Slow Gear on H90 ?

[thossounds]

Hi all,

Has anyone found anything to approximate the Slow Gear effect from Boss on the H90? If you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically an auto-volume swell that works a little like a gate. When no audio is present, the next note played will swell in (with adjustable swell length). Based on a “sensitivity” setting, it then either stays open for rapid notes, or closes to swell again after a long enough pause in input.

I find myself looking for this with every update and always being surprised that it seems to elude not only Eventide, but also units like the Quad Cortex. Line 6 Helix gets somewhat close with a “vintage swell” effect, but seems to lack the swell length. People have found a bit of a work around on the Quad Cortex by using a “utility gate” but it definitely has a faster swell with no way to elongate it.

I’m always baffled that something which seems like a simple effect isn’t available on these high end units. The original Boss stomp boxes sell for around $500 used I think and Boss seems to include the effect n most of their multi-effects pedals. I just don’t want to have to use one just for that! 🙂

Thanks for any thoughts!

[apalazzolo]

The H9 and H90 have been able to do this since the Ultra Tap algo was released … maybe what? 7 years ago? One factory preset that showcased the feature was called UltraSwell. Since the H90 was released the big question became, “What if I put such-and-such after UltraSwell?” The answer was typically: add a big reverb and get some kind of HUGE soundscape. But the same type of program can also be used to drive things like rhythmic presets. The new Granular algos made it even easier to get really complicated results. PatchStorage now has quite a few of these huge sounding swelling programs.

BUT you can also strip UltraSwell down to it’s simplest form. When you do, you basically get the Boss SG-1. I thought that that sounded like bowed stringed instruments, especially cellos when you play the wound strings on a guitar.

I have attached one of these programs with five different swell speeds (using the hotswitches and aux #5). That may scratch your SG-1 itch.

Hope that helps,
~Tony

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[thossounds]

Hi Tony,

Thanks so much for all this! Apologies for taking so long to check it out. The UltraSwell option is definitely in the ballpark for what I’m looking for but seems to have a few quirks I’m wondering if there’s a way to lessen. On your Bowed-CELLOs program.. I think the settings I like best are the ones with no hot switch on, so: Length: 60, Rise: 16, Spread -25. But.. I notice with the other settings, like hot switch 2, the first note played has a longer swell (great!), but if it’s still ringing on the instrument and a second note is played there’s a noticeable “tap” or altered attack of the new note. I’m used to the Boss SG where any additional notes played just come through normally.  I’ll play around with the settings more and see if I can find what I’m looking for.

Also.. even with just one note played, sometimes it seems like there’s a “gate” cutting off the tail of the note before it fades out naturally. Any idea what parameter is causing that?

In my own tinkering, I also got close with the Tremolopan algorithm. It seems more natural/open on any additional notes played, but still has the cut off gating effect and a slower swell time than I think I want.  Attaching in case you’re curious.

Thanks again! Greatly appreciate the info!

Tom

 

 

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[apalazzolo]

Thanks a lot for the TremoloPan Slow Gear program.  I’ve heard about that for a long time but I couldn’t work it out.  I look forward to trying this!

Premature cutoff:  With the UltraTap approach, UltraTap provides the swell and something else (usually reverb) provides the decay.  Making a smooth transition between the two requires work and it has to be done for each time length (each hotswitch version).  I try to set the reverb predelay so the reverb kicks in just as the swell dies out.  Too much overlap and there is an unnatural bump in there.   Not enough overlap and the sound becomes anemic from the transition forward.

You are correct about the “taps” attack.  The program requires a playing technique with a rest between notes to allow some kind of gate in there to reset.  With practice, it’s pretty doable because the reverb decay keeps sounding while the player rests.   I’m not sure why, but I concluded that using very few taps worked better for the Slow Gear thing.  So if you hit a second note with out a rest in between, what you hear is those few individual taps (there might be 2, 4, 6, or so) with no swell.  Try exaggerating the rests a bit if you don’t want them.  BUT sometimes those unintended notes add interest … maybe in an abstract ambient soundscape context.

You’ll notice that Eventide’s UltraSwell program uses the maximum number of taps to make the swell smooth. It’s possible that their approach works better than that discussed immediately above.  I simply don’t know.

The UltraTap approach actually gets better with the longer swell and decay times.  Swell time can easily get very long.  I’ve posted some of these larger soundscapes on PatchStorage (user apalazzolo) using the terms Ambient Pads and Soundscapes.

TremoloPan:  It’s possible that mashing up the TremoloPan swell approach with the tail/decay from my Ambient Pads results in the best of both worlds.  I’ll try that someday.

Please post any successes you achieve!!!!

~Tony

 

 

[brock]

UltraTap & TremoloPan have many situational uses.  Once you reach that fixed level threshold point, though, your signal drops off a cliff.  Something you have to plan on, and work around.  A dream scenario for me would be to divert the envelope follower in PolySynth away from its oscillators, and process the input signal with it as an optional routing.

Internal to the H90, the Omnipressor mode in DynaVerb is my most-used algorithm for ‘slow gear’.  Ducked Delay has a different flavor, more of a slow-burn.  Fits well when it’s feeding a 2nd effect.  What they both have in common is control over the compressor’s Release time & Threshold level.  Always critical adjustments for a good match to your instrument, technique, and input signals.

In the little test-pilot Program attached, a matched range of both Releases & each Threshold are accessible from the HotKnobs.  The default settings + three HotSwitches toggle among short & long Release times in either DynaVerb & Ducked Delay.  For side-by-side comparison, HotSwitches also trigger faux-Bypass.

The Omnipressor mode is locked to Gated here, but other Omni Ratio values can fine-tune the results.  (I do wish the Attack time covered more range, but it’s emulating unique, vintage hardware).  I couldn’t resist adding in a side-feature or two.  EXP1 sweeps through reverb decay times, infinite & freeze, for an ’80’s gated reverb effect.  EXP2 for a foot-controlled volume effect & boost option.

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[apalazzolo]

Cool!!!  Thanks.

 

[celso80br]

I know this is not exactly what you’ve asked for, but I find that this circuit (Slow Gear) is really easy to make and there are tons of generic clones everywhere, some are really really cheap and small (mini pedal format), so I’d look for that if you use it that much- even if it’s just to give you more freedom to get the most out of any two algorithms you choose.

 

[apalazzolo]

Okay, so I’ve tried the TremoloPan preset.  I like the way it swells but it didn’t have any swell-time range and it also felt compressed.

I also tried Brock’s Dynaverb preset and there was a really long time before the gate-thingy would reset so notes would bloom again.

So for me, UltraTap is still the best approach.  I’ve adjusted/improved the program I posted before but it is still largely the same.  A little smoother, better reverb, notes sustain longer, and you do need to play a (ahem) “note-worthy” rest between notes.   Please see attached.

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[brock]

apalazzolo wrote:

… there was a really long time before the gate-thingy would reset so notes would bloom again.

The one main reason that I rarely share any compression-based uploads.  Very system-specific, requiring small tweaks in turn to each of the interactive parameters.

@celso80br made some good points above.  With something like an EHX Swello, your only concerns are the attack time & makeup gain.  No adjustments to release time & threshold, as you will with a full-featured compressor.

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