spring reverb question

tapeboy

New member
Hello

I just bought a new danelectro spring reverb and it sounds really bad and distorted thru my mixer. I have heard of others using it as an outboard device and I am sure I've made the right connections (the same I use for my other effects) 'out' from reverb to return 'in' from reverb to aux. Any one got any advice please?
 
I'm not familiar with the unit you purchased so I couldn't say if this is a case of a badly made product or just a case of user error on your part by perhaps overdriving its input stage or feeding percussive signals through it like drums or clicky type synth patches which would create the classic spring slap ugly sound akin the last note of Highway Star by Deep Purple?

Can you fill in some details about the unit, it's specs and what sort of signals your feeding through it?

Cheers! :)
 
if its a guitar pedal you are probably having impedance issues. This could be solved with a pair of DI boxes or you could try playing the send at a really low volume into the pedal and going through a DI back in.
 
yes. seems that from your info and what I've researched elswhere, that I just have to turn down my aux send a bit. Not sure about specs but its just an every day guitar pedal with in and out on the back and its not faulty. I tried it with a guitar and it works great. Thanks for the help. I'll let you know what happens when I turn the send down.
 
I tried the turning down the send and it helped but I think I have to write this one off as a mistake and get a proper studio reverb. I have a chance to buy a Furman RV-1. Anyone know if this is for guitar or studio?
 
The RV-1 is a line level device.

Why the choice of a spring reverb instead of a digital reverb? (digital is more useful because it does more than just one thing)
 
with you know! won't happen again!! so the furman is more for studio than guitar if it is line level? I have an old soundcraft mixer (+4dB) Thanks
 
Tapeboy...you should lock up the other threads you created.

Go to thread tools I believe it is, at the top of your duplicate threads and click on and open...lock and wahlah!! :D
 
You know the same area where you clicked on to make a thread?

Well after you open your thread up...just look in that general area.

The only reason I mentioned it, it so no one else will post and keep them going and all your info will be scattered that you are looking for.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
You think the Internet is analog?? :D

G.

My internet is hybrid. I chisel my posts into stone and then have them converted to the digital realm :D

Farview has a good question...I believe digital reverb in the outboard gear mixing realm is usually accepted by even the most hardcore analog fans. Maybe you'll be one of the few who can make spring work, though. My recording chain is hybrid, but my computer monitor is in my house, not my studio if that tells you anything, and with lots of touchable knobs and buttons; but I absolutely embrace a good digital reverb. Now my guitar effects I still like to get out of analog boxes and real tube amps, not out of a digital multi-effects or modeler, except for reverb which comes from the aforementioned outboard units.
 
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Hey Tape Boy

Im not going to say that spring reverb sucks, cause i love it and use it. The cheesier the better i think. I like the ones that are just one fat spring so that its almost like a delay-ish sound as it "boings".

But anyways, if you like analog "echo" sounds you should save your money slowly even if it takes you a year and buy a Roland Space Echo (its a tape echo). You can save yourself a few bucks by getting the one without the reverb built in. A 101 or 150. It can make sounds that are pretty similar to a spring reverb if you set it to fast repeats and many repeats. It also sounds a little cleaner than a spring. Springs can get muddy quickly, which is unfortunate because i like the way spring sounds its just sometimes hard to set it to sound "right" when other instruments are mixed in. A Roland Space Echo will give you reverb-like sounds as well as echos, slap-back sounds, doubling, saturated tape sounds, oscillations and a ton of other tricks. Its all up to your creativity really.

You can flip the tape and record the echos on backwards then flip it back and the echo will precede the actual sound. You can also slow the recorder speed way down, then record really fast and numerous echos then speed the tape back to normal and get strange ring modulated/vocoder style sounds. And probably the most useful of all is to run a signal into it at high volumes then run it out of the echo only output (no dry) and also set it for instant single repeat. This way all youre getting is the what the tape is playing back, so essentially the harder you drive the tape the warmer your signal will be. It gets anywhere from clean to fuzzy but its just nice to be able to "analog"-up a signal if its too sterile and boring. Seriously man, there are a million creative uses even though there are just a few knobs. I highly recommend any fans of analog "echo" sounds to get one of these even if you have to start putting change in a jar slowly over time. Ive owned 3 and each one had its own presonality and sound even though they were all the same model. Each one self oscillates differently, sounds differently. I know this is off topic, but i thought id just mention it because you said you liked analog effects.
 
can you do anything with a roland space echo you can't do with a 2-track reel-to-reel?
 
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