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Source Audio UltraWave ~ Catch the Wave

#481
AlvarHanso said:
Glad you were overruled!
Click to expand...

One hundred percent! I've seen a few responses here from SA engineers about the pandora's box that is the UW and some possible regret about including so much. All I can say is thank you!

When I first got mine, I explored almost all the community patches, built a few myself, and now I'm taking the same approach as HelpmaRock and trying to systematically understand each module one at a time. There's a ton to learn, but it's valuable.

I've consolidated my patches to just six, three different flavors of compressors and three OD/distortions from mild to wild. Awesome pedal.
 
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#483
jam.majors said:
I'm also glad that they included so much wild stuff in the UW. If the compressor hadn't been included, I wouldn't likely have bought the Atlas. The UW comp is very good, so it made me think how much better a dedicated pedal could be.
Click to expand...

Because I use an always on compressor, I've only really used the onboard comp post-dirt to add some squish to the dirty signal. It's going to take me a while to really get a handle on it.
 
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#484
HelpImaRock said:
Because I use an always on compressor, I've only really used the onboard comp post-dirt to add some squish to the dirty signal. It's going to take me a while to really get a handle on it.
Click to expand...
The UW comp is pretty transparent, to me. I use it in every single preset, a few of them I go for the Expander on one or both channels, but always on, as is the Atlas. But the UW comp is one reason it's been an always on pedal for me as part of my clean tone, as it's predecessor the MultiWave Bass Distortion Pro was as well. And somewhere here on TalkBass @rsmith601 mentioned that the first iteration of their compressor was actually embedded within the MWBDP and was an always on feature.
 
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#485
AlvarHanso said:
The UW comp is pretty transparent, to me. I use it in every single preset, a few of them I go for the Expander on one or both channels, but always on, as is the Atlas. But the UW comp is one reason it's been an always on pedal for me as part of my clean tone, as it's predecessor the MultiWave Bass Distortion Pro was as well. And somewhere here on TalkBass @rsmith601 mentioned that the first iteration of their compressor was actually embedded within the MWBDP and was an always on feature.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying it isn't transparent. I'm saying I use a compressor already and haven't gotten into the programming of it all. So my UW compressor experience is limited.

I have a Multiwave Bass Distortion, which is why I picked up the Ultra Wave instead of an Aftershock. The goal is to recreate the sounds I use on the Multiwave without turning knobs mid-set. My next sound to tackle is Octave Fold, and I'm certain I'll end up with the compressor engaged in some capacity.
 
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#486
HelpImaRock said:
I'm not saying it isn't transparent. I'm saying I use a compressor already and haven't gotten into the programming of it all. So my UW compressor experience is limited.

I have a Multiwave Bass Distortion, which is why I picked up the Ultra Wave instead of an Aftershock. The goal is to recreate the sounds I use on the Multiwave without turning knobs mid-set. My next sound to tackle is Octave Fold, and I'm certain I'll end up with the compressor engaged in some capacity.
Click to expand...
Okay, just saying if you approach it like the MWBDP, which you've had, so you're ahead of things there, and just turn it on, it won't get wonky even with compression later in the chain. It'll likely just even things out, which is my primary use for it. Where it gets wilder is the Expander. You can certainly keep going as you are, I just found the comp so good, simple, and unobtrusive, that I found it enhanced each preset, and so have always incorporated it, even knowing I have compression again later in the chain.
 
#487
It’s such a crazy pedal, and I’ve used it for so much. Now I only use it as a first in chain hpf/lpf and compressor going into my hx stomp.
No morphing or fuzz, just the slightest hint of overdrive when digging in.
Second path as input for synth with similar settings, but with dirt there when needed.
Such a great pedal when you get used to it and know what to do with it.
 
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#488
Got my two presets dialed in and published them.

"Basic Offset Overdrive" is what it sounds like. A basic asymmetrical overdrive.

"Fleeting Moments" is the Hyper Fuzz-alike. I used an octave setting on the Multiwave + a Rusty Box on the title track from our 2022 EP. This sound will take over for that one (along with the DMM setting on my HX One taking over for my BOSS DD6).



Next to work on that Octave Fold sound.
 
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#489
I've been hemming and hawing about how the presets I created don't quite sound like the stuff I'm trying to model and maybe spent a ton of money and go back to analog dirt. Well, the Ultra Wave came through tonight at rehearsal. I did bring my computer as my presets were very trebly after playing through my home rig all week. But I got them dialed in right away and they sound fantastic in the mix. I even got a third Octave Fold sound right with some post-dirt compression.

Next up is learning how to use the tremolo.
 
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#490
IMG_20240119_092331.jpg So the Saturnworks footswitch they made for me arrived today, same as the SA one but 'latching' instead of 'momentary' and...... Good news! It works!

So you can turn your Ultrawave presets (or any other one series unit) into a dual preset where you can have two different stomp sounds in one preset. Depending how you have the latching switch set depends what sound is active when you hit the UW on too.
 
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#491
_Tay_ said:
View attachment 5322468 So the Saturnworks footswitch they made for me arrived today, same as the SA one but 'latching' instead of 'momentary' and...... Good news! It works!

So you can turn your Ultrawave presets (or any other one series unit) into a dual preset where you can have two different stomp sounds in one preset. Depending how you have the latching switch set depends what sound is active when you hit the UW on too.
Click to expand...

I'm so glad it worked!

Just to be clear, if you change to a secondary sound in one preset, you have to turn off the latching switch when you switch presets. Otherwise you'll get the new preset's secondary sound too. Is that correct? Also, does the small green LED on the Ultra Wave show the state of the switch, or would adding an LED to the Saturnworks switch be helpful?
 
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#492
HelpImaRock said:
I'm so glad it worked!

Just to be clear, if you change to a secondary sound in one preset, you have to turn off the latching switch when you switch presets. Otherwise you'll get the new preset's secondary sound too. Is that correct? Also, does the small green LED on the Ultra Wave show the state of the switch, or would adding an LED to the Saturnworks switch be helpful?
Click to expand...

Yes that's right. If you keep the latching switch 'On' and then change to a new preset, it will be that preset's secondary sound. An LED would be helpful for sure, as you cannot tell if the switch is on/off other than remembering.
 
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#497
Had a look yesterday into how darkglass work some of their OD/distortion sounds and saw they compress the lows then distort the higher mids to keep the low end solid.

Then I had a go on the Ultrawave to make a patch doing this and it was really easy and sounds decent. Basically just make a patch that's mono>stereo>mono then on channel 1 just have a compressor on with flat EQ and no distortion. Then on channel 2, select an Offset distortion and to only distort the band's 1k and upwards with a flat EQ and no compression.

Probably sound good using other distortion types too I would of thought.
 
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#498
_Tay_ said:
Had a look yesterday into how darkglass work some of their OD/distortion sounds and saw they compress the lows then distort the higher mids to keep the low end solid.

Then I had a go on the Ultrawave to make a patch doing this and it was really easy and sounds decent. Basically just make a patch that's mono>stereo>mono then on channel 1 just have a compressor on with flat EQ and no distortion. Then on channel 2, select an Offset distortion and to only distort the band's 1k and upwards with a flat EQ and no compression.

Probably sound good using other distortion types too I would of thought.
Click to expand...
You can also use the HPF/LPF in the EQ section to limit the frequencies on each channel.
 
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#499
_Tay_ said:
Had a look yesterday into how darkglass work some of their OD/distortion sounds and saw they compress the lows then distort the higher mids to keep the low end solid.

Then I had a go on the Ultrawave to make a patch doing this and it was really easy and sounds decent. Basically just make a patch that's mono>stereo>mono then on channel 1 just have a compressor on with flat EQ and no distortion. Then on channel 2, select an Offset distortion and to only distort the band's 1k and upwards with a flat EQ and no compression.

Probably sound good using other distortion types too I would of thought.
Click to expand...
Most powerful and misunderstood pedal out there. At least some of you are taking advantage of the power!!
 
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#500
My Saturnworks switcher arrived today with latching switch, LED, and a polarity switch.

@_Tay_ What settings do you have it controlling and how did you set it up? I have the Control Input Option set as Tap Tempo. At first, the small green LED at the top of the Ultra Wave went bonkers. Then I unplugged the pedal and turned it back on again, and I can't get it to change the morph or balance. I'm pretty sure I'm the problem. Thoughts?
 

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