect.

I still can't tell what you mean by "ripple". It would help to know: which guitarist were you listening to when you heard it?

tigerstrat wrote:I still can't tell what you mean by "ripple". It would help to know: which guitarist were you listening to when you heard it?

someone playing with Van in '96 or '98 (can't remember). Ronnie Johnson?

Jazzy-style guitarists... it is just when the guitar is played fast it sounds kind of like it is shimmering (I know shimmering describes a visual thing, but this is the best I can do). The key is that it does this when it is played fast, but the notes when plucked more slowly don't have this.

I will try to find a clip later.

are you talking about flang?

Wow old thread sorry to resurrect just reading up trying to make some pedal purchase decisions.

Could you (if you still around ycomp) be talking about delay?

choosing the right effects is tough. I have boss blues driver and while I like it, it really does sound too shrill. Im going to have to check out a compressor pedal . . . any recommendations?

hhmmmm.... Could this have been the birth of Scotthammy??????? Who knows??