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Reverse sounding pedals


nice keetee

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If I'm understanding what you're asking for, the Boss SG-1 Slow Gear was the original automatic "volume swell" pedal, but they're long out of production and rather expensive.

 

Pigtronix had a couple of pedals that can do it, but both of them are now discontinued - the Attack Sustain and the Philosopher King. The Guyatone SV2 Slow Volume also does it, but I think it's discontinued now too - so is the DOD FX15 Swell Pedal.

 

BYOC used to sell a kit called the Lazy Sprocket, but their site says they're out of stock. There are some "swell" pedals on the market still, but I have not tried any of these myself, so I'm not actually recommending them - just letting you know what some of your options are... the TC Electronic Crescendo, the Mooer Slow Engine, and the Tomsline ASH-3 Slow Hand are all similar effects that can provide automatic volume swells that can be used to simulate things like "violining" and backwards or reversed guitar recordings.

 

The one I'd probably look into first that is still on the market is the Malekko Sneak Attack. Why? Because I love Malekko's stuff, and their pedal seems to have the most interesting and useful combination of features of all the ones that I'm aware of that are currently available new.

 

 

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If you think about it, it does make a lot of sense - after all, a compressor is basically a device that lets you control attack decay, sustain and release - the amplitude envelope. They are all about the amount of time each stage takes to occur - level changes that vary over time, and not just “level” - and an auto-swell pedal essentially is an attack time and level manipulator.

 

Also, the original Boss NF-1, which goes for well under a hundred bucks (compared to the $400 or more that SG-1’s were selling for the last time I checked) can supposedly be converted into a SG-1. I’ve never done the mod myself, but they’re basically the same circuit, just running at opposite ends of the envelope.

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Also, the original Boss NF-1, which goes for well under a hundred bucks (compared to the $400 or more that SG-1’s were selling for the last time I checked) can supposedly be converted into a SG-1. I’ve never done the mod myself, but they’re basically the same circuit, just running at opposite ends of the envelope.

 

yep, a swell pedal is basically a noise gate with a long attack.

 

I mean if you look at it from a classic subtractive synth architecture - you could have a VCA do all the dynamics "volume" duteis

I need to qualify "all"..I mean I can see with a plucked instrument how compression is also a signal conditioner in terms of keeping an even input and that can effect things like overdrives -- so literally ALL is a bit of an overstatement about never needing other signal conditioning -- but modifications of the volume, swell or staccato effects, tremolo, limiting, noise gating, etc could be done

it's really a question of controlling the gain of the VCA

 

 

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One nice thing about integrating it, esp long swells, in the compressor with plucked instruments like guitar is that you're often going to need the compressor anyway to give the signal enough extra strength (apparent sustain through gain increase) late in the natural envelope to give the swell something to work on.

 

If you try to put a really long attack (swell) on a non-sustaining note, there won't be much left to swell late in the game..just a dying note.

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hmm, one thing that is...concerning?

there doesn't appear to be an sensitivity control on the panel for the swell

 

now they may have figured out how to trim it really well, or maybe one of th eother controls does double duty..but I've found the sense to be important of dialing in the feel of SG style effects

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A reverse echo can cause a swell too. The OP would have to specify if the notes wind up being backwards.

 

The ones others spoke of can also be done manually with a volume knob or volume pedal of course. You simply have to think ahead and anticipate what you're doing.

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