Tag Archives: effects

Saxophone in an Acoustic Live Band Context

Interesting take on using effects pedals. A lot of guys are using that Intramic which is a little water resistant mic that you put IN the neck of the sax, but non-destructively. A lot of horns in the 70s, they drilled out a hole in the neck and put in a pickup.

Why you’d want that? Prevents feedback, and bleed from other instruments. You learn more about it here, and check out HornFX’s YouTube channel to see him use it.

Anyhow, I’m not sure I like this pedals used in this video. Not really my cup of tea, but it’s interesting none the less.

Two iPad Goodies

There are a lot of accessories out for the iPad that a musician can use. Two that have caught my attention. The Digitech iPB-10 which slashgear had a review of

This week the the DigiTech iPB-10 has been revealed, a digital pedalboard which will allow your iPad to play host to several music pedals at once. Inside with your iPad running the official app for this device as its plugged into the device itself, you’ll have access to 87 different pedals, 54 amplifiers, and 26 cabinets, all at a flick of your finger. What more could you want? And don’t say a DJ station, because that’s separate, and we’ve done that before as well — read on for guitar iPad action!

iPB10

This thing sounds awesome if you are a guitar player or a EWI effects addict (raises hand meekly). Except…..$499. Though it sounds like it works without the iPad in it, so, you could have presets all ready and not have to put the iPad in there. This thing also has it’s own DSP chips so the quality of sound and perhaps latency might be better. But still…..maybe $299 would be a better price point?

 

The second piece of gear is the Alesis iO Dock. This thing is $199, and has phantom powered mic inputs, quarter inch outputs, pedal input, headphones. And it works with Garageband, so you can record or whatever you want on it. This sounds amazing and is on my Christmas list this year. XLR inputs means you should be able to hook your sax up and start using effects with this baby.

By the way, Garageband is a MUST HAVE iPhone/iPad/iTouch app. It works on all three now. $5.

Uniquesquared.com had an excellent review of it using Garageband.

Playing With Effects Pedals – Dean Mongerio

Sometimes, I find things that are just totally cool. This is one of them. Florida based Saxophonist Dean Mongerio showing off his pedals and stuff. Here is what I saw that he is using.

1. BBE SupraCharger Power supply
2. Eventide PitchFactor Harmonizer
3. Q-Tron (older model?)
4. Troop Bypass looper
5. Keeley 4 Knob Compressor
6. MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay Guitar Effects Pedal
7. MXR M-108 Ten Band Graphic EQ
8. DigiTech Hardwire Series RV-7 Reverb Guitar Effects Pedal
9. Radial ProDI Passive Direct Box

I’ve always loved effects on saxophone since hearing those amazing Brecker Brothers albums in the 70s. I have been experimenting with pedals using software on my iPad and EWI (working on an article/review) which is actually quite useable. Plus, the iRig also works with a dynamic mic like a Shure 57 Beta. So you can pipe your Sax into the iRig and run it through Ampitude on your iPad or iPhone.
EDIT: Upon further testing, the iPad/iPod/iPhone iRig and EWI is very cool. Though it does work with a microphone like a Shure 57, it sounds like crap and picks up way too much other noise to be practical.

But here is Dean doing it to more old fashioned and probably better way……

Part One

Part Two

Electronically Modified Didgeridoo

Kyle Evens made an electronically modified didgeridoo. While I too like my star wars type sounds, or those trippy sounds that you enjoy while fried out of your mind, the other application could be some sort of new effects processing for….oh, I dunno, saxophone or something? Though this thing looks like something out of a SciFi movie…..