EHX Pedal Hacks

Started by DreamTheory, June 05, 2014, 06:15:21 AM

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DreamTheory

I have to admit that those Electroharmonix pedals are really really sweet. The "Effectology" series on youtube by Bill Ruppert is incredible. EHX pedals seem to have just the right amount of dedicated knobs and special circuitry to be super easy to use, and get thrilling results that are still very musical. They can boast that they have perfect tracking because it is all analog. And they have groovy decals.

Yes, very well done EHX, however, they are very very expensive. A pedal board full of those babies would cost as much as a GR 55 and GK-3, and probably more, and GR 55 would have way more other functions and capabilities, like, oh, 900 or so synth tones. And the ease of use is deceptive, because once you chain together all those pedals, you have a confusing array of connecting wires, knobs, and selector buttons. And GR does also have analog models with perfect tracking.

SO wouldn't it be great if someone made a GR-55 patch for each pedal in the EHX lineup, to see if we can match or beat them function for function? I suspect that there may be a few things their special circuits can do that we cannot, but quite a few more things we can do that their pedals cannot, and that the GR 55's deficits are vastly compensated for by it's breadth and savings. The real point would be to learn from EHX, and make better patches.

I did not see EHX pedal copies in the user patches that are posted. Of course the Big Muff is already programmed into GR 55 (MOD type 01: OD/Dist, Muff Fuzz, manual p. 43). Are there other EHX hacks around that I missed? Or maybe hacking EHX will be my summer side project?
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

montyrivers

Why not ask the man himself?  (Bill)

He has done some effectology level wizardry with the VG99 and GR55 as well.

DreamTheory

electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Elantric


Kevin M

I have a handful of EHX pedals and absolutely love them. I think it really depends on the pedal you are trying to reproduce in the GR55 as to how close you could get. A VG99 would probably give greater flexibility with this.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

gumtown

One thing still missing on the GR-55
QuoteEHX pedals seem to have just the right amount of dedicated knobs and special circuitry to be super easy to use
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

DreamTheory

I took a close look at the EHX Pog 2, and I think comparing it to GR 55 is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. One single GR 55 patch, or even a bank of 3 patches, cannot exactly match all the variable controls on this EHX pedal. It has 8 sliders and GR 55 has only the pedal, the CTL, and the GK Vol and buttons. You can assign more than one function to a GR control, but the bottom line is you cannot completely recreate that exact pedal. To be fair, The EHX pedal is not something you are going to adjust on the fly, in fact it has 8 slots to save patch settings, so saving certain settings and values to a GR 55 patch is allowed. In that case what we are looking at is a patch for patch shootout.

The EHX can add 2 octaves up and 2 down, all analog. If you put a +1 or -1 octave model in 12 string mode and ran it through an octave effect in the MOD area (p. 43), that plus the direct sound would give you 4 simultaneous analog octaves compared to EHX's 5. But we can add 2 PCM tones and make them +/- 3 octaves. Now we are getting into a work around scenario. Pog has Attack, Detune, and LPF. GR has Superfilter in the MFX area (model can be routed through that), and PCM tones have attack and detune and LPF options. Hmmm... my brain is heating up, and I am talking about stuff I have not tried yet, which is possibly off target for a forum like this. Point is to start with the end result you want and figure out how to make something like that. Chances are that GR's many other features will make even more great things happen. But it is a good exercise to start with a special piece of gear, so as to discover capabilities in GR that might be overlooked.
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Elantric

#7
QuoteI think comparing [EHX FX] to GR 55 is kind of like comparing apples and oranges.

I agree 1000%

The GR-55 is cool with many functions, but its not going to replace nor duplicate the EXH Catalog of FX
http://www.ehx.com/products

Its also my opinion that  comparing [EHX FX] to the VG-99 is also like comparing apples and oranges - they each do different things.

Rather like asking a carpenter if he prefers his hammer or his saw - both are unique tools to get different jobs done.

DreamTheory

Ah, so it really is not a competition, afterall.    8)

I also overlooked the obvious: Pog 2 is (justifyably) proud of its analog 12 string, and demos show it emulating bass and organ... stuff that GR has more than amply covered from multiple perspectives. I guess that type of point is most helpful if there is someone wondering if GR 55 is a good value investment vs. a pedalboard. And there may yet be some need to counter the persistent myth that GR 55 misses out on "real" analog processing. But that does not take away from the awesomeness of EHX designs.

The most interesting Pog demos are the ones that combine Pog 2 (octave generation) with other pedals (delays and reverbs, etc.) for some ethereal tones. What Pog really does in a nutshell is pass octaves through varied attack, LPF and detune. That is a concept worth exploring this weekend!
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Elantric

#9
I think its important as a guitarist pursuing sonic exploration to maintain a healthy perspective of whats possible and whats not possible  - know your tool's strengths and weaknesses and be aware of when its time to use the right tool for the job.

For example  - As clever as this swiss knife is, a Professional mechanic who will work on your car is required to own far more tools than just one of these




- so don't limit / restrict your exposure to Guitar FX  / AMP Modeling  by thinking owning just One Roland or just One Line6 Or just One Kemper or just One AX-FX will be the last Guitar FX box you ever need.



More Bill Ruppert Effectology Videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSPJuN4hWdUvOXEzFzayyQ/videos

Bill Ruppert

I think its great to experiment in getting all the EHX sounds.
You might not get there in an exact form but you will find your self down new roads you never thought of.

The POG series and HOG pedals are NOT analog in any way. Pitch shifting is a matter not well done in the analog format.

That said, to duplicate the analog EHX flange, chorus, and echo is a tough task.
You can get close but there is a smear/distortion caused in the BBD chips that I have never heard duplicated.
If it were possible we would stop killing our self looking for the analog chips to make the EHX analog pedals.
The MicroSynth is a analog pedal and the filters are designed by the man that designed the EMS synths of Pink Floyd fame.
Its hard to duplicate that filter slope with the Roland filters.
On the digital end, the algorithms in the EHX pitch shifters are unique and are near impossible to replicate with a mono input signal. People try everyday!

The best thing is to take the essence or inspiration of the sounds and build your own new sounds.
Don't duplicate but create!
You have the tools in the gear right in front of you that will sonically take you around the world.
Bill

gumtown

Some one wise once said
"A Multi effects unit is a jack of all trades and master of none !"
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

montyrivers

here's a fun experiment I have been using my VG99 for lately:

Take an intelligent ring mod and/or any delay effect (with the rate slowed to only a handfull of milliseconds) and you can make a bunch of really cool instruments by using these effects to manipulate the "attack" of your guitar strings.  My favorite is using the HRM "Wave" synth with zeroed sustain and a short decay.

I have gotten sounds ranging from FM style Mega Drive hits and bell choirs to spacey brushed middle eastern acoustic stuff using the manual knob on the Flanger to narrow different ranges in the filter.

Even more of a treat is combining the two cosm chains via the dynamics switching feature that enables you to emphasize the attack of one sound while jumping to the sustain of something deeper like the PWM.

Speaking of pulsewaves.  I find that activating the 12 string feature and keeping the 6 strings tuned to unison and using the fine tune within just 1 or 2 cents really thickens whatever sound you're working with.  Even better, do the same with a detune/bend effect modulated via wave pedal and you can end up with an animated pulse wave modulationesque sound.  The secret is not detuning too high or low, as to avoid making too much of a "chorus" effect if that makes sense?

5 years with this thing and I'm still hacking away at it.

DreamTheory

Quote from: montyrivers on June 06, 2014, 04:04:52 AM
5 years with this thing and I'm still hacking away at it.

I am definitely going to try these ideas out on GR 55! Creative intelligence is seeing new ways to use things that have been there all along. It really is cool to be in touch with people that see like this.
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

DreamTheory

Quote from: Bill Ruppert on June 05, 2014, 09:22:07 PM
You might not get there in an exact form but you will find your self down new roads you never thought of...
The best thing is to take the essence or inspiration of the sounds and build your own new sounds.
Don't duplicate but create!
You have the tools in the gear right in front of you that will sonically take you around the world.
Bill
... or into other worlds! P.S.: I might just print this and post it in my studio.
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

DreamTheory

Quote from: Elantric on June 05, 2014, 09:17:59 PM
...don't limit / restrict your exposure to Guitar FX  / AMP Modeling  by thinking owning just One Roland or just One Line6 Or just One Kemper or just One AX-FX will be the last Guitar FX box you ever need.

OK. will do (or should I say won't)

it is impressive that top experts like you and the ingenious gumtown are quite objective about the limits of GR 55. I am a happy customer for sure, but my favorite gizmo special has but a small place in the world of electric music (not to mention the preceding millennia of acoustic music). I think I am getting the vibe here- creative souls seeking to be open to crossing boundaries. Tools are means of self expression, nothing less and nothing more.
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Elantric



Effectology EHX Looper tricks

Deus02

Quote from: gumtown on June 05, 2014, 01:59:52 PM
One thing still missing on the GR-55

That is quite true, especially with the EHX, Eventide and Strymon pedals, however, they are all pretty expensive and when I look at the chain of pedals he has, there is quite a "chunk of change" tied up in producing an electric piano Rhodes type sound, which, ultimately, in the end, I still think the GR55 rendition is more realistic. 

Fusion

I have to just chime in with my rather constant pedal consumption issues, and I have to disagree on EHX, of all the brands I have used they tend to disappoint me the most and not live up to the sales hype.
A couple of the newer ones seem interesting but in general not a line I use these days.
This is not to say anyone should not use them, some like them a lot. I think they were some of the very first pedals I had many eons ago.
I always have the advice to use what works for you and what gives you the tones you like. If you like EHX and Boss pedals, have at it.
To speak of Strymon or Eventide in the same sentence is just not in a classification I would rank. I am pretty picky with pedals and there are a few lines I walked away from that just did not deliver what was expected.
Things are always improving so perhaps some newer stuff will get better but they are not what I would term a "boutique" quality pedal like Strymon.
I found the POG mini to not be a very good octave pedal and the upper 8va sounded very synth like not a real interval octave. I hear the Tuning Fork new one is better. I think the POG and the QTron were the last EHX I had. Have not messed with the Big Muff thing in 40 yrs. Just so many amazing pedal lines out there these days, I like the higher end stuff myself. I run two separate rigs but were I to use the GR-55 as a core unit I would opt for the US-20 mod w the effect loop and use external pedals. I find the internal stuff suitable for the GR-55 patches but not for my std guitar line.


"Long ago in days of old when magic filled the air..."

DreamTheory

Quote from: Fusion on May 14, 2015, 04:25:54 AM
I run two separate rigs but were I to use the GR-55 as a core unit I would opt for the US-20 mod w the effect loop and use external pedals.

What is a US-20 mod?

As for EHX vs. others, sounds like you know way more than I do. Thanks for the opinion!
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Elantric


Fusion

Quote from: Dream_Theory on May 14, 2015, 04:39:39 AM
What is a US-20 mod?

As for EHX vs. others, sounds like you know way more than I do. Thanks for the opinion!

Our buddy here Dr. Elantric does a mod on the US20 switch block that adds a loop before the signal enters the GR and an external GK switch button option as well. Very cool for getting some pedals using the normal guitar pickups before they get to the unit using the 13 pin config. Contact Elantric here for details and search for the various posts on it.

Yeah, I am always taken by EHX sales marketing info on various pedals but after I get them, while all fine and good, just are not as good as you expect. Nothing wrong with them and all the rest, I am sure there are probably no "bad" pedals these days, but, there certainly are better quality ones.
I see a lot of pros using Boss and that is all fine and good it that rings the cow bell for you.
I just get puzzled sometimes by the hype and lore, take the EHX Soul Food for example, supposed to be a Klon clone pedal, but, it does not have any germanium diodes like a Klon and not sure it uses the double pot thing which mixes the clean and clipped signal or the real quality Klon buffer. Not expensive, sure, and probably sounds fine but a Klon. naaa. Now a J.RAD Archer, there is a Klon clone for a mere $179 that is so dead on no reviewer has slighted it. Premier Guitar and ProGuitarShops on-line mag both just called it the best clone of the Klon they had ever tested. So better does not mean a super price tag.
I am a fan of Wampler pedals and most of them are around $200 and they are peerless in their models. Now what I do like about EHX is they come up with some good ideas for pedals but then again there are so many out there you can't count.
In a recent discussion between Brian Wampler and another tech builder they were commenting that every Boss pedal causes a loss of perhaps 1% of your sound which means nothing if you have a couple, but imagine a large chain of 15? That is 15% of your sound fullness being lost to the not so great Boss buffers cascading into each other. but a couple and you are OK. I run a large pedalboard myself of perhaps a great overkill of pedals but effort is made to pick ones that interact and stack well plus have versatile adjustments with noise or signal degrade via too many or not enough buffered pedals, and the buffers need to be of better quality.
I probably have close to 20 effect pedals on my board and rack and really not one Boss or EHX in the bunch. I am always looking to upgrade but slowly through elimination I have several that just will never be pushed off. Point is, if you try a pedal and you really like it and it fits in your board well and works well with others, who's to say it is not any good. The thing to watch out for is not to many buffers, noise or signal degrade and my advice use good cables and a nice isolated filtered power supply not daisy chain feeds.

"Long ago in days of old when magic filled the air..."

DreamTheory

wow- thanks for the real deal info! love this forum
electric: Epiphone Dot semihollow body, acoustic: mahogany jumbo, recording: Cubase Artist 11 or Tascam DP008

Bill Ruppert

Jeff Beck tried the EHX Soul Food a few weeks back and dug it.
It was going on his board last I heard.

There are no pedals that reproduce what some of the EHX pedals can do.

If you have 20 pedals in series on your board with out a switching system I have a deep sympathy for the poor soul who ever has to record you as well as the listener.


Elantric

#24
QuoteJeff Beck tried the EHX Soul Food a few weeks back and dug it.

Thats great news  Bill!