Ring Modulator

[Wolfman]

Anybody ever played around with one of these puppies? I've been wanting to get one ever since I found out that Jeff Beck was using one on parts of the Guitar Shop album. I'm almost positive David Gilmour used one on the Wish You Were Here album as well after listening to some demo sound clips of one.

[CanyonCarver]

I'm curious, what is a ring modulator?

[Wolfman]

I could never describe it very well myself - just a cool old effect box. LOL How's that? [img]images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]

Actually, I was looking them up on ebay tonight, and this link will take you to a page where the seller really describes them in detail. There's some downloadable wav files that you can listen to as well.

Dunno if you have Jeff's Guitar Shop album, but you can hear it used as a subtle effect on the lead part of "Two Rivers" there. It gives it a kind of warbly, distorted sustain the way he uses it on that particular track. Jeff has used them off an on for years. If you're a Floyd fan, you'll see what I meant about thinking Gilmour used one from listening to those sound clips. The more extreme sound effects in the clips remind me of a lot of sounds on "Wish You Were Here"

[CanyonCarver]

Wish you were here is good. I'm not a bif Pink Floyd fan but that one is good.
I'll check the link.

[Coyote]

Remember the solo on "Paranoid"?
The weird noises in there were done with a Ring Modulator.

I have an exact description somewhere, so gimme some time and I'll post it here.

[Wolfman]

[ QUOTE ]
Remember the solo on "Paranoid"?
The weird noises in there were done with a Ring Modulator.



[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, that's right - forgot about that one. Thanks for pointing that one, dude. [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

[CanyonCarver]

Paranoid by Sabbath or later, by Ozzy?

[Coyote]

[ QUOTE ]
Paranoid by Sabbath or later, by Ozzy?

[/ QUOTE ]

The original, of course.

[CanyonCarver]

Thank you, I'll look it up!

By the way, welcome aboard! [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

[Coyote]

Gracias, CC.

[Wolfman]

OK, here's a clip I converted of Jeff Beck's "Two Rivers" so you guys can hear what this effect is like when it's used more subtly and not just to get weird space effects and the like. Notice the sustain and warbly distortiom the the lead line has - that's what turns me on to this effect. I swear if I could find one cheap enough, I'd be on it like white on rice.


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[ericgtr]

That is really cool sounding man, thanks for the demo. Man that is some wonderful playing too.

[DJ Snoo]

I have the DOD Ring Modulator called the Gonkulator. Lemmie tell ya, this thing is friggin insane. As far as ring mod's go, this particular one is not the best (unless you are trying to play "Glass" by Incubus, which is the reason that I bought it!) the knobs on the pedal read as follows: Suck, Smear, Gunk, Heave. Need I say more....actually I probably do. From my understanding the way that this particular ring mod works is it takes the mid range db and completely removes it from the signal, while it takes the left over top and bottom db beyond as certain point (I don't remember exactly what) and the internal oscillator in the pedal twirl's them around in a "circular" motion sonically which creates an entirely new mid range. You can hear the internal oscillator turn on when you click the pedal (listen to Megalomaniac on Incubus' new album, he uses that sound in the breakdown part...it's like a "bluu" type sound) Anyhow, it does all that plus a small amount of distortion. If adjusted correctly, there is virtually no tonal value to the sounds, but if can also be used as a novelty distortion pedal. Whew, dang thats confusing! ~Adam~