Ring modulators... why?!

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

Wayne Krantz makes the best use of a ring mod: Keith Carlock: Modern Drummer Festival 2005 - YouTube

That was painful but only because had there been no ring modulation, I would've loved it!

Yeah, I'm thinking I'm just not a ring mod kinda guy. Probably better off that way, I can't fit any more junk on my board anyway .

[warwick.hoy]

A Ping Pong table would accommodate most large pedal collections.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I think the best way to think of a ring mod is not as an effect you add to your regular bass or guitar playing. When not tracking the pitch, it can make your instrument sound like an electronic device, and can give a very keyboard-like sound. I usually dig how Wayne Krantz uses one. If you can tell your ears to not think of what you're hearing as a guitar or bass part, it can sound very interesting. Otherwise, it can just sound like a scratchy, dissonant guitar part.

[Goose55]

I used to have a home made ring-mod made by neighbor. When I turned down the pitch it didn't make the normal ring-mod anymore. BUT! it turned into a pitch following tremelo. At lower notes it would tremelo very slowly as I would play higher it gets faster and faster. Realy fun to use. Don't know if any of the ring-mods in stores can do this too......

[Wud]

The Moog MF-102 does the Trem tracking thing very well.
One of the go to settings I use it for.

[Jazz Ad]

Not the easiest effect to use but I like it.
http://jazzad.perso.neuf.fr/Musique/ringmod.mp3

[Knettgummi]

Originally Posted by kevteop

I would also really like to try EHX's Ring Thing but haven't got around to it yet.

The Ring Thing seems very interesting. Not only can it "tune itself", but it does SSB modulation, which enables some really cool pitch-shift-esque effects. Probably easier to find musical/harmonic uses for this than a traditional RM-pedal.

The zvex ringtone looks like fun too, albeit a little more niche.

[nad]

Ring mods are all things to all men. Every bassist needs at least three 17 of them.

[Gozu]

i use one on 2 of our songs. i LOVE it especially with wah and delay

[GazzBass]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

Wayne Krantz makes the best use of a ring mod: Keith Carlock: Modern Drummer Festival 2005 - YouTube

Fantastic. Thanks for that.

[joe vegas]

one man's noise is another's nirvana... ring mods have all manner of ghostly, abrasive, ambient, industrial and chamber-musical sounds, all of which can lend themselves easily to bass, particularly non 4-bangers.
not ideal for "proud mary" in the second set at the local hogs & heifers franchise, but entirely musical and sonically potent when used with a compositional ear and some forethought.

[MiniMoose234]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Well,...I use a ring mod (Montreal Assembly C.A. Ring Modulator) pretty extensively in Mecha Shiva,....but Mecha Shiva isn't you everyday band. We are pretty much a trio of loosely organized dicking around.

I've gotta ask, is that a Venture Bros reference? My friends and I were Hank, Dean and Dermott for Halloween this year. and Yes, we played Jacket.

On topic, I think they're cool to mess around with and to get ideas flowing but in a song context it really doesn't work for me personally.

[Guimdonatron]

Just in case anyone is still curious about using a ring modulator in a musical sense, here are a few more instances with ring modulator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfusBKFIm_g Big Sir, ring mod at about 1:25
It's a very subtle use of it. I'm assuming that's a Moogerfooger using the LFO in it.
And then maybe Juan uses it again later with the tremolo?

Janek Gwizdala uses his Moogerfooger ring mod on his latest record "It Only Happens Once." For instance, track six, "Straight Lines" starts off with using the ring modulator. He implements it more as a "note" than an "effect" in my opinion. Later on he uses the ring mod for more than just a single note or two.

The guitarist for Funky Knuckles started the show off by playing a groove with a ring mod all over his guitar. When that happened I knew the show would be killer, haha. It sounded great, by no means did it sound like "noise."

I'm sure there are a lot of examples in The Mars Volta or Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group since Juan is present. Ring Mod is definitely a hard effect to find, but I seem to be spotting it used more often than before. It's great to use as a spice rather than a primary ingredient like say a fuzz or reverb. However, if you can pull off a ring mod musically then you'll be getting mad props!

[Guimdonatron]

http://janekgwizdala.bandcamp.com/al...y-happens-once

Here's the URL for Janek's album.

[pietrocefa]

To be specific ring modulator is a musical instrument, not just a pedal.
Is history is quite old, it is used in the electronic music since the late '40s and we find examples of the use of it in many pieces written by composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen when he worked at the WDR Studio for Electronic Music in Cologne. Example: Mantra, a composition by Stockhausen for two pianos and a ring modulator.
There are many interesting ideas around, we have to use our ears and have fun.
(...and MF 102 is also the best tremolo all around...)

[Mingus Addict]

I remember seeing a You Tube video of Tim Lefebvre taking a solo I really enjoyed with his ring modulator (a gongkulator I believe), but I can't find it now.

[JimmyM]

The thing about ring mods is you have to invent yourself a need for it.

[Wall Bird]

Ringmods are a pretty prevalent effect used by Squarepusher from 2004-2007. If his bass playing had a signature effect for that era, I'd say this is it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A3EsaZrJ4o

Jump to 6:30 where he kicks in the ring mod and uses it with the expression pedal. It's a pretty fantastic track as far as his bass playing goes, so enjoy that as well.

and if you've never heard Tom play bass before, give this one a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nukwQgYMl0U

[mjac28]

Originally Posted by ElBajista13

the ring modulator it's used extensively on the Beaubourg album, by vangelis. that is a clear example (on a personal note, beaubourg sounds like vangelis just playing random melodies he once learned).

Exactly Bongos point

[champbassist]

because this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoiKKa01-pY

just saying