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Get Down Make Love - Sound engineering help


Axxxeman
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I know that Helix SHOULD be able to do this ... just can't work it out by myself ...
I am preparing a Brian May tribute that should be opener to my band's show. And I would love to start with something close to the sounds, Brian May came up with and which up to now, nowone I know was able to copy. It is these sound games that start in this video at about 2:40 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inhExqvtztE

In the 80ies I had the luck to meet Brian himself and ask him, how he did this and he answered: with an Eventide Harmonizer, whose output was going directly into the PA (NOT into his AC-30s!). Well, obviously there's more to this. For instance he seems to do some pitch shifting with a pedal and there seems to be a decent portion of delay included either.

All of this equipment IS included in the helix, the delay, the eventide and the possibility to separate the signal and route it through a special output going directly to the FOH mix ... Still I can't work it out how to even get close to this sound. One problem that baffles me is for instance: how does Brian get a feedback without using his AC-30s?? Whenever I am playing the HELIX directly over FOH with monitors I NEVER get any feedback at all ... And mind, he's doing it live as well, not only in studio.

Any help here would highly be appreciated.

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The harmonizer he would have used is the H910. Not sure if you can get the H3000 modeled in Helix to do similar things. You may have to use some extra delay on the end of the chain to get a feedback type of effect. 

 

Good luck, I wouldn't know where to begin on that one. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eventide,_Inc#/media/File:H910_Harmonizer.jpg

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Feedback could be related to the guitar (as I write this, I realize.. duh)... Unpotted pickups will feedback on pretty much on command, or all the time depending on stage volume... It's all about the volume and sympathetic vibration of the strings at natural frequencies.

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Feedback could be related to the guitar (as I write this, I realize.. duh)... Unpotted pickups will feedback on pretty much on command, or all the time depending on stage volume... It's all about the volume and sympathetic vibration of the strings at natural frequencies.

Exactly my thoughts. But it's obviously just a theory. I am using the Brian May guitar on this one and I know no other guitar which goes so fast into controlled feedback as this one does, even with low amp volume. So changing the guitar won't help. Raising the stage volume? Well, we ARE one of the loudest bands I know (because our drummer plays very hard and he has a GIANT drumset). Raising the volume even more just would strike us all def like the leppard. The core of the problem lies probably in the harmonized frequencies that may not be considered "natural" by the pickup ... So I get no feedback which is essential for what Brian does. Wonder, how he does it. This guy is a fu...ing genius ...

 

Edit: I just wanted to give you a positive rating, but my fingers seem to be too thick and the forum engin interpreted it as negative :o Sooo sorry!!!!! No undo seems possible

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Oops!! :)

 

That's ok, @Frank Ritchotte just posted yesterday that 60 people don't like him....  How that could EVER happen, I have no clue :)

 

Yes, volume does not need to be that loud... next step for good feedback is compression... either through higher gain or a compressor.

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...  Whenever I am playing the HELIX directly over FOH with monitors I NEVER get any feedback at all ... 

 

I use an FRFR on stage as a monitor and get feedback with no issue. It is admittedly connected directly to the Helix however and not a feed from the board. However, theoretically you should be able to get feedback from a PA monitor feed as long as it has sufficient level. Crank the monitor up if necessary and work the PA's EQ for your guitar's channel. Make sure you can position your guitar to point into your monitor (just like you might point your guitar at your amp) such that your stage monitor is causing a feedback loop with your pickups.

 

Alternatively you could get something like the FreqOut from Digitech. Handy for guitarists who use IEMs or have setups not conducive to naturally creating feedback. https://digitech.com/en/products/freqout

 

As far as nailing all of the nuances of Brian May's guitar tone, good luck. Not only does he have one of the best tones I have ever heard issue from a guitar but the guy is literally a rocket scientist with a PhD in physics. Genius in action. I'll bet the Helix will get you close though. There are some Queen patches on CustomTone. Maybe one of them might provide a good start place to create your own preset.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 14.4.2018 at 2:36 PM, Verne-Bunsen said:

I’m not sure if you are interested in out-board gear, but that sound is exactly what the Earthquaker Devices Rainbow Machine  does:

 

Yep, that's the effect, nice find. But meanwhile - see statement above - I have found the solution within the Helix without using an external pedal. Thanks a lot!

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  • 1 year later...

That's an hold post. but you can get this effect with Pitch eco in stereo after the amp and following setting.

You have to assign you an expression pedal on the interval to vary it.

The 2 important parameters are Time and feedback to have the fx.

 

 

 image.png.e03aea08ae34dea477e6b653b0696105.png

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