Members GuyaGuy Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 well, gentlemen, the Empress is here... i've only had about 1/2 an hour to play with the unit but i must say my expectations have been met! 1. WAVEFORMS the "tube" or trem is gorgeous. the rampwave ends up being less versatile than on the Pulsar (inasmuch as you can't adjust the ramp) but the Empress matches the setting i always dialed in on the Pulsar anyway--and does it better! a little more whumpy, if you will. the square wave doesn't seem quite as harsh as on the Pulsar--sort of like a square with rounded edges. the triangle wave seems pretty similar to the Pulsar. 2.TAP TEMPO for those who still don't understand why i'm so impressed by the idea of ratio tap on a trem let me explain it this way... you know how on the DD-20 you can set it to an 1/8 note so that the delay is actually twice the speed as what you tap? well the Empress does that! this is really handy on a trem, as trem speeds tend to be a bit too fast to tap. ratios are 1:1, 1:2, 1:4. the switch feels kinda like ones used on Line 6--you feel the click but there's not a lot of resistance. 3. RHYTHM ahhhhh...the rhythm.... the rhythm is gonna get you.well, it got me. these rhythm settings are the real reason i had to get this thing. they may not impress some but i've been trying to figure out how to get these sounds for a while now. and the Empress makes it sooooo easy! and they seem like they'll be really inspiring to play around with. you know the trem on "How Soon is Now" by the Smiths? you know how Johnny Marr set up the 2 amps and fiddled for hours to get the 2 trems to synch? well, now you can just turn the knob and tap the tempo! from an email from Steve @ Empress: Here's the eight rhythms ( '0' is strong, '-' is weak): 1) 0000 (normal tremolo) 2) 0-0- 3) 0--0-- 4) 0---0--- 5) 0--0--0- 6) 0-0-00-0-0 (this one is in 5/4) 7) 0--0--0-0-0- 8) 0--0--0---0-0--- (i think this one's the "a clava") 4. GAIN very transparent, up to 6dB. 5. TWO SPEED MODE either double or halve your trem speed with one stomp! WHEEEE!!! i'm still working out how it chooses whether to go faster or slower. it's not explained in the 2-page manual so i'll email Steve at Empress, who, btw, was EXTREMELY helpful with questions before i bought it. 6. RATE neither as fast nor as slow as the Pulsar--but still slower and faster than i'll ever need to go. ....... yes, the 3 waveform choices show a debt to Pulsar and Semaphore, which probably also inspired the gain knob. and yes the Cusack Tap-A-Whirl is the FIRST analog signal path tap trem. but, as discussed in another thread, different players have different needs. the half/double time feature, rhythm setting, and tap feature are what sold me on it. so is it worth the $225US? well, it is to me! i can see myself using the rhythm settings and tap A LOT so it's worth the dough; others might find all that superfluous. it all just depends on what kind of trem you want. i will say, though, that the box is extremely easy to use. even the Pulsar has a learning curve, but this box pretty much explains itself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stompboxx Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 Nice words, I want one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members itstartsstoppin Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 congrats, i know your excited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whowasthursday Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 You use the rate knob to dial in the settings on the two-speed mode. I've done it quite effectively, but I haven't really sat down with it enough to give a definitive answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 6, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 so after long diligent playing i figured out the Two Speed Mode... just dial in a speed, tap the tap tempo button, dial in the 2nd speed, tap again. then whenever you stomp on the tap tempo switch again it ramps up/down between the two. WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 6, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 Originally posted by GuyaGuy WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!! i SAID "WHEEEEEEE!!!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members inscho Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 Originally posted by GuyaGuy i SAID "WHEEEEEEE!!!!!" wee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tele0507 Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITEFLY182 Posted July 6, 2006 Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 How big is it? Same size as a red witch trem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 6, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2006 Originally posted by NITEFLY182 How big is it? Same size as a red witch trem? size=4.5" x 3.5" x 1.5". i don't know how big the red witch is. specs are on the empress site but it's been down. no idea why. http://www.empresseffects.com/ for future reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 CLIPS!!! i took a few minutes to do some samples of the empress in action--just a hint of what it can do.1. RHYTHMSin this clip i go through the 8 patterns using the tube setting. i start with 2, one of my faves, and end with 8, also bad ass. it's the Bo Diddley beat! see first post in thread for rhythmic patterns. i skipped 1, since it's a standard trem.2. TWO-SPEED MODE just a smidgen of what you can do with the two-speed mode--ramping up and down. WHEEEE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratAtak83 Posted July 10, 2006 Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 Originally posted by GuyaGuy CLIPS!!! i took a few minutes to do some samples of the empress in action--just a hint of what it can do. 1. RHYTHMSin this clip i go through the 8 patterns using the tube setting. i start with 2, one of my faves, and end with 8, also bad ass. it's the Bo Diddley beat! see first post in thread for rhythmic patterns. i skipped 1, since it's a standard trem. 2. TWO-SPEED MODE just a smidgen of what you can do with the two-speed mode--ramping up and down. WHEEEE!!! Those are pretty sick .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members desertlimosine Posted July 10, 2006 Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 Those patterns sound very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratAtak83 Posted July 10, 2006 Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 Originally posted by StratAtak83 Those are pretty sick .. After listening to these clips, i turn on my moog ring mod ... I couldn't stop smiling.. the wave patterns are pretty sick |-000---0--00-000^ I cried after that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 Originally posted by StratAtak83 After listening to these clips, i turn on my moog ring mod ... I couldn't stop smiling.. the wave patterns are pretty sick |-000---0--00-000 ^ I cried after that one so the moog does rhythms too?'s cool.what i dig about the empress though is that the rhythms are like presets--not a lot of fiddling with knobs between songs to get that one rhythm setting you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoboPimp Posted July 10, 2006 Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 the effect seems very diminished after the first split second? Like your chord is loud then the sustaining trem is much quieter? Seems weird. The different "rhythms" are pretty subtle because of that it seems. Probably would be solved with some distortion before the trem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 well, they need to go from subtle to weak in order to define the rhythm. but in square wave they obviously become more defined. all of the rhythm parts i recorded are with the tube setting. maybe i can do some clips of rhythms in square mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 hey guy what dirt are you playing thru on the two speed clip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratAtak83 Posted July 10, 2006 Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 Originally posted by GuyaGuy so the moog does rhythms too? 's cool. what i dig about the empress though is that the rhythms are like presets--not a lot of fiddling with knobs between songs to get that one rhythm setting you need. Yeah its sure is a tweaker .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted July 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 Originally posted by slingshotmb hey guy what dirt are you playing thru on the two speed clip. the big fuzzy sound is the ZOOM Ultra Fuzz; the lighter drive at the end is the OD-3.both are played into the Line 6 Toneport's Bassman sim.Originally posted by StratAtak83 Yeah its sure is a tweaker .. and i think a pedal like that or zvex's trem would be great for studio use--dialing in all sorts of nutty stuff. but the empress offers lots just by choosing one of rhythm patterns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Woody777 Posted August 31, 2006 Members Share Posted August 31, 2006 Originally posted by GuyaGuy so after long diligent playing i figured out the Two Speed Mode...just dial in a speed, tap the tap tempo button, dial in the 2nd speed, tap again.then whenever you stomp on the tap tempo switch again it ramps up/down between the two.WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Bumping a thread back from the dead... You can't tap tempo and switch between two speeds, correct? Can you set the ratio knob and use tap tempo? So, if I leave the knob at 1:1 and tap so the rate is exactly what I tapped, can I then twist the ratio knob to 1:2 and double my tap speed? Also, can I set the rythym knob and still use the tap tempo? Can I change the rythym knob and keep the same tempo but just change the accent note? This thing looks amazing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alanfc Posted August 31, 2006 Members Share Posted August 31, 2006 WOW very cool(very expensive ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted August 31, 2006 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2006 Originally posted by Woody777 Bumping a thread back from the dead... You can't tap tempo and switch between two speeds, correct? Can you set the ratio knob and use tap tempo? So, if I leave the knob at 1:1 and tap so the rate is exactly what I tapped, can I then twist the ratio knob to 1:2 and double my tap speed? Also, can I set the rythym knob and still use the tap tempo? Can I change the rythym knob and keep the same tempo but just change the accent note? This thing looks amazing... oh, it's amazing alright!the rhythm settings work regardless of which mode you're in, i.e. tap, 2 speed, or normal.the ratio knob doubles as the rate knob. in 2 speed and normal modes it controls rate. in tap mode it controls the ratio.no, there's no 2-speed switching in tap mode.some great trems trems have come out in the past few years but this thing has tons of versatility while maintaining a simple interface. great design! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Woody777 Posted August 31, 2006 Members Share Posted August 31, 2006 I need a little smiley of a guy salivating... Can you explain to me exactly how the ratio knob works in tap tempo mode? I think I know, but I want to be sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted August 31, 2006 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2006 Originally posted by Woody777 I need a little smiley of a guy salivating... Can you explain to me exactly how the ratio knob works in tap tempo mode? I think I know, but I want to be sure... the rate is up to 4 times faster than what you tap.so if you have it set at 1:4 and tap 400milliseconds then your trem rate will be 100ms. if set to 1:2 and tap 400ms then your trem rate will be 200ms.oh...and here's what you're looking for.it also represents what i was doing when i saw the Empress Trem for the 1st time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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