emmergyfx

Emmergy FX September Update

Emmergyfx@gmail.com (Michael Gardner) — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 17:56:23 GMT

Emmergy FX September Update: Pedals, Breakdowns, and a Bright Future

Hey there, Emmergy FX followers! We hope you've been keeping your pedalboards in top-notch shape because we've got some exciting updates for you this September. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and get ready to dive into the world of Emmergy FX.

Pedal Exhibition at Rough Trade: Where Magic Happened

September was a whirlwind for us as we had the privilege of participating in a pedal exhibition at the iconic Rough Trade – a massive vinyl shop and a small gig venue rolled into one. Imagine the sheer awesomeness of a place where you can not only feast your eyes on vinyl treasures but also catch some live music. It was the perfect backdrop for a pedal extravaganza!

At the Wassup Nerds Pedal exhibition, we had the pleasure of meeting some incredible pedal builders and enthusiasts. The camaraderie and shared passion in the effects-building community were truly heartwarming. We exchanged stories, ideas, and even a few tips and tricks. It's amazing how a shared love for pedals can bring people together, isn't it?

Brilliant Organizers and Happy Customers

A massive shoutout to the event organizers, Mel and Immy, who made everything run smoothly. You really are amazing, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Kudos for bringing together such a fantastic bunch of people. You can check out their profiles here:

Mel's Instagram

Immy's Instagram

Speaking of fantastic, we're thrilled to share that we sold a few pedals at the exhibition and received a bunch of orders, including our brand-new Slowdriver pedal. Yes, you read that right – our Slowdriver is currently hitting the road with none other than Slowdive! Now that's what we call a pedal success story.

Friendly Neighbors and Shoegaze Sounds

We weren't alone in our sonic journey at Rough Trade. Next to us were the super-friendly folks from BuzzingBugsFX , who call Cornwall their home. Their passion for pedals and warm smiles made our day even more special.
You can check them out here: BuzzingBugsFX's Instagram

And, of course, we can't forget David Rainger . We had a fascinating chat about force pads, exchanging ideas and inspirations. Connecting with fellow pedal enthusiasts and builders is what events like these are all about.

Violet Oscillation Love

Now, let's talk about the Violet Oscillation. We absolutely adore it, and we're thrilled to see another company, Life Is Unfair , creating sounds specific to shoegaze, just like we do. It's a testament to the incredible, dreamy soundscapes that this genre can create, and we're delighted to be a part of the movement. Kudos to Life Is Unfair for their cool creations!

The Not-So-Great Breakdown

Of course, life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes you hit a bump in the road – or in our case, a full-on breakdown. After the exhibition, our trusty Emmergy mobile decided it was time for a little break of its own. As luck would have it, we found ourselves stranded, waiting for the RAC for a whopping seven hours.

Now, before you feel too sorry for us, let us tell you that sitting by the side of the road allowed us to do some deep thinking. We pondered the bright new future of Emmergy FX, the awesome people we met at the exhibition, and the incredible journey we've been on so far.

New Products and Your Input

Now that we're back and up and running, we're excited to announce that we've got some new products in the pipeline. Our workshop is buzzing with creativity, and we can't wait to unveil what we've been cooking up. Keep a close eye on our website – you won't want to miss these gems.

But here's the best part: we're always open to your suggestions. We value your input and want to hear what you'd like to see from Emmergy FX. After all, our pedals are designed to elevate your musical experience, and who better to tell us what you need than you?

So, there you have it – our September update in all its pedal-powered glory. From exhibitions and breakdowns to new products and your input, it's been quite the ride. We couldn't do it without your support, and for that, we're truly grateful.

As always, keep rocking those pedals, keep making beautiful music, and keep being awesome. We'll catch you in the next update, and until then, stay tuned and stay connected!

Introducing the Slowdriver

Emmergyfx@gmail.com (Michael Gardner) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:36:02 GMT

Unveiling the EmmergyFX Slowdriver Fuzzdistortion Pedal:

A Sonic Journey with Slowdive

In the realm of musical effects pedals, there are those that merely shape sound and those that redefine it. At EmmergyFX, a haven for connoisseurs of hand-built, limited-run guitar and synth effects pedals, we take immense pride in crafting sonic tools that elevate musicians' artistry. Today, we're excited to introduce you to the mesmerizing world of the Slowdriver Fuzzdistortion Pedal —a masterpiece that emerged from a collaboration with Christian Savill of Slowdive fame, and now graces the pedalboards of both Christian and Neil Halstead.

Unveiling the Slowdriver: A Sonic Sculpture

The Slowdriver FuzzDistortion Pedal isn't just an effect; it's a testament to the intricate dance between musicians and their gear. Inspired by the distinctive soundscapes of Slowdive, a legendary shoegaze band that's shaped the sonic landscape since the early '90s, the Slowdriver was born out of a desire to complement the iconic RAT distortion—integral to the Slowdive sound.

A Sound That's Distinctly Slowdive

Christian Savill, one of the visionary guitarists behind Slowdive, sought a pedal that would harmoniously coexist with the band's existing RAT distortion sound while adding an extra layer of depth, texture, and ethereal allure. Enter the Slowdriver FuzzDistortion Pedal—an exquisite fusion of fuzz and distortion that encapsulates the very essence of the band's signature sound.

Crafted for Legends, Embraced by Masters

Upon gifting Christian Savill his very own Slowdriver, the response was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The pedal seamlessly integrated itself into the Slowdive sonic palette, creating sonic landscapes that were both familiar and groundbreaking. So impressed was Christian with the Slowdriver that he graciously requested a second unit, solidifying its place as a staple in Slowdive's arsenal. The band now boasts three of these sonic gems among their gear collection.

Capture the Moment: Limited Edition Artwork

To celebrate this monumental collaboration and capture the essence of the Slowdriver's soul, EmmergyFX embarked on a creative journey to design a limited edition artwork for the pedal—a visual masterpiece that resonated with the pedal's sonic prowess. The result? An artwork that's as captivating as the pedal's sound. This limited edition release garnered immense attention, with each unit being swept off the shelves (from our friends at Pedal Jungle 's shop) in under a minute—a testament to the passion and dedication of Slowdive's fanbase.

Own a Piece of Sonic History

But here's the exciting part: the journey isn't over yet. Due to popular demand, we're thrilled to announce a new limited run of the Slowdriver FuzzDistortion Pedal, featuring the same mesmerizing design that graces Neil Halstead's own pedalboard. Neil, a fellow Slowdive luminary, has embraced the Slowdriver as an extension of his sonic expression, and now, you can join this illustrious journey by adding this pedal to your own collection.

A Snapshot of Collaboration: Prints of signed photos

As a token of our appreciation for the unwavering support of our community, we're excited to share that each purchase of the Slowdriver Fuzzdistortion Pedal will come with a print of a signed photo of Christian Savill, proudly posing with the pedal that has become an essential tool in his live sound. This collaboration encapsulates the spirit that defines EmmergyFX.

Don't Miss Out

The Slowdriver Fuzzdistortion Pedal is more than an effects pedal; it's a vessel of inspiration, a conduit for sonic exploration, and a piece of music history. With a limited run that's bound to disappear as quickly as its predecessors, this is your chance to own a piece of the Slowdive legacy and infuse your music with the ethereal magic that's captivated audiences for decades.

Get yours today from our shop.

Pedals - stuff about pedals

Emmergyfx@gmail.com (Michael Gardner) — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:24:28 GMT

Pedal Construction at Emmergy FX

Pedals have moved on a lot in the last few years, with amp modellers, multi-effects, DAW plug-ins, and amp/effects combos, so you have a lot to choose from. At Emmergy FX we like to take things back to the old skool way of doing things. Tirelessly testing circuits with different parts to make sure every design achieves the best possible sound with the perfect control to push your playing into new territory.

Once the circuit is finely tuned to satisfaction it can become a working pedal. This, we believe, is where our products shine over mass produced units. Every single one of our pedals is hand crafted, one at a time so that each one gets the same level of attention and detail, using a method rarely used these days.

Most independent and boutique pedal builders will turn their circuit into a printed circuit board design and get pcb’s manufactured. This is a totally acceptable and modern solution that cuts down the build time of each unit and means the cost of building the pedals can be reduced. At Emmergy we take a different approach though. By deciding to not use pcb’s we are not relying on a third party manufacturing process where mistakes can be made in the tiny traces in the board that connect the components. Instead, we solder our circuits point to point. Basically taking two components that are directly touching each other and soldering that to a terminal strip so the parts remain firmly connected for life and are securely held in place within the pedal.

This takes time. Care must be taken adding every component as they cross and overlap each other but it means there is nowhere to hide. Every connection remains true and solid forever with no hidden connections. We also choose to use terminal strip architecture rather than ‘spider-leg’ construction as the latter can be a little vulnerable to abuse, whereas the terminal strips ensure a rigid circuit that is separated from the footswitch and jack sockets with wires.

This means we can guarantee your pedal will be ready to use and sound amazing every time you use it for life. In fact we do guarantee all our pedals with a ‘repair or replace’ policy for life so if anything at all goes wrong with your pedal we will fix it or send you a new one.

A bit about the types of effect pedals

WHAT IS DISTORTION?

Where overdrive is designed to sound like turning a valve amp up loud, distortion pushes that same theory to its ultimate level by mimicking using a valve amp at FULL volume.

The line between overdrive and distortion is very thin. At Emmergy FX we design our overdrive pedals to have a bit more gain than most. Does that actually make them distortion pedals. No, we don't think so because they are capable of anything from light overdriven tones through to all out distortion and slightly beyond. Perhaps they are better referred to as 'drive' pedals

WHAT IS AN OVERDRIVE?

It is the closest you can get to amplifier drive without actually blowing your roof off and making your neighbours hate you. Essentially, an overdrive pedal is designed to give you the same dynamics that you get when you play a cranked tube amp. The effect responds so much to your touch. Play softly, you’ll have a mostly clean sound, but play hard your signal starts to break up.

It is there to add a smooth, dynamic sound but can be made to melt faces. You may think this makes overdrives suited to say blues or britpop, which is true, but you can get so much more depending on pedal settings and components used. Just ask Misha Mansoor of the band Periphery. He is directly responsible for the Horizon Devices Precision Drive, a pedal designed around a tubescreamer overdrive but adapted for people who play tight metal on a 7 or 8 string guitar. At Emmergy FX we currently make two overdrive pedals . They are very different from each other. The Weight Gainer whose simplicity and ultra high gain capabilities are it’s unique features, and the Phosphocreatine which has a thicker, versatile sound. Both have a unique flavour and yet both are suited to lots of different styles of playing.

Try some shoegaze vibes by adding a reverb after them, or set the roof trembling with some all out monstrous punk. Other overdrives we would recommend include the Hot Knife from Electric Squid Industries, the Broadcast from Hudson Electronics and the Driver II from Analogwise.

WHAT IS A FUZZ?

If you turn a guitar amp up loud you get the sound of an overdrive, if you turn it up louder you'll get distortion - fuzz is the sound of an amp pushed way past its maximum into completely unnatural territory. That is the basic answer to the “What is the difference between...” question.

But what is fuzz? Is it all about Jimi Hendrix? The joyful honk of the guitar running through Spirit in the sky? It's been said that the fuzz pedal was designed to recreate the sound of horn sections, and saxophone in particular. This would make sense for artists such as The Rolling Stones to add it to their sound to get some of the feel for their favourite recording artists. But the sound soon took on a life of it's own, with rock bands in the Garage Punk era taking it on as their signature sound.

Fuzz was discovered purely by accident, a bit like penicillin, or LSD. Musicians with little money using damaged amplifiers got a kick out of what happened when they plugged in and cranked up the volume. This became a thing very quickly, and saw players trying to get the sound on purpose by intentionally damaging their equipment. There are famous cases of people poking holes in speakers before using them for recording. Since those times, a huge variety of fuzz pedals have appeared on the market and you know what!?!

THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT!

That is the beauty of fuzz. Component values and transistor choices and circuit configuration can all make a massive difference to the way a fuzz sounds and reacts to your playing.

The main differences occur in the trails although different fuzzes will have different uses. Some are designed for single string riffs and solos and other for power chords and huge rhythm sounds. Whereas an overdrive or distortion will be a tighter gain sound, fuzz has a looser feel and comes into its own for genres such as doom metal and shoegaze where notes and chords are allowed to ring out and the harmonics or the effect trails shine through to create interesting and unusual walls of sound. Emmergy FX currently sell two different fuzz designs and they could not be more

different from each other. The Flaming Cake is extremely versatile with as much or as little gain as you could hope to achieve out of a single unit which leads it to having so many uses. The Dial-up Fuzz is a nasty animal that has one trick but it does that trick well and with huge amounts of searing noise reminiscent of an old dial-up modem. This pedal is really designed for the all out gluegaze moments found in shoegaze and doom metal but offer up that even nastier edge in the trails that make it truly unique.

Other fuzzes we would recommend include the Alpha Haunt from Old Blood Noise Endeavors , the Animalizzer from TX Pedals , and the Fuzzly Bear from KMA Audio Machines .

Is there a difference between a fuzz and a muff?

WHAT IS A REVERB PEDAL?

Reverb has been around for as long as people have been making music, no doubt cavemen deep inside their dark damp homes thought 'oh that sounds good!' when they sang their songs around the campfires cooking woolly Mammoth. Before reverb was portable, it relied upon reverb rooms (such as the echo chamber at Abbey Road Studios ), or the room itself music was played in.

Artists taking their reverb with them started as a spring tank inside of amplifiers to make the sound more sustained and ambient, like playing guitar inside a church. This tradition of putting spring tanks inside amplifiers continues to today but the reverb unit itself has become a staple pedal among a huge range of modern guitarists and has evolved into something so much more.

There are a few pedals that are true analogue, like the Danelectro Spring King, which literally takes an amp spring tank and mounts it into a pedal. Most reverb pedals are more versatile in their soundscapes though, with effects like pad reverb, plate reverb, and a whole host of others taking your ambient tones in different directions.

Then there are a lot of digital reverb pedals that use integrated circuits to mimic springs tanks, or plate verbs, etc, and these can range from tiny mass produced units through to boutique pedals - all with very different sounds and uses.

Who uses reverb in their sound?

Well anyone really. A lead guitarist in a metal band might use reverb to make notes sing and sustain, shoegaze bands used a lot of reverb in both clean and fuzzy sections of a song, surf rock artist will use a lot of reverb in songs and a swathe of other genres like post rock, prog, ambient and electronic dance music all using the effect in different ways. For instance put a reverb like the highly rated ‘Oceanic’ from Nux after a fuzz and an overdrive and suddenly you have Doomgaze personified. Add the same reverb before the same fuzz and overdrive and you suddenly get tones reminiscent of Kevin Shields sound on the Loveless album by My Bloody Valentine. At Emmergy FX we do not currently make a stock reverb although we have made several for personal consumption or as custom orders. The maddest of these was a pedal called the Alien Reverb War which was actually a reverb (based on the Rubidium by Quantum FX) and a delay (based on the Daydream by BuggFX) both with instantaneous feedback loops for crazy all out noise heaven and manipulated chaos. Our personal studios are littered with reverb pedals of all shapes and sizes and, just like pokemon or DC comics, we hope to one day own them all.

Reverbs we particularly like include the Dark Star from Old Blood Noise Endeavors, the Reverberation Machine from Death By Audio, the Kaleidoscope from JPTR FX and the Polara from Digitech.

WHAT IS A DELAY PEDAL?

Some time in the 1920’s the ability to record and play back musical instruments on magnetic tape was invented and along with it the ability to produce tape ‘delay’. By having a head for recording and another for playback you can take the original note played and repeat it, setting the amount of time it took to play the note back by slowing or speeding up the tape recorder. During the 1950’s reel tape delays were huge things that used giant spools of tape. Then in the 60’s the spools were microsized down into cassettes and smaller reel tape delays where introduced. The 70’s saw the first ever digital delays using microchips to store and transmit the delayed signal and suddenly to world of infinite repeats and ambient modulated shimmer opened up.

Why use a delay? Isn’t it just for bad guitarists to sound better? No definitely not. Delay can be used in so many different ways it has become one of the most versatile and utilised effects in modern music and the wide variety of delay pedals available reflects this, each with their own distinct character.

Take something simple like the Yellow Fall from Donner. It is a tiny digital delay that will provide you with a really good ‘slap-back’ sound. Slap-back is where the pedal is set to just one repeat that is approximately the same volume as the original note. This was used prolifically in Rockerbilly and

early Rock N Roll music and was genre defining. Boutique delays add ambience and wobble effects to the sound of a delay pedal and can be used for a huge amount of different things. ‘Chorus’ is a type of delay sound that has very short, fast repeats and produces a kind of shimmer to playing that almost mimics multiple guitars being played at the same time as demonstrated on Come As You Are by Nirvana and a lot of shoegaze bands like Lush.

Modulated delays have become a staple on the pedalboards here at Emmergy FX. In fact we get so lost in delay it feels like living in a hall of mirrors. Ones we would particularly recommend include the Montreal Assembly CT5 (count to 5), the Earthquaker Devices Space Spiral, Skidmark Pedals

Sonomatic (DIY build only) and the BuggFX Daydream all of which are very different. We do not currently offer any delays as stock items although we have made several for ourselves and as custom orders. We are happy to talk to you about your delay needs and will work with you to provide exactly what you are after.

We do have a few things in pre-production set for future release and an off the wall delay will appear in the shop hopefully soon.

Positive feedback

Emmergyfx@gmail.com (Michael Gardner) — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:24:28 GMT

Feedback - wrestling the screeching banshee in your amplifier

If you've plugged a guitar into an amp and played at volume, you'll have experienced feedback, and most of the time it's best avoided, especially if you want to keep your hearing and keep the soundman on your side ... however, when used with skill it can be an effective part of your sound, as many guitarists have discovered.

What is guitar feedback?

Guitar feedback happens when your guitar, pickups, and strings begin to vibrate sympathetically as they react to to the sound waves coming from your amplifier. This then' feeds back' to the amp, and then, back to the guitar in an ever-increasing loop of eyeball-vibrating, eardrum-ripping noise. ... some people think this is a bad thing ...

What can you do to prevent it?

If you decide that feedback isn't for you, then how do you stop it from happening? Firstly, and simply, you could try turning down the gain. High guitar gain is the main reason for guitar feedback. Turn down the guitar and or amplifier volume - no one really likes to hear this advice, but you will achieve a more usable sound with a more sensible stage volume (having said that, when was rock n roll ever sensible?). You could also try turning down the treble, and increasing the bass, some guitars are more likely to lean towards the screechier side, and can be tamed with a little knob twiddle.

Choosing the type of guitar - for example, hollow body guitars can cause overwhelming amounts of feedback as the body is more likely to vibrate, even at lower volumes. This can be managed by blocking f-holes, or stuffing the body with sound absorbing materials such as rags.

Why you might want to keep it

Now we've spoken about how to stop feedback, the real question is, why would you want to? Creating sonic knives to throw out into the crowd is a thrilling experience, and one used to great effect by bands for decades, from The Jesus and Mary Chain, to Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and ... a million other rock bands getting over excited. When used correctly it adds to the sound, adds drama, and colour to the song, and brings a new level to live performance.

How do you achieve it

Do the opposite of the advice to prevent it .. turn up, stand near the amplifier, knob twiddle your bass and treble - even lean over your amp dramatically pushing the headstock onto the top to increase the vibration. All of this will create feedback. You can also get help from pedals that push your guitar to feedback levels, and some that simulate that sound so that you have more control.

Who did it first?

Probably the first person to ever plug in an electric guitar and turned up the volume experienced feedback - but who was the first to record it? it's generally accepted that The Beatles have that claim with 'I feel fine', and there are examples of John Lennon practicing controlling the effect before the recording of the single. George Harrison even jokingly said 'we invented Jimi Hendrix'.

Listen for yourself

The Beatles - I feel fine

Some of our favourite effects pedal users

Emmergyfx@gmail.com (Michael Gardner) — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:24:28 GMT

Effect pedals look great, we like to collect them, and spend hours researching, building, and eventually playing. But some people stand out when it comes to getting the most out of them. We all know someone with a knack for getting incredible sounds from the cheapest tiny pedal, but here is a list of a few of our favourite guitar players known for using guitar effects pedals.

David Gilmour

The Pink Floyd guitarist is held in high regard by music lovers around the world, and he's known for the use of effects pedals reaching right back to the early fuzz drenched days when they were setting the controls for the heart of the sun. His choice of effect has changed as the band has matured too, and he's known for silky sustain and distortion - often fuzz, big muff, and rat distortion among a huge amount of rack mounted effects.

Kevin Shields

It would be hard to talk about effects pedals without mentioning Kevin Shields. His use of effects has spawned endless debates about reverse reverb, gated reverb, HM-2 pedals, fuzz, and a whole array of pedal boards (rumours are he has a board per long when playing live). It's been reported that the sounds he achieved on the shoegaze classic Loveless were more to do with layered distortion and EQ, but photos of his live rig tell a different story. If you like the sound of a vacuum cleaner reversing down the autobahn at 100pmh, then you should check out the album Loveless by his band My Bloody Valentine.

Christian Savill

Another name from the world of Shoegaze, but not one heard as often as Mr Shields. Christian Savill is the left handed Jazzmaster genius behind much of the sound of the band Slowdive. Having made a triumphant return in 2014 after a 19 year break with the album Slowdive, these Thames Valley shoegazers are known for heavily reverbed guitar, with huge metallic distortion creating harmonic waves, and melodic pitch shifting tides of sound.

Who's your favourite?