Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

th0mas · Post by **th0mas** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:05 pm

Hi folks

I just bought a new mopho keyboard. I love it, modern, quality mono analog. It get nasty very fast. I love the fact that it's mostly pots - I can't stand the multi-turns necessary on most DSI encoders.

The "feedback" utility is great for added gain, overdrive, etc. Any way to make it scream really? As much as I'm having fun making growls with the thing I know that once I put this in the mix I will need to EQ most of the feedback out anyways as it seems to really accentuate the "muddy" area between bass & bassdrum. I'm trying to get it to scream more like a guitar's feedback would, any suggestions? Not possible without an actual speaker/pickup combination? Any way to make the feedback less muddy?

Anyone ever put FX pedals inline while doing the "feedback trick"? I'm going to try popping my DD3 in the chain with feedback enabled and see what happens...

mikewelch7 · Post by **mikewelch7** » Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:39 pm

Congrats on your Mopho. Dave Smith, IMHO, is making some amazing instruments these days.

I play a mono Evolver in a four or five piece rock band and have to find sonic fit with guitars, bass, drums, etc. My technique is to play the Evolver live, whenever possible, through a 4X12 stack which gives it a tremendous low end and piercing highs. Other options include routing it through a smaller Roland Jazz Chorus amp, or even through the house P.A. when a 4X12 cabinet is overkill.

Regarding the Distortion effect, keep in mind the effect on the Mopho is simply adding gain to the signal. Guitarists obtain distortion by overloading the signal sent to their speakers by the amplifier. With simple tube circuitry, this is easily achieved.

You can achieve a natural sounding distortion, with a musical sound either through the use of a tube amplifier (preferably low wattage, 5W up to 15W, possibly with an attenuator). Also, an overdrive pedal (i.e., Ibanez Tubescreamer), or a fuzz pedal (recommend the inexpensive and iconic 'Big Muff' by Electro Harmonix).

If the amp and or pedal option is not possible, I'd try plug in effects in your DAW that could probably create a far more pleasing and interesting distortion than the on-board Mopho feedback gain.

Good luck. Let us know what you find works best.

b3groover · Post by **b3groover** » Tue Sep 28, 2010 6:23 pm

I've been using an amp simulator plug-in that comes with Cubase. On monophonic lead lines it sounds pretty cool.

rharris07 · Post by **rharris07** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:47 pm

b3groover wrote:I've been using an amp simulator plug-in that comes with Cubase. On monophonic lead lines it sounds pretty cool.

I've done the same in Garageband with my MEK and P'08 (in unison mode) and it sounds quite nice. I've been pleased with the sounds I get from the simulated amp and pedals.

I have a desktop Mopho on it's way to me as we speak, and I plan on daisy-chaining it to the MEK for a few more interesting sounds.

monolith · Post by **monolith** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:33 pm

rharris07 wrote:
b3groover wrote:I've been using an amp simulator plug-in that comes with Cubase. On monophonic lead lines it sounds pretty cool.

I've done the same in Garageband with my MEK and P'08 (in unison mode) and it sounds quite nice. I've been pleased with the sounds I get from the simulated amp and pedals.

I have a desktop Mopho on it's way to me as we speak, and I plan on daisy-chaining it to the MEK for a few more interesting sounds.

I didnt think you could Polychain the Mopho and MEK?

If so... rad.

sequentialsoftshock · Post by **sequentialsoftshock** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 4:25 pm

monolith wrote:
rharris07 wrote:
b3groover wrote:I've been using an amp simulator plug-in that comes with Cubase. On monophonic lead lines it sounds pretty cool.

I've done the same in Garageband with my MEK and P'08 (in unison mode) and it sounds quite nice. I've been pleased with the sounds I get from the simulated amp and pedals.

I have a desktop Mopho on it's way to me as we speak, and I plan on daisy-chaining it to the MEK for a few more interesting sounds.
I didnt think you could Polychain the Mopho and MEK?

If so... rad.

I'm thinking he's just meaning he'll hook it up with regular MIDI; though with the Prophet '08 he could polychain it

druzz · Post by **druzz** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 4:44 pm

i see what you mean , like you the feedback function gave me results closer to earth shakking farts than ear piercing squeals. my desktop mopho is gathering dust rigth now , but thats because of its interface only because i love the sounds it makes. maybe if we turn off those sub oscillators it could help taking the feedback to higher regions. just a though anyway. i'll try to see if i can make it scream here .

th0mas · Post by **th0mas** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 4:54 pm

druzz wrote:i see what you mean , like you the feedback function gave me results closer to earth shakking farts than ear piercing squeals. my desktop mopho is gathering dust rigth now , but thats because of its interface only because i love the sounds it makes. maybe if we turn off those sub oscillators it could help taking the feedback to higher regions. just a though anyway. i'll try to see if i can make it scream here .

Exactly. I really wish this thing had a multimode filter. I love it to death but it's hard to not turn every patch you write into a bass-heavy patch

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'm just in the process of integrating it into the rest of my setup so ideas like amp simulators, etc, will be great things for me to try once I have it plugged into Live. I'm looking forward to having some time & trying to route the feedback loop through other pedals and things. I've got a weird ringmodulator "make spooky voices" halloween toy that I modded with 1/4" input/output that I'm wondering about, as sacrilegious as it'll be to plug a $1k synth into a $5 toy

druzz · Post by **druzz** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:12 pm

hey i wont complain about the use of toys, recently someone lended me THE classic roland vocoder and instted of using it on my new tracks i use a fisher price tape recorder that does alien , robot and frankeinstein voices wich i am mikin' from the crappy built in speaker with a sm58. i guess this could be qualified as irreverent

burnn_out! · Post by **burnn_out!** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:58 pm

Have you tried an eq pedal? mxr makes a kerry king model thats sweet. running it thru the feedback function might give some awesome results. i dont own a mopho but i mess with feedback loops all the time and eq pedals are crucial.

th0mas · Post by **th0mas** » Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:19 am

burnn_out! wrote:Have you tried an eq pedal? mxr makes a kerry king model thats sweet. running it thru the feedback function might give some awesome results. i dont own a mopho but i mess with feedback loops all the time and eq pedals are crucial.

Great idea! thanks! eq on loop + gain, that'd possibly end in madness...

Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?

Re: Mopho feedback: Making it scream?