Do's and Don't 's

For Setting Up and Customizing Patches

On a Special Effects Processor With String Instruments!

by Brad Slate of Sweetwater Music

Sales Engineer
Sweetwawter Sound, Inc.
e-mail: brad_slate@sweetwater.com
Phone: 800-222-4700, ext. 1326

February 6, 2001


Many times an effects processor will have presets that are not ideal to members of the bowed string family. An EQ setup for a guitar will not sound nice at all for a string instrument. It is in a players best interest to tune an EQ to the sound they wish to present. For example a country fiddler might want to boost the frequencies that contain the bow noise to obtain a more traditional fiddle tone. Someone who wants a jazz sound would want to cut some of the high-mids to create a darker smoother sound. All other effects will also need to be modified for use with a bowed string instrument. For example, we have a bow that can continuously create sound and the distortion amount should be cut to accommodate this as too much distortion will not sound professional. Phaser rates, depth and Q can also be modified for optimal sound. Any sound created on an effects processor can and should be modified for optimal performance because we are unique. I think listening skills applied to effects creation are a very important factor that needs to be developed, i.e. being able to hear a sound as a sum total of the frequencies involved and then make needed modifications. A basic understanding of effect types is of equal value, there are many sources for this information and I am always willing to discuss these issues with my clients.

As a professional audio consultant at a world class facility like Sweetwater I also have the ability to work with a client on an individual basis and create a working solution for sound based on any needs or almost any budget.

I recently had a the wonderful opportunity to work with John Kuzmich, Jr. on the effects unit he is using for his workshops on electrified strings. A huge debt of gratitude goes to John for his efforts of modernizing how string players and teachers think about these instruments.

When applying effects to an electric violin like this I think it is very important that the player consider the entire rig from violin through the amplifier as a complete musical instrument rather than separate pieces. I created 16 patches that work well for violin in the VF1. They are accessible with the foot controller in banks 10 and 11. Following is a list of the patch names and a brief description of what they consist of.

As you will see in the manual the effects in the VF1 are arranged in algorithms (individual effects chained together to create a multieffect). It is a very flexible unit that can be used as a general studio processor as well as being very well suited to use with a violin.

The patches start with User B 01.