Modfactor occasionally stops ” undulating ” ?

[Andy S]

Just wondering if anyone has had the following problem with the undulating patches ( 9:1 – 9:2 and 19:1 – 19:2 ):

Occasionaly there in no effect, or perhaps a very minimal effect on these particular patches.

I can correct the problem by unplugging and then plugging back in the digitech FS3X i use as an auxiliary footswitch ( sometimes i have to do it a couple of times ). Same footswitch i use with my TF and it works perfectly.

No other patch on the modfactor has this issue so I'm thinking it's software related and will eventually be fixed with an update or something ?

Has anyone else encountered this or can support chime in? Thanks !

Overall I love the Modfactor by the way. It sounds fantastic……

[IDeangelis]

 Hi Andy

when we created the Undulator for the Orville, long time ago, we analyzed the same fx in the H3000 and built a structure with complex dynamic modulation (=your signal level controls the modulation rate) of different fx, delays+detuners+tremolo.

The interaction between these fx and the dynamic sensitivity provides a very organic way modulation reacts. Particularly, when the signal fades…you may hear that modulation rate is not following any constant wave pattern. Is this what you hear? Where exactly you hear what you report? Are you using a factory preset?

best

I 

[DGillespie]

Hi Andy,

As Italo says it is an effect that changes based on how loudly you play.  What do you mean when you say it stops Undulating, does it change if you play louder or turn up your pickups?

Thanks,

Dan

[Andy S]

Thanks to both of you for the quick reply's……i am using the factory presets when i have this problem.

What i mean by no effect is that the effect is non exsistent and even when turning knobs I dont seem to get any response. If i sweep my expression pedal while having this problem I hear an almost imperceptible sweep of something, like a phaser with the intensity almost off ( hard to explain ). But for the most part it's all dry sound with no " undulating "

It could be related to the sound level i am sending into the unit itself….I am at " the day job " and won't get to experiment till later today with it, but I will experiment tonight. I do recollect thinking it could have been an input sensitivity problem and trying things relative to that ( ie: turning up – trying different settings on the mf itself ) to no avail. I do have an Ernie Ball Volume pedal before the MF and TF….perhaps I didn't have it fully open and this is affecting these particular patches.

Again, oddly i can cure the problem temporarily by unplugging the aux footswitch and plugging it back in. And then I'm able to enjoy these very cool patches.

I'll try some things tonight and post back one way or the other. Thanks !

Andy

[Andy S]

OK – I'm feeling sort of stupid……..I believe my problem was related to how much signal I was hitting the undulating effects with. I think I'm all set and have figured it out.

One other point somewhat unrelated….I wish there was a slower fade in for this effect, so that I could simulate the slow travel and fade in of a volume pedal into the effect ( sort of like an old digitech space station or volume swell on a line 6 DL4 ).

When a thread is started for ideas related to eventual software upgrades I'll be sure to mention this again.

Thanks again for your help.

Andy

[IDeangelis]

 Hi Andy

don't feel like that, man! I had a feeling that your observation was related to input level strength. There is really not much we can tweak into this complex algorithm to make it work w/swell in/out. It's just too complex and there is no space left for other mods.

The peculiarity of UNDULATOR is its very organic sound and way to react to dynamics.

It's fade out inertia is unique!

Enjoy!!!

I 

[Crysstalized]

I have a question also. My Undulator works great in all modes except "sine" wave. No matter where I move the other knobs, it won't produce any effect at all in that mode. Single coils and humbuckers used–and as I said, whatever settings I use produce sounds in all other modes (square, ramp, random, etc.). Is there a reason for this? The manual doesn't say anything about it. I have figured out how the undulator works, and how to control it–except for the sine wave mode!

[DGillespie]

Hmmm, I'll check that.  It should work.  Would you mind emailing me a preset that shows the problem you are having?

[Crysstalized]

DGillespie:

Hmmm, I'll check that.? It should work.? Would you mind emailing me a preset that shows the problem you are having?

Thanks, I tried to send it over by email through the forum software. Please let me know if you got it alright–my browser was doing funny things after I tried sending it.

[mlabbee]

I'm finding thesame problem – sine and triangle seem to produce no effect at all. As soonas I rotate the shape knob, though, I start getting the effect again. I've done this through the range of depth, speed, intensity and xnob settings . . .

[IDeangelis]

 Undulator is ***highly*** dynamics dependant!

Its warble depends on how strong is your input signal. Tweaking the sensitivity of it will make it more responsive to your levels and touch..

 It's alive!

best

I

[mlabbee]

It works fine on other shapes (ramp and square sound awesome) – when I switch to sine, teh effect dissappears altogether – absolutely no effect at all, regardless of how hard I play, or adjust sensitivity . . . I'll try again when I get home, but this has been my experience so far.

[mlabbee]

I double checked when I got home tonight and can confirm that I cannot get any response from the undulator on the sine setting. I used every other shape and got the effect (fairly weak on the triangle setting, very vigorous on every other shape) – I hit the unit with a much stronger input signal, still nothing . . . I'd be much more willing to beleive it was user error, except it works so well with the other waveforms . . . seems odd.

[IDeangelis]

it seems there are some other folks in this thread reporting the same.

We would like you to do a simple test:

-load the factory Undulator preset and play. DO NOT CHANGE ANY PARAMETER! Don't touch any knob.

-if it's working fine, procedd to ONLY change the lfo shape to SINE. Don't tuch any other knob. Does it work?

-Please describe how the MF is connected to your gear with the following details:

-type of cables

-connection to guitar or fx loop?

-if it's inside an FX loop, what's the signal impedance (+4dB/-10dB)?

Thanks

best

I 

[mlabbee]

Sorry for the delayed response – we just had a baby and my wife wouldn't let me leave the hospital to play my guitar 🙂

So I tried the test and on patches 19-1 and 19-2, same result. I got a very clear effect response on the untouched settings. The effect remained active as I scrolled through teh shapes, got fairly weak at triangle and then simply shut off on sine.

Both input and output switches are set to "Level" and I'm using a mono line int and stereo out. George L. cables on each end. When I did the test, my signal chain was as follows:

Fuzz (true bypass, switched off)
Compressor (true bypass, switched off)
Tech 21 Sansamp TriaAC amp/speaker simulator (set to a fender-like low gain amp, clean) (I believe this unit puts out a line level signal)
Planet Waves tuner in bypass (buffered pedal, off)
Ibanez DE-7 (true bypass, off)
Modfactor
Line 6 Verbzilla (buffered pedal, off)
Nova Delay (buffered pedal, off)
Mixer

Hope that helps. Let me know if you need me to run any more tests. Happy to unplug everything and run the modfactor straight into an amp if that will help.

Mike

[IDeangelis]

Hi Mike

first off let me congratulate you and your wife for the baby! I'm having one in 4 months….

Thank you for the tests.

It appears there is a bug affecting the sine setting. It will be fixed in a future OS release.

thanks again for reports and tests.

 all the best

I 

[mlabbee]

Thanks and congratulations to you, too. If this is your first (this is our second), be prepared to discover the meaning of the phrase "sleep deprivation" 🙂

Glad to help with the tests – hope it helped.

Mike

[Author]

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