Need a Small Something Here...

[jufros]

I've got at the moment.

The open spot will be taken by a DOD FX25 in a few hours but I don't really want to keep the PH-3. I'm just not using it enough.

I play in an atmospheric/rock/funk band and am really up in arms about what to replace my PH-3 with. I'm really pretty happy with the bread/butter of my setup here. But if I have room on the board, I'd like to add something that can offer me a new color of something I already have (filter, fuzz, octave and combos) or look into a new effect (tremolo). I feel like I'd need tap tremolo but I'd be open to hearing why I wouldn't or why a non-tap tremolo would be a good solution for me. I really don't think I'm looking for a delay or a ring modulator here.

If I JUST get rid of the PH-3, I've considered...

Maxon AF-9 (this thing LOOKS cool and I liked the idea of having a "peak" AND a threshold control. up/down/range controls are similar to the EBS, is it useful for synth? with a fuzz? why do I keep seeing these being sold in the classifieds?)

Mojo Hand Red 442 (warm analog filter, too similar to EBS? i need a different flavor filter here)

EHX Nano Baseballs (not really a filter I know but if I can get some whacked out synth sounds with this thing and it can be versatile depending on what you feed it, I could definitely be down)

Boss PS-3 (could be cool to do stacked intervals with synth stuff)

Digitech BSW (didn't love this thing but would be willing to give it another shot)

Zvex Mastotron (3 fuzzes is a lot for me but it seems promising as a versatile fuzz that can get more substantial and full gated sounds than the tomato)

MI Audio Neo Fuzz (looks like a cool gated fuzz that's much tamer than either of my other two, mid control, etc.)

MI Audio Pollyanna (could definitely use the weird waveforms for synth stuff but it looks like the tracking is absolutely horrible beyond use?)

MI Audio Geo Fuzz (harsher than the Neo (silicon), similar features, I think I like the tamer smoother neo more but there's no way to tell how either would play with the EBS filter)

Boss OC-3 (my BOD is pretty similar to the OC-2, I'd be able to do the digital thing as well and take advantage of polyphonic tracking and the "range" mode)

Modded Boss TR-2 (I'm definitely intrigued by tremolo but am thinking that I'd almost definitely need tap tempo)

Catalinbread Volcoder (square wave is essential, does what it does and its REALLY small, speed and depth, no tap)

Catalinbread Semaphore Trem (more features/flexibility than the valcoder, more expensive, don't know if i really need anything else other than square wave)

Fulltone SupreTrem (seems like a useful small box for guitarists but doubt I could use it on bass effectively)

ModTone Tremolo (cheap, wave, rate, depth, reliability? sound quality?)

Marshall VibraTrem (hideous, cheap, seems to do what it's supposed to do)


OR I could sell the PH-3, something else, and get the Duncan Shape Shifter or Empress and have tap tempo tremolo.

[JMDT]

You could sell the phasers, flanger, and chorus and get a modfactor that would give you many more options such as a ring mod, tremolo, vibrato, autofilter/wah, expression pedal support and tap tempo.

[jufros]

That's definitely a good point. At the moment though, I rely my other 3 mod pedals for regular gigs. I use them a lot and went with the BF-2 and CE-5 over a lot of other choices on purpose.

[jufros]

I think I've narrowed it down to...

Maxon AF-9 (why do people hate you? why do people love you?)

EHX Nano BassBalls (think I can get decidedly different sounds with octave, fuzz, or octave+fuzz than i'd be able to muster with the bms or ebs)

Zvex Mastotron (just not enough info out there yet)

MI Audio Neo Fuzz (also need more info on bass, if it replaces the flying tomato, im back to the drawing board again)

Catalinbread Valcoder (does the square wave thing, if I find I need tap tempo, downsize to 1 fuzz and get a tap tempo trem)

[Mudfuzz]

I'd go trem because you have just about everything else .

[jufros]

I know man... I just don't have room for a larger sized one and would have to part with something else too...

I'm going to try putting the PH-3 in front of the BassIQ and BMS today just for laughs. Who knows, I might get something crazy. It'll probably be unusable though.

So what's the best compact tremolo?

[Mudfuzz]

Originally Posted by jufros

So what's the best compact tremolo?

What do you want out of a trem, that is a important question.

[jufros]

Super choppy, end of the chain, sustain notes and create a rhythmic effect.

[rcubed]

You don't have any delay so get a Carbon Copy.

[Mudfuzz]

Catalinbread Valcoder or Semaphore would do that job very well. Even a modded boss tr-2 would work but they must be modded but if you are handy the mod takes less time the unscrewing the back.

[jufros]

Thinking about these moves:

1) Remove PH-3 and MessDrive.
Add Duncan Shape Shifter.

2) Remove PH-3, MessDrive, don't add FX25.
Add Moog LPF (will I have enough room / anyone know what the moog dimensions are?)