Fuzz Factory not good live?

[Elliott Damage]

so i've been thinking about getting a Fuzz Factory. My rig is pretty straight forward and i'd like something that can go crazy but is versatile crazy. basically i want some glitchy type stuff. I want to do stuff like on the video from the Z.Vex website.

 

I've been reading Fuzz Factory threads for like 45 minutes and some people say it doesn't cut through live. Does anyone have any suggestions or remedies for this?

[ollenorin]

i didnt play live with it but last rehersal it cut through like a knife without being trebly or harsh sounding.

 

great pedal !

[preservation]

elliott-

 

my vexter will probably be here Mon. and as soon as i try it @ practice i'll give you my .02.

i think its right up my alley.

 

whats your biggest fear about using the FF live?

anything specific you want me to test out?

[Jamison]

I originally had problems with it cutting through live when I used it with my dirty channel. However, through the clean it cut just fine. I was worried about that as well for a while, but it cuts wonderfully through a clean amp. Not too trebly or harsh like olle said.

[preservation]

i'll be using it with a warm clean head thats on the brink of breaking up.

[utterhack]

 

Originally posted by Elliott Damage I've been reading Fuzz Factory threads for like 45 minutes and some people say it doesn't cut through live. Does anyone have any suggestions or remedies for this?

 

 

There are so many sounds in there, a lot's going to depend on your settings. I'm pretty sure that with some experimentation you can find good tones that cut like nobody's business.

 

My only concern with the FF for live playing is fiddliness. Sensitive and highly interactive controls - I'd recommend always marking down a good setting when you find one.

[Elliott Damage]

 

Originally posted by preservation elliott- my vexter will probably be here Mon. and as soon as i try it @ practice i'll give you my .02. i think its right up my alley. whats your biggest fear about using the FF live? anything specific you want me to test out?

 

 

I'm concerned that it will not cut through and get lost in the mix. Also, similar to you i run a warm amp on the verge of breakup. It's not cooking, it just has a little tube sweetness going on.

 

 

 

I would get a Vexter as well and it would go at the front of my chain.

If you don't mind, post and let me know what you think of it. The crazy sounds, normal sounds, how it interacts with different pickup/guitar volume settings. I really want to know how well it cuts through and how interactive/fun it is. I need something that reacts like its alive

[Weatherbox]

When I had one I was in a band with another guitarist who typically used a pretty distorted tone. The FF got lost pretty easily until I'd get it set to the point where it'd squeal uncontrollably. If you don't have another guitarist, or he/she plays pretty clean, I doubt you'd have trouble, but it didn't work for me. Amazing for recording, though.

[BigFurryWhale]

I've never used it live, but given how versatile it is I would think that it would have no problem cutting. I'm selling mine because it was just "too much" for me.

[StompboxMan]

The Fuzz Factory is outstanding live. If you want a glitchy setting try this one: 7-3-5-12. Turn Comp up from 3 till it fully gates signal. Then lower your guitar volume till you can play the bass octave squeal.

 

I think it sounds better with single coils then humbuckers. I also like Carbon Zinc power over Alkaline.

 

The Fuzz Factory Settings List.

 

Atari 7:00 3:00 5:00 8:00

60's Fuzz 2:00 8:30 3:00 5:00

Arpegio 12:00 3:00 3:00 3:00

Bonkers Fuzz (1) 2:00 2:00 11:00 3:00

Bonkers Fuzz (2) 1:00 1:00 11:00 3:00

Clean Fuzz 5:00 2:00 11:00 5:00

Clean Up Fuzz 7:00 7:00 5:00 (lower till squeal stops) 5:00

Clean to OD 5:00 2:00 10:00 5:00

Dummy Fuzz 11:00 11:00 5:00 5:00

Dead Quite Ripper 9:00 3:00 5:00 7:00

Electric Beans 7:00 5:00 7:00 5:00

Fizzy Fizz 10:00 1:00 11:00 12:00

Fuzz Bright 1:00 12:00 1:00 4:00

Fuzz Distortion 12:00 12:00 3:00 9:00

FuzzFace71 (1) 12:00 12:00 12:00 5:00

FuzzFace71 (2) 3:00 7:00 12:00 4:30

FuzzFace71 (3) 7:00 12:00 1:00 5:00

FuzzFace71 (4) 12:00 7:00 12:00 5:00

Fuzz Mellow 1:00 12:00 1:00 9:00

Fuzz Splutter 3:00 12:00 3:00 9:00

Fuzz Squeal 9:00 12:00 3:00 9:00

Hi-Compression 3:00 9:00 5:00 5:00

Hi-Octane 2:00 to 3:00 7:00 7:00 5:00

Interference 7:00 3:00 12:00 5:00

Intermodulation 2-3:00 7:00 7:00 5:00

IYW 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00

Juice Face 12:00 12:00 12:00 12:00

Krackle Fuzz 1:00 4:00 10:00 2-5:00

Mellow Mud 2:30 7:00 7:00 9:00

Metal Distortion 4:00 10:30 7:00 5:00

Modulated Mud Fuzz 12:00 11:00 5:00 7:00

Modulated Sticky 12:00 1:00 5:00 7:00

Modulated Sticky Fuzz 9:00 3:00 9:00 3:00

Muse-esque 2:30 3:15 5:00 5:00

No-Name Fuzz 1:00 11:00 2:00 7:00

No-Name Fuzz (2) 10:00 7:00 12:00 5:00

OD/Fuzz 7:00 7:00 7:00 5:00

OD Squeal 7:00 12:00 3:00 3:00

Pitch Drop 7:00 12:00 5:00 7:00

Please Fuzz 12:00 7:00 3:00 2:00

Prickly Vexter 8:45 12:15 2:00 4:45 1:30

Psychedelic Crackle 1:00 8:00 3:00 3:00

Punky 2:30 - 3:30 7:00 7:00 5:00

Radio Fuzz 7:00 10:00 12:00 5:00 (play A, lower to taste)

Random Fuzz 1:30 7:00 5:00 4:00 (approx)

Range 7:00 12:00 3:00 12:00

Resonant Fuzz 7:00 7:00 12:00 4:00

Smashing Pumpkins-esque 2:00 9:00 5:00 10:00

Smooth Fuzz 7:00 3:00 5:00 5:00 (lower to mellow)

Soft Fuzz 1:00 7:00 7:00 Variable

Spastic Muff 5:00 7:00 5:00 5:00

Squealer Fuzz 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00

Squealer Fuzz (2) 7:00 8:00 1:00 7:00

Static / Low 12:00 12:00 5:00 7:00

Stooges Fuzz 3:00 7:00 3:00 5:00

Stylo Fuzz 12:30 12:30 7:00 7:00

Super-Heavy 3:00 9:00 5:00 5:00

Sweet Sustain 1:00 7:00 10:00 1:30

Tight and Sweet 12:00 8:00 8:00 5:00

Tiny 10:30 12:00 12:30 9:30

Traditional Fuzz 9:00 7:00 11:00 to 1:00 11-1:00

Traditional Fuzz (1) 9:00 7:00 1:00 5:00

Traditional Fuzz (2) 2:00 7:00 3:00 5:00

Ugly Fuzz 2:00 8:30 3:30 2:00

Velcro 7:00 5:00 5:00 2:00

Weezer-esque 2:30 7:00 7:00 5:00

Whale 7:00 1:00 5:00 9:00

What the Fuzz? 7:00 7:00 5:00 5:00

[stent]

Mine seems to cut through fine. not harsh, just like everyone else says. if you set the STAB to maximum (no squeal) and lower the GATE to about 10:00 o'clock you can get a thin sound by lowering the volume pot. This setting doesnt really change the volume of the fuzz, just makes it sound thin and cutting. if you use this setting on a heavily distorted channel it seems to cut through the overdrive, rather than making that muddy "overloaded" sound. so the FF can even be used to cut through on a heavy channel. also setting it to 9:00 3:ish 7:00 7:00 5:00 to get the cleanish octave up sound you can also use this setting to cut through with the lead channel of your amp and get a very hendrixy octave up fuzz. nails the solo from purple haze and sounds really nasty if you play open chords(if thats your bag).

[CS]

I've used mine with a cranked AC15 reissue and it was amazing.

[Elliott Damage]

sounds good so far guys.

[stent]

just get one. the vexter is a great price for what you're getting and there are plenty of sounds to be had. i cant see how this thing will not let you cut through live. there are so many glitchy, crumbly sounds. you can set it up so that when you play softly the unit fights itself to play the note you pick or the same note an octave lower and jitters between the two. pinch harmonics sound like a game boy dying- that descending "KACH-oo-dly-oo-dly-oow" sound like on kids toys that make a rocket or handgrenade sound?

plus if you really dont like it you can always sell them pretty easily.

c'mon its one of the highest quality pedals around and many people love them or at least find uses for them. it can be as normal or insane as you want.

[preservation]

ok, tried it tonight.

oh wow.

i like this pedal something fierce.

 

first, lets do a 'heres the thing':

 

my amp is always cranked. i can play nice and have it clean, i can play heavy and get the plexi breakup sound.

 

i ran the FF first in the chain, before anything.

IMMEDIATELY i got a useable tone. it just so happened to be a glitchy/titchy/decaying type of Atari sputter.

beautiful. really.

its already replaced my SCP for distorted tones on 2 songs, b/c this pedal has such a unique character.

i messed around a bit but didn't want to piss off my drummer by tweaking the FF for an hour (but i could have).

 

i got smooth fuzz tones a la fuzz face (which is def. cool but not for me), and then of course the squealy feedback moaning settings which i will definitely put to use.

 

i know lately i've been noticing a lot of people saying that the FF is just not for them, or too thin or just for noise etc... but it feels like this pedal was made with me in mind. is it the end all/be all fuzz/dist. pedal? no, of course not. tastes change all the time and sometimes you want something thats just not there...

BUT this thing dials in the fuzzy distorted tones i've been after... fuzz the BB Jr. couldn't give me...

distortion tones i prefer over the Maxon DS-830, which is definitely distortion royalty.

more useable for me than the SCOD and Blackstar, more fun than a Muff, so on and so forth.

if i needed i could DEFINITELY use this as my sole source of gain, but i'm happy to have my clean boosts to goose my amp.

 

the FF is just FUN. of course maybe it just loves my setup --- a warm tube amp, single coils in my guitar, etc...

but as soon as i started using it i just couldn't believe how great it sounded --- nowhere was "i can't use this" going through my mind. probably b/c i rule.

 

anyway, it definitely cuts through for me.

it slashes its way through, it all just depends on the settings.

i forgot to print out the settings list before i went to practice b/c i was all over the place today, but without i still got a ton of useable tons.

it definitely lives up to that reputation of a fuzzy swiss army knife.

 

so far my favorite sounds are the spitting glitchy fizzy popping fuzz sounds... it just makes me wonder who these people really are that send these suckers away saying "its not useable enough". shame on them.

no fun. spinsters. nuns. shells for souls that have long gone.

 

the fuzz factory is a blast.

i tried my keyboard through it too...

:love:

 

i rarely rave about drive/fuzz pedals, but yay-

finally one that i am totally in love with.

its been a while, lately i've been buying them and passing them off nearly as soon as they arrive.

FF is staying put.

 

maybe i'm just lucky that it sounded great immediately, or maybe these folks denouncing the FF

have had their creative bone removed.

[Elliott Damage]

Originally posted by preservation ok, tried it tonight. oh wow. i like this pedal something fierce. first, lets do a 'heres the thing': my amp is always cranked. i can play nice and have it clean, i can play heavy and get the plexi breakup sound. i ran the FF first in the chain, before anything. IMMEDIATELY i got a useable tone. it just so happened to be a glitchy/titchy/decaying type of Atari sputter. beautiful. really. its already replaced my SCP for distorted tones on 2 songs, b/c this pedal has such a unique character. i messed around a bit but didn't want to piss off my drummer by tweaking the FF for an hour (but i could have). i got smooth fuzz tones a la fuzz face (which is def. cool but not for me), and then of course the squealy feedback moaning settings which i will definitely put to use. i know lately i've been noticing a lot of people saying that the FF is just not for them, or too thin or just for noise etc... but it feels like this pedal was made with me in mind. is it the end all/be all fuzz/dist. pedal? no, of course not. tastes change all the time and sometimes you want something thats just not there... BUT this thing dials in the fuzzy distorted tones i've been after... fuzz the BB Jr. couldn't give me... distortion tones i prefer over the Maxon DS-830, which is definitely distortion royalty. more useable for me than the SCOD and Blackstar, more fun than a Muff, so on and so forth. if i needed i could DEFINITELY use this as my sole source of gain, but i'm happy to have my clean boosts to goose my amp. the FF is just FUN. of course maybe it just loves my setup --- a warm tube amp, single coils in my guitar, etc... but as soon as i started using it i just couldn't believe how great it sounded --- nowhere was "i can't use this" going through my mind. probably b/c i rule. anyway, it definitely cuts through for me. it slashes its way through, it all just depends on the settings. i forgot to print out the settings list before i went to practice b/c i was all over the place today, but without i still got a ton of useable tons. it definitely lives up to that reputation of a fuzzy swiss army knife. so far my favorite sounds are the spitting glitchy fizzy popping fuzz sounds... it just makes me wonder who these people really are that send these suckers away saying "its not useable enough". shame on them. no fun. spinsters. nuns. shells for souls that have long gone. the fuzz factory is a blast. i tried my keyboard through it too... :love: i rarely rave about drive/fuzz pedals, but yay- finally one that i am totally in love with. its been a while, lately i've been buying them and passing them off nearly as soon as they arrive. FF is staying put. maybe i'm just lucky that it sounded great immediately, or maybe these folks denouncing the FF have had their creative bone removed.

 

in all the years i've been reading your reviews i don't think i've seen you give one so glowing. I have to have one now. My rig (my whole style) might be changing in the near future but I want this on my board.

 

i have sort of realized that i've become too much of a snob with my rig. I mean look at my setup.....(no offence to those who are these) but it looks like the board of a 40 year old sweater vest wearing lawyer. I need to get back to the destruction that was my old style. I think this pedal would be a good start for that.

 

I need something that sounds like there is a live mutant trying to rip out of my amp. or an exploding atari. i've gotten way too safe.

[ode2no1]

whats weird about that ff list going around is that i dont even know if any two fuzz factories even sound the same. i got a probe and sold my ff on ebay and if i set both of them the exact same way they sound different. i mean that list is a good guide, but yeah....i dont know. anyway the main complaint i read in the reviews was it not being good live because ots fidgity, but i found it harder to cut thru than to set the way i wanted. with my old amp (marshall TSL) there was a mid boost switch on the clean channel, so that took care of everything.....but for someone running it into their normal clean tone it might be difficult.

[preservation]

well dude you've got gnar gear, but i kind of wonder if suited your playing style... i dunno.

 

i just know that the FF is fun, and theres no doubt i'll be using it live. i'm having more fun with wreaking havoc with my boards & a cranked 1/2stack then i ever have with lots of boutique stuff into a multi-thousand dollar amp etc-

 

i'd be miserable stuck in a den or something of a house

and noodling around. i need to tear a whole in someone's face, and the time for that is drawing near.

 

my last real band a few years ago was very shoegaz-y/post rock/etc. it wasn't generic, but it wasn't anything amazing either...

 

i'm having a blast in this stripped-down thing with just my drummer and me. loops go in & out and one second its dead quiet and then a massive wall of sound etc etc etc... i just don't know how many different/unique sounds i'd be able to get out of the more expensive boxes... b/c a lot of those boxes really don't offer anything unique.

where's the boutique PS-3 ?

where's the DL-4 equivalent for under $300 ?

i'll use anything i can get my hands on.

its just suprising to me that i hadn't tried a FuzzFactory until tonight...

[Elliott Damage]

 

Originally posted by preservation well dude you've got gnar gear, but i kind of wonder if suited your playing style... i dunno. i just know that the FF is fun, and theres no doubt i'll be using it live. i'm having more fun with wreaking havoc with my boards & a cranked 1/2stack then i ever have with lots of boutique stuff into a multi-thousand dollar amp etc- i'd be miserable stuck in a den or something of a house and noodling around. i need to tear a whole in someone's face, and the time for that is drawing near. my last real band a few years ago was very shoegaz-y/post rock/etc. it wasn't generic, but it wasn't anything amazing either... i'm having a blast in this stripped-down thing with just my drummer and me. loops go in & out and one second its dead quiet and then a massive wall of sound etc etc etc... i just don't know how many different/unique sounds i'd be able to get out of the more expensive boxes... b/c a lot of those boxes really don't offer anything unique. where's the boutique PS-3 ? where's the DL-4 equivalent for under $300 ? i'll use anything i can get my hands on. its just suprising to me that i hadn't tried a FuzzFactory until tonight...

 

 

 

i'm getting back to my proper style now.

I like the band i'm in now. It's kind of a mid-nineties post-hardcore indie sort of band...Christie Front Drive, Texas is the Reason, Mineral sort of stuff all the way up to ATDI type stuff. i'm realizing it's a dead sound. We're mixing it with a little bit of AmAnSet type stuff, EITS type stuff and it's really working out very well because we don't really sound like any of those bands. we've gone beyone our influences.

 

.....just now i get to be the 'color' guy. the delay, the vibe-y dreamy background, I like to set my modulation effects to run assymetrically with my semaphore. that cured my Murf fixation.

 

 

The link that ties it all together is the dynamics. I'm in a good situation with like-minded musicians and we can take it from silence to bombast and I'm realizing how bad i choked myself down in my last band and thats why i quickly got bored.

 

I'm finally playing with other musicians where we can just play together and know what comes next without ever having to say it. and that is something that no amount of hyped up gear could ever buy.

[utterhack]

 

Originally posted by preservation ok, tried it tonight. oh wow...

 

 

What a great post. Thank you. Not because I need to run out and get a Factory or anything, but because you captured the joy you feel when you find that rare box that's not an "effect" but a whole new instrument.

 

Rock on.

[ollenorin]

great review !

 

i had to trade away my ff due to a starcaster...but im getting a new one again.

[newstrat60]

great post about gear choice and musical personnality

[p90teleman]

 

Originally posted by preservation its already replaced my SCP for distorted tones on 2 songs, b/c this pedal has such a unique character. if i needed i could DEFINITELY use this as my sole source of gain, but i'm happy to have my clean boosts to goose my amp.

 

 

Funny that you say that now that I'm gassing for both.That's the way it goes...

 

What's the current draw of the Vexter/FFs with LED?

 

I may use it with batteries - daisy chain is full.I know that batteries in older versions withou LED are supposed to last forever with only 2-3Ma.

[p90teleman]

4mA - found it on zvex.com forum

 

olders were 3mA - now I'm talking to myself

[piut]

Originally posted by preservation well dude you've got gnar gear, but i kind of wonder if suited your playing style... i dunno. i just know that the FF is fun, and theres no doubt i'll be using it live. i'm having more fun with wreaking havoc with my boards & a cranked 1/2stack then i ever have with lots of boutique stuff into a multi-thousand dollar amp etc- i'd be miserable stuck in a den or something of a house and noodling around. i need to tear a whole in someone's face, and the time for that is drawing near. my last real band a few years ago was very shoegaz-y/post rock/etc. it wasn't generic, but it wasn't anything amazing either... i'm having a blast in this stripped-down thing with just my drummer and me. loops go in & out and one second its dead quiet and then a massive wall of sound etc etc etc... i just don't know how many different/unique sounds i'd be able to get out of the more expensive boxes... b/c a lot of those boxes really don't offer anything unique. where's the boutique PS-3 ? where's the DL-4 equivalent for under $300 ? i'll use anything i can get my hands on. its just suprising to me that i hadn't tried a FuzzFactory until tonight...

 

you.ditched.your.uf-01.for.the.fuzzfactory?