Re: Effects Pedal - Watch out!!

[Pat Missin <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Larry Pratt wrote:

>Jp Pagan and many others wrote about using an Octave Effects pedal. I'm
>sure people use effects pedals because they like the particular sound it
>makes, as Richard H. points out.

I can't imagine anyone using an effects pedal because they DON'T like
the sound it makes! :)

>My caution on effects pedals is to not become dependent upon them to
>create "your" sound. Learn to make "your" sound without effects boxes.
>For me, I avoid placing gadgets in the signal path. If I want Phat
>tone, I'll use the right mic and amp combination and check my cupping
>seal. If I want octaves, I'll play 'em.

Of course, this limits you to just a few available octaves on any one
harp. Supposing you are playing a C harp and you want to play a Bb
octave? Or what if you want to play an octave and bend it by a couple
of semitones? 

>Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to effects pedals. I would just
>avoid a "daisy-chain" of effects pedals. Using more than two effect
>boxes at a time could lead to an incredibily muddled sound. Remember,
>you need people to actually hear the notes you are playing. 

There are times, not all that often I admit, when I completely remove
the original harmonica tone from my output and just use the sounds of
the effects triggered by my harmonica. In those cases, I am not doing
anything that different to a keyboard-driven synthesiser, using my
harmonica merely to select and shape the notes that come out of the
electronic gizmos. Mostly I do this in circumstances where I am
expected to fill the role normally played by keyboards and the like -
blues harp purists will be pleased to hear that I rarely do this sort
of thing in the middle of a straight Chicago blues tune.

>Personally,
>I would limit the use of an effects pedal to effects I cannot produce
>without them. 

I can't see much point in using an effect pedal to produce a sound
that you can produce without it. Having said that, working with
various effects units over the yeas has definitely had an influence on
my acoustic playing and I often find myself trying to recreate some of
those sounds when I play without all my electronic toys.

However, I do think that a note of caution is not a bad thing when it
comes to the use of effects units, although I would also add that it
is not just those little stompboxes that get overused. During acoustic
sessions, it is by no means uncommon to find players that overuse
throat vibrato, hand wah-wah, rapid semitone trilling with the slide,
etc., etc. I really don't think that is any better or worse than the
guy who uses the same setting on his flanger all night long.

 -- Pat.