Source Audio Sorcerers Society (S.A.S.S) Part 3

[Quatschmacher]

Thanks, just trying to sort out what all the pieces do. I realize I've bought an older generation of gear, but that's not always a bad thing

The Manta is great. It was a staple of mine for years. I do miss its immediacy.

 

[Engle]

The Manta is great. It was a staple of mine for years. I do miss its immediacy.

I'm looking for it to replace the mini Qtron and chorus pedal on my board.
One of my groups is a jazz/jam trio and I'm hoping to expand my sound pallette.
I may get the Neuro hub so I can save more presets and control it.

 

[Quatschmacher]

I'm looking for it to replace the mini Qtron and chorus pedal on my board.
One of my groups is a jazz/jam trio and I'm hoping to expand my sound pallette.
I may get the Neuro hub so I can save more presets and control it.

It won't do chorus.

 

[Quatschmacher]

Most interesting use of a Collider (look closely):

 

[AlvarHanso]

Most interesting use of a Collider (look closely):

Had to watch it twice, then noticed. First time through I saw the delay and reverb switch, and thought, "well, it seems to already have a delay and reverb unit..." That is a helluva project, and I wonder how they reassigned the switches, and if the 4 red LEDs on the left had anything to do with the presets.

 

[Quatschmacher]

Had to watch it twice, then noticed. First time through I saw the delay and reverb switch, and thought, "well, it seems to already have a delay and reverb unit..." That is a helluva project, and I wonder how they reassigned the switches, and if the 4 red LEDs on the left had anything to do with the presets.

He does loads of rehousing projects and always uses the controls, though sometimes they are spread out across the new housing, as they are here.

 

[rsmith601]

Most interesting use of a Collider (look closely):

Wow. Brilliant!

 

[joshofbass]

Levelling tips?

Anyone have a quick and easy way to level a bunch of presets in a session? Like an app or something. I've found headphones aren't a good way to do it - at least, not my ones anyway. I'd like to fill up my c4 and ultrawave with presets and then get them all about the same output level before trying them out at higher volume levels

 

[odarellmc]

Levelling tips?

Anyone have a quick and easy way to level a bunch of presets in a session? Like an app or something. I've found headphones aren't a good way to do it - at least, not my ones anyway. I'd like to fill up my c4 and ultrawave with presets and then get them all about the same output level before trying them out at higher volume levels

My atlas at the end of my chain catches most peak, outside of that you can save the setting on the pedal.

 

[Billyears IV]

Levelling tips?

Anyone have a quick and easy way to level a bunch of presets in a session? Like an app or something. I've found headphones aren't a good way to do it - at least, not my ones anyway. I'd like to fill up my c4 and ultrawave with presets and then get them all about the same output level before trying them out at higher volume levels

Plug into a DAW & compare/adjust levels.

Some presets might 'sound' louder than others, due to character of the sound but you can have consistent levels.

 

[jefbyos]

I usually play them, compared to the bypass level. This is a good référence as I rarely do a full song with a synth song, so i need them aligned anyway. I play bass so i check at least at medium volume to have a decent idea of how the sounds react on bass frequencies. I also check on headhones to have another view of the overall level. Most of the time it fits the needs at 95% while going at reharsal, i may have to slighly adjust afterward given context. Bear in mind overall volume is one thing, there is also how the sound is programmed / EQ'd which will afftect how it sits in the overall mix. I spend sometimes more time adjusting the EQ or filter, because it gets too bright compared to the clean sound... This is'nt easy to predict out of context, you sometimes have to go back and forth a couple of times so if you can record your sessions it'll help, or at least note your sensations.

You can plug on a audio interface and use a RMS meter to help, too.

 

[_Tay_]

I've had the most success getting the levels with my presets right using my cabinet speakers albeit fairly loudly to simulate gigging volumes.

I have used headphones to get levels before but the levels are always wrong coming out my cab even though they sound great in the headphones.

I too have compression afterwards to help even things out but mainly crank the volume and go through my cabs.

 

[voodoobassist]

Excuse the non SA product in the vid,...but,...fairly easy way to set levels here.

 

[s_wood]

I've had the most success getting the levels with my presets right using my cabinet speakers albeit fairly loudly to simulate gigging volumes.

I have used headphones to get levels before but the levels are always wrong coming out my cab even though they sound great in the headphones

This! I've found it difficult to accurately set preset levels with headphones, probably because most speaker cabs produce a lot more low frequencies than most headphones. I also run into problems because I use a few different basses, and each has a different output level. I do my best to use the volume controls on each bass to match levels across all of them, but it's hit or miss.

 

[stubbsonic]

At the beginning of that video, he refers to the input on the iRig as the output, and vice versa. For the record, signal flow always goes from outputs to inputs (e.g., out of guitar to input of device, out of device to in of next device).

The output of the interface would go to the input of the FX, the output of the FX would go to the input of the interface.

This vid shows why it is tricky and subjective to set levels as there's so much going on in the spectrum to make picking a specific frequency somewhat arbitrary.

Some presets might 'sound' louder than others, due to character of the sound but you can have consistent levels.

This.

I usually play them, compared to the bypass level.

This is what I do. It's not 100% accurate, but gets things in the ballpark. It's also well worth investing in good cans so you tell what's happening across the spectrum.

One weird approach would be to set up a pink noise generator, then set the level of your reference bass tone so it is barely audible above the pink noise. Set your monitor/cans level fairly quiet so you don't tax your ears at all. Now just set all your patch levels so the bass is just barely audible above the noise.

 

[MPC13]

Has anyone had any luck using the Octave up on a Source Audio Spectrum? I have been trying to recreate the sound that Rocco uses in Tioga Pass but the octave up just sounds terrible in my Spectrum. Even my Sub'n'Up sounds better.

 

[aglide]

My recommendation for setting levels is to program each preset to use a physical knob on each source audio pedal to control output, and dial them all in per gig during soundcheck. The differences in rooms is going to make different patches sound louder.

That being said, one thing I've been doing lately is using this Mini VUMP pedal on my board to get a visual on the output level and adjust them all to match as a starting point:

The "Mini-VUMP" Guitar Pedal – Joyemusic.com

He doesn't make many of them, but there's a wait list you can sign up for if you wanted to get one.

 

[Abe-of-Bass]

With the Gemini, is there any way to get the effect on just one channel, while leaving the other channel dry? I know there is the Dry Through routing option, but that seems to just duplicate the first input's signal and send it through dry, and disregards the second input. Am I missing something? Is there anyway to use stereo inputs/outputs but have one channel without the chorus effect?

 

[GreatLakesBrass]

I've used After Shock for years, and remember it solving tone issues in a unique way. I really didn't dig into the idea of customizing with the editor for a number of reasons. I suppose I didn't want to open that door, and I didn't want to remove the pedal from a board setup to update/revise, etc. This thread has been a wealth of information, including learning about the mobile app. It either wasn't around when I got the pedal, or I looked right past it, but that certainly opens things up for a revise-in-place opportunity.

Anyway - my current project is researching envelope filters, and my homework has led me to the Spectrum Intelligent Filter. I haven't acquired one yet, however I'm intrigued by the possibilities to be able to dial it in to the players' unique set up.

Pretty fired up to get into it - these threads make if feel like a portal has opened with so much insight and guidance available. Thought I'd just give a shout out of appreciation, in anticipation of a new era of Source Audio understanding coming soon.

 

[Gibs210]

Has anyone had any luck using the Octave up on a Source Audio Spectrum? I have been trying to recreate the sound that Rocco uses in Tioga Pass but the octave up just sounds terrible in my Spectrum. Even my Sub'n'Up sounds better.

Sun n up is polyphonic if I remember correctly, spectrum is only monophonic which sounds very different, and isn't really a sound used in the analog/monophonic realm of octave pedals (just octave down).