| Monthly Archives: January 2012

Ze Dirt Transmitter

Posted on January 29, 2012 by weak Posted in GAS Leave a comment

I was able to play around with this cool pedal from EarthQuaker Devices. The Dirt Transmitter is not voiced as muffs (here as all previous fuzz pedals i owned were Muff-based) and is more on the fuzz factory side. The rumbling low end is awesome. Not for everyone though (those looking for subtle or smooth fuzz tones, this is not it). I was able to get Torche tones with ease to Boris tones with a few turns on them knobs. Volume clean up is great, Bias knob is win. Now I need to decide if I will be returning this to the owner or not. \m/

Dirt Transmitter Fuzzdriver
The Dirt Transmitter is dual transistor crumbling fuzz tone. The bias control affects the voltage to the transistors which can create super cool gated velcro fuzz when turned counter clockwise or bring it back to life by turing it clockwise. It’s “properly biased” around 2′OClock on the dial. Adjusting the tone with the bias is a must to achieve a wide range of sounds. The fuzz control can produce tones from overdrive like break up to all out thick ripping fuzz tones while never getting flabby. Excessive amounts of volume and virtually no extraneous noise. Works great with both single coils and humbuckers, clean up with the guitar volume is excellent .

Measures
4.7″ x 3.7″ x 1.18″

Power
9v Battery or any standard 9 volt DC power supply with a negative center 2.1mm barrel.

Controls
Bias
Fuz
Level
Tone

Here’s a quick demo of the pedal by gearmanndude -

This pedal costs around $145.

Ze St. Vincent

Posted on January 24, 2012 by weak Posted in Music Leave a comment

Here’s an interesting video of Annie Clark playing a rendition of a Pearl Jam song (one of my faves \m/).

Even after 2 views, I’m still uncertain if this is a fitting cover or not. I’ll have listen to it a few more times. Her (under the stage name St. Vincent) recent album, Strange Mercy, is actually a pretty good record though. I should have posted this last year. Feel free to add her songs into our playlist if your into the art rock, baroque pop stuff.

Track Listing

Chloe in the Afternoon
Cruel
Cheerleader
Surgeon
Northern Lights
Strange Mercy
Neutered Fruit
Champagne Year
Dilettante
Hysterical Strength
Year of the Tiger

Ze Pitchblack Poly

Posted on January 21, 2012 by weak Posted in GAS Leave a comment

Another tuner update from NAMM 2012. Korg will now offer a polyphonic tuner which is based on one of the most raved about tuner pedals in the market, the Pitchblack.

Korg PB-03 PitchBlack Poly – Polyphonic Tuner

Key Features:

Offers quick and easy high-precision polyphonic tuning

Displays the tuning status of all strings at once

Check the tuning of every string with a single glance

Ideal for “floating tremolo systems”

Flat (5 Semitones), Capo (7 Semitones), and Drop-D tunings are also supported

“String Seeker” automatically switches the display to the string being tuned

Four meter modes for precise tuning

Automatically detects guitars and basses (up to 6-string)

Tone-preserving True Bypass design; diecast aluminum body

Two-way power; operates on 9V battery or 9V DC input

9V DC cascade power jack is also provided

The Pitchblack series of high-performance pedal tuners bring together Korg’s legendary tuner accuracy, versatility, and reliability – along with easy-to-see displays and stylish diecast aluminum bodies. Now, the remarkable Pitchblack Poly adds the convenience of polyphonic tuning to the acclaimed Pitchblack pedal tuner line-up.

Here’s a short video from Korg –

Specifications

Tuning:
12 note equal temperament

Detection range:
E0 (20.60 Hz) ~ C8 (4186 Hz)

Detection accuracy:
+/- 1 cent

Tuning Mode:
Mono / Chromatic
Polyphonic / Guitar – Bass (Auto detection)

Display Mode:
Regular Meter / Full Strobe / Half Strobe / Split

Calibration range:
436–445 Hz (1 Hz steps)

Flat / Capo:
Flat (?): Can tune down; up to five steps (Chromatic Scale)
Capo (?): Can transpose up; up to seven steps (Chromatic Scale)

Input impedance:
1 M Ohms (when tuner is on)

Consumption current:
Maximum 45mA

Output current:
Maximum 200mA

Connectors:
Input (mono 1/4″ jack)
BYPASS (mono 1/4″ jack)
DC IN (9V)
DC OUT (9V)

Power supply:
S-006P / 6F22/ 6LR61 (9V Stacked cell battery) or 9V AC adapter (KA-181)

Battery life (Tuner on, Polyphonic tuning mode):
Approximately 7 hours, using Alkaline 006P
Approximately 5 hours, using Manganese 006P

Dimensions (W x D x H):
68 × 120 × 47 mm / 2.68 x 4.72 x 1.85 inches (including feet)

Weight:
303 g / 10.62 Oz. (including battery)

Included items:
6F22 – Manganese battery x 1 for verifying operation

Options:
9V AC adapter (KA-181)

Ze Polytune Mini

Posted on January 19, 2012 by weak Posted in GAS Leave a comment

Just found out that TC Electronic released a “mini” version of the Polytune pedal. Imagining this would fit nicely on my board. GAS face on.

PolyTune® Mini

We introduced polyphonic tuning to the world and since then guitarists everywhere have welcomed this next-generation way of tuning with open arms. PolyTune® Mini is the world’s smallest polyphonic tuner and it will fit on any pedal board. Sometimes size actually does matter and in such cases, PolyTune Mini is the perfect solution as no other pedal tuner in the world will take up so little space, which means more room for other pedals.

PolyTune Mini shows you the tuning state of all strings simultaneously by simply strumming your guitar, allowing you to get back to playing in a matter of seconds. PolyTune Mini is among the most precise tuners in the world, tuning with +/- 0.5 cent precision in chromatic mode and +/- 1 cent accuracy in polyphonic mode. Also, it automatically switches between chromatic and polyphonic modes depending on whether you strum all strings at once or pick each string individually.

Further, PolyTune Mini features Drop-D and Capo modes as well as True Bypass for zero tone coloration and a super-bright LED display.

PolyTune Mini – Tiny Meets Awesome
Tuning used to be a necessary evil. The last barrier before you could get truly rocking. But now, tuning is ready to get blasted into the 21st century with PolyTune Mini – a downright tuning miracle! The original PolyTune was the world’s first polyphonic tuner – a multiple patents pending, game-changing total tuning turnaround that will have future guitarists wondering how we ever got by without it.

PolyTune Mini Main Features
Ultra-small Footprint – Will Fit on Any Pedal Board
PolyTune – Tune All Strings Simultaneously
+/- 0.5 Cent Tuning Accuracy
True Bypass w/ Silent Tuning
Super-bright LED Display
Up to 5 Semitones Flat Tunings
Drop-D and Capo Tuning

It couldn’t be done – until we did it.
The magic lies in a never before seen approach to tuning aimed at speed, accuracy and ease of use. With PolyTune Mini, you simply strum all strings on your guitar at once, and it will immediately tell you which strings need tuning! This cutting-edge tuning technology revolutionizes the way you tune and accomplishes what has been deemed ‘impossible’ until now: tuning all strings simultaneously! It really is as simple as strum – tune – rock, and this quantum leap forward allows you to get in tune fast, and back to doing what you love: playing. Crowds don’t want to wait around, they want to rock, and, let’s face it, so do you.

Fever Pitch
PolyTune is extremely flexible as well. The reference pitch can be set to your preference and ranges from 435Hz to 445Hz. This guarantees you’ll be able to play along with anyone, with any instrument and in any situation.

Chromatic champion
Besides the Polyphonic tuner, PolyTune Mini has a chromatic tuner that can hang with the best current tuning technology out there, with an amazing 0.5 cent accuracy. But we are never satisfied with the current norm, and added some features to make this tuner’s chromatic section stand out from the crowd. Let’s start with the two separate chromatic tuning modes, which cater to your individual preferences and needs. Needle mode is for those that are used to the classic view on a tuner. If you want a little more real-time information, we have included stream-mode, which measures even the slightest pitch variation and instantly feeds the info back to you via a rotating motion on the display.

Tuning Magnet
Key to both these great chromatic modes is an ultra-fast and precise response, which is achieved via the use of the unique tuner magnet feature. This slows down the needle once you get close to the desired pitch, making it much easier to get the job done quickly.

MonoPoly
Whether you want to use the polyphonic tuner to get in tune, or prefer to go the chromatic route, this pedal has you covered. PolyTune Mini features “MonoPoly”, a jaw-dropping new technology that recognizes whether you play one or more strings and instantly replies with the appropriate poly- or monophonic tuning mode.

Total Recall
Of course, all of these amazing features would not mean a thing if they were a pain to use or set up. So, we added some traits to ensure this tuner is calibrated to the guitarist. Unlike most other tuners, PolyTune stores your preferences. From pitch reference to tuning mode, it hangs on to this information even after it is powered down, making sure you only have to set how you want things to happen once. The next time you power up again, it will show you the settings, so you instantly know Everything is exactly how you want it to be.

PolyTune® Tech Specs

Tuning Range: A0 (27.5Hz) – C8 (4186 Hz)
Tuning Accuracy: +/- 0.5 cent
Reference Pitch: 440 Hz
Input Impedance: 1 MOhm (pedal on)
Power Supply: AC adapter (9V DC), – sold separately
Current Draw: 40 mA (typical use)
Dimensions (WxDxH): 51 mm x 93 mm x 45 mm
Weight: 160 g/10.6 oz
Included items: 2 pcs. rubber feet

Let’s call this the Punytuner \m/

Ze Top 5 albums of 2011

Posted on January 8, 2012 by weak Posted in Music Leave a comment

I know this is late. I was quite messed up lately and gathering my thoughts is still a tedious task. Anyways, here are my top 5 albums for 2011. Narrowing the list to just 5 is hard. I’ll just add a runners-up section in case I change my mind on something.

1. Major/Minor (Thrice)