What is the Shimmer Treatment on U2's guitar sound?

[cordura21]

Hello guys.
I don't speak english very well, so I can't understand what is the shimmer treatment that is mentioned as part of The Edge's sound.
Can anybody explain it to me?
Thanks in advance.
Cheers, Andrés

 

[64Firebird]

Here's a link to a translation site.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

Maybe that will help you.

 

[TexRoadkill]

Any particular song your referring to? What article mentioned that? Shimmer is a little tough to interpret without knowing how they were referring to it.

 

[Krystof01]

Join the Yahoo U2 sound site discussion at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/u2sound/

I'm a member and get daily e-mails, part of an email that came today:
I think the general consensus is that it is an orchestral-
pitch shifted sound, aided by the ever present modulated delay.
I won't go any further but check out Phaser's www.u2sound.com
under 'files' and the last Dallas Schoo clip should be a answer to
your question.

Further more I think that the AMS 1580S Digital Delay Line Pitch Changer is the key.

 

[cordura21]

thanks for the replies.

I am on that group, but whenever I try to send a message I receive an error from Yahoo Groups. I wrote to Yahoo about it.
I downloaded the "Deconstructing the Edge" series by Peter Rizzo, and that's where I found it. Here are the places where he refers to the Shimmer and the Shimmer Treatment:

Amps Chapter: "obviously the 'Shimmer' treatment which is also topical, is mentioned as being DI'ed..."

Floor Units Chapter: "...but you will notice the label says 'WAH/Shimmer' which may infer it's been used [as] an expression pedal i.o a volume pedal..."

Delay Chapter: "this unit [AMS Digital Delay 15-80s] combined with the Eventide give you the 'shimmer' sound and variations on it so there you have it the mistery is uncovered. It's the second guitarist.".

Modulation Chapter: "To me this unit [Eventide Ultra Harmonizer H-3000 DSX] is the responsible for Edges famous 'shimmer' sound, and even the stringed arpeggios heard on the Techs interview with Dallas".

Rings any bell?

 

[cordura21]

the answer:

this is a mail that Peter Rizzo, the author of "Deconstructing the Edge" sent me:

- Shimmer to me is a type of phase shifting sound
(like you hear with a MXR Pahse 90 pedal or other
phasers, even a UNivibe can give you a similar sound
on more extreme settings.) But with Edge is little
more complex. The sound was made famous by Dave
Gilmour and SRV who used Rotating Leslie Speaker units
to creat this big spacious sound. Its little trick as
while he sends shimmer treatment to one amp, and the
DI, he often runs ther treatments to his other amp, so
the mixture can often be confusing to identify. The
Leslie speaker give the wow/flutter sound of the
speaker being spun around. A lot of guys on the group
get it wrong and ont understand it. You can here it
best on the MTV interveiw when Edge is playing I Still
Havent Found What I am looking for...awesome (but its
mxed with a little delya which gives it a more spatial
sound)

 

[Griffinator]

Re: the answer:

-The sound was made famous by Dave
Gilmour and SRV who used Rotating Leslie Speaker units
to creat this big spacious sound.

I knew there was a good reason for me to buy that Hammond N-300 for $300 - it's got a phono input that actually does justice to a clean tone guitar...

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!