Best Tremolo for...

meursault42 · #1 02-24-2012, 09:33 AM

I was wondering if folks with some experience with tremolo pedals could chime in and help me out. I'm looking for something simple and straightforward that can do the hard and fast 'chop' really well. Of course, it also needs to retain low end. I was thinking the Demeter Tremulator would be a good start. Any thoughts? Challah!

pantherairsoft · #2 02-24-2012, 09:39 AM

If you can find one the old Boss PN-2 is AMAZING on bass. Janek Gwizdala mentioned it at a bass clinic and I managed to get one on eBay and my goodness he's not wrong. The current Boss trem is a bit weak on bass though. I have heard great things about the Demeter so that would be a good start.

My other tremolos are complex and not 'simple' as you requested so I'll leave my recommendations at that!

One Bad Monkey · #3 02-24-2012, 09:41 AM

I'm a big fan of the Mini Trem by Black Cat pedals. It is very simple to use, and has an extra stomp switch to double the speed. It has a boost in it with a tone knob that also allows you to dial in your sound.

Bypassed though, I have found the Mini Trem loses no low end when I use it (which is a lot).

meursault42 · #4 02-24-2012, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pantherairsoft

If you can find one the old Boss PN-2 is AMAZING on bass. Janek Gwizdala mentioned it at a bass clinic and I managed to get one on eBay and my goodness he's not wrong. The current Boss trem is a bit weak on bass though. I have heard great things about the Demeter so that would be a good start.

My other tremolos are complex and not 'simple' as you requested so I'll leave my recommendations at that!

There's a clean PN-2 for sale on eBay right now, but it's $150. Is that a little high for something like this? Also, does it have a mono output? Thanks for the recommendation!

Captain Jazz · #5 02-24-2012, 09:48 AM

I would recommend the Fuzzrocious Tremorslo.

It has a momentary footswitch to change between slow and fast speeds on the fly, and also retains the lows well.

Basehead · #6 02-24-2012, 09:51 AM

I'm totally digging the trem on my Modfactor...

Tap tempo, Midi Clock synch, blend/intensity any other parameter controlled via expression pedal, a bunch of wave forms and some modulation that can take it to the next level. You can even set "bass" as the input instrument to help retain the lows.

LOVE. IT.

meursault42 · #7 02-24-2012, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by One Bad Monkey

I'm a big fan of the Mini Trem by Black Cat pedals. It is very simple to use, and has an extra stomp switch to double the speed. It has a boost in it with a tone knob that also allows you to dial in your sound.

Bypassed though, I have found the Mini Trem loses no low end when I use it (which is a lot).

Cool, great youtube demo btw! Sounds great.

JamesHommersen · #8 02-24-2012, 09:56 AM

I personally like the Red Witch Pentavocal, Fuzzrocious Tremorslo, and the Boss PN-2. I currently own the Pentavocal but I want to A/B it against a PN-2, heard nothing but good things about it.

meursault42 · #9 02-24-2012, 10:00 AM

From what I can tell from the Boss op manual, the PN-2 is strictly an A/B output with no mono option. Is that correct? If so, I'm assuming I'd need a Y-box to make it mono. I have no immediate use for the stereo option, although it could be interesting down the road.

pantherairsoft · #10 02-24-2012, 10:06 AM

The PN-2 is Mono or Stereo, like most pedals with a stereo output you use the left for mono, or both for stereo. I use my in a mono set up (though it is amazing in stereo). $150 (US I assume) is pretty cheap for what I've seen them go for!

mouthmw · #11 02-24-2012, 10:33 AM

I have absolutely no problem with TR2. Used to have Marshall Vibratrem which actually boosted the volume, but Boss sounds much more organic and warm, and does the whole choppy thing a lot better. The volume does seem to drop somewhat, but the tone it produces sits a lot better in the band mix than what Vibratrem did, and is heard much better. That's good enough for me!

rratajski · #12 02-24-2012, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jazz

I would recommend the Fuzzrocious Tremorslo.

It has a momentary footswitch to change between slow and fast speeds on the fly, and also retains the lows well.

I wouldn't recommend it for a hard chop. Ours is more throbby. The speeds is a plus, but hard chop like an Empress, nah.
Thanks though!

Jared Lash · #13 02-24-2012, 11:21 AM

Tremolos I've used that can do a very hard chop:

Empress Tremolo
Boss PN-2
Earthquaker Hummingbird

And the Diamond Tremolo chops relatively well in square wave mode but it also has a "chop" mode which is essentially a killswitch type sound. I thought it was really cool but it's a feature you'd want to try out first since it does sound different from a standard trem.

meursault42 · #14 02-24-2012, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

Tremolos I've used that can do a very hard chop:

Empress Tremolo
Boss PN-2
Earthquaker Hummingbird

And the Diamond Tremolo chops relatively well in square wave mode but it also has a "chop" mode which is essentially a killswitch type sound. I thought it was really cool but it's a feature you'd want to try out first since it does sound different from a standard trem.

Yeah, I thought about the Diamond Tremolo, but it's a little more involved then I'd care to get into right out of the gate. Definitely an exceptional pedal from what I can tell though. Also, a bit pricey, as is the Empress

meursault42 · #15 02-24-2012, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pantherairsoft

The PN-2 is Mono or Stereo, like most pedals with a stereo output you use the left for mono, or both for stereo. I use my in a mono set up (though it is amazing in stereo). $150 (US I assume) is pretty cheap for what I've seen them go for!

Thanks (or as you'd say it, Cheers) for the good info!

I might just have to get me one them thar' PN-2s.

meursault42 · #16 02-24-2012, 12:43 PM

I've read a few comments here and there out on the inter-web that the bypasses on these are pretty bad. Any thoughts on that? I've owned several Boss pedals (GEB-7, TU-2, etc.) and never had any complaints. But then again, maybe I'm just not listening closely enough.

pantherairsoft · #17 02-24-2012, 01:03 PM

Lots of folks main about the bypass on Boss pedals. I too have never had an issue - that said, with my signal chain I'm not likely to notice. Tone purists may not like em', but I do!

'cheers' ;-)

GrooveRonin · #18 02-24-2012, 02:03 PM

I was thinking about getting a zvex tremorama. Any word on if its anygood?

burl0029 · #19 02-24-2012, 02:21 PM

While it's not very sexy from a pedal-aficionado standpoint, the Dano Tuna Melt is a good tremolo. It has a switch for hard or soft trem and is very simple to use. The bass still sounds very good with it as well. Plus, they're dirt cheap. I'm going to be rehousing mine to make it a bit more sturdy, though.

Insouciance · #20 02-24-2012, 02:35 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWg4ovKIKC4

Loud Button makes some awesome stuff. The Trem-o-fo sounds pretty good! I have a Demeter Tremulator and I LOVE it. It has been on my board the longest, but I'm not sure how choppy it gets. There is an internal trimpot that effects the wave form, but I haven't used it. It sounds more like an old amp's tremolo versus the in your face choppy tremolo.