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Need help from effects gurus! Royal Blood inspired content.

Venom of God

Venom of God

Oct 8, 2007
704
257
38
Australia
#1
Okay guys, this one has been tying my brain into knots but I think I've got something workable here. I'm sure there are some mistakes but that's where you guys come in!

This is the idea- I want to build up a board for two purposes. One, to have fun doing some Royal Blood type stuff, because I love it. Two, to fatten out my tone and make it more guitar-y (again, think Royal Blood) when the guitarist in my band is playing lead (we're a three peace stoner doom band).

Attached is how I think it could work, based off the pedals I already own and a few that I'd like (or may need).

pedalboardplanner.png


1. We go into the tuner, mine is a Pitchblack so no bypass out.
2. Compressor.
3. Micro Pog. Don't have this yet, but it's a requirement.
4. Pog wet out into GT2 (already own), this is the guitar amp sound.
5. GT2 goes into effect loop B on the LS-2 (also don't own this yet). "Guitar" Loop complete.
6. Out of Pog dry out to start Loop A on the LS-2.
7. Through overdrive, fuzz, envelope filter and chorus (don't have the last two yet, on the wish list).
8. Complete loop A on LS-2.
9. Out of LS2, into RC3 (already got it, it fits, why not?).
10. Through Tone Hammer to complete signal chain.

Simple, right?! Would this work how I think it would? Would the "guitar" part be missing something without the Boss Harmonizer the RB dude uses or should I be adding that too? Looks like it would fit. Am I going to get away with running the "guitar" part through the Tone Hammer and into my bass amp/DI out?

Thoughts and opinions!
Thanks!
 
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#2
Board could also be re-routed to go into the compressor, POG dry out, tuner, bass chain to use the tuner as a mute for Royal Blood type switching of bass parts in and out. LS-2 could be used in standard route to turn "guitar" chain on and off in lead sections. I think. Haha.
 
#4
Replace LS-2 with Lehle Little Dual I think. Looks to be a lot easier to use and wouldn't need re-routing to accomplish the two different paths I want, assuming I understand it correctly (paths can just be turned on and off easily and individually). Promise that I'll try not to post again before someone else does!!

EDIT::Actually, that may not work since it's designed for two different amps, not two different chains. Hrmm.
 
#8
It's starting to look like a regular Royal Blood bandwagon around here - the guy has started something. I'm actually jamming with a drummer tonight to try out a rig for the same effect.

The delay in replaying to the OP may have been because that picture with all the squiggly lines is pretty headache-inducing. I don't have a lot of the pedals in it, so I can't comment on how they would work. I would say that I don't think it will really sound much like two separate instruments if it's all running through the tone hammer and a single amp in the end, though you will get a pretty massive variety of tones to play with.

Here's my board to try and create the effect:
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The large lower board is the "bass" board and the small upper board is the "guitar" board. The bass goes to the POG2, with Octave Up at full and everything else at zero; effected signal goes to the guitar board and then to a guitar amp (Egnater Tweaker). The Pitchfork can be set either to P5 up (for rhythm guitar/power chord effect) or an additional octave up (for leads). On the bass chain, I probably won't be using the looper for now but I have it if I think of applications in the future. And, of course, it winds up at my bass rig (LittleMark III head into a RevSound cab 2x10).

My own innovation in the idea is the "micro" board with the two stutter switches at left. That's the last thing on each chain before signal goes to the amps; the right one is guitar and the left is bass. It allows me to momentarily mute either signal, more readily than using the tuners as mutes (which I can also do if I'm going to mute something for a longer time), and without needing a line selector.

I'm not planning on having a full set of bass-solo or bass-and-drum music. The idea would be more of a traditional cover band setting, to be able to fill in rhythm chords under a guitarist's solos, and to have a couple of tunes over the course of a gig where we give the guitarist a break and do something different.
 
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#10
I did this not long ago using the ls-2, nano Pog, sans amp gt2, and I used odb3 I had lying around and used it as a kill switch(just turn all the knobs all the way to the left) .

It was fun but I really don't want to go back to a bigger board. I'm sticking with my pt mini and it all takes up too much room on the mini when I have other pedals I like more.
 
#12
dude i think you can make your setup simpler,

on your step number 6:

6. Out of Pog dry out to start Loop A on the LS-2.
7. Through overdrive, fuzz, envelope filter and chorus (don't have the last two yet, on the wish list).
8. Complete loop A on LS-2.

i just dont get this part yet as in what are you trying to look for on this particular setup, and btw which setting of the LS2 are you using? A->B->Bypass or A+B Mix -> Bypass

i just did a similar setup with my pedalboard but i am not really using for a royal blood style of playing,

bass tuner->korg ->
pog->effected out-> Loud Button WT->DD6->PH3->Dimension Reverb->LS2 loop A
pog->dry out->Rat tail->VMT->Duality->Input of LS2->VTDI->DItto X2

I am using the A+B Mix function,
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#13
I'd like to stress hrodbert's point: you will want a second amp for the guitar loop. It gives you more flexibility with the pedaboard setup (as you can freely use separate outputs) and your sound quality (thanks to separation) will be much better.

Regarding the pedals, I would suggest you look at the Pitch Fork, rather than the POG. I spent a fair amount of time comparing Micro POG, POG2, Harmonist, Pitch Fork, Boss OC-3, and a Digitech Bass Whammy. In the end I chose the Pitch Fork (excellent value-for-money, by the way, and more flexibilty, as it does like the Bass Whammy a lot more than only octave), although I already owned a Harmonist. The Harmonist doesn't track as well as the Pitch Fork and the POGs (although it's great for agressive bends).
 
#14
.
My "Royal Blood" (or whatever) style pedalboard.
MS60-B for bass duties, out to my regular bass amp.
MS100-BT for guitar sound (OD, reverb, amp sim etc.), out to a little Peavey guitar combo.

I was using a MicroPOG, which is great, but wanted a fuller sound.
I needed a fifth to add to give me a proper, full sounding powerchord, so I went with a Fishman Fission Bass Powerchord FX pedal in place of the MicroPOG.
I've never looked back. It's considerably fatter sounding than before. They seem to cop a lot of flack here in TB, but I love mine!

Nothing wrong with the MicroPOG, they're a great pedal, but the Fishman is, in my opinion, better for a rhythm guitar simulation in this context..... but only if you don't use the built in OD, it's not that good. A better, external OD is necessary, like the ones available in the MS100-BT.

My_pedals_Jan_2016.jpg
 
#15
Although I think it sounds as good, I'm going with the "2 pedal/2 amp" setup, because I feel it's just a bit more versatile...

20160105_154117_zpsjffqzsj7.jpg


20160107_212322_zps4g7wyr3p.jpg


The whole thing is really centered around the EHX Switchblade+. So, the signal goes G90->Volume pedal->Switchblade+ channel A->POG2->Blackstar guitar combo(soon to be a Fender Champion 100)
>Switchblade+ channel B->One Control Iguana Tail Loop to rest of board->bass rig

As much as I don't really want to carry extra gear, this setup, to me, does sound fuller than the "4 pedal/1 amp" setup and it seems to be a bit more flexible. I gigged with it last weekend, and it was sweet, but I'm going to hafta invest in a, slightly, better guitar amp. I was going to add a Boss PS-6 to the "guitar" side, but I'm wondering if the Pitch Fork would do the same thing?
 
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#16
As I said before, I tried both, and I liked the Pitch Fork better for what I wanted to do. But they are VERY different effects: the PS6 does a TERRIBLE job at tracking bass for good octave up (it sounds slightly off key and very artificial). It does a great job at adding major and minor 3rds, fifths, slight detuning and fantastic for bend effects. The Pitch Fork is 50 times better for up and down octave, and quite convenient when you have to tune up or down 1/2 step, full step or more (just turning a knob instead of re-tuning).
 
#17
Yeah, I'm not planning on using whichever one I get for anything other than adding 3rds or 5ths during guitar solos. I've got other pedals to do my octave up & down stuff.

The T-Rex Quint actually looks like the ideal device for my needs. I could just turn up the 5th knob and leave the others turned down...;):thumbsup:
 

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