Mine came yesterday. It got shipped to my work. It is sitting right here, still packaged up. The wait up until this point was not agonizing. This truly is...
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Gnomeratron VTF - a nasty muff with blend: prototype review
- Thread starter jrmy
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I'm liking mine more and more everyday!
Found THE B:Assmaster sound!!!
I've had both a sil w/low freq. mod and a germ in hopes of getting THIS SOUND that I thought they would have.:scowl:
Found THE B:Assmaster sound!!!
I've had both a sil w/low freq. mod and a germ in hopes of getting THIS SOUND that I thought they would have.:scowl:
All right, I've been trying to hold off posting more tracks since I didn't want to hog the VTF experience. But I'm impatient when it comes to the fuzz I love, and I REALLY REALLY LOVE THIS FUZZ!
So here's the first clip of my first fin-depth exploration of the box... the only problem is, there's so much more to explore! I optimistically titled this "Gnomeratron Full Review," but it really only scratches the surface.
http://soundcloud.com/thewyrrejimes/gnomeratron-full-review
So, some notes:
This was all done Fender passive Amurrican Jazz Bass > Gnomeratron > M-audio FastTrack Pro > Garageband. These clips were all done with the "magic" mode off, so I could have the clean blend coming through most of the time. The first run through of the riff is my clean signal, the second is cleanish blend on only, and from there I start experimenting with diodes and whatnot.
I need to consult my notes to see which riff is which setup, but I can tell you that some of my favorite settings came about with one of the diodes (either one) in the middle position, with the octave on, and with the filter also in the middle position. That said, I was amazed by the sounds you can get with the octave off as well. The tone and gate knobs have amazing interactivity, so not only can you get a really gated fuzz tone if you want, you can also dial in the resonant frequencies that the fuzz & octave emphasize in that tone. Also, with the octave off, the fuzz can be really bottom-heavy - some of the riffs towards the end don't have any clean blend in them, but they still sound plenty bassy!
Finally, while I don't get into any oscillating settings here, listen to the sustain on those last two riffs! It's not oscillating, but dang does it do some interesting things to held notes.
So here's the first clip of my first fin-depth exploration of the box... the only problem is, there's so much more to explore! I optimistically titled this "Gnomeratron Full Review," but it really only scratches the surface.
http://soundcloud.com/thewyrrejimes/gnomeratron-full-review
So, some notes:
This was all done Fender passive Amurrican Jazz Bass > Gnomeratron > M-audio FastTrack Pro > Garageband. These clips were all done with the "magic" mode off, so I could have the clean blend coming through most of the time. The first run through of the riff is my clean signal, the second is cleanish blend on only, and from there I start experimenting with diodes and whatnot.
I need to consult my notes to see which riff is which setup, but I can tell you that some of my favorite settings came about with one of the diodes (either one) in the middle position, with the octave on, and with the filter also in the middle position. That said, I was amazed by the sounds you can get with the octave off as well. The tone and gate knobs have amazing interactivity, so not only can you get a really gated fuzz tone if you want, you can also dial in the resonant frequencies that the fuzz & octave emphasize in that tone. Also, with the octave off, the fuzz can be really bottom-heavy - some of the riffs towards the end don't have any clean blend in them, but they still sound plenty bassy!
Finally, while I don't get into any oscillating settings here, listen to the sustain on those last two riffs! It's not oscillating, but dang does it do some interesting things to held notes.
I finally got a chance to open it. I am floored so far at the amount of tweakable variables.
The Gnome shall be going to practice with me tomorrow and I shall report back after that.
quick question.... Im sure this has been answered somewhere in this lengthy thread already but just curious on how this pedal is powered??? power rating??
There was earlier discussion about whether to include a battery clip or not so I'd say it's 9v.
Sorry if I don't reply as much, guys. Gotta break my internet addiction to get these pedals out faster. Got a system going. : D
But, these use a standard 9-volt center negative adaptor. Same as Boss and a billion others.
But, these use a standard 9-volt center negative adaptor. Same as Boss and a billion others.
Thank you...sorry if this was already discussed but after 20 minutes of going through this thread i just figured i would ask.
Keep up the good work Mcspunckle
Well, if fewer posts equals more pedals in the mail, I won't complain! I get it, if you're on TB all day long, then you certainly are not working
No worries!
No worries!
I just want to say that I have a shipping notice, but I don't want to brag.
(Ok, maybe a little.)
(Ok, maybe a little.)
So far I think my favorite setting is with magic switch off. With cleanish set at 3, tone at max, I believe LED/ Schottky, octave on, fuzz at 9, gain maxed, gate at 9, and tone at 12 - 3.
(speaking of, could you post what the diodes look like and describe which places in the socketed thingamajig are 1/1 and 2/2 Please McSpunckle!! I've already switched mine around but would like to know I did it correctly).
I play a G&L tribby in passive mode with ti jazz flats. So tone control is less of an issue as I don't need to roll off the highs excessively. If I engage the magic, I simply turn down the tone (9 - 12).
In non magic mode this gives you a healthy distortion while maintaining a heavy bass foundation and a phasey overtone. Still much experimentation to do. Thanks McSpunckle, my gnome rules!!
(speaking of, could you post what the diodes look like and describe which places in the socketed thingamajig are 1/1 and 2/2 Please McSpunckle!! I've already switched mine around but would like to know I did it correctly).
I play a G&L tribby in passive mode with ti jazz flats. So tone control is less of an issue as I don't need to roll off the highs excessively. If I engage the magic, I simply turn down the tone (9 - 12).
In non magic mode this gives you a healthy distortion while maintaining a heavy bass foundation and a phasey overtone. Still much experimentation to do. Thanks McSpunckle, my gnome rules!!
I'm glad you enjoy it. I should have posted that diode info earlier!
Diode descriptions:
Silicon: Orange, small glass tube
LED: ... little red LEDs
Schottky: Blue-- some newer ones will look just like the silicon, but they're a little bigger.
Germanium: Large, clear glass tubes. NOS have red bands, generic have green bands.
For the first few, the sockets go, from left to right:
Diode 1, pos 1
Diode 1, pos 2
Diode 2, pos 1
Diode 2, pos 2
Right is pos 1, left is pos 2.
For newer ones, it's reversed. Right to left:
Diode 1, pos 1
Diode 1, pos 2
Diode 2, pos 1
Diode 2, pos 2
The last couple I shipped have the new setup.
How was changing out the diodes? And issues?
Diode descriptions:
Silicon: Orange, small glass tube
LED: ... little red LEDs
Schottky: Blue-- some newer ones will look just like the silicon, but they're a little bigger.
Germanium: Large, clear glass tubes. NOS have red bands, generic have green bands.
For the first few, the sockets go, from left to right:
Diode 1, pos 1
Diode 1, pos 2
Diode 2, pos 1
Diode 2, pos 2
Right is pos 1, left is pos 2.
For newer ones, it's reversed. Right to left:
Diode 1, pos 1
Diode 1, pos 2
Diode 2, pos 1
Diode 2, pos 2
The last couple I shipped have the new setup.
How was changing out the diodes? And issues?
It was very simple changing them out, just pulled gently with pliers, and vice versa.
Right now I believe I've got mine set up 1) GER/ LED 2) GER/ SCHOTTKY.
The germanium and schottky are very similar in the second stage and I like both without the 1st stage engaged, but today I decided that the LED feeding the Schottky sounds really good to me, yet very similar to the GER or SCHOTTKY with 1st stage removed, more harmonic/ disharmonic content, I guess.
Right now I believe I've got mine set up 1) GER/ LED 2) GER/ SCHOTTKY.
The germanium and schottky are very similar in the second stage and I like both without the 1st stage engaged, but today I decided that the LED feeding the Schottky sounds really good to me, yet very similar to the GER or SCHOTTKY with 1st stage removed, more harmonic/ disharmonic content, I guess.
OK, I got a chance to spend an hour with the Gnome. There is ALOT going on in this little box. Even an hour barely scratches the surface. I do like this fuzz a lot. I can seeing this being my favorite fuzz pedal that I have played through so far.
I compared it to the Earthbound Audio Beast. They are different sounding indeed.
PROS
TONE
This pedal is capable of producing a lot of wonderful tones. Very rich and lively. This pedal is perfect for those that have a certain fuzz tone in their head and need to bring it to life.
VARIETY OF SOUNDS
Big Muff Fuzz? Check
Bassmaster Fuzz? Check
Synthy Fuzz? Check
Wall of extreme fuzz? Check
Open Sounding Fuzz? Check
Compressed Fuzz? Check
Subtle Fuzz? Check
Bright Fuzz? Check
Dark Fuzz? Check
Fuzz + Distortion Combo? Check
MANY MORE TYPES? CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!
TWEAKABILITY
Extreme tweakability rarely seen on any fuzz. In fact, I can't readily think of another fuzz pedal that is this tweakable. I mean even the trim gain knobs change the sound drastically, compared to the Beast in which the knobs going through a full turn generally only change the tone in a more subtle way.
STACKABILITY
A lot of the time stacking fuzzes is redundant, and a bit of an overkill. Well, in this particular case the Beast and the Gnome rule the lands amazingly well together. The Gnome brings in more harmonic dynamics and clarity to the Beast. The Beast brings out a thicker, deeper sound.
Together, they are magical.
CONS
VOLUME
There is no master volume which is a pain. The effect's volume when engaged seems hard to dial in so it matches the bypass volume.
NOISE
-There is some noise overall- especially as the gain is turned up, compared to the Beast, which is quiet. It might need some better shielding?
-The switches POP LOUDLY when switched. This is definitely an issue.
-One of the trim knobs on the side seems like it has a dirty pot, it is noisy. I think this can be fixed.
EASE OF DIALING IN SOUNDS
It is going to take a little while to dial in sounds that you are looking for. Only really a con if you need to change a tone on a gig on the fly. But practicing flipping a few switches is attainable.
CONCLUSION
I am just beginning to get into the sounds of this pedal, and I still need to play it in a mix when my band gets together this week. But so far, I am impressed and really looking forward to using it during practice this week.
I compared it to the Earthbound Audio Beast. They are different sounding indeed.
PROS
TONE
This pedal is capable of producing a lot of wonderful tones. Very rich and lively. This pedal is perfect for those that have a certain fuzz tone in their head and need to bring it to life.
VARIETY OF SOUNDS
Big Muff Fuzz? Check
Bassmaster Fuzz? Check
Synthy Fuzz? Check
Wall of extreme fuzz? Check
Open Sounding Fuzz? Check
Compressed Fuzz? Check
Subtle Fuzz? Check
Bright Fuzz? Check
Dark Fuzz? Check
Fuzz + Distortion Combo? Check
MANY MORE TYPES? CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!
TWEAKABILITY
Extreme tweakability rarely seen on any fuzz. In fact, I can't readily think of another fuzz pedal that is this tweakable. I mean even the trim gain knobs change the sound drastically, compared to the Beast in which the knobs going through a full turn generally only change the tone in a more subtle way.
STACKABILITY
A lot of the time stacking fuzzes is redundant, and a bit of an overkill. Well, in this particular case the Beast and the Gnome rule the lands amazingly well together. The Gnome brings in more harmonic dynamics and clarity to the Beast. The Beast brings out a thicker, deeper sound.
Together, they are magical.
CONS
VOLUME
There is no master volume which is a pain. The effect's volume when engaged seems hard to dial in so it matches the bypass volume.
NOISE
-There is some noise overall- especially as the gain is turned up, compared to the Beast, which is quiet. It might need some better shielding?
-The switches POP LOUDLY when switched. This is definitely an issue.
-One of the trim knobs on the side seems like it has a dirty pot, it is noisy. I think this can be fixed.
EASE OF DIALING IN SOUNDS
It is going to take a little while to dial in sounds that you are looking for. Only really a con if you need to change a tone on a gig on the fly. But practicing flipping a few switches is attainable.
CONCLUSION
I am just beginning to get into the sounds of this pedal, and I still need to play it in a mix when my band gets together this week. But so far, I am impressed and really looking forward to using it during practice this week.
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