Effects for your lap?

Ryan Lunenfeld · From: Colorado, USA

How many of you all use effects? And if so what do you use?

I've been going through a lot of pedals lately finding the tone I like.

Right now I've got in the barn:

Morley/Tel-Ray Pro Phaser PFA
Fulltone Tube Echo TTE
Morley EDL Electro Static Delay (Love this one's ambience)
Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra ( not sure I'm liking this one in the mix)
EHX/Sovtek Small Stone
EHX 4500 looper(still need to get the PSU for this one...was kind of a gift)
Proco Brat(ran outta 9vs so haven't even gotten to test this on the lappers)

Recently I've tried with the lap:
EHX Canyons(for some reasons the trails sounded very "plasticky" and just cold)
EHX Mel 9( really didn't work for me, although sounded pretty cool, if I were a better player I'm sure it'd be great)
EHX Ravish Sitar, didn't jell for me either, too many hidden paramaters
Boss MT2 Metal distortion...didn't vibe with me either.
Boss RE20, actually I think this one's amazing. Just figured no point with a fulltone.

Current line up is Lappy->PFA->EDL->fulltone

I come from a modular synth background, so tone is really what I go for, I got into lap because I like playing in between notes the most and being able to slide mentally. The catharsis I get from playing lap vs twiddling some knobs is just amazing.

In the past I've had(used for synths not laps):
Eventide H8000HW, DSP4000, H3000SE, H9 Max, Space
AMS RMX16
Sony DPSv55
Strymon Bigsky, Bluesky
Roland RE201, RE301, SRE555
Accutronics Accuverb Dual Reverb
Proco You Dirty Rat, Rat
Meris Mercury 7
Lexicon 300L w/fun little larc, amazing bugger when programmed well.
Symbolic Sound Kyma Pacarana(or was it a paca?)
Sherman Filterbank 1 and 2
Electrix RepeateR(loved this, but hated the noise, and SD issues)
Some echoplex clone...I forget which one
Some really cool small run walkman/tape echo thing.
And I'm sure a littany of things I've forgotten about.

Hopefully not taken as "i've owned this or bla bla bla" just what I've used in the past, and learned through so trying to figure out next steps. I'm a little snobby when it comes to digital artifacts and all.

Curious about the Strymon Night sky, have one of those on the way.

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But what do you all use? How far do you go using effects? I'm learning I don't really like distortion on lap. And I kind of hate digital effects with little headroom.

I'd love to hear what you all use and why. Any of you all into some of the weirder stuff like granular for lap?

Sorry for the long message. Just curious to learn more! Smile

Frank James Pracher · From: Michigan, USA

I enjoy using effects on my lap steel. I build all my own from scratch. (no kits or pcb's)

At home I like to experiment with some more unusual effects such as modulated filters and delays... but on gigs I usually keep if fairly conservative and appropriate for the gig.. Tremolo can be really nice when you are going for a less "steely" sound.

The latest effect I've finished is an optical compressor and I'm loving it!

My current set up is Compression -Frequency Boost- Tremolo- Pre-amp- Reverb- Amp
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"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one"

Paul Arntson · From: Washington, USA

Peavey Power slide into vintage SD-1 and a non fresh battery. I found a sweet spot backing off the volume and messing with the tone/blend knob.
Also a voodoo labs tremolo is nice for occasional use.
The old zoom 505 has a pretty weird sounding ring modulator.
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Excel D10 8&4, Supro 8, Regal resonator, Peavey Powerslide, homemade lap 12(a work in progress)

Christopher Blood · From: Missouri, USA

Try a boss Katana combo amp.
All the Boss effects are contained in the amp plus you can add and edit effects from your computer.

Peter Jacobs · From: Northern Virginia

I donâ€™t like distortion but I love different types of overdrive tones. I use an optical compressor, the Mad Professor Forest Green (the DynaComp/Ross style compressors pump too much for me. I have a couple of overdrives - an MI Audio Blue Boy Deluxe for a TS9 type punch and a Timmy for edge of breakup sounds. Then a clean boost (Keeley Katana Mini for solos. Next is a TC Flashback Delay Mini and ia DOD Phasor. My amp has tremolo, so every once in a while Iâ€™ll turn that up.

So: steel > TC Electronics Tuner > Compressor > Blue Boy Deluxe > Timmy > Katana Mini > Delay > phasor > amp
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Peter
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www.splinterville.com
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Mike Bacciarini · From: Arizona

I alternate just between clean and overdrive, then through a Hall Of Fame 2 reverb. I put an Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini onboard with the in/out switch right by my fingers. Love it!

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MCI Arlington S-10 3+5, George L E-66, BJS & Emmons bars, Fender Princeton 65W, Fender Satellite SFX, custom FX rack, 1983 Dobro 60D, SX-8 lap steel, Martin D16GT, Ibanez AS73, 1978 Rickenbacker 4000 custom.

Bob Womack · From: Virginia, USA

I've got two routes I take with lap steel: either into an amp or into a Line 6 Helix. Frankly, most of my studio work lately is through the Helix. I have a couple of standard patchs that I use on the Helix, one based upon a Blackface Fender Deluxe and the other based upon a Marshall Tremolo head, basically a 1987 50 Watt head. Both patches share the same FX chains. Before the amp I have a noise gate, a compressor, and an overdrive. After the amp I have an EQ, an echo, and a stereo reverb. Available for sessions are physical rotary amps: a Leslie G-37 rotary amp and a Motion Sound Sidewinder rotary amp. The Leslie has a dual rotor and the Sidewinder has a single rotor. At forty pounds, the Sidewinder is far more portable than the Leslie.

Now, the effects aren't always on. I just want to arrive at the session ready to offer everything from faded in chords to bold leads to sound effects. When I use the echo, for instance, it is typically blended extremely quietly, designed to fill up the dead space behind leads. The overdrive I have in the patch is the Line 6 model of the AnalogMan Prince of Tone. If you know that pedal you know it can do anything from clean boost to overdrive to distortion. I basically get my drive sounds from pushing the amp. I use the gain makeup on the compressor to push the amps a wee bit and both "cook"" the Deluxe's preamp to make the overtones come out and push it into a pinch of overdrive. When I need more of a push into the drive I add the Prince of Tone. I basically use it as clean boost or with only a pinch of drive, once again using the amp to provide the drive.

I use the rotary sounds mostly for regular Spanish-style electric guitar. The two main lap steels I use have such bold sounds that I don't need a bunch of processing, just a place in physical space. I find that I don't need or want much overdrive either.

I put the Helix up on the producer's desk or the console and do the tweaks necessary to get the tone and then put it on the ground if I need the volume pedal.

Bob
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Ryan Lunenfeld · From: Colorado, USA

I'm really curious about that helix.

Just got a few new effects in, a morley rotating wah. Really damn good sounding with a lap. Volume pedal + wah pedal + tremelo all in one...massive pedal. hahah.

Ended up getting the strymon night sky in, but I'm going to end up returning it I think. It's too "plasticky" for lap.

Importantly got an EQ, definitely has helped me sound out a lot! and lets me overload when I want to.

How do you all feel about digital effects on lap? I'm a bit hesitant with some of the headroom and digital clipping, I hate that sound. I really love analog clipping everywhere on the chain.

Some of these pedals are a bit noisy I must say... how can one remedy this with steel? Noise gate really won't work with sustaining notes, no?

How do you all feel about compression as well?

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