Help With Tremolo

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Mike S
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Help With Tremolo

Post by Mike S » Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:41 pm

Before I got a tube amp, one of my two modeling pedals was the Boss FDR-1 Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb-Amp. Since getting rid of it, I've missed the tremolo feature (authentically labeled as "Vibrato"). I've been considering how to remedy the situation and have four questions that I need help with.

1. Is there a way to coax a vibrato effect out of an EHX big box Polychorus, Boss DM-2W or combination of the two?

2. How would you compare the Boss TR-2 to the EHX Stereo Pulsar?

3. Does the old Big Box Pulsar sound better than the XO Stereo Pulsar, or are they pretty much the same?

4. Would you consider tremolo to be a volume effect to be put at the beginning of the chain or a time-based effect to be put at the end with delay and reverb?

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Embenny
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by Embenny » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:10 am

I briefly owned a TR-2. I will never buy a trem pedal without a volume knob again. I heard a rumour that the newer versions don't have the volume drop of the old one, but the whole point is moot if you buy one with a volume knob and set it to your perceived unity gain.

I personally only like tremolo at the end of the chain. If you put it before any gain pedals or preamp distortion, you get varying levels of distortion more than varying levels of volume with each pulse. Some like it that way. I don't. It's just a matter of personal preference.
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shoule79
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by shoule79 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:36 am

The polychorus can do a vibrato effect, but vibrato like a vb-2, not tremolo.

Never had the pulsar or tr-2, but I use and swear by the pn-2 for tremolo.

I put my pn-2 at the very end of the chain, but that is mostly due to it being a stereo splitter between 2 amps when I'm so inclined. Prior to that pedal I kept trem right before delay and reverb.

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s_mcsleazy
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:06 am

personally, i always think trem should go after dirt but before any other modulation.
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Mike S
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by Mike S » Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:53 am

shoule79 wrote:The polychorus can do a vibrato effect, but vibrato like a vb-2, not tremolo.

Never had the pulsar or tr-2, but I use and swear by the pn-2 for tremolo.

I put my pn-2 at the very end of the chain, but that is mostly due to it being a stereo splitter between 2 amps when I'm so inclined. Prior to that pedal I kept trem right before delay and reverb.
The PN-2 is a bit out of my price range for the moment. I played around with the filter matrix and chorus settings on my Polychorus. I was able to get a super-fast tremolo-ish grind by starting with the Radio Friendly Unit Shifter settings and then turning the rate way up. The best I could do with the filter matrix is a Super-Fuzz-ish ring.

I think I'm leaning towards the Pulsar because it seems more versatile than the Boss pedals.

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marqueemoon
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by marqueemoon » Sat Oct 14, 2017 9:41 am

Mike S wrote:4. Would you consider tremolo to be a volume effect to be put at the beginning of the chain or a time-based effect to be put at the end with delay and reverb?
I like tremolo as the last effect before reverb (after delay if using it).

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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by leokula » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:02 am

Mike S wrote:
Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:41 pm
1. Is there a way to coax a vibrato effect out of an EHX big box Polychorus, Boss DM-2W or combination of the two?
Like someone said, the Polychorus could get you a vibrato, but not close to a proper tremolo.
Mike S wrote:
Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:41 pm
2. How would you compare the Boss TR-2 to the EHX Stereo Pulsar?
I had the Boss TR-2 for a while, mine had no volume drop. It's a great vintage sounding tremolo to my ears. I'm a big EHX fan so I been wanting a pulsar for a while, I managed to use the TR-2 in a trade for a Fender amp, and bought a big box pulsar. It hasn't got here yet, I should know soon. The thing with the pulsar is that you can do some oddball tremolo sounds with it's shape knob. For more traditional trem sounds, I think it would be as good as a TR-2.
Mike S wrote:
Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:41 pm
3. Does the old Big Box Pulsar sound better than the XO Stereo Pulsar, or are they pretty much the same?
I don't know... I'm getting the big box like I said, but haven't tried the XO.
Mike S wrote:
Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:41 pm
4. Would you consider tremolo to be a volume effect to be put at the beginning of the chain or a time-based effect to be put at the end with delay and reverb?
I like it just before delay and reverb as well.
Jaguar > Jazzmaster :)

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MechaBulletBill
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by MechaBulletBill » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:31 am

s_mcsleazy wrote:
Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:06 am
personally, i always think trem should go after dirt but before any other modulation.
I like to run reverb > trem > light distortion to give the feel of an old outboard trem/verb unit hitting the front end of an overdriving amp.

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Mike S
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by Mike S » Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:06 am

Does anyone have an opinion on the EHX Wiggler?

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leokula
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by leokula » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:36 am

I've enjoyed the demos I seen on the wiggler, seems like a cool pedal.

My brother uses a Worm (big box), which is similar, and he likes it a lot. I toyed around with it and It doesn't do a very deep tremolo, but it has some sweet sounds between all the modulation types. He swears by it and it's been on his board (and on our band's records) for about 6 years.
Jaguar > Jazzmaster :)

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Chippertheripper
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by Chippertheripper » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:49 am

marqueemoon wrote:
Sat Oct 14, 2017 9:41 am
Mike S wrote:4. Would you consider tremolo to be a volume effect to be put at the beginning of the chain or a time-based effect to be put at the end with delay and reverb?
I like tremolo as the last effect before reverb (after delay if using it).
Me too, as far as placement goes. I’m very anti boss flapper switch style pedals, but sonically, the tr2 does fine.
I run an EA clone, and an undertow.

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Mike S
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by Mike S » Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:04 pm

I've tried two different versions of The Worm and it just seemed really noisy. Plus it's kind of weird having a wah near the end of the signal chain. I am leaning in the direction of EHX though because I feel like all they've made all the best modulation effects I've used with the exception of phasers. I've never owned or used anything that beats my MXR Phase 100.

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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by budda12ax7 » Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:18 pm

Take a look at the Black Cat trem....has two speeds on it and a volume control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuiaVsPTJVQ

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marqueemoon
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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by marqueemoon » Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:08 pm

I have a PN-2 on one board and a Malekko Omicron on the other. Neither has a ton of character, but that's how I like it. To me once tremolo gets too chewy it ceases to be a floaty thing.

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Re: Help With Tremolo

Post by Harmoncj » Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:32 pm

MechaBulletBill wrote:
Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:31 am
I like to run reverb > trem > light distortion to give the feel of an old outboard trem/verb unit hitting the front end of an overdriving amp.
I like the way you think.

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