Pre -Amp, Delay,Sustain,Steel Driver

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 28 Sep 2010 3:53 pm

I started playing steel in Jan 10 so pretty new to it.Just wondering does any one know where i can get some information on Effects, Pre -Amp, Delay,Sustain,Steel Driver on what they do ,I have a Carter PSG and NV112 so something that will suit both. Oh Well Thanks Again $:\$

Carl Kilmer · Post by **Carl Kilmer** » 28 Sep 2010 6:09 pm

Hi Declan, You've got a very good steel and a good amp.

You do not need everything you've read about, save your $$$.
All you really need is a good delay between your pedal and amp.
That'll give you all the sustain you want, and a very good sound.
Carl

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 29 Sep 2010 1:12 am

Thats Great Carl.Can you reccomend any one in particular thats got good reviews and easy for me to use.Cheers!

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 29 Sep 2010 3:55 am

Declan...A "Boss DD-3" or an "MXR Carbon Copy" should do well for your application. The DD-3 seems more readily available as a used unit and can normally be found for sale on the Forum for $65.00 to $75.00 U.S. (I would however recommend purchasing a 9V adapter in addition to the pedal as these units will drain a battery in about 4 hours of use.)...FWIW..You may want to try installing the delay in the "Post Gain" effects loop on your amp as an alternative to placing it in line after the volume pedal to determine which method produces the best result for you....Best of luck.

Carl Kilmer · Post by **Carl Kilmer** » 29 Sep 2010 5:08 am

Like David said the DD-3 is a very good unit, and used by many.
I usually use a DD-20 (stereo) because I use 2 amps. My others
are all stereo too, TubeFex, TransTubeFex, and Ibanez DMD 2000.
These are all rack mount units, except for Boss DD-20. These are
all older units (not made anymore) except the DD-20, which is new
and are quite expensive compared to the price of the Boss DD-3.
Carl

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 29 Sep 2010 11:27 am

David Thats great information Thank You!!

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 29 Sep 2010 11:29 am

Carl Thanks again for your help.It's great to have in this FORUM people like you and David Cheers!!

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 29 Sep 2010 1:59 pm

Finally one more question i noticed the Boss DD-3 is digital compared to MXR is analog.Which would you go for if you wanted warm harmony full tone.............

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 29 Sep 2010 2:38 pm

Declan...I currently own both units and what I find is that for the warmer tones desired for classic country, the MXR works best for me. The DD-3 being digital, sounds slightly edgier to my ears and may perform better for new "country" or more rock oriented material. These are my observations only and I suggest that you try as many different units as you can before finally deciding. Ultimately, only you know the sound that you wish to hear.

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 29 Sep 2010 2:41 pm

You might want to add modulation--like a chorus, flange, phase--to your list. That will round out the list of most commonly used effects. You can get a multi-effects unit like a POD to try combinations of effects to see what suits your style. If you're playing straight-up country or traditional music you're probably fine with your NV-112 amp as it has reverb which is the most common and often the only effect many pedal steel players use. One can get buried in the world of effects, and one's sound can get buried in it as well. The Steel Driver combines a preamp that matches the impedance of your pickup to the impedance of your amp and a distortion effect for distorted blues/rock/noise playing. Sustain may be a term put on some preamps like the Goodrich products, but more commonly the term sustain is associated with a compressor which is sort of redundant if you're using a volume pedal as you can increase your volume pedal to sustain a decaying note. Analog/digital delays are echo effects, but so is your reverb. A lot of pedal steel players use the Boss RV3, most likely because the legendary Lloyd Green uses one, which combines delay with reverb. A preamp amplifies signal before it goes into your power amp or any amp, but this would be redundant as your NV-112 has a preamp with EQ that you plug into before the signal hits the power amp stage of the NV-112. Sometimes people put a preamp or "over drive" in front of a tube amp to hit the preamp tubes with a hotter signal to create tube saturation/distortion/compression, but that concept doesn't apply to solid state amps like the NV-112. I think a preamp and a compressor are specialized tools for steel players unless you are using an an impedance matching preamp like a Matchbox or a Steel Driver, or you can use Brad Sarno's brilliant little red Freeloader to pretty much do the same thing sans the preamp but with excellent tone.

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 30 Sep 2010 9:44 am

Hi Cliff thanks for all that advise .Im going to study it carefully and decide what i want to do. >>>Thanks again for taking time!!

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 30 Sep 2010 9:50 am

David Checked out that MXR.Thats definately on the short list.I'll keep you all posted on what i decide to purchase.All this new gear is very exciting Thanks Again

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 30 Sep 2010 4:18 pm

Whichever pedal you decide on, just keep in mind that using a delay to improve your clean sound is a subtle thing. It should add a little sustain but imo mostly just fatten up the tone. It may help to set the delay first then bring the reverb up to your liking. For the record, I'm a fan of analog delays, especially the tape echo's (which I would not recommend to a beginner or as your only delay pedal).

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 30 Sep 2010 4:32 pm

Brett Thanks for that.Your spot on there!!!!

Declan Byrne · Post by **Declan Byrne** » 30 Sep 2010 4:34 pm

Thats exactly what i want to do "Fatten the Tone" Thanks

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Pre -Amp, Delay,Sustain,Steel Driver

Pre -Amp, Delay,Sustain,Steel Driver

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