MusicChad
07-15-2009, 09:59 PM
Ok everybody... I apologize for being MIA for a while here... I’ve been doing a ton of traveling in the past few months for weddings, family events, etc. etc. I’ve also been enduring some rather unpleasant changes at work (a subject for prayer and another post...) that have kept me swamped...
Also – I thought it would be fun to FINALLY do my official shootout between Red Bear and V-picks for my 1000th post here... (Thanks for everything along the way... You all have been an INCREDIBLE blessing!)
HOWEVER
I have come across something else that I am so excited about that I decided I just couldn’t wait any longer to do a quick write up on it.
So for post 1000 – I want to strongly and loudly suggest:
WAY HUGE ELECTRONICS - PORK LOIN!
All I can say is – wow!
As most of you would know, I have been trying to put together a more analog kind of pedal board after becoming completely frustrated with first a Boss GT-8 and eventually all digital modeling. One of the MAJOR reasons for that was simply that I had a very difficult time finding tones that resembled the kind of warm, glassy, shimmery, beautiful sound one gets with a tube amp pushed into “that place”. More often then not, it just didn’t have... ...“that feeling” of connectedness between my fingers, the instrument, the sound, etc. etc. It just didn’t have “it”...
After moving to a tube amp and pedal board setup, all was well and good except for one last piece... I still wanted a pedal that could do the extremely light overdrive that could almost be called “clean” but had that warmth and glassiness that is in reality an every so slightly distorted version of the original that your ear “perceives” but doesn’t necessarily “hear”... I thought I had that last piece of the magic puzzle when I acquired a voodoo labs sparkle drive. I thought the sparkle drive sounded fine as a tube screamer type overdrive and pretty good as a boost. At the same time, I didn’t really fall in love with the “lighter” end of the overdrive. What made it more frustrating was that the concept of adding in some “clean” made perfect sense and I really love the idea, but in practice, it just didn’t sound very good. It sounded like a clean signal with an overdriven signal layered in underneath. Somehow the sound didn’t seem “unified” or “blended” very well... It sounded like two distinct simultaneous sounds... It never really fooled my ear into thinking that it was one unified thing... I kind of lived with it for a while wanting to like it because the concept made perfect, but most of the time just felt like it was “so close” but “not quite there”...
A few months ago, I got an OCD and have been absolutely completely and totally ecstatic about how it sounds virtually every time I play it. It just sounds killer good – and I have a BBE Green screamer that I really really really like when I’m looking for that mid-rangey kind of tone... ...but the sparkle drive just seemed to fall short... PLUS, the OCD sounds so absolutely incredible that I ended up taking a Bad Monkey and a few other pedals off my board simply because I wouldn’t ever use them anymore. Why would I when I had such a fantastic tone available? That being said, I still sort of had that gap. The OCD sounds VERY VERY good in low gain situations but is KILLER good in the mid gain area. So I continued the search for a low gain option that I could be as excited about as I have been about the OCD...
One day while at Guitar Center, I saw the Pork Loin from Way Huge electronics and decided to look it up online to see what it was supposed to be. I’d never heard of Way Huge before and figured it was some “hokey whatever” thing... After a few minutes of research, I learned that I was just ignorant... I decided to buy one and give it a try – after all – guitar center will take ANYTHING back so what did I have to loose?
I bought it and brought it home. I literally have not been able to stop playing it since. From the moment I turned it on, I knew I had found a TREASURE! I will insert a “disclaimer” here and say it was perfect for what I wanted in this gain range and may not be as perfect for everyone, but for me – it is simply astonishing! I never thought I’d find a pedal that could run side by side with the OCD and make me as giddy... ..but I did!
In one sentence – The Pork Loin (in my opinion anyway) is everything that I hoped the sparkle drive would be and more!
So after all that background – here is why I love the pedal:
First and foremost, there is a “clean” knob not unlike the sparkle drive. What makes it different is that the “clean” side of the pork loin goes through a pair of British style op-amps or something like that... (read the description online somewhere for the details because I kind of don’t care – I just know it works) The reason that it matters is simple – it really is what makes the “clean” side of the pork loin “blend” perfectly with the “overdrive” side... It sounds like ONE sound where the sparkle drive didn’t. It sounds organic, natural, responsive, etc. and has GOBS of depth and dimension to the sound.
Second – the “curve” knob couldn’t be more perfect for what I want. Again, this is partly perfect because it meets three distinct desires for me and may not fit for everybody... Also note that the clean is NOT effected by this knob, just the makeup of the overdrive side...
“Curve” In the middle – the tone almost seems a bit “veiled” or dark-ish which is no big deal when you have the “clean” mixed in. In fact, it is ideal in some situations where I want a sound that does have some overdrive to it but doesn’t have any “teeth” or “raspiness” to it... The overdrive is absolutely silky smooth here and sounds fantastic on its own – then when you add in the clean it is so subtle that it is wonderful! Fantastic for times when I want “more” than just a clean sound but don’t really want the “dirt” or “hair” to be too noticeable.
“Curve” Turned to the right – the mids get emphasized just a bit more. Also, the “grit” becomes a little more obvious here... It matches the sound of the BBE Green Screamer unbelievably well with a bit less “hump” and gain... It also seems to really bring out the nuances of pick attack, etc. Dig in and the “bite” becomes WAY more obvious here than when the curve knob is more centered or left. This is perfect for me especially when soloing as sometimes I want that slightest bit of “hair” to really be more noticeable (more to the right) – sometimes I don’t want it to be noticed (more centered). It just makes everything seem “HOT” and energized!
“Curve” turned to the left – Going this direction again seems to allow the “dirt” to be more raspy and audible but definitely in more of a full frequency response kind of way... I don’t really think it is “scooped”, but it almost seems that way when being compared with going to the right... What really gets me ecstatic about it is that the EQ curve going to the left seems to almost perfectly match the OCD’s which has plenty of bass... The pork loin sound especially good with longer held chords when the curve is to the left. Nice and “marbley” or “gooey” – big, full, and luscious!
The hardest thing in my experience with a “super low gain” kind of overdrive is that the character needs really change depending on the context... Not only does the amount of gain have to be subtle, the character has to be “just right” for the setting. For example, if I’m going for a gooey rich chord, I sweep a bit left depending on how aggressive or hairy I want it to be... If I’m looking for a singing lead the bites a bit when I dig in, I sweep a bit right... if I’m looking for an extremely smooth and “gentle” overdrive that is so subtle that it really just sounds like a “warmer” or “richer” clean, then I leave it more centered. Either way, the curve knob helps me get EXACTLY what I hoped to find! What takes it to a totally different (and awesome) level for me is that when I sweep left, it sounds a lot like the OCD but not as aggressive. If I sweep right it sounds a lot like the Green Screamer (or any tube screamer for that matter) but again – less... When centered, it sounds a lot like clean just “more”... So, if I’m doing a song where I switch between “lower gain” and “higher gain” it is absolutely simple to match up the Pork Loin with either the OCD or Green Screamer for an exceedingly convincing “more and less of the same thing” kind of setup. Simply outstanding and a PERFECT fit for my board!
So in conclusion: I could not be happier with the Pork Loin. It perfectly bridges the gap for me between the OCD’s best tones and clean. It ALSO perfectly bridges the gap between the “crunchy sweet spot” on the Green Screamer and clean if I so desire. It can take a clean sound and give it more “weight” or “girth” without really screaming “OVERDRIVE” for songs that are slow and mellow and can use that dash of “soul” compared to a straight clean tone... I would have been completely satisfied with this pedal just based on the overdrive tones available. However, when you add in the ability to mix in a “clean” for added clarity or to help make the overdrive more subtle and more transparent, the usability of this pedal goes through the roof! I don’t know if I would call this pedal “transparent” or not as I honestly feel somewhat confused by what that should mean. I will say this – the pedal has gobs of great but subtle character. It has a voice for sure... At the same time, each guitar retains its own voice as well. So you don’t loose the character of the guitar or pickups behind a tone that “covers it up”. So I guess that would make it transparent... On the other hand, it does add it’s own unique voice... I hope that makes sense. For example, I probably wouldn’t suggest this pedal as a perfectly transparent “boost” pedal or something although there is enough clean gain on tap to accomplish the task... This pedal would add or impart a bit of flavor to it... so... if you want a perfectly transparent “boost” you probably wouldn’t like this pedal. (Although I don’t know why you would buy it for that purpose... ...but I digress...) I personally feel that this pedal changes the tone for the better, but some may not like it... I just know that a lot of pedals seem to almost “mask” the original tone and the pork loin ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT do this...
I’m exceptionally happy with this setup as the three pedals “get along” very well and can be “stacked” very comfortably. Each works well with the others. AND – now that I have the Pork Loin (which can absolutely nail the “lower gain version” of either of my other pedals) I can go anywhere between the OCD, Green Screamer, and clean or any combination. There is a sense of continuity with the tone through a whole service or gig because each pedal clearly allows the character of the guitar and amp used to remain “in tact” giving some “common-ness” to everything if that makes sense...
In short...
CHECK OUT THE PORK LOIN! Especially if you have tried a sparkle drive and loved the idea but not necessarily the execution... The pedal seems well built, true bypass, well thought out, and has enough knobs (inside and out) to give a person the flexibility to make it “fit” with their rig. At the same time, each knob makes perfect sense when in use.
WONDERFUL WONDERFUL A++ pedal! (At least for my needs) Check it out if you have a chance – but do note that it sounds its absolute best as a subtle effect (which was exactly what I needed).
God bless!
(And thanks again to EVERYONE and the blessing you all have been in my first 1000 posts here!):yeah:
Also – I thought it would be fun to FINALLY do my official shootout between Red Bear and V-picks for my 1000th post here... (Thanks for everything along the way... You all have been an INCREDIBLE blessing!)
HOWEVER
I have come across something else that I am so excited about that I decided I just couldn’t wait any longer to do a quick write up on it.
So for post 1000 – I want to strongly and loudly suggest:
WAY HUGE ELECTRONICS - PORK LOIN!
All I can say is – wow!
As most of you would know, I have been trying to put together a more analog kind of pedal board after becoming completely frustrated with first a Boss GT-8 and eventually all digital modeling. One of the MAJOR reasons for that was simply that I had a very difficult time finding tones that resembled the kind of warm, glassy, shimmery, beautiful sound one gets with a tube amp pushed into “that place”. More often then not, it just didn’t have... ...“that feeling” of connectedness between my fingers, the instrument, the sound, etc. etc. It just didn’t have “it”...
After moving to a tube amp and pedal board setup, all was well and good except for one last piece... I still wanted a pedal that could do the extremely light overdrive that could almost be called “clean” but had that warmth and glassiness that is in reality an every so slightly distorted version of the original that your ear “perceives” but doesn’t necessarily “hear”... I thought I had that last piece of the magic puzzle when I acquired a voodoo labs sparkle drive. I thought the sparkle drive sounded fine as a tube screamer type overdrive and pretty good as a boost. At the same time, I didn’t really fall in love with the “lighter” end of the overdrive. What made it more frustrating was that the concept of adding in some “clean” made perfect sense and I really love the idea, but in practice, it just didn’t sound very good. It sounded like a clean signal with an overdriven signal layered in underneath. Somehow the sound didn’t seem “unified” or “blended” very well... It sounded like two distinct simultaneous sounds... It never really fooled my ear into thinking that it was one unified thing... I kind of lived with it for a while wanting to like it because the concept made perfect, but most of the time just felt like it was “so close” but “not quite there”...
A few months ago, I got an OCD and have been absolutely completely and totally ecstatic about how it sounds virtually every time I play it. It just sounds killer good – and I have a BBE Green screamer that I really really really like when I’m looking for that mid-rangey kind of tone... ...but the sparkle drive just seemed to fall short... PLUS, the OCD sounds so absolutely incredible that I ended up taking a Bad Monkey and a few other pedals off my board simply because I wouldn’t ever use them anymore. Why would I when I had such a fantastic tone available? That being said, I still sort of had that gap. The OCD sounds VERY VERY good in low gain situations but is KILLER good in the mid gain area. So I continued the search for a low gain option that I could be as excited about as I have been about the OCD...
One day while at Guitar Center, I saw the Pork Loin from Way Huge electronics and decided to look it up online to see what it was supposed to be. I’d never heard of Way Huge before and figured it was some “hokey whatever” thing... After a few minutes of research, I learned that I was just ignorant... I decided to buy one and give it a try – after all – guitar center will take ANYTHING back so what did I have to loose?
I bought it and brought it home. I literally have not been able to stop playing it since. From the moment I turned it on, I knew I had found a TREASURE! I will insert a “disclaimer” here and say it was perfect for what I wanted in this gain range and may not be as perfect for everyone, but for me – it is simply astonishing! I never thought I’d find a pedal that could run side by side with the OCD and make me as giddy... ..but I did!
In one sentence – The Pork Loin (in my opinion anyway) is everything that I hoped the sparkle drive would be and more!
So after all that background – here is why I love the pedal:
First and foremost, there is a “clean” knob not unlike the sparkle drive. What makes it different is that the “clean” side of the pork loin goes through a pair of British style op-amps or something like that... (read the description online somewhere for the details because I kind of don’t care – I just know it works) The reason that it matters is simple – it really is what makes the “clean” side of the pork loin “blend” perfectly with the “overdrive” side... It sounds like ONE sound where the sparkle drive didn’t. It sounds organic, natural, responsive, etc. and has GOBS of depth and dimension to the sound.
Second – the “curve” knob couldn’t be more perfect for what I want. Again, this is partly perfect because it meets three distinct desires for me and may not fit for everybody... Also note that the clean is NOT effected by this knob, just the makeup of the overdrive side...
“Curve” In the middle – the tone almost seems a bit “veiled” or dark-ish which is no big deal when you have the “clean” mixed in. In fact, it is ideal in some situations where I want a sound that does have some overdrive to it but doesn’t have any “teeth” or “raspiness” to it... The overdrive is absolutely silky smooth here and sounds fantastic on its own – then when you add in the clean it is so subtle that it is wonderful! Fantastic for times when I want “more” than just a clean sound but don’t really want the “dirt” or “hair” to be too noticeable.
“Curve” Turned to the right – the mids get emphasized just a bit more. Also, the “grit” becomes a little more obvious here... It matches the sound of the BBE Green Screamer unbelievably well with a bit less “hump” and gain... It also seems to really bring out the nuances of pick attack, etc. Dig in and the “bite” becomes WAY more obvious here than when the curve knob is more centered or left. This is perfect for me especially when soloing as sometimes I want that slightest bit of “hair” to really be more noticeable (more to the right) – sometimes I don’t want it to be noticed (more centered). It just makes everything seem “HOT” and energized!
“Curve” turned to the left – Going this direction again seems to allow the “dirt” to be more raspy and audible but definitely in more of a full frequency response kind of way... I don’t really think it is “scooped”, but it almost seems that way when being compared with going to the right... What really gets me ecstatic about it is that the EQ curve going to the left seems to almost perfectly match the OCD’s which has plenty of bass... The pork loin sound especially good with longer held chords when the curve is to the left. Nice and “marbley” or “gooey” – big, full, and luscious!
The hardest thing in my experience with a “super low gain” kind of overdrive is that the character needs really change depending on the context... Not only does the amount of gain have to be subtle, the character has to be “just right” for the setting. For example, if I’m going for a gooey rich chord, I sweep a bit left depending on how aggressive or hairy I want it to be... If I’m looking for a singing lead the bites a bit when I dig in, I sweep a bit right... if I’m looking for an extremely smooth and “gentle” overdrive that is so subtle that it really just sounds like a “warmer” or “richer” clean, then I leave it more centered. Either way, the curve knob helps me get EXACTLY what I hoped to find! What takes it to a totally different (and awesome) level for me is that when I sweep left, it sounds a lot like the OCD but not as aggressive. If I sweep right it sounds a lot like the Green Screamer (or any tube screamer for that matter) but again – less... When centered, it sounds a lot like clean just “more”... So, if I’m doing a song where I switch between “lower gain” and “higher gain” it is absolutely simple to match up the Pork Loin with either the OCD or Green Screamer for an exceedingly convincing “more and less of the same thing” kind of setup. Simply outstanding and a PERFECT fit for my board!
So in conclusion: I could not be happier with the Pork Loin. It perfectly bridges the gap for me between the OCD’s best tones and clean. It ALSO perfectly bridges the gap between the “crunchy sweet spot” on the Green Screamer and clean if I so desire. It can take a clean sound and give it more “weight” or “girth” without really screaming “OVERDRIVE” for songs that are slow and mellow and can use that dash of “soul” compared to a straight clean tone... I would have been completely satisfied with this pedal just based on the overdrive tones available. However, when you add in the ability to mix in a “clean” for added clarity or to help make the overdrive more subtle and more transparent, the usability of this pedal goes through the roof! I don’t know if I would call this pedal “transparent” or not as I honestly feel somewhat confused by what that should mean. I will say this – the pedal has gobs of great but subtle character. It has a voice for sure... At the same time, each guitar retains its own voice as well. So you don’t loose the character of the guitar or pickups behind a tone that “covers it up”. So I guess that would make it transparent... On the other hand, it does add it’s own unique voice... I hope that makes sense. For example, I probably wouldn’t suggest this pedal as a perfectly transparent “boost” pedal or something although there is enough clean gain on tap to accomplish the task... This pedal would add or impart a bit of flavor to it... so... if you want a perfectly transparent “boost” you probably wouldn’t like this pedal. (Although I don’t know why you would buy it for that purpose... ...but I digress...) I personally feel that this pedal changes the tone for the better, but some may not like it... I just know that a lot of pedals seem to almost “mask” the original tone and the pork loin ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT do this...
I’m exceptionally happy with this setup as the three pedals “get along” very well and can be “stacked” very comfortably. Each works well with the others. AND – now that I have the Pork Loin (which can absolutely nail the “lower gain version” of either of my other pedals) I can go anywhere between the OCD, Green Screamer, and clean or any combination. There is a sense of continuity with the tone through a whole service or gig because each pedal clearly allows the character of the guitar and amp used to remain “in tact” giving some “common-ness” to everything if that makes sense...
In short...
CHECK OUT THE PORK LOIN! Especially if you have tried a sparkle drive and loved the idea but not necessarily the execution... The pedal seems well built, true bypass, well thought out, and has enough knobs (inside and out) to give a person the flexibility to make it “fit” with their rig. At the same time, each knob makes perfect sense when in use.
WONDERFUL WONDERFUL A++ pedal! (At least for my needs) Check it out if you have a chance – but do note that it sounds its absolute best as a subtle effect (which was exactly what I needed).
God bless!
(And thanks again to EVERYONE and the blessing you all have been in my first 1000 posts here!):yeah: