McLaughlin's rig questions

[grahambop]

Came across this thing, it might get you a bit closer to what JM was doing (it seems to let you do the freeze output with effects while the guitar signal is unchanged).

Superego+ | Synth Engine / Multi-Effects - Electro-Harmonix

[pingu]

Some more info. in this 1992 interview (he explains how he played that intro to Que Alegria with the synth):

Pages of Fire: Articles: A Continual Process of Discovery

thanks Graham , that’s exactly what
i wanted to know ....

[pingu]

Came across this thing, it might get you a bit closer to what JM was doing (it seems to let you do the freeze output with effects while the guitar signal is unchanged).

Superego+ | Synth Engine / Multi-Effects - Electro-Harmonix

i had a listen to that and various other ehx pedal demos

the smoothest one of the lot for just
holding a chord seems to be the freeze
the ‘acoustic’ demo of that was quite good

many thanks

[pingu]

found this too
PLUS Pedal - Gamechanger Audio

i listened to the various demos
i don’t think a freeze fx pedal is quite
the sound i’m after

the mclaughlin thing is basically just
a midi hold pedal controlling a yamaha
synth with a gorgeous pad sound
programmed into it by john

maybe there’s no shortcuts to getting
that kinda sound ....

[osloutah]

That Zen Drive pedal is wonderful - clean, round, and smooth when adjusted just right. I never bought one when they were readily available and regret it. I use a Wampler Tumnus, which is similar but not quite as smooth. Set properly for the pickups and amp with which they’re used, these pedals do let you control the gain with volume pot and pick attack. Unless it’s set to fuzzy, chords are no muddier than they are through a cranked Champ or Princeton that’s barely into mild breakup.

The OCD V2 has a “low peak” setting that’s pretty smooth and does the same thing..

I bought a locally built Klon clone on a whim, and I’m shocked at how usable all of the tones have been for my setups. Still itching for a Zendrive though because of JM. I bought a Carbon Copy because of him too, but strangely enough still sound like me. No sarcasm intended either. I’m coming from the saxophone, where an absurd amount of your sound comes from your anatomy, so I was a little bit shocked when I found out that the bulk of my sound on guitar is in my fingers.

[grahambop]

Some people replace the footswitch in the Freeze with a non-latching switch (if I understand it correctly), I believe it makes it a lot easier to quickly turn the freeze on and off.

There have been some threads on it here.

[Christian Miller]

I have the Gamechanger plus which is an expensive but very nice alternative to the Freeze with some very helpful features. The Freeze was quite annoying to use.

Rosenwinkel and Lage Lund use the Freeze/SuperEgo pedal for pad chords.

[Jonah]

I don’t believe Freezes etc existed at the
time ....
does your freeze sound anything like that youtube clip ?
(none the freeze demos I’ve heard
sound like that ,
that clip sounds like a Prophet 5
.... gorgeous !

You can try one of EHX synth pedals like C9, B9, K9, Synth9

They are quite versatile

[grahambop]

Gilad Hekselman uses the freeze too, he talks about it here at 4 mins (he is also using a Boss OC3 to get the low bass notes):

[st.bede]

I can’t stand cliffhanger endings.

Lol... I do not know what happened. I did not think my post went through. However to acknowledge the power of art I think I will

[Jonah]

Yes, it is an old vid.

There is a live solo concert in Newport I guess where uses Freeze (and Boss and volume pedal) with great virtuosity.

Instaliing a silent switch is an option but piano pedal allows you to put it outside pedal board if you wish and has smoother feel than any switch.

the tricky thing about Freeze is that it picks only the notes that sound at the moment - on real piano all the notes are sustained while the pedal is pressed (whether it is mechanical piano or electric one).
It makes really big difference.
Because you should really know when you have to press it otherwise you either get too loud or you will have the wrong notes there...

Also I did not like that 'pluck a chord (sustain it) and play line over it' conception that is mostly used with Freeze.. it is cool too but not all the time...
So I tried to weave the notes in solo and hold them and then press the button so that the harmony will be sustained but it will not be noticeable that you played a chord to sustain it.


Also Freeze will sound a bit different if you apply other modelling pedals before it like overdrive, chorus...

I still use it from time to time but I would really love to have more piano-like sustain...
There is a PLUS pedal from Gamechanger which is more delicate and sensitive than Freeze and has a bit softer tone but essentially the same thing to my ear...

[Jonah]

I have the Gamechanger plus which is an expensive but very nice alternative to the Freeze with some very helpful features. The Freeze was quite annoying to use.

Rosenwinkel and Lage Lund use the Freeze/SuperEgo pedal for pad chords.

I can't figure it if it has that piano style opition? That when it is pressed down all the notes that are plucked consequently are being sustained? Or it also works as a momentary sustain?

[grahambop]

Lol... I do not know what happened. I did not think my post went through. However to acknowledge the power of art I think I will

...finish the sentence?

[st.bede]

...finish the sentence?

(I think we are both being funny now. We might share the same sense of humor. My sense of humor, finds your question as the best possible response).

To be honest: in art (music), there is a horizon but no end. (Or, if we have reached that end, someone forgot to tell me).

[grahambop]

or maybe you stepped on a freeze pedal just at that momenttttttttt...