Pedals that exceeded your expectations

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hexes
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by hexes » Sat Apr 16, 2022 10:28 pm

Sauerkraut wrote:
Tue Apr 12, 2022 6:29 am
soggy mittens wrote:
Tue Apr 12, 2022 5:13 am
I was slightly frustrated at the bypass and tap tempo switches. They were a bit finicky, I'd sometimes press them but they wouldn't work (possibly due to their secondary function and my slow foot pressing them for too long)
They are finicky, and because of your suspected reason. The solution is to get a Digitech fs3x footswitch…
if you want to DIY, the fs3 is ABSURDLY easy to make. I made one for mine and loved it. I also made an fx loop trs to 2 ts splitter to run that remote as well.

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hexes
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by hexes » Sat Apr 16, 2022 10:30 pm

Mine has to be the Land HP-2.

I’m not a huge albini fan (but have seen both big black and shellac live), avoided the hype of the percolator for decades, but g’damn does this pedal excite me beyond any other gain pedal ever.

second place is the asheville music tools delay. No delay I’ve ever owned has touched the deluxe memory man, and the asheville doesn’t quite get there, but it is leaps and bounds a much more pleasing analog delay than the rubberneck I had, even without the bonkers features of the rubberneck.

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Mechanical Birds
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by Mechanical Birds » Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:08 pm

Line 6 M5 - I bought this while trying to find a good price FM4, which is impossible. I went from having two of those fucking things to none, and I leaned on it heavily for some stuff. I bought the M5 expecting it to be a shittier sounding boring multi effect but it is seriously amazing! I did a shootout with it and both a DL4 and an MM4 and it sounded spot on, if not better, than the standalone 4 series pedals. It was only like $80 shipped and is just fucking loaded with features, including a tuner which I never use but really appreciate just having it there. Can’t say enough good things about it, really, and there’s a SHIT TON of stuff I’ve yet to ever even try out

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Unicorn Warrior
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Mon Apr 18, 2022 8:58 pm

Benson Germanium Fuzz…I recently got it from a friend for a super great deal. This is one of those pedals that have a lot of hype so I figured I’d just try it for a few days and move it on for a profit if nothing else. It’s now a mainstay on my board. Everything from light overdrive to “almost” all the fuzz I could ever want.

Also, someone mentioned the line6 m5. I second that. I’ll also throw in a deluxe memory boy. I’ve had one of those as my analogue delay sound for a long time. I do not get why these aren’t more loved like the memory man.

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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by s_mcsleazy » Tue Apr 19, 2022 3:54 pm

oh another pedal that really exceeded my expectations. dod metal maniac. no really. i dunno why but i love the sound of metal distortions for non metal music.
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javier-san
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by javier-san » Tue Apr 19, 2022 7:09 pm

Strymon Deco. I read all the hype and I figured I would try it. It's an always on pedal for me and the weird modulation/delay sounds you can get out of it is pretty cool.

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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by bipedal2 » Thu Apr 28, 2022 9:25 am

My Arion HU-8500 stage tuner.

It's in a plastic case that looks super cheapo and fragile, but it fit my extremely limited budget at the time I purchased it 20-something years ago. I've used mine used plenty in the years since, and the dang thing still does what I need: simple to use, fast and accurate tuning, and easy to read on my pedal board. Of my small collection of pedals, this is honestly the one that has most exceeded my initial expectations.

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Arthon
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by Arthon » Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:56 am

Boss SD-1. Bought it on the fly in a store because it was cheap. Still one of the best OD (if not the best).
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(sorry for the spelling, I speak french)

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mordecainyc
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by mordecainyc » Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:43 am

Arthon wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:56 am
Boss SD-1. Bought it on the fly in a store because it was cheap. Still one of the best OD (if not the best).
Couldn’t agree more! Still have to meet a boutique pedal that surpasses it.

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garyfanclub
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by garyfanclub » Thu Apr 28, 2022 12:28 pm

Maxon AD-900!

I often use it as a live substitute for my DMM (fragile, old, runs on a power brick) and every time I put it on the board I get excited about how goddamn GOOD it sounds.

No it doesn't have the graininess and warble of a good DMM, but it's a gorgeous thing in its own right. It might actually be *more* versatile than the DMM for most stuff, as it's less flavored/colored and can often sound less "effecty".

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hulakatt
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by hulakatt » Thu Apr 28, 2022 2:29 pm

garyfanclub wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 12:28 pm
No it doesn't have the graininess and warble of a good DMM, but it's a gorgeous thing in its own right. It might actually be *more* versatile than the DMM for most stuff, as it's less flavored/colored and can often sound less "effecty".
If you want a bit of grain and gain in your delay, check out the Death By Audio Echo Dream. I'm shocked it doesn't come up every time someone is looking for something to replace a DMM but still with a bit of warble and a bit of gain.
She/Her

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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by stevejamsecono » Fri Apr 29, 2022 3:47 am

mordecainyc wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:43 am
Arthon wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:56 am
Boss SD-1. Bought it on the fly in a store because it was cheap. Still one of the best OD (if not the best).
Couldn’t agree more! Still have to meet a boutique pedal that surpasses it.
Thirded. Had one for years that I must have gotten as part of a trade or something, but I hadn't really used it. Finally started using it (and properly, with the volume up and gain relatively low) and dang... pretty awesome sounding.
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Arthon
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by Arthon » Fri Apr 29, 2022 4:29 am

stevejamsecono wrote:
Fri Apr 29, 2022 3:47 am
mordecainyc wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:43 am
Arthon wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:56 am
Boss SD-1. Bought it on the fly in a store because it was cheap. Still one of the best OD (if not the best).
Couldn’t agree more! Still have to meet a boutique pedal that surpasses it.
Thirded. Had one for years that I must have gotten as part of a trade or something, but I hadn't really used it. Finally started using it (and properly, with the volume up and gain relatively low) and dang... pretty awesome sounding.
Now, I use the Waza because the Custom Mode is great (and because I am a gear nerd), but the original one was more than just fine.
The Blues Cartographer
(sorry for the spelling, I speak french)

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garyfanclub
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by garyfanclub » Fri Apr 29, 2022 5:38 am

hulakatt wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 2:29 pm
garyfanclub wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 12:28 pm
No it doesn't have the graininess and warble of a good DMM, but it's a gorgeous thing in its own right. It might actually be *more* versatile than the DMM for most stuff, as it's less flavored/colored and can often sound less "effecty".
If you want a bit of grain and gain in your delay, check out the Death By Audio Echo Dream. I'm shocked it doesn't come up every time someone is looking for something to replace a DMM but still with a bit of warble and a bit of gain.
Ah nice, thanks for the rec. I've got a DBA Reverberation Machine that I really dig, mostly for the modulation on the verb, but the distortion element can be very cool in the right setting.

Just checked out the Echo Dream - very interesting! Would love to check one out in person just to see how subtle it can get.

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hulakatt
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Re: Pedals that exceeded your expectations

Post by hulakatt » Fri Apr 29, 2022 8:40 am

The modulation and fuzz can be completely rolled out of the delays
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