Squarewave effect?

Colonel Monk · #1 10-14-2011, 11:48 AM

Guys:

I'm cleaning out my store of unused effects, there's at least 10-15 on the chopping block.

The Digitech BSW is among those to go. It's a fun pedal but over the past 5 years I've owned it I haven't found alot of use for it, except one.

On setting 3, the squarewave (I think) sounds cool just as a distortion effect, though it's tough to use. Even if you turn the filter sensitivity all the way down it still gets triggered sometimes...I used to use it for emphasis and just click in after the note attack on the bass - that way it didn't trigger the envelope.

Question is, is there another effect out there you all know of that will give me just that sound, without everything else? I'm not for sure that it's a squarewave just that it's a synth pedal and it's not a very smooth sounding distortion...

Thanks,

CM

Mr.Hat · #2 10-14-2011, 12:01 PM

Guess I'm waiting for IronEther to make one . Been waiting since I heard the Xero-deluxe soundclips

Eric! · #3 10-14-2011, 12:15 PM

I've been playing one all week. It's freakin killer.

cnltb · #4 10-14-2011, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colonel Monk

Guys:

I'm cleaning out my store of unused effects, there's at least 10-15 on the chopping block.

The Digitech BSW is among those to go. It's a fun pedal but over the past 5 years I've owned it I haven't found alot of use for it, except one.

On setting 3, the squarewave (I think) sounds cool just as a distortion effect, though it's tough to use. Even if you turn the filter sensitivity all the way down it still gets triggered sometimes...I used to use it for emphasis and just click in after the note attack on the bass - that way it didn't trigger the envelope.

Question is, is there another effect out there you all know of that will give me just that sound, without everything else? I'm not for sure that it's a squarewave just that it's a synth pedal and it's not a very smooth sounding distortion...

Thanks,

CM

I have never heard of squarewave effects.
Is there a website?
I couldn't find one so far.

avvie · #5 10-14-2011, 12:36 PM

basic audio effect pedals, basic audio fx, Basic Audio

avvie · #6 10-14-2011, 12:37 PM

Demo by a guitard:

Basic Audio Squarewave + - YouTube

Colonel Monk · #7 10-14-2011, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric!

I've been playing one all week. It's freakin killer.

Nice Eric!

Any chance you could do a quick clip? Yoooootooooob only has guitar on it.

Thanks avvie, interesting - would like to know more....

CM

Colonel Monk · #8 10-14-2011, 01:08 PM

Would you guys agree that the sound I'm thinking of from the Digi BSW setting 3 is a squarewave?

Eric! · #9 10-14-2011, 01:37 PM

This clip isn't mine, but I'm hoping to do some tomorrow

http://www.basicaudio.net/Squarewave-bass.mp3

behndy · #10 10-14-2011, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric!

This clip isn't mine, but I'm hoping to do some tomorrow

http://www.basicaudio.net/Squarewave-bass.mp3

word on the street is if you ask Mssr. Lyons real nice-like he'll put a blend in for cha.

MAN i'm impatient waiting for mines.

chessrocks · #11 10-14-2011, 02:05 PM

I believe they're called "fuzz pedals."

wolffman · #12 10-14-2011, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric!

I've been playing one all week. It's freakin killer.

I love those big knobs. And orange paint. And sweet graphics. What a kn00b- judging a pedal by it's looks… (actually I think it’s the opposite, in the beginning you want things for functionality, but now I just want things because it’s shiny, new, and pretty) Sometimes I consider taking a TB hiatus- this place separates me from a larger percentage of my paycheck than I’d ever want to admit.

gastric · #13 10-14-2011, 03:33 PM

Sounds like regular 'ole fuzz to me.

The BSW #3 sounds like distortion with a filter, at least based on a YouTube I checked.

If you want a real square wave sound in mono check out this OC-2 thread: BOSS OC-2 synth mod with sound clips

Colonel Monk · #14 10-14-2011, 06:50 PM

Ha Ha, everybody..... Yeah I get it, squarewave being the basic waveform of all fuzz and distortion....

OK, I'm coming from a background including alot of synthesizer equipment as well as various bass synth pedals.

Synth equipment (Little Phatty) has control over the basic waveshape all the way from square to saw to PWM and ramped saw forms, etc. On EHX BMS the slider that makes it synthy is "squarewave". Half the modes on Boss synth are also "squarewave" as opposed to saw and pulse...

So yeah you can oversimplify it and say that it's just a fuzz but there's a bit more to it than that.

To me, the sound on setting 3 is alot like Bass Micro synth with a fair amount of the squarewave slider.

I can see how someone would think it just sounds like distortion but it's not an "analog" effected signal, I suppose it's digital. If you play it in real life it has a different quality.

Anyway, it's an interesting sound for a drone or something. But it's the only sound on there I like, and with the filter (which I don't dig) it's not too useful.

I'll check out some of the suggestions others have made on effects regarding the SQW.

Thakns

Colonel Monk · #15 10-14-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastric

Sounds like regular 'ole fuzz to me.

The BSW #3 sounds like distortion with a filter, at least based on a YouTube I checked.

If you want a real square wave sound in mono check out this OC-2 thread: BOSS OC-2 synth mod with sound clips

Yeah interesting. I have been meaning to pick up an OC2 to try out. It's a very synthy octave pedal (compared to octabass and others) but that is the basic sound I've been looking for to add fuzz and xerograph to.

Since I'm not familar with the pedal it was difficult to follow where in the clip it was just the raw square wave, but I think it was the one not dulled with filter or overly distorted with fuzz - yes?

Thanks,

Monk

If I can get my **** together I'll try to record a clip of the BSW without the filter (honestly can't remember if the sound I like is filter open or closed...)