• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Catalinbread Semaphore Tremolo Review(Up now)

#41
Smallequestrian said:
So I just recieved a Valcoder. When people say it might lack headroom for bass, what exactly would that do to the sound? As far as I can tell it seems to be working fine...in fact I'm really digging it.

I picked it up because I had a little room on my pedal board and I got it for a good deal. Don't really need anything too complicated as I don't have a lot of band use for it.
Click to expand...

N/M, I figured it out. I hadn't been really playing hard and then I started to here it clip. I also didn't realize the Heliotrope was driving it to clip, because I actually liked the way it sounded.
 
#43
Smallequestrian said:
N/M, I figured it out. I hadn't been really playing hard and then I started to here it clip. I also didn't realize the Heliotrope was driving it to clip, because I actually liked the way it sounded.
Click to expand...

I have a Valcoder and I'm enjoying it...my first trem. FYI, there is a trimpot inside that appears to adjust gain (or something...no docuemtation with the pedal or on the web site). I adjusted mine down a little and now it works great.
 
#44
So from what I've read, the conventional wisdom is to put a trem at the end of the signal chain. However, since the Heliotrope and the Messdrive seem to drive it to clipping pretty easily, I think I will put the Valcoder before those. Obviously I will try it out for myself, but are there any inherent issues with such a setup that I should be aware of?
 
#46
Smallequestrian said:
So from what I've read, the conventional wisdom is to put a trem at the end of the signal chain. However, since the Heliotrope and the Messdrive seem to drive it to clipping pretty easily, I think I will put the Valcoder before those. Obviously I will try it out for myself, but are there any inherent issues with such a setup that I should be aware of?
Click to expand...

the messdrive is hot as heck. trun that sucker down - I suspect there is a similar issue with the heliotrope

if you DO end up trying the trem before them, make some clips please! I have tried this and couldn't use ANYthing. Sometimes the conventional wisdom is right - on my board the only pedal i'd place after a trem would be delay
 
#47
I've decided to leave it with the Valcoder at the end of the chain. The Valcoder worked decently in front of the Heliotrope, but the Valcoder in front of the MessDrive was damn near worthless. I haven't really been running the fuzz at the same time as the trem anyway, and the Heliotrope sounds cool even when it clips the trem.

P1000187.jpg
 
#48
Smallequestrian said:
So from what I've read, the conventional wisdom is to put a trem at the end of the signal chain. However, since the Heliotrope and the Messdrive seem to drive it to clipping pretty easily, I think I will put the Valcoder before those. Obviously I will try it out for myself, but are there any inherent issues with such a setup that I should be aware of?
Click to expand...

It really depends on what you want to do with the trem. Sure you can put it at the end of chain and trem everything, or you can put in front of a gain pedal and have the trem send signal peaks into the gain pedal for fun effects. Also with a trem with a good square wave ;) sending it into a filter will get you some outstanding pulsing synth sounds, add fuzz and you get out of this world pulsing synth sounds.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back