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Topic: Strymon lex |
Rich Gibson
From:
Pittsburgh Pa.
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Posted 20 May 2011 3:35 am |
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Just got one of these yesterday and fooled around with it for a couple hours last night.I had high hopes for this unit but so far it's not appreciatively better than my line6 Rotomachine-certainly not $200 better.
My main concern thus far is that when you get the horn up enough in the mix to get a convincing blend with the low rotor its way too bright.This can be tamed with an tone control elsewhere in the chain but I very often need a quick transition from steel to organ and don't have time to readjust the steel tone.
It also seems to be more difficult to hide my pick attack.too much string definition my be good for 6 string but not if your trying to sound like a organ.
There are number of primary and secondary adjustments,plus overdrive options(internal and external).
I experimented quite a bit-even read the manual-and while there was some improvement it's still not making me happy.
I'm going to give it a test drive this weekend and maybe that will provide some insights.It is hard to evaluate effects in your basement...
In the meantime is anyone else using one for steel?comments, tips?
Thanks
Last edited by Rich Gibson on 20 May 2011 4:18 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 20 May 2011 3:47 am
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Rich,
I assume you're talking about a "Lex".
I just got one yesterday and haven't taken it out ofthe box yet.
I hope I have better results than you!
I love my El Capistan but I sent back the Blue Sky Reverb so Stymon isn't always great.
I have bought several pedals that were great with six string but terrible with pedal steel so we'll see. |
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Rich Gibson
From:
Pittsburgh Pa.
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Posted 20 May 2011 7:26 am
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Hey Cartwright
You are correct of course, it's the lex.
let me know what you think about it when you get a chance.I'd heard great things about their other pedals and went on that.. |
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Mike Bagwell
From:
Greenville, SC, USA
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Posted 20 May 2011 7:44 am
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I got mine yesterday. It is imho a very bright sounding unit. I played around with it last night using the manual and I have to say at this point I very disappointed with it. I have a gig tonight so I'll try it out, but I have my doubts. They do have a 15 day trial period, so you can return it.
Mike |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 21 May 2011 5:22 am
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| Well, after a breif period of messing with it all I can say is that I'm underwhelmed. It has it's moments but I doubt that I'll keep it. The motion with two amps in stereo is pretty cool, especially when going from slow to fast or vice versa, but I just don't like the tone of the thing. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 21 May 2011 8:07 am
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I recently tried several different leslie simulators with my steel and eventually went back to my original unit, the H & K Rotosphere.
Some of the sims I tried might have been the cats meow with organ but they didn't turn my crank when used with pedal steel. |
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Rich Gibson
From:
Pittsburgh Pa.
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Posted 21 May 2011 10:37 pm
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well I gave it a test drive tonite and like other sims I've tried it sounds allot better in a band mix.
I inadvertently left my delay on in one song and that actually helped quite a bit.
I have a setting saved on my
Line6 delay modeler with the tap tempo set as fast as I can tap that fattens up the sound with no audible repeats.Made it a bit more 3D.
I also used some external overdrive which was cool for a more punchy rock sound and the preamp drive on the pedal for a ballad.not bad...
I found the best settings for me were Rotary speed and horn level in the 12:00 range and the mike placement 3:00 to all the way right.
It is better than the other sims I've tried-Rotomachine.Digitech hardwire rotary and the Lexicon mpx100.
It is not,however, the holy grail I was hoping for.
I'm not sure if I'll keep it or not.I wish I had more time to evaluate.
Erv thanks for your suggestion of the rotosphere.I've wanted to try one for a while but it wont fit on my pedalboard and I'm driving a Vibroverb pretty hard so the tube function seemed redundant. I should give it a listen though.Do you have any live recordings of you using it?
I'm curious about the smaller motion pro x something or other but wonder how it would work in the signal chain?
seems like it would be difficult.Particularly outdoors.
anyway thanks for the replies.anyone else?
Last edited by Rich Gibson on 22 May 2011 6:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 22 May 2011 5:43 am
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Another nice feature of the H & K is the ability to use a remote switch to control it. I have the unit placed close to my rack and then run the remote switch to my left foot.
Also, when you click the unit off, it is truly off.
With some of the other units, you could still hear traces of the effect even when it was turned off. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 23 May 2011 2:13 pm
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I don't use effects like this, but,,,, I read that guys like Jimmy Smith used their Leslie in combination with the "Cabinet Vibrato" on the organ. I had a Hammond for a while, and made my own Leslie. The "Sound" was definitely the combination of both. You all might want to try adding in some Vibrate-Oh!
Edited for stoopid spelling, and to add;
The "Cabinet Vibrato" on a Hammond is set at a fixed speed, and depth. What those parameters are, I have no idea.
Edited again to add;
If any of you are interested in building your own Leslie, I have several of the foam rotors like the kind used in the Fender Leslies. Got these too;
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Rich Gibson
From:
Pittsburgh Pa.
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Posted 23 May 2011 5:16 pm
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John you make a good point and and interesting suggestion.I would have thought that 2 modulation effects together would be a trainwreck but you are correct that the Hammond did use vibrato into the leslie.
I'm going to try it.
Building my own,on the other hand, is unlikely...aside from setting up guitars and things like that I can't hang a picture without destroying half the wall(The irony of which is not lost on my wife)
As far as the Srtymon goes I'm sending it back.
It just doesn't sound any better what I already have,if that. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 23 May 2011 5:52 pm
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Other than the Rotosphere, the Boss units have great organ sounds with some adjustable parameters that help your gear to sound more like an organ, not just a steel or guitar through a leslie speaker.
The Boss stomp box...RT20 has very nearly the same sounds as the old SX700 spatial multi-fx rack mount which dealt with some 20+ parameters addressing leslie/organ characteristics.
These are the most authentic B3 sounds for steel I've found besides the aforementioned H&K.
The bright sound of the horn is one of the characteristics of the high sustained notes on the B3. One way to tame them a bit for steel is to select an off mic setting on your fx unit. |
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Julian Goldwhite
From:
Alhambra, CA, USA
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Rich Gibson
From:
Pittsburgh Pa.
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Posted 27 May 2011 5:33 pm
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John I've been experimenting with your suggestion of vibrato before the leslie sim and have had some good results.When I first hooked it up(digitech R/7 vibrato>line 6 Rotomachine) it was a muddy mess until I got the rotor speed and the vibrato synched up and experimented with the vibrato level(low).Sounds pretty good I think.
It's really fat and warm and I can turn the Horn level up about 5 clicks without it sounding thin and cheesy. can almost get away single notes...maybe
I have both pedals in a looper/bypass so I can click in and out and spare the signal chain anymore load.
I only tried it at a low volume rehearsal and don't have a gig till the 11th so the juries still out,
but I do like it so far.Thanks!
I also thought the POG clips were cool(thanks Greg)but a little too pipeorgan sounding to me.Maybe with some overdrive?
I'd like to try a micro POG-anyone use one of those?
Jerry,you are correct.I want it to sound like an organ-not a steel guitar played though a leslie.I had a guitar student that used the Boss unit and I wasn't crazy about it but never got to try it myself.
Julian,I am curious about the neo but your right about the price.I also listened to Lonny Smiths U tube demo of it and wasn't knocked out but who knows.
There's also the new Tech21 Rotochoir coming out.
I'm finding an organ sound very affective and a nice change of pace for small group situation so I'm still experimenting.
Thanks again for all the input |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 29 May 2011 5:44 am
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| I have a Neo Ventilator, tried it and went back to the H & K. I guess my 2nd choice would be the Boss double pedal unit. |
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