jirbling rake wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:44 pm

cakes wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:22 am Mosky ISO 10: ok, for $50 you can get something as good, if not better, than a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power

Interestingly, if I try to visit their site it doesn't load. If I anonymize my connection (so it doesn't look like I'm coming from the US), the site loads. I have to wonder if this is related to trump's tariff bullshit.

Works fine for me. Am USA-ian.

Nate Dort wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:46 pm

jirbling rake wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:44 pm

cakes wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:22 am Mosky ISO 10: ok, for $50 you can get something as good, if not better, than a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power

Interestingly, if I try to visit their site it doesn't load. If I anonymize my connection (so it doesn't look like I'm coming from the US), the site loads. I have to wonder if this is related to trump's tariff bullshit.

Works fine for me. Am USA-ian.

Maybe it's my own localized VPN bullshit then.

Airstep Smart Multi MIDI Controller. Having gone through a few MIDI controllers and have been disappointed on things: from cumbersome configurations to not enough foot space to lack of press toggles, this one has really impressed me. The Airstep app gives you a ton of control in a simple way (albeit, a little confusing at first and not perfect, but works well once you get it) and allows you to choose press or depress on toggles, which is a much bigger deal than you think. It can connect with MIDI via Bluetooth, DIN and USB and you can expand it with another Airstep using Bluetooth, if you need more buttons. I love that you can decide how to switch banks, it's not hard-coded into the controller. The buttons are spaced well apart and there's 5, which is great (usually in a single bar there's 4). I love the weight on it, too. It's got a curved front panel so stepping on it feels very comfy. It's a real joy to use, which is a thing you don't usually say about a foot controller. There's more to it, but I've just started diving into it. I got it set up for practice yesterday and it really just put me at ease, whereas the other controllers stressed me out because I was either hitting a second button or accidentally changing banks... a total mess that just made me not play very well.

I am really loving programming footswitches, because it offers you the freedom to re-imagine a pedalboard in a way that analog just can't. For example, the most obvious is you can put your effects in the order you want, but program footswitches to be more a more convenient order for you. I use the Airstep's 5 controls to manage 4 pedals: a basic toggle in foot switch A for a boost; turning on an OD and off a distortion in foot switch B; turning off an OD and on a distortion in foot switch C; turning off both OD and distortion in foot switch D; and finally switch E is a momentary toggle for a clean boost. I never have the OD and distortion on at the same time, and I often toggle between them, so I love the switching style there. Having a momentary toggle on the clean boost is awesome when I just want something pushing out for a short burst.

Wuhan "western" cymbals: 13" hi-hats, 16" medium crash, 18" medium crash. I decided to put "fun size" cymbals on my secondary kit, which was set up to have a small footprint and use a bare minimum of stands to minimize crap to transport (I jury rigged the tops of a couple of budget cymbal stands into the kick's tom holders and used a leftover tom bracket from a floor tom conversion kit for the tom, then clipped on an arm for the ride with a little support arm to the floor). Logically, it followed that small cymbals would mean less weight to transport.

Anyway, these B20 cymbals are a nice changeup from my usual 2002s, although my trusty old B8 20" Amir II ride (that used to be my right crash on my main kit until a 2002 medium crash of equal size replaced it) is keeping them company. I have an old 21" Zildjian A ride that, judging by the very specific label stamped on it, was made between 1954 and 1957. The character of these Wuhan cymbals is remarkably similar. Let me rephrase that: if I slowed down a recording of the 18" crash you probably wouldn't know the difference. Lathing and hammering patterns are largely similar the 21" Zildjian and the other ZIldjian As I've had (an 18" thin crash and a 22" ride, may they rest in peace). Weight and thickness are comparable to the other medium-weight cymbals I've had of similar sizes. They were cheap and they sound good*, so I ain't complaining.

*Cymbal snobs will note that the high frequency noise of a ZIldjian, Paiste, Meinl, or name-your-boutique brand is "complexity," while the exact same noise on a lower cost cymbal is "trashiness." I prefer the term "trashplexity" because cymbal snobs are fucking idiots.

Totally in lust with this wound G on a newly set up electric.

LBx wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 3:18 pm Totally in lust with this wound G on a newly set up electric.

Love it on guitars with a shorter scale, a little to hard for bendy bends on some others. I'm loving Flats on my Guild though.

Ghostfire Pedalboard - as dumb as the name is, they make a bunch of different boards to suite your needs. I picked up an S Series 19.7x7inch board, which is one of their lightest boards. It's quite a bit raised from the floor, which is odd, but is actually perfect for what I'm doing. I needed the height to put the power supply and BLE MIDI dongle underneath. But, the height works out really well because I don't really need to get to the buttons when I'm playing. I've got a bluetooth, battery-powered foot switch that sits in front of the board to do the button pushing while I'm playing. The height difference guarantees that I could not stomp on the controller by accident, which is something I had problems with on my other board (the foot switch was mounted at the bottom, but my heal would sometimes trip a switch).

The only reason I got this board was because of three things: came with a soft shell case with a strap, so I can easily carry it (unlike my bigger board that is incredibly cumbersome), it was the perfect size, and it provided the clearance for the power supply underneath.

It came with velcro already installed (top side and underneath). They give you a bunch of useful things to put your board together, like velcro straps, zip ties and such. The feet at the back are taller, but can be folded in when you need to pack it back into the bag.

The only thing that seems bad about it is the logo: I put some tape on the logo and had to readjust the tape, but the logo came off with it. I suppose it's because of the material it's printed onto, a super light aluminum alloy material. I don't really care, though. It's not like I'm going to resell it.

Totally worth the purchase, especially having most of it paid with some Amazon points. I've never heard of this brand before, but it was half the price of most pedalboards (at least the S series). It would be worth checking out their other pedalboards, if you are looking for one.

I gave the other guitarist in Escape Rope one of those last year and I was impressed. There are so many overpriced pedalboards out there with essentially the same structure. Maybe it's made by slaves, I dunno.

ChudFusk wrote: Maybe it's made by slaves, I dunno.

from their site:
"Ghost Fire was founded in 2007 and our staff has over 10 years of combined experience as musicians and working in the manufacturing industry here in China and the USA"

...so quite possible. No other info about the company really provided.

High off the ground: they have a u-line that's slimmer

and this jack-based kill switch looks goofy on the Strat but the idea is interesting...

https://ghostfireaudio.com/products/gho ... -paul-tele

Appliancide wrote: Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:08 am I picked up a mk2 DL4 recently because I wanted a looper for a dark ambient/noise project my friend and I are working on. The delays are so good I've barely used the looper function. Line 6's DSP game is among the best, especially considering the price. Kudos to the FMs that work there!

Thanks! Supper happy to hear this.