Fun with the Truly Beautiful Disaster (sound clips inside)

davedamage · #1 07-11-2009, 01:30 PM

So I sat around last night after a few drinks and decided to make some sound clips with this awesome pedal. I didn't really tweak the knobs too much, I just got nice, synthy fuzz out of it.

Everything was recorded on a Warwick Thumb BO5, SansAmp, Line 6 UX1 and into Abelton Live.

It's the Effector 13 version I got in a trade here on TB. I don't know how or if it differs from the Ooh La La version. Either way, enjoy!

sample one

sample two

What's that? You want some fun nintendo goodness?
your basic 8-bit side scrolling adventure game

and this one is the TFD ran into an MXR Phase 90:
whoa... duuuuuude.

I am having waaaay too much fun with this pedal. I will get around to post some clips with some knob tweaking and a few different things in the effects loop

That's where this thing gets ri-dic-u-lous. Hopefully I'll get some more recorded this weekend, but as you should know, there's a huge UFC PPV tonight, so it's time to drink and watch sweaty dudes beat each other senseless.
cheers

Wyrm74 · #2 07-11-2009, 03:06 PM

Sounds like Rock'n Roll Racing to me!

gastric · #3 07-11-2009, 05:56 PM

I picked one up as well.

Unfortunately I think you've highlighted the only usable tones you can get out of the unit. Everything else seems to be uncontrollable oscillations which sound OK while you're playing, but usually like crap IMO when you stop. Unless you can leverage the oscillation tone into your music somehow. I also thought the fuzz was a little weak in the low end.

I haven't personally explored the feedback loop yet. Mostly I haven't come up with a good way to provide effects to the feedback loop without them ONLY being available to the feedback loop. I could probably use my BOSS LS-2 do that, but since I haven't fallen in love with the feedback loop I haven't explored that other than a thought. But there's a $50 feedback loop pedal you can buy if that's really your thing.

My general conclusion is it's a fairly unique pedal. But not what I thought it'd be. But I do love the gated fuzz feature overall, it's perfect for synth-fuzz as noted in these forums.

I'm looking to replace it with some other gated fuzz box minus the feedback loop. I have a Frazz Dazzler and Brown Dog on the way to experiment with in hopes of falling in love with one of them and selling off the TBD.

One thing you didn't mention was that all of the knobs are wired ass backwards so counter clockwise increases the parameter, clockwise decreases. It makes the pedal very non-intuitive out of the box. Particularly if the previous owner doesn't tell you that.

I believe only the very first units were like that, not the newer ones.

davedamage · #4 07-12-2009, 12:18 AM

You're right, it's not the most practical pedal in the world and the counter-clockwise knobs are downright strange, but for what I wanted it for, pure synthy, glitchy fuzz, it is perfect.
The feedback loop is probably not really useful in a traditional bands setting at all, but you can generate all kinds of noise just by turning knobs and not even playing anything, which is fun.
Granted, I wouldn't count on this pedal as my only fuzz on my board, but with three other fuzzes, a distortion and a Programmable SansAmp for how ever many more overdrives I want, this pedal finds a nice little niche.
If the BD or Frazz don't cut it for you, try to get your hands on a Mastotron. That's one of the few other dirt pedals (aside from the more expensive stuff, like a Woolly Mammoth and a B:assmaster) I'm still wanting to try out. Oh, and a Mellowtone Wolf Computer, which I am going to buy regardless, and may actually replace the TFD, since from what I heard it can get just as glitchy and synthy, but at the same time, do a good solid fuzz. Actually, maybe you should try one of those out, too. Here's the bass sample I listened to if you haven't already heard it:

http://fuzzhugger.com/files/wolfcompbass.mp3

KarateKid25 · #5 07-12-2009, 12:58 AM

hmmm... Links don't seem to work for me

davedamage · #6 07-12-2009, 01:16 AM

They're direct links to mp3's, which should give you the option to open or save. I just checked them.

theory028 · #7 07-12-2009, 01:28 AM

Those clips are sick. That sounds like it'd be a fun pedal to play around with.

I like the glitch sound. Would there be a way to add that to sustained notes without adding all of the synthy fuzz to it? Perhaps in a different pedal?

Thanks for sharing these clips. They were eye opening and entertaining.

lousybassist · #8 07-12-2009, 05:14 AM

I dig it, thanks for the clips!

KarateKid25 · #9 07-12-2009, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davedamage

They're direct links to mp3's, which should give you the option to open or save. I just checked them.

My computer must have just wigged out... They are working for me now.

Me likey the Phase 90 one!

gastric · #10 07-12-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davedamage

...and a Mellowtone Wolf Computer, which I am going to buy regardless, and may actually replace the TFD, since from what I heard it can get just as glitchy and synthy, but at the same time, do a good solid fuzz. Actually, maybe you should try one of those out, too. Here's the bass sample I listened to if you haven't already heard it: http://fuzzhugger.com/files/wolfcompbass.mp3

The Wolf was on my radar for a short while as well. However, at least one TB user suggested it has no low end for bass. I emailed the manufacturer/builder and he said pretty much the same thing.

Quote:

I do get questions about the Wolf Computer on bass pretty often. Here is my thoughts. When set to traditional fuzztones or overdrives, it has a brighter voicing, so it definitely doesn't keep the low end on bass. The glitching effects are pitch dependent so it also responds a bit differently in the bass register. The glitch sounds can be pretty bold and punch because they create octave down sounds, but its very sawtooth. I'm not sure how to best explain it, but the bottomline I think is the Wolf Computer isn't a good goto bass fuzz. I don't plan on adding a tone control of any sort in the near future (never say never though!).

I'd say this, if you have one good standard bass fuzz (say a big muff or a woolly mammoth) and you want another fuzz, then this is interesting for soemthings on bass, particully crazy lofi overdrive solos or supercutting sawtoothy breaks and such.

I hope that answers yoru question! I know some people do use theirs on bass, so its not unheard of.

So many options for oddball bass fuzz. That's a good thing!

davedamage · #11 07-12-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastric

The Wolf was on my radar for a short while as well. However, at least one TB user suggested it has no low end for bass. I emailed the manufacturer/builder and he said pretty much the same thing.

So many options for oddball bass fuzz. That's a good thing!

The only thing I'm going on is the bass sample on fuzzhugger.com, which I think sounded great on bass. Funny thing about that is, I just saw on fuzzhugger and ilovefuzz.com that the Wolf Computer is discontinued now. I emailed Eric about still doing another custom build of the deluxe model but haven't heard back from him yet. I know that the bass sample on fuzzhugger was running through a bass pod or something, but it wouldn't be any different that me running everything through a SansAmp at the end of my chain, which seems to give everything I use a little more low end that I notice is missing from the same pedals by themselves, but as always, YMMV. The WC is probably going to forever be one of those pedals I will want to try regardless of what I read, and I'll probably never get one now with them being discontinued.

Ah, such is life. While I'm at it, is anyone looking for anything specific out of this pedal? I only have the Warwicks these days, but I can run it with a few other pedals as well. Just check my profile for a current list of what I have. Please note, however, that this pedal doesn't work well in combination with any other dirt pedals, before or after. Modulation, filters, etc? Oh yeah, fun for days...

gastric · #12 07-13-2009, 06:27 PM

I'd look forward to any specific suggestions for pedals before/after the TBD. I haven't tried other fuzzes before, but I've run my OC-2 and Bass Synth Wah before it and the TBD successfully mangled the sounds. But I'd be curious what you've specifically found usable and sound samples. I'd reciprocate, but cannot until later this month due to travels.

The person I bought my TBD from suggested throwing dirt and delay in the feedback loops. My lack of enjoyment from the loop may have been the fact I forgot the friggin' knobs were ass backwards. I only spent a brief time with that particular feature.

davedamage · #13 07-14-2009, 06:23 PM

Well, my UX1 started acting up out of nowhere, but I'm gonna try and tame it later on tonight. I'll throw each of my pedals in the loop sometime tomorrow and do some clips. I know I did a Bass Synth Wah and the Phase 90 in the loop before, just messing around, but now I can't really remember how it sounds, as that was the day the pedal came in and I was just generally tooling around with it.

davedamage · #14 07-14-2009, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theory028

Those clips are sick. That sounds like it'd be a fun pedal to play around with.

I like the glitch sound. Would there be a way to add that to sustained notes without adding all of the synthy fuzz to it? Perhaps in a different pedal?

Thanks for sharing these clips. They were eye opening and entertaining.

I think that was just from the gate being on. I'll get some clips of some different settings as well. Funny, last night messing around I turned the gate off and and left the feedback loop off and this thing actually does a normal, non-synthy fuzz. I've been so busy trying to play freaky nintendo sounds that I never got around to using any practical settings. More clips to come soon.

theory028 · #15 07-14-2009, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davedamage

I think that was just from the gate being on. I'll get some clips of some different settings as well. Funny, last night messing around I turned the gate off and and left the feedback loop off and this thing actually does a normal, non-synthy fuzz. I've been so busy trying to play freaky nintendo sounds that I never got around to using any practical settings. More clips to come soon.

I actually asked about this on the I Love Fuzz forums (from Devi's site) and I was directed towards a voltage starving device. I'm going to build a couple of them and try it out. It sounds pretty cool. I don't know if it'll reproduce exactly what I have in mind but it certainly sounds like a cheap way to try it. It's essentially a dying battery. There are only a couple of pieces I need (I'm following Beavis Audio's Devolter diagram) so it's about $15 for enough pieces to make two units and a huge amount of extra wire. I'll also be trying to put together a couple of power cables.

I really want to try the Devolter on a chorus. My EHX Clone Theory will be here tomorrow so I can give it a shot once I wire everything up.

I'll be keeping an eye out for the new clips.