BOSS SY-1 + EHX Attack Decay = Pedals² Squared
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- The BOSS SY-1 and the Electro #Harmonix Attack Decay have put aside their differences only to find love and a seriously cool sound.
The polyphonic mode on the EHX Attack Decay turns held strings into short, staccato notes while other pedals like the BOSS OC-3 can continue to produce constant basslines. By feeding the BOSS Sy-1 these shorter notes, a whole new variety of modern biting synth sounds becomes possible even as the original notes are held and your playing style remains uninterrupted.
Here is a selection of some of the amazing sounds I found which hopefully inspire you to make some wicked #EDM, drum and bass or techno sounds. I though Pedals² Squared sounded like the start of nice "idea demo" series... so let me know if you want more!
As usual I am using my #trigguitar to set of drum samples as I play. The Roland TM-2 Trigger Module receives a copy of my signal and so strumming and plucking sets off hihats, while my thumbring sets of the snare and hitting the scratchplate sets off the kick drum through individual piezo triggers wired to a separate stereo jack mounted in the guitar.
You might actually be the most interesting guitarist I’ve ever randomly happened upon.
This is just the most meaningful and wonderful thing to hear! Thank you! I'm all about ideas since I lack the more traditional guitar abilities 😁 Hope I can dream up some other unusual but useful videos soon.
@@GreenhamGuitar I’m not a person who blows smoke so I really do mean it. I just bought an SYB-5 based on the video you did with the vocoder. Now I’ve gotta find a vocoder too. Lol
Seriously, your videos have made me reevaluate my own technique, but it’s got me very excited about playing again. What tuning do you usually play in, and do you release music and/or gig a lot?
An Ambient Cowboy running wild on the open range! Yee haw! Thanks for sharing, this is where it's at.
Thanks! I need your energy in my videos! I do have a song where I sing "Yee haw!" so it's there somewhere 😁
What are you using for the drums there? They seem like they're triggered by the guitar?
Incredibly impressive. I thought you had some sort of midi arrangement that was triggering all of this at the beginning. The fact that it was all you is really cool.
Great job! I knew the other settings on the Attack Decay were on there for some reason ;) I have been loving mine for the obvious “swelling” notes in ambient pieces. Very helpful - THANK YOU!
Thanks! And it is my great pleasure to point 'em out :-) I actually bought the Attack Decay in the hopes I could get other pedals to "behave". They don't always get along, but this worked :-)
These vids are killer. Boss Slicer is great fun with this stuff. No doubt you've messed with harmonics too
Thanks for the useful info... Going to try it with my SY-300... Should work the same since the SY-1 is just a preset offshoot of it...
Great idea! Some SY300 presets of mine worked well with the Attack Decay already, but most had to be customised to suit the shorter "banjo" notes if I fed it the Attack Decay directly. Let me know how you go and good luck!
Man, I love your creativity. I'd love to see how you have your whole pedalboard setup.
Definitely a great idea for another upload - thanks! My board is more compact ever since the BOSS SY300 (and SY1) came along.
Kool & the fkn Gang ! Thanks man 🤩👍
Best demo of SY-1 ever!! So creative! Thanks for the tips!
Wow! That means so much to me! Really glad I could show off what these things can do. I'm looking forward to making more idea-based demos soon :-)
Good stuff! Endless possibilities. Thanks
There really are! In fact, I should break out this combo again for another video. So happy you appreciated it.
Dude, you have a great sound.
Hey thanks, that really means a lot to hear! It's funny that I've made so many combinations with so many devices and I always return to this setup. I think I need to showcase some other fun styles with it after so long.
Interesting sound for various electro bits.
It really is! Easy pedal combination for a lot of unique sounds to keep things fresh.
Heyyy im getting an attack decay soon and I already have an Sy1. What's the best order to put these in your chain?
I have all my modulations effects going through the effects loop of my amp. And all of my dirt and compression going through the effects loop of the Sy-1.
Should I put the attack decay with all my modulations at the end of my chain or with my compression.
This is some next level, and i dont even like edm. Well i do but only the good stuff like this
Awesome! I have those two and just been studying Attack/Decay now.
Will it also work in electric guitar instead of banjo?
They're a great duo! It will 100% work! You'll be pleased to know I was using an electric guitar in this video. If it sounded like a convincing banjo then that means the Attack Decay did an even better job of making my notes staccato than I thought! I have a couple other great Attack Decay ideas floating around my channel. It can be used for gating, "sidechain" ducking, pulsing bass lines, and a cool synth sound. It's a phenomenal pedal!
@@GreenhamGuitar subscribed! Thanks, man! Yeah! I'm really convinced it's a banjo playing. 🙌 After this video, I'll check out your other videos with Attack/Deckay and SY-1.
Cool! I have the new SY 200, and I'm looking at the Attack Decay. Amazing. Thanks!
Brilliant!
Nice experiment…
Did you also try the sy-1 looping back into the Attack Decay already?
( i do not have a sy-1, so i cannot try…)
Hey thanks! That sounds like a cool idea, but help me understand this... so you don't just mean run the SY-1 into the Attack Decay? If I re-run the SY-1 back around into another of the Attack Decay's remaining inputs, all I think I'd be able to do is blend the staccato sound of the Attack Decay with the SY-1. Although maybe I could fuzz one of those two signals... as there is a fuzz circuit im the Attack Decay that I never used here.
@@GreenhamGuitar the general idea is to use the “send” and “return” connectors…
If in doubt how this works, read the manual, page 13.
Any effect in the send-return loop gets its signal between the normal input and the envelope filter inserted, so the output of the attack-decay gets fed into the sy-1 and the result circles back to the envelope filter again. A simple fuzz or a reverb already gives hilarious result that way ….
@@cvanhetkaar96 I see! I have indeed tried that... the issue was Poly Mode will only interpret the Return signal and try and affect that, which is as bad as running the SY-1 before the the main Attack Decay Input. You lose all note clarity and the SY-1 just sounds like a cheap mp3, plus there is very little definition to the SY-1 at the best of times, so the Poly Mode doesn't really know when a new note starts or ends, making it less effective. It could work in Threshold mode, but then you lose the benefit of affecting individual notes while the chord rings out, of course, which is why I do this setup in the first place (OC-5 suboctave drops the root note that I leave ringing out throughout). Best thing is to leave it in Poly Mode, then create your own Send-Return loop using a LS-2 or something. I am basically doing that here anyway as there is a 4ch mixer with the OC-3/5>CS3 in ch1, the AttackDecay>SY1>YellowComp in ch2 and the triggered TM-2 drums in ch3. I can add whatever additional effects I like that way without relying on the Send-Return. I was a bit peeved when I learnt it interpreted the Return signal only in Poly (and Send only in Threshold mode), but hey... What can you do.
@@GreenhamGuitar ok, thanx, still need to try so many settings, most of the send-return loop is not usable with the pedal in tremolo mode, except for reverb’s , i noticed…
I wish they made a sequencer that was a little more organic sounding. But it's still really cool, for a solo looper you could get more variety. It instantly transports you to that early 1990s video game pad or into 1980s Peter Gabriel territory. Ty sharing!
does it matter which order the two pedals are in? Cool stuff!
Hey, thanks! In this case, it does indeed matter. The price you pay in Poly mode which allows the Attack Decay to individually decay each note is that the processed notes are lossy and full of artifacts like a cheap 64kbps mp3 sample. Most of their definition is lost, but the harmonic content remains! So luckily, that harmonic pitch is all the SY-1 needs to make its own cool, clear synth sound. However, if you put the SY-1 first, then it would degrade that cool synth note into a garbled lossy mp3-ish sound, so the clarity is lost. Switching the Attack Decay into Threshold mode will allow you to place it after the SY and process the SY-1 sound clearly, but of course, you lose the advantage of processing individual notes while others ring out for other pedals to work with them, etc. (like my OC-3/5). Hope that makes sense!
Dude this is amazing!!!
Thank you! That Attack-Decay is just such a useful pedal... I put out another little demo for the SY-1, it always needs a little help :-)
Hi, this is a great video, I am wondering about an EHX to compliment my SY-1. Do you get similar effects with the EHX placed after the SY-1 ? Thanks
Hey thanks! Glad you liked it! So, if you put the EHX after the SY1, then it can do a couple of things, but they aren't similar to what you hear in this video. For one, you can volume swell a synth sound with the EHX after, or shorten a sound, but the EHX doesn't quite interpret synth notes as well as it does clean guitar notes, and the Sy1's volume spikes unless you play very consistently, so the envelope sensitivity on the EHX setting ends up meaning very little. If you palm mute between swells then it all works fine in non-poly-mode. You can also pop the Sy1 in the effects loop of the EHX and programme the EHX to listen to the main input as a trigger for the envelope, not the SY1, but this order is not possible in the EHX's Poly mode. Poly mode sounds digital and grainy like a bad mp3 at the best of times, so running the SY1 through it in Poly mode is not so appealing... especially since most the of the Sy1 patches already lack modern levels of clarity. Plus, the main problem I always have with the SY1 is lower notes dominate others in a chord - An EHX before the Sy1 solved this for me, but so does a high-pass filter or a tube screamer (if you watch my next SY1 video). Oh and the EHX Attack Decay has a mean fuzz wit its own filter. Distorted synths are very cool. Volume swelling the Sy1 is pretty great, but I like hearing an envelope open or close more than a swell at the moment. You can set the EHX to have notes with longer decays and that might be a nice compromise between my "banjo" and a longer swell. Hope that helps explain it all? Either way, the EHX Attack Decay is a powerful utility belt that everyone could find a use for :-)
@@GreenhamGuitar Hi David, thanks for your reply, that's really useful info :).
I am trying to get that staccato synth sound that you hear on Insomnia by Faithless or Applause by Lady Gaga.
I am at the moment experimenting running my SY-1 into my POG2. There are some great sounds in the SY-1 but it sounds a little thin, whereas the POG2 sounds huge, but the sounds in the POG2 are a bit too organ like. I've got a DynaComp after the SY-1 but before the POG, which helps with the sustain on both.
So the staccato stuff you achieved is of real interest :) thanks, that's why I wonder how it would sound with the POG2 or SY-1 / POG2 combo.
Great video, man! Thanks!
That means a whole bunch! Thanks a lot! We'll see what else I can get these two to do 😁
Man this is the best idea I have looked around and most of the pedals are either to change the attack but not for decay. Id like to see how it sounds when you adjust the tone and depth on some of these patches! I have the SY-1 and the micro E7 synth pedal by mooer and they both have great sounds but I would like to be able to cut down some of the long decay. You should make another one of these videos! Again great idea I have to get that pedal!
Wow! What a killer comment! This is the motivation I need, so thanks :-) I never thought to do another round of this pedal pair, but there were other sounds and I could! Plus, you're right, I could get the tone and depth involved for sure :-) I'll get somethin' on the go. Thanks again!
@@GreenhamGuitar man I just spend so much time trying to get really cool usable sounds for like writing guitar for online colabs from Reddit and I really was upset with some of the sounds at first but slowly I tweaked those knobs and figured out some stuff but I still wanted the like plucky synth sound and that is when I found this video and just wanted to give props where they are deserved man! Haha I am researching prices for that attack decay pedal now on reverb 😂 I’m subscribed! I will be waiting for some more videos!!
@@GreenhamGuitar sorry to blow you up haha but you have inspired me to pull the trigger and get the attack decay pedal for my synth pedals so I can have more control but I have a question for you if you don’t mind. How do you set it up do you run the SY-1 in the chain? Do you have to run it into the Effects loop in on the attack decay pedal to get it to control the attack/decay of the synth tone?? When it comes in I will get a chance to be more hands on but I think I may make a video of my setup since there are not many people who actually do a video like yours on the boss SY-1 and using it in creative ways most people just seem to show all the presets and no tweaking at all. Maybe we can get people to submit there own custom tone videos that would be cool
@@Majikayoo No worries! Always glad to chat. So, in my setup, it really is just the guitar into the Attack Decay's normal input, then the SY1, then a Mooer Yellow Comp to tame everything and keep the volume consistent. Also, I crank the Mooer's tone up, otherwise it doesn't sound modern. Believe it or not, you CAN'T use the Attack-Decay's send/return! That's because in Poly Mode, (the mode I use) Poly notes are only triggered by the signal that it receives at the "return," so it just gets confused! Unlike in the non-poly mode, where you can make it only trigger based on the clean guitar input, this is not possible in Poly mode. Has to listen to the whole garbled mess of the send-return in Poly mode. So I don't use the send-return. Just AttackDecay -> Sy1 -> Compressor.
And yeah, other combinations would be great! Definitely not enough people doing this, as you say, and even I didn't tweak much... just knew what "global settings" works best with my setup. So glad you are getting one of your own - It's better than Batman's utility belt! :-) Let me know how it goes of course!
Also, you're using two compression pedals?
Hey, yes, but the yellow compressor only affects the Attack Decay and SY-1. The other blue compressor is on a parallel path affecting only the suboctave output of the OC-3, so it's just keeping the suboctave's volume consistent, which is mixed in separately further down the line using my mini mixer.
@@GreenhamGuitar Will try that path, as well. I have the EHX Pitchfork instead of the OC-3. As a mixer, you meant like the Behringer MicroMix MX400?
@@SandauxBeats Pardon the delayed reply, but yes, although mine's a 9volt Leem 4ch mixer, so I can daisy chain easily with my other gear. The Pitch Fork is awesome, but I couldn't recommend the OC-5 for its "lowest note only" mode enough! I even use the Pitch Fork on the OC-5's suboctave output for an even fatter bassline 😅
Awesome, cheers 😎
very cool video
Thank you! That means plenty to me :-) Looking forward to putting out new ideas in my new place soon.
I love this. I have sy1 but now i want attack decay ehx. Can you tell me your pedals order in this vid?
I'm so glad you love it! I can't wait to record more. And sure thing: I have a little 9v mixer at the end of my board to blend some parallel signals from my guitar. The guitar cable goes into a BOSS LS2 just so that I can double my signal. One is sent into a drum trigger module to trigger the hihat samples you hear (not perfect, but it works!), the other is sent into a Boss OC3. The suboctave from the OC3 is sent into a Boss CS3 (so the bass is consistent), this is then run into the mixer as my subbass/bass guitar sound. The dry out of the Boss OC3 is then run into the pedals you see in the video in this order, Attack Decay, SY-1, Mooer Yellow Comp (this evens out the SY-1's volume), then a Rainger FX Reverb-x. This is also sent to the 9v mixer. I also have separate Piezo triggers from my guitar that set off the kick and snare samples, but maybe another video on my channel will show you that. Does that all sound like it makes sense? Hope so!
@@GreenhamGuitar thanks a lot
@@GreenhamGuitar This is eye opening, thank so much for your explanation.
Isn’t it more suitable to put attack decay after sy1?
Depends what you are after. Attack Decay after is good if you are swelling in single notes, but not if you want to create short, clean, percussive synth sounds. First off, the SY-1 battles to articulate chords as it favours lower frequencies to a fault. So the Attack Decay with a quick decay reduces some of the harmonic content and the SY-1 responds well to that. The Attack Decay makes things sound a bit like a low quality mp3, so if you have the the Attack Decay after, with the decay set very short, the synth sound coming out the Attack Decay sounds a little grainy. Also, the SY-1 is a bit flubbery and undefined itself, so the Attack Decay doesn't always recognise a note in order to apply a quick decay in poly mode. In the ordinary mode the threshold doesn't know how to handle the SY-1 as the volume levels are so inconsistent. Anyway, give it a try, it's great for swells with the AtkDcy after, just not if you want articulated chords or shorter staccato notes.
@@GreenhamGuitar Wauw, thanks for the informative and detailed reply. Actually I 'm planning to use it with EHX Synth9.
@@ErdemYildirim_ I'm so glad I could help! Have you bought both those pedals yet? I have them and I could see if they pair well for you? If it's interesting I can make a video out of it, too. My fear is that I may have tried it before with uninspiring results 🤔 Since I can't remember, then I'd better give it a go 😁
@@GreenhamGuitar Yes I have those pedals. Actually S9 is very sensitive about the technique while playing. If you are a dirty player it sounds like there are mosquitoes around. But if you play clean, it works like a charm. I think you know this but I'd like write it here for other readers that, these type of synth pedal works with pitch tracking algorithms. When the volume is too low, the algorithm makes mistakes while tracking. When using AtDc, the low volume in the beginning or at he end confuses algorithm IMHO. On the other hand when you put S9 first, it tracks accurately (if you play clean), and attack decay does its job. Think about like this; nearly in all synthesizers VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), the attack-decay-sustain-release is at the end of the signal chain. Maybe I should also make a video about it in my native language :) Thanks!
Would a noise gate or suppressor work the same?
That's something I have tried... but it's not ideal. The thing about Poly mode in the EHX Attack Decay is that it is able to individually (and digitally) reproduce new synthetic notes as they are plucked on the guitar, and it dampens the synthetically created note even though your guitar is still ringing out! You don't have to mute the old notes, the pedal is smart enough to ignore them. So with a noise suppressor or gate turned right up, first of all, you would have to really pluck a new note hard to break through the gate, and maybe high notes with less gain will not break through consistently. Second of all, you would have to worry about muting previous notes that are still ringing out, otherwise the noise gate will just produce a short blip of an entire chord. The EHX is super digital sounding, like a low quality mp3, but it is more than a Slow Gear or a volume pedal when it is in Poly Mode. It becomes a individual note isolating genius, detecting new notes as they are struck and reproducing them digitally, regardless of what else the other guitar strings are still doing. The effort required to make the noise suppressor do a similar job would mean it is probably just easier to play short staccato notes off your guitar directly into the SY1. Hope that makes sense? Long explanation, I know...
Fun. Fade To Grey.
Could u do a pedalboard overview?
Genius
I've got an SY1 but want to scoop an SY300 instead. I'll have to definitely get the EHX pedal if I end up going that route and dive further into synth on guitar
Wow, appreciate that! Yes indeed, the SY300 actually takes care of all the issues the SY1 has. I have both SY-siblings and use them together! The shortened decay options on the SY300 does what the EHX Attack Decay does here, and it cleans up the synth sound in general. But either way, pop an overdrive in front of your SY1 or SY200/300 and you will love how it is able to articulate chords and simultaneous notes better. I have a little video on that and it is brings all the SYs to life again! Also, I hope you go the synthy route you mentioned... blend old and new and it will be so cool.
@@GreenhamGuitar I'm going to be putting an OD in front os the sy1 asap
@@GreenhamGuitar do you know if the sy200 does the decay control stuff as well?
@@MrKadidle51 From what I have watched, read and searched there's no "decay" function... Just the 3 dials relating to tone, resonance and depth. I might ask a forum or two to be sure. I also got excited at the thought it could substitute for my SY-300 that way, but doesn't appear to be so. The 200 really is far closer to the 1 than the 300. We need a SY-1000 Core or something!
@@GreenhamGuitar sy1000 core would be amazing
Hey amazing vid ! Subbed and waiting for more. What did you use for drum trigger module?
Thank you so much! That means everything! I'd better explain with a demo some time, but I use the Roland TM2 Trigger Module. A copy of my clean guitar signal is sent to one of its inputs and that sets off hihats (not perfectly, but it's good enough for live music). Then the guitar has two piezo triggers separately wired to another stereo jack also built in the guitar. I send a stereo cable to the TM2 and the piezo on the guitar head sets off snares and the one on the scratchplate sets off kicks. It limits how I play, but I love having so many elements at my disposal :-) Let me know if that makes sense!
@@GreenhamGuitar Hey thanks for taking the time to answer. Yes it is kind of making sense to me cause it is a relatively new idea. I'd love to see a vid about it anyway. I wish to you a happy and healthy new year. Much love, Bill Lee. :)
@@billleemusic7173 Thanks a ton! Same to you. May 2021 be infinitely better than 2020 :-) I'll get working on that trigguitar demo ;-)
MIku stomp sounds like this👍
Yes! That sequencer preset I used must have had vowel filters. What I wouldn't do for a (reasonably priced) Miku Stomp to experiment with!
Can't you balance the low notes with an eq?
Hey, you sure can! In fact, I just released a video on that. But the Attack Decay trick does something extra apart from partly shaving off low frequencies (but a bit inconsistently). It also decays the note in a way that allows for a filter to open and close uniquely per note (almost). The EQ in my latest video wouldn't allow old notes to remain held, which might be useful for other parallel pedal paths, etc. Here's the video covering the best EQ for chords:
ua-cam.com/video/-eGWqXhaXhc/v-deo.htmlsi=tNhJmblxmCiu_lPx
Great ideas! Where is the oc5 in the chain?
Hey thanks! I'll try more tricks soon :-) I use a Boss LS2 line selector to split the signal into parallel, and one side goes through the Attack Decay and SY1 as seen, and the other side goes through an OC-3 here and a compressor (I do finally have an OC5! A godsend). Both these sides meet at a basic 9v 4ch Leem mixer where the drums are also mixed in and the mic. Complicated rig, but it can do almost any style of music - the only limitation is me ;-)
@@GreenhamGuitar thank you so much! I guessed the bass note is somehow also going through the sy1 but it isn't. Very smart routing! But now I come to another problem: I need to buy a attack decay. 🙈
@@janjahnke6432 Auw man, yes, absolutely gotta grab one - it's such an amazing "utility belt" of a pedal; vicious fuzz, great routing options, can do ambient stuff, and one of a kind staccato. I go without it for a bit, then it's back every time I get a mad idea! Oh and as for the OC3/5, now I use the "direct" out to feed the SY1 and the sub "output" goes to the comp then mixer. For better or worse, the SY1 will always latch onto the lowest fundamental frequency and it drowns out/ignores higher notes if played simultaneously, so best to feed the SY1 the Attack Decay (which takes out some low-end in Poly mode) or a Tube Screamer (which also knocks off dominating low notes). Good luck on your Attack Decay journey :-)
@@GreenhamGuitar ah OK I thought it's the staccato (+poly) mode which chops off the low end notes.
Dude, your content is too good: innovative playing and great tones, but you've got to set up a second cam to show viewers what and how you play. I know you have you have your finger on the trigger, so to say, but first timers don't. Maybe show us how the Attack Decay changes the envelope: turn the knobs instead of bypassing the pedal. BTW, how do you sync the SY1's sequence to your playing? Anyway, keep up the good work.
You are right, and thanks for the advice... I will do something more professional when I can afford the resources in future. The SY1 wasn't synced, but that particular patch: SEQ bank 2 - Variant 7, is always producing a sound, no silent gaps, so whenever the EHX Attack Decay fed it a new note, there was a sound to be heard. The tone knob sets the sequencer speed, and I had it fully-CCW (as slow as possible). I just jammed and the random synth tones happened to be pleasing, other SEQ variants don't work as well for this. Anyway, look forward to improving over time :-)
@@GreenhamGuitar Cool! I've tried the SY1 but I didn't like the lack of tweakability and the control input is either expression or tap. You've got the SY300 right? Does it do all the sounds of the SY1?
Dude u play guitar or a piano?
I could get lost with hours with this combo...
Ned Flanders ?
not enough likes for views
The drum beat kind of sucks, because the tempo keeps getting disturbed. But interesting stuff with the EHX Attack Decay. I had already convinced myself that I don't need to buy that one.
That's great, plus I have a feeling it will make other pedals that don't exist yet more useful in the future. And yeah, the beats weren't my focus admittedly, but the trigguitar is a novelty when I play live with an "invisible drummer."
What drum trigger device do you use? Is it a box or software?
Hey there, it's a Roland TM2 Trigger Module, and my guitar has 2 ceramic passive pickups to trigger kicks or snare one-shot samples respectively. One pickup clips on the head of the guitar, but I wired it through the neck to hide it, and another lives under the pick guard. My thumb ring sets off the head pickup for the snare and I whack the scratch plate for the kick sample. They are wired left and right into a stereo jack so there's no crosstalk. This gets fed into the 1st of the TM2's stereo inputs. I still have the usual dry mono guitar output from the guitar and my pedal board. The hihats/rides samples are triggered by doubling or trippling my dry guitar signal and feeding that into the 2nd stereo TM2 input. Then I run the guitar and the module into a mini 4ch 9v mixer. You can trigger loops, but I want to improve and develop control over individual drums as I play. If you didn't want to modify your guitar too much the scratch plate pickup is nicely hidden. Most people just want a kick drum so that's an idea, or just stomp on the pickup on the floor :-)
@@GreenhamGuitar Comprehensive answer. Thanks. I won't be trying any of that mind you. :)
@@chrismcloughlin163 Ah well, just in case ;-) Probably best you avoid this madness. It severely limits my playing, but it also opens up possibilities. The TM2 though is a great investment for one-man-bands or drummers who need a few extra sounds.