Author Topic: Musing - Alembic guts OUTSIDE the body? (Read 367 times)

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #15 on:** May 17, 2011, 01:07:01 PM »

IIRC, Edwin (& please correct if I'm mistaken; I've seen exactly 1 picture of it, once), the Pluto had a conventional stompbox knobs-&-switches layout; I was thinking of everything on rocker pedals for on-the-fly changes.
Joe, I, too, am under the impression that the lo-z p/ups are key to The Sound.

Peter

edwin · « **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2011, 01:28:28 PM »

Well, the Pluto Pedal had a couple of parts to it. One is the control box, which had the knobs and switches. The other part was a rocker pedal which had two directions of travel. One axis was (I think) gain and the other frequency. Thus, you could adjust two parameters at once.

However, it wouldn't be that hard to bring all of the controls out on to rocker pedals. It might get a little nuts with frequency, Q and gain for each pickup (plus direct signals), so you'd need 8 pedals! With the amount of change in tone with a small adjustment on each one, I think it would be a lot less convenient than having it all on a rack SF-2 style or maybe with just a a couple pedals, maybe frequency and gain.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2011, 02:22:27 PM »

Hey, I said it was an idea I'd had - never said I thought it was a sane one And I wasn't considering direct vs. filtered signal, just moving the controls off the instrument, so you could it with 6; v/p/f/q/f/q. Or with 8 use a stock SII set-up. I suppose if you're experienced with pipe-organ work, you could do 12 - add the direct gains, plus a lo/hi/notch/band control for each p/up - but you might need to play sitting......or heck, add bass/mid/treble for each p/up as well. Like I said, I wasn't factoring sanity into the equation (though I would hesitate to suggest front LEDs w/a dimmer pedal).

Peter

edwin · « **Reply #18 on:** May 17, 2011, 02:55:27 PM »

Actually, I like the idea of the use of LEDs for each rocker pedal so you could get visual feedback of how far forward the rocker pedal is, kind of like the Visual Volume pedals.

terryc · « **Reply #19 on:** May 17, 2011, 03:36:50 PM »

boys boys boys...is this just a litle over the top..pedals for tone control??, LED positions??
Leave the pre amps/filters in the guitar, that is what they were designed for..don't we have enough gear to cart around??.
Personally I would like to try a single input power amp with no tone shaping controls, just a pre gain and master volume with a really high quality 15 driver in a balanced ported cab, just using the filters and Q switches to set the tone

sonicus · « **Reply #20 on:** May 17, 2011, 04:28:19 PM »

When Mr. George Mundy installed his Pluto Circuit into one of my Guild Starfire Bass's back in the mid 1970's he let me check out one of his Pluto pedals . There was the box with the potentiometers (knobs) and the DUAL ACTION control pedal , George was very patient with all of my questions and was a real cool cat to talk with but that was a long time ago! Pluto Pedals have been long out of production for many decades and if you stumble across one of the few in existance the seller will most likely want lots of cash for it. I have said it before and I will say it again; The SF-2 is here and now ! And if you have a problem with it ; Alembic is still here , and still in the now ! LOL !___!_!_!_!_!

There are other state variable filters out there ; some were intended as scientific instruments such as the KROHN-HITE line of gear like the 3343R ( I have one ) and there are also modular designs for synths. etc... BUT, I love the Alembic SF-2 for playing Bass through.