I can't review it, yet, but I got a new War Fuzz. It's a Noise Maker. So far, I'm here to tell you that both Matt & his company are pretty damn awesome. I will be saying more, because it's the fruit of an experiment I was doing, but that will come with the review which won't be for at least a week. Probably longer. Needless to say, though, once again, I got the scoop.
You want to know how I do it? how I am ahead of the curve, all the time? How I know what the next new thing is, whether it be getting a CD before it's on shelves, or finding the best new restaurant trend, or whatever? It's really simple, and it's no trick- I talk to people. I send countless emails, I'm on the phone, I chat with folks in line at starbucks, you name it- I keep the lines of communication open. So it's not about just buying crap, or trendwatching or whatever it is that "cool hunters" do- I consider it all as part of a larger interaction with the world- and guess what? If you talk to folks, they talk back. If you express an interest, they respond to your interest. Next thing you know, you're invited to the party, you're on the mailing list, you're allowed to cut the line, and people start to think you've got something special- because you do- an actual human connection. So, I might be right, or I might be deluded, but I think Noisemaker are gonna be the next big deal in stompboxes- the next Earthquaker devices, or the next Dwarfcraft, at least...
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Chinese Pedals and the big debate
Two more pedals, to talk about, today- my Donner Yellow Fall and my Joyo Ultimate drive. Both of these are Chinese pedals, and both are probably knockoffs. The Ultimate Drive is supposedly based on the Fulltone OCD, and I can hear that. The Yellow Fall looks like it's based on nothing, but sounds quite a bit like the Mooer Echolizer, which itself has been accused of being a clone of a Maxon AD-999 analog delay.
I really like both. The Donner is a tiny micro pedal, along the lines of what Mooer does. The logos, the builds, and several other factors make me think that several of these brands are actually one and the same.- Donner, Mooer, Joyo, Caline, Nux, and Biyang, they all seem like they might be made in the same places by the same people. So, I think it's more honest to just call in a Chinese digital echo pedal that's voiced with some distortion so it sounds Analog. I have reviewed it a bit more fully elsewhere.
Then, there is the Ultimate Drive. If you read blogs, forums, news-sites etc about Guitar Effects, chances are good you've heard some of the controversies about this little bad boy.
Part of the debate is the question of the ethics involved in purchasing an object. I come from a punk rock/Hardcore background so I’m used to these strange neurotic debates about the ethics of actions most folks don’t think about twice. However, such debates are becoming more commonplace vis a vis Mp3’s and piracy. See, the question comes down to- who deserves my money? Now forgive me if I’m mischaracterizing this, but the idea gets argued something like this- one side says I should spend the money to support an American/Independent/Small Business because I’m an American/they had the original idea/they support my local economy. Another side says I should save my money, and buy the cheapest product/ the easiest product to find/ the product they’re selling because it’s my money/there are no original ideas/I should support the business model that benefits me. Confusing enough? There are those that say I should buy a Fulltone OCD pedal, and those who say I should buy a Joyo Ultimate Overdrive, and those who say I should buy another stompbox entirely- maybe an Ibanez TS9, maybe a Boss DS-1, heck maybe I should homebrew my own. Now, it should be said- I’ve done all of the above- bought the overpriced “craft” and/or “Boutique” item, and bought the knockoff, and bought the old standard from the mass marketer, and made my own. I see it as a mostly morally “Flat” decision. I don’t think there’s a more or less ‘moral” decision, here. The fact is that whatever good you might be doing by supporting the ‘craft’ choice is offset by paying too much for what amounts to “cachet”- it’s the same thing as buying for the label. Whatever copyright evils you may be committing by buying the knockoff are offset if you buy it from a decent place- either an honest, and fair online retailer, or an equally fair and honest local retailer. I think there are far too many rabbit holes to fall into, with this sort of thing, so making it yourself just breaks the decision down into the components- where did you get the materials you made it out of? So, ultimately, the ones that I’ve done the most are buying the big name, and buying the knockoff. Why that is comes down to other decisions- for example, how much I value my time, and how much I can budget. I realize that there are other ways of looking at it. But, ultimately, I can live with that more easily than I can live with spending more money on a craft item that may or may not be made by better people, and may or may not be made under better conditions, and may or may not be better made. For example- Can I verify that the OCD pedal is made by a better person than the Chinese worker who made my Joyo Ultimate drive? Better in which way? I can verify that the build quality is extremely similar, and I’ve been around a fair number of circuits. Did the Joyo folks steal the idea? Possibly, however, if so, then, the Fulltone folks stole the idea from the TS808 mod on the TS9. As far as working conditions go- I have made stuff, and I can tell you right now that you do not need to go to China to find a sweatshop. I’ve taken jobs at “Fulfillment centers” in America that are definitely sweatshops. I trust that no one has truly fair working conditions.Like I said- rabbit holes.
But, if it's all about getting an object to fulfill a specific goal, then, these debates go away, right? I don't think so. What if we were talking about Fur? If I had a dream of wearing a Baby Sealskin jacket, would all the ethical debates just go away? So, yes, I do have to look at the controversies- and I think I side more with those who say that the boutique stuff is a racket. i know I'm on dangerous ground here, but it has to be said- a lot of the "craft" renaissance going on in multiple venues- everything from Beer to Etsy to musical equipment- is a scam meant to prey upon our pretentious vanity. Is the T shirt you bought on Redbubble necessarily better than one bought at Target? Really think about this- because the T shirt, as in the material, itself, most likely came from the same place, in either case. So, you're just talking about the design on the T shirt. You might prefer the design on one or the other, but I fail to see how one or the other is necessarily a "better" decision, and can make you a "better" person- but let's face it- you want an easy way to pretend that you're a better person. So, rather than actually researching who has the best labor practices, and where your T shirt comes from, and who the Artists are that designed the picture on the Tshirt, you just assign a nonsensical value upon "craft", right? I've been to these hipster craft fairs, and I know some of the people selling "craft" items, and to get right down to it- not all of them are worth a damn. To bring it back to Effects pedals, I will say that some, not all, but some, are outright bigots and con-artists. Not to name names, but I think that some "makers" think it's OK to rip off other people, if those other people are "other" people. Like, if, say, a Japanese person designed it, it's ok to rip off that design, because it was a Japanese person. More concretely, I know of some "builders" who have a real problem with gay people, Asian people, and Latin people. So, is better to buy from a bigot who is hand-wiring his stuff, but all his designs are minor tweaks on something designed in Japan? Likewise, I know that lots of people find it ok to put down Devi Ever because of who Devi Ever is, nothing to do with the idea in her pedals. So, again, where I end up is saying that there are way too many rabbit holes to purchase anything feeling fully clean about it. It's morally, and ethically "flat" in that regard.
This already huge, and really is just an opening salvo on the topics. But, I'm hoping to give you an idea of why I find it interesting. If you found all this boring, seriously, I think it's only going to get worse from here.
I really like both. The Donner is a tiny micro pedal, along the lines of what Mooer does. The logos, the builds, and several other factors make me think that several of these brands are actually one and the same.- Donner, Mooer, Joyo, Caline, Nux, and Biyang, they all seem like they might be made in the same places by the same people. So, I think it's more honest to just call in a Chinese digital echo pedal that's voiced with some distortion so it sounds Analog. I have reviewed it a bit more fully elsewhere.
Then, there is the Ultimate Drive. If you read blogs, forums, news-sites etc about Guitar Effects, chances are good you've heard some of the controversies about this little bad boy.
Part of the debate is the question of the ethics involved in purchasing an object. I come from a punk rock/Hardcore background so I’m used to these strange neurotic debates about the ethics of actions most folks don’t think about twice. However, such debates are becoming more commonplace vis a vis Mp3’s and piracy. See, the question comes down to- who deserves my money? Now forgive me if I’m mischaracterizing this, but the idea gets argued something like this- one side says I should spend the money to support an American/Independent/Small Business because I’m an American/they had the original idea/they support my local economy. Another side says I should save my money, and buy the cheapest product/ the easiest product to find/ the product they’re selling because it’s my money/there are no original ideas/I should support the business model that benefits me. Confusing enough? There are those that say I should buy a Fulltone OCD pedal, and those who say I should buy a Joyo Ultimate Overdrive, and those who say I should buy another stompbox entirely- maybe an Ibanez TS9, maybe a Boss DS-1, heck maybe I should homebrew my own. Now, it should be said- I’ve done all of the above- bought the overpriced “craft” and/or “Boutique” item, and bought the knockoff, and bought the old standard from the mass marketer, and made my own. I see it as a mostly morally “Flat” decision. I don’t think there’s a more or less ‘moral” decision, here. The fact is that whatever good you might be doing by supporting the ‘craft’ choice is offset by paying too much for what amounts to “cachet”- it’s the same thing as buying for the label. Whatever copyright evils you may be committing by buying the knockoff are offset if you buy it from a decent place- either an honest, and fair online retailer, or an equally fair and honest local retailer. I think there are far too many rabbit holes to fall into, with this sort of thing, so making it yourself just breaks the decision down into the components- where did you get the materials you made it out of? So, ultimately, the ones that I’ve done the most are buying the big name, and buying the knockoff. Why that is comes down to other decisions- for example, how much I value my time, and how much I can budget. I realize that there are other ways of looking at it. But, ultimately, I can live with that more easily than I can live with spending more money on a craft item that may or may not be made by better people, and may or may not be made under better conditions, and may or may not be better made. For example- Can I verify that the OCD pedal is made by a better person than the Chinese worker who made my Joyo Ultimate drive? Better in which way? I can verify that the build quality is extremely similar, and I’ve been around a fair number of circuits. Did the Joyo folks steal the idea? Possibly, however, if so, then, the Fulltone folks stole the idea from the TS808 mod on the TS9. As far as working conditions go- I have made stuff, and I can tell you right now that you do not need to go to China to find a sweatshop. I’ve taken jobs at “Fulfillment centers” in America that are definitely sweatshops. I trust that no one has truly fair working conditions.Like I said- rabbit holes.
But, if it's all about getting an object to fulfill a specific goal, then, these debates go away, right? I don't think so. What if we were talking about Fur? If I had a dream of wearing a Baby Sealskin jacket, would all the ethical debates just go away? So, yes, I do have to look at the controversies- and I think I side more with those who say that the boutique stuff is a racket. i know I'm on dangerous ground here, but it has to be said- a lot of the "craft" renaissance going on in multiple venues- everything from Beer to Etsy to musical equipment- is a scam meant to prey upon our pretentious vanity. Is the T shirt you bought on Redbubble necessarily better than one bought at Target? Really think about this- because the T shirt, as in the material, itself, most likely came from the same place, in either case. So, you're just talking about the design on the T shirt. You might prefer the design on one or the other, but I fail to see how one or the other is necessarily a "better" decision, and can make you a "better" person- but let's face it- you want an easy way to pretend that you're a better person. So, rather than actually researching who has the best labor practices, and where your T shirt comes from, and who the Artists are that designed the picture on the Tshirt, you just assign a nonsensical value upon "craft", right? I've been to these hipster craft fairs, and I know some of the people selling "craft" items, and to get right down to it- not all of them are worth a damn. To bring it back to Effects pedals, I will say that some, not all, but some, are outright bigots and con-artists. Not to name names, but I think that some "makers" think it's OK to rip off other people, if those other people are "other" people. Like, if, say, a Japanese person designed it, it's ok to rip off that design, because it was a Japanese person. More concretely, I know of some "builders" who have a real problem with gay people, Asian people, and Latin people. So, is better to buy from a bigot who is hand-wiring his stuff, but all his designs are minor tweaks on something designed in Japan? Likewise, I know that lots of people find it ok to put down Devi Ever because of who Devi Ever is, nothing to do with the idea in her pedals. So, again, where I end up is saying that there are way too many rabbit holes to purchase anything feeling fully clean about it. It's morally, and ethically "flat" in that regard.
This already huge, and really is just an opening salvo on the topics. But, I'm hoping to give you an idea of why I find it interesting. If you found all this boring, seriously, I think it's only going to get worse from here.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
The digitech Digiverb
So, reverb. Of all effects pedal, it might be the most redundant; reverberation is what sound-creating devices do. Sound, as you know is a series of waves that bounce off of things, thus reverberates. So, some amps even include a reverb tank to duplicate the sound of something reverberating more than what it actually does. That means a pedal is a duplication of a duplication of a naturally occurring phenomena. Hence, the most redundant. Why would I spend money of a reverb pedal? Several reasons- first off my favorite amp is old, and the reverb tank on it is broken ( and not easily replaced), and I don't play my guitar in the kinds of places that get a lot of natural reverberation. But, I also dig neat sounds, and a digital reverb pedal is essentially a specialized kind of delay (echo) pedal, and hence, can generate sounds not found in nature. This is where the digitech digiverb comes into play. See the complaint about it- that it sounds unnatural, and not very much like a spring reverb, the kind found in fender amps, is a feature, not a glitch, if what you're looking for is unnatural sounds, as I always am. There are seven modes on this, and I've been playing on three: Church, Reverse and Spring. Church involves a long reverberation, and a significant alteration of the signal- like a fuzz pedal, you end up making lots of noise besides the note- pretty good for a certain kind of shoegazer- the more noisey end, like Jesus and Mary Chain. Reverse is meant to sound like a volume swell into a "wet" echoey sound. But, like I said, this thing doesn't do "natural', so, instead what it sounds like is a delayed upper-mids volume spike about a half beat behind your attack, which means it's instant dubbiness. I like that. Finally, the much maligned 'spring" reverb. Maligned? Well, there's no purist like an old purist- Spring reverb is one of the aforementioned reverb tanks, designed by Fender, and used by mid sixties surf bands. No digital pedal will ever sound like a spring reverb, and by labelling this mode as such, baby boom, and wanna-be baby boom musicians ( i.e. most of the dudes with money who play guitar) HA-AA-AATE this. I mean real rage. But, if you throw out notions of sounding like Dick Dale, and forget trying to sound natural, what you're left with is a perfectly good "Cramps in a Box"- as in, put the pedal in this mode, crank the treble, overdrive the amp, and play primitive blues licks, and people will ask you which Cramps song you're playing. I dig that. Yes, it sounds cheesey. No, it's not particularly tasteful, and no, it will win me no points with the somewhat douchey "Musician' crowd, but they're not in my crowd, anyway.
Now, there are other modes, and other uses- for a bit of slapback, or a bit of a rockabilly sound, yes, you can dial it in. For a slight thickening, and other tasteful uses- sure. I'm pretty much uninterested in that. If I were, I'd get an actual Fender Reverb tank, or a Hall of Fame. But, How about a bit of love for the screwed up, glitched out mess? Because I much prefer that. Sure, I have an ear, and yes, I know how to be refined, but in my heart of hearts, I'd really rather be playing "The Goo Goo Muck" at top volume.
Now, there are other modes, and other uses- for a bit of slapback, or a bit of a rockabilly sound, yes, you can dial it in. For a slight thickening, and other tasteful uses- sure. I'm pretty much uninterested in that. If I were, I'd get an actual Fender Reverb tank, or a Hall of Fame. But, How about a bit of love for the screwed up, glitched out mess? Because I much prefer that. Sure, I have an ear, and yes, I know how to be refined, but in my heart of hearts, I'd really rather be playing "The Goo Goo Muck" at top volume.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Ok, a new blog, why?
Yes, Blogs are out dated. Crap technology, at this point. We can now just do twitter posts, instagram photos, and listicles with links and we're done on the internet, right?
Well, I still think of writing and complex communication as interesting. I'm still more swayed by text than by pix, and I think raw links are boring.
So, what my point here is about stuff. I've got my personal blog, I've got my pop culture blog, this will be about stuff. Now, I'm going to be upfront about this: I'm doing a neurotic dance with stuff. I can think of more good arguments against collecting stuff, than arguments for collecting stuff. Yet, here I am, living in a house overflowing with stuff, and I seem to want to buy more stuff all the time. So, here's my opening caveat: yes, I'm talking about stuff. Yes, I'm aware enough to know that this is a somewhat screwed up enterprise, right from the outset- and yet, I am compelled to give it a try. I have no idea where it will go, and maybe it'll turn into a series of reasons not to buy stuff, but I want to see that happen, if it does. Maybe it'll just be a few sad lonely little links that will go nowhere. I want to see if that's the case, too. I just want to see if this works.
Oh, and the title? Comes from Ryan Patterson's awesome song with Coliseum. Here's the full lyrics:
Is it my time to say that I think I should throw it all away? Erase the slate and start again with a new face and a new name? Is it the time to turn and tell me is past time I learned: that a life spent chasing a dream is life spent outside reality? Always thought that action was the goal, I don't know if the action's gotten old, been down this road before it leads where I don't want to go.
Spent my life spent years in pursuit of something real something you can't touch something I can never lose. I can keep it all with me, I can save everything, save everything.
Can't say I know just who I am without a moniker to fall back in. Like to think I've got it figured out, but I'm just as baffled as everyone else. Trailed the sun across the globe, learned more than I could ever know, lived more of life than I could reach and there was still more out there left for me.
Spent my life spent years in pursuit of something real something you can't touch something I can never lose. I can keep it all with me, I can save everything, save everything.
Well, I still think of writing and complex communication as interesting. I'm still more swayed by text than by pix, and I think raw links are boring.
So, what my point here is about stuff. I've got my personal blog, I've got my pop culture blog, this will be about stuff. Now, I'm going to be upfront about this: I'm doing a neurotic dance with stuff. I can think of more good arguments against collecting stuff, than arguments for collecting stuff. Yet, here I am, living in a house overflowing with stuff, and I seem to want to buy more stuff all the time. So, here's my opening caveat: yes, I'm talking about stuff. Yes, I'm aware enough to know that this is a somewhat screwed up enterprise, right from the outset- and yet, I am compelled to give it a try. I have no idea where it will go, and maybe it'll turn into a series of reasons not to buy stuff, but I want to see that happen, if it does. Maybe it'll just be a few sad lonely little links that will go nowhere. I want to see if that's the case, too. I just want to see if this works.
Oh, and the title? Comes from Ryan Patterson's awesome song with Coliseum. Here's the full lyrics:
Is it my time to say that I think I should throw it all away? Erase the slate and start again with a new face and a new name? Is it the time to turn and tell me is past time I learned: that a life spent chasing a dream is life spent outside reality? Always thought that action was the goal, I don't know if the action's gotten old, been down this road before it leads where I don't want to go.
Spent my life spent years in pursuit of something real something you can't touch something I can never lose. I can keep it all with me, I can save everything, save everything.
Can't say I know just who I am without a moniker to fall back in. Like to think I've got it figured out, but I'm just as baffled as everyone else. Trailed the sun across the globe, learned more than I could ever know, lived more of life than I could reach and there was still more out there left for me.
Spent my life spent years in pursuit of something real something you can't touch something I can never lose. I can keep it all with me, I can save everything, save everything.
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