The Greatest Pedal Steel Fake Ever with VG-99 or GP-10 and EHX Pitch Fork

Started by Rhcole, December 16, 2014, 02:28:00 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Rhcole

This is a tip for anybody interested. I recently acquired an EHX PF, and noted in the video that Bill R made a brief comment about using the Exp pedal input to create pitch glides. I gave it a try last night, and it is a powerful effect that isn't really highlighted in the video. You can create pitch glides to selected intervals that vary in speed with the position of the expression pedal. Since the PF has selectable musical intervals, this can be a very useful and musical effect.

Both the VG-99 and GP-10 already have pitch changes selectable by string for B-bender effects that can be assigned to an expression pedal. When you combine that with variable speed poly glides using the PF pedal, it is a slice of Country heaven. Takes a bit of practice though, you get out what you put in.

Also on the GP-10 you might add a Slow Gear or similar to delay the attack of notes to make it more authentic.

Check it out if you get the chance.

carlb

Sounds really cool, Rob.

So you use the GP-10 or VG-99 to create the interval change, then the Pitchfork to create the glissando timing between the two notes, right?

Assuming this is single string ... Or does the Pitch Fork do a good job of holding a chord while tracking just the changing string? That would be a pretty impressive!
ES Les Paul, internal Roland GK
Boss SY-1000, Valeton Coral Amp pedal
Morningstar MC8 & MC6
QSC CP8 powered speaker

Smash

Woah! I think there's a misunderstanding of how the VG99 works here - there's absolutely no need for the EHX pitch fork to do this.

It's perfectly capable of doing not only B bend but full chord and everything in between from one patch. The only limit is how many assigns you can be bothered to program and how many expression pedals you want to use for the different intervals/slides.

carlb

Yes, the bender is a great feature of the VG-99. Capable of bends on more than just one string.

Thinking about it further, he's using the bender on the GP-10 or VG-99 for the individual string types of bends, while using an expression pedal on the Pitch Fork to do slides from one neck interval to another.

Combines both aspects of steel guitar. I'd think you'd have to be seated to work both pedals at the same time though, such as major to minor third while sliding up from the root to the minor 2 and minor 3 positions. (Assuming an open tuning overall.)

For me it would probably be like trying to circular rub my stomach while patting my head. Well, with my feet heh!
ES Les Paul, internal Roland GK
Boss SY-1000, Valeton Coral Amp pedal
Morningstar MC8 & MC6
QSC CP8 powered speaker

Rhcole

Two GP-10s connected together can also do it, even better.

'Course it might be less work to learn to play a pedal steel guitar...

Hey Carlb, you were thinking about getting a second GP-10. Two of them smoke when hooked together!

aliensporebomb

The VG-99 and GP-10 both do this kind of thing well:

See this video at 9:30 until about 14 minutes to hear Alex Hutchings playing the GP-10 doing it including wild multi-string bends:


Alex uploaded his patch to the Boss Tone Central so you can download this yourself and play with it.

Bill R had a VG-99 demo that sounded like the intro to a hit country record.  If you use it musically you can really create a wonderful effect.
I could have sworn there was a b bender factory patch too, you just needed an FC-300 to take advantage of it.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.