Hello there fellow TB'ers! Well I finally have decided to review an effect pedal and I'm gonna do it the right way with soundclips, descriptions and all that good stuff. My review will be on the Montreal Assembly - Wrong Side of Uranus. This is a sample-rate reducer with many modes within it besides bit-crushing.
the top knob controls volume
the left (encoder) knob serves 2 functions: mode change and parameter sweep. (certain modes have a LFO and the freq can be changed by holding down this button and using the right knob)
the right(parameter) knob controls the range. THIS KNOB'S RANGE IS DIFFERENT THAN MOST. Most knobs have the 05:00-07:00 rule with the minimum/maximum respectively. This knob starts at about 06:00 and ends around there....FYI
the small display displays the bit that is selected (1-8) and displays the name of the mode when it is selected.
HERE'S MY CLEAN CLIP:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225632
Fender Jazz Geddy Lee with Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkies roundwounds > moster cable thingy from bass cable to mac > converted to MP3 with Garageband
The modes available are as follows: (as taken from the manual)
Bitcrusher
This mode is the most typical mode as far as what you might
expect from a bitcrusher.
Parameter: Adjusts the audio sampling rate.
Encoder: Rotating adjusts resolution from 1-8 bits.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding does not have any effect.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225634 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225636 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225642 Autorate
Autorate is sonically similar to Bitcrusher mode but with an LFO
modulating the sampling rate.
Parameter: Adjusts the LFO period.
Encoder: Rotating adjusts resolution from 1-8 bits.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding will allow you to adjust the LFO offset in conjunction
with the parameter knob.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225645 Hostile
Hostile uses a slightly different algorithm in resolution
adjustment. The result is a much more distorted output.
Parameter: Adjusts the audio sampling rate.
Encoder: Rotating adjust resolution from 1-8 bits. *note that the
bits are not removed in the same manner as bitcrusher mode, such
that reducing the resolution in this mode gives a drastically
different effect (except when the resolution is 8 bits).
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding does not have any effect.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225648 Dial Up
Dial up uses the same resolution reduction technique as Hostile
however the resolution is pseudo randomly cycled once an input is
given.
Parameter: Adjusts mean of the random period for each resolution.
Encoder: Rotating does not have any effect.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding does not have any effect.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225652 Stairs
Stairs is similar in concept to auto rate except that an 8 step
staircase LFO is used instead of a triangle LFO to modulate the
sampling time.
Parameter: Adjusts the LFO period.
Encoder: Rotating adjusts resolution from 1-8 bits.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding will allow you to adjust the LFO offset in conjunction
with the parameter knob.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225653 Blipo
Blipo is similar to stairs except that a tremolo type function is
incorporated as well. The LFO staircase is also only 4 steps
instead of 8.
Parameter: Adjusts the audio sampling rate.
Encoder: Rotating adjusts resolution from 1-8 bits.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding will allow you to adjust the LFO offset in conjunction
with the parameter knob.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225654 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225657 http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225662 Plunger
Plunger sweeps the sampling rate over a much larger range than
autorate and with a Ramp type LFO instead.
Parameter: Adjusts the sweep rate.
Encoder: Rotating adjusts resolution from 1-8 bits. In plunger 5-
8 are taken from the typical bit crusher resolution table while
1-4 are taken from the Hostile table.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Holding will allow you to pick between ramp up or ramp down. TO
select ramp down, hold the encoder down and dial parameter
counter clockwise of center. To select ramp up, hold the encoder
and dial the parameter knob
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225663 S/H Bliss
S/H Bliss is again another LFO modulated patch. The LFO is a
randomly generated step waveform, hence the name S/H taken from
“sample and hold”.
Parameter: Adjusts the LFO period.
Encoder: Rotating adjusts resolution from 1-8 bits. Ssimilar to
plunger, 5-8 are taken from the typical bit crusher resolution
table while 1-4 are taken from the Hostile patch.
Tapping will advance to the next patch.
Soundclips:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225665
So overall it is a VERY versatile little pedal, built very well and not too bad on the price! Here is a link to the builder (Scott Monk) website.
http://mtlasm.blogspot.com/p/wrong-side-of-uranus.html
He is based in Montreal, Canada and will build one for you and is very cool people. I actually got one second-hand here and it needed the updated chip and he sent it for only 5.00!
Review Score:
/5
Last Clip: (I think it's awesome let me know what you think..)
Legend of Zelda (NES):
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10225667
Thanks for looking and if you have any questions/concerns/requests then please post here or PM if need be. Check my profile for my current set-up and I can record with any pedal before/after. Thanks!
REQUESTED CLIPS:
clean/WM/WM>GR1/WM>GR1>WSOU/OC-2>WM>GR1>WSOU
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...ongID=10226507
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