The Droptune Pedal

[phlip]

So what do we all think of this beasty?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0kl3_seWTI

I was expecting it to be, well, rubbish really , but that demo has certainly surprised me. Gainy tones certainly sound better than the clean but it sounds VERY usable.

[Antag]

10 years ago, I'd have been all over this, but in my middle-aged mildness ;) I've abandonned radical detuning.

It certainly sounds like it works well though & I like his playing in that demo....

EDIT & slightly OT but I love that sequence of chords he plays at 6:23-6:32

[phlip]

I've abandonned radical detuning.

Me too, but there are a half dozen songs I love playing which are E flat or D tuned. since I'm at the moment Primarily a housebound player I pitch them up using the 'tape player' bit of Guitar Rig on the PC, but it's a bit Mickey mouse on the vocals. I would be very tempted if I played any of these songs in a covers band though.

Re-tuning an LP on stage is pretty painless for me but not the punters  :D

And I certainly agree with his playing, and the Eleven Rack doesn't sound half bad either.

[choucas09]

I read about this thing in Guitarist recently and thought it sounded interesting, but after witnessing that demo I'm very impressed by it's accuracy/transparency. An effective and inspiring pedal. I want one.

[jibidy]

Couldn't you just buy some fat strings???

[choucas09]

You can't change strings by pushing a button.

[Roobubba]

You can't change strings by pushing a button.

No, But they sound SOOO good, and who needs all that high stuff in E anyway? :D
Although I must admit, I've been toying with downtuning my bottom string so I'm in E-E-A-D-F#-B. You can get some truly beautiful sounds on my axe down there :D

Roo

[AndyR]

Er, Roo, do you mean almost as good as a te..., no I can't do it! :lol:

I'm not sure about de-tuning software. It is definitely a solution, I have it in my Variax guitars, and it works close enough for rock and roll as long as you can't hear the string accoustically as well - then it's vile :lol:. But as long as you just hear the amplified signal it's fab - 5 different tunings on the pickup selector!

BUT!! Having spent the last couple of years acquiring fabulous BKP pickups, stunningly toned guitars (even the teles!), and starting to wean myself off modelling and onto a real, if somewhat miniature, valve amp...

... I can't quite bring myself to introduce pitch-shifting back into the equation :lol:

[Davey]

interesting.. and very usefull if people want to change tuning from song to song... like my former band >.< i nearly lost my mind. now we decided on B and sticking to B, leaves me time to get a 7 string.
this pedal could be VERY useful!

[Ian Price]

Not really my cup of tea to be honest!

[nfe]

They're alright in the flesh. I was unconvinced though, I have to say. We A/B'd one a fair bit with an 08 LP std in standard tuning and my 08 LP std in B. Suffice to stay, it can't hold a candle to the real thing.

I guess if you played in several different tunings in a set it'd be alright, but the only use we found for one was to let kids have a shot of amps in low tunings in the shop with out having to detune guitars.

[Keven]

But I have to say, the octaver that handles full chords is the most interesting thing for me in that box.

[maverickf1jockey]

Trouble with that is that Boss already do one cheaper.
Having said that the effect of the Boss is far more artificial sounding but in their own ways each are fairly musical.
The Boss pedal also has various different settings that the other doesn't so for example you can limit the range of the effect to just the bass note of a chord or get closer to a twelve-string sound.

If you were just after a polyphonic octaver pedal the Boss would probably be the better of the two for versatility but if you want to get a more natural tone the pedal shown in that demo would proabably be better.

[FELINEGUITARS]

The demo is pretty good, and he chooses tasteful stuff that doesnt sound too rough.
Sounds like a good unit

But you could take a guitar already tuned down to B and with this drop the tuning to such a low frequency that you can either
1) induce involuntary bowel movements in your audience
2) communicate with Whales
3) annoy your bass player

I always worry that club PAs can't handle the lowered frequencies of detuned guitars very well and much of the point is lost unless you can afford your own state of the art PA system

[Ratrod]

It is a very interasting piece of kit.

Problem is, I don't use much gain. My tone consists of getting as much of the natural tone of the guitar through.

My worry is that such a pedal will turn my guitar into a synth.