Author Topic: SF-2 experiments thread (Read 545 times)

hieronymous · « **on:** December 12, 2011, 04:21:17 PM »

I have some stuff in the works that I intend to use my SF-2 to process/fix. I had lost a harddrive when I moved three years ago and finally dug it out! This has some old hieronymous studio material, some of it released, much of it unfinished. One track in particular I think will really benefit from the SF-2. My schedule isn't too busy from now through the new year, so I might try and work on some of this stuff.

Here's another idea - I haven't utilized my SF-2 in a band setting yet - used it a lot for recording, but when I took it to a rehearsal, I couldn't remember how it worked! Or at least I couldn't get it going when I was trying to set up my gear, so I gave up! But I have an idea for how I might try it next time:

Normally I use the direct signal as the base, and add in some low end with the 1st filter in low pass mode, maybe with some high pass filter from the 2nd filter to add some sparkle. Instead, I think I might try ONLY using filter number one, with the damping ratio control set low so that it doesn't make that much of a bump at the cutoff frequency. Basically you get an Alembic low pass filter for whatever bass you are using. So normally I would have the frequency set very high, to let the natural sound of the bass come through, but for ballads could turn the cutoff frequency way down for big fat bass.

Not sure if the filter gain should be set all the way at 10 or below that - it might be cool to have it on 10 and boost the signal a bit, since the manual says the filter controls provide a 10dB boost when fully up.

The biggest drawback is having to go back to the rack to adjust the frequency. Would be cool to have one in a box with a foot pedal to control it, like that Pluto filter that was on eBay a while back...

hieronymous · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2012, 08:26:37 PM »

So I started this thread and never got the chance to experiment. So I'm bumping this back up so it doesn't slip into the archives - maybe we can conduct some experiments at the upcoming Gathering!

xlrogue6 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2012, 11:15:45 AM »

Bring your lab coats and safety goggles!

rustyg61 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2012, 01:44:26 AM »

My SF-2 is coming today! I can't wait to experiment with live & recording tones!

jazzyvee · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2012, 12:40:04 PM »

I'm wondering if I can experiment amplifying two channels separately my current rig so that I wouldn't need to consider an extra F1-x.

I was thinking of putting my bridge pickup into F1-x then into one side of the SF-2, The Neck pickup direct into the second SF-2 channel then send each SF-2 channel outputs into their respective sides of my qsc power amp.

The alternative was to use the F1-x for the bridge pickup only and the SF-2 only for the neck pickup or vice versa then separate outputs to the power amp channels.

Jazzyvee

sonicus · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2012, 01:42:51 PM »

Jazzyvee,
If you are writing about your Series II, in my opinion you will optimize your results in Stereo Mode with this signal path ;
DS-5R power supply to SF-2 to power amp . I would use the SF-2 before the gain stage of the F1-X . You could add the F1-X after the SF-2 from either pickup signal path or even run it as a 3 channel rig if you bi-amp by using the active cross over from the F1-X !

hieronymous · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2012, 08:04:59 PM »

Yay, my experiments thread is finally taking off! Even if I'm not the one doing the experimenting :p

Jazzyvee, I agree with sonicus - go stereo through the SF-2 first, then pre-amp/amplifier. It's interesting to think about which pickup to put the F-1X on. My initial thought was the neck pickup - get some fat tubey bass - but maybe the low end is better being amplified clean, with the oomph coming from the SF-2, then put some grit on the less-low-frequencies.

The neat thing with the F-2B is that it can be run in mono with the signal from both channels summed to a single channel. So you can do SF-2 --> F-2B and then out to stereo OR mono.

I haven't done that though! I usually use the SF-2 in mono during post-production. It's great to fix a bass track that wasn't recorded ideally. One of these days I hope to experiment with it in a band situation, but that won't be for a while. I was planning on trying at the Gathering but in the end I didn't even end up bringing in an amp!

rustyg61 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2012, 08:40:10 PM »

I got mine today! Unfortunately it arrived after I came to work tonight, so it will be tomorrow before I can be awestruck! It's going to be a LONG night!!

jazzyvee · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2012, 11:32:11 PM »

I will have a go at those suggestions when I next put my rig up.
Jazzyvee

sonicus · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2012, 11:58:27 PM »

I had my SF-2 at the recent Northern California Alembic Gathering V 2012. It was in my All Alembic Signal Processing rack.
The signal path was in STEREO mode _ Series I Bass _to_IN-2 _to_SF-2_ to _F-2B _to_CREST fa901 Power Amp feeding a Gauss 4580 15speaker in an Original Alembic A-15 Cabinet (Bass /neck pickup) and a Mesa-Boogie 2X10 Road Ready cabinet loaded with Electrovoice 10 speakers ( treble/bridge pickup).

I played through that rig there in a few jams.

hieronymous · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2012, 06:18:11 PM »

Maybe next year we should have some workshops - Wolf, you could explain your setup, people could talk about different filter settings, etc.

tbrannon · « **Reply #11 on:** May 01, 2012, 06:35:06 PM »

I don't have an SF-2, but I would love to see some of you guys who post stuff on Soundcloud use that to show some of us what the SF-2 can do.

Perhaps take a picture of settings on your SF-2, then record a short passage playing through the SF-2, then the same short passage with the SF-2 bypassed? I would think that would be the best way to share this type of info, since tone can be so subjective in terms of trying to use written words to describe what you're hearing.

rustyg61 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2012, 07:38:13 PM »

I think a workshop is a great idea! You should also video it & post it on You Tube for those of us who aren't fortunate enough to attend the Cali gathering. I got my SF-2 yesterday & while I haven't had much time to experiment, I did try some of the settings in the manual & was getting a lot of distortion with the input & filter gain at 10. I had to back off on the input gain to around 7 to get a clean sound. This is with the SF-2 patched into my effects loop & running in the mono mode (effect out to channel A in, channel B out to effect in). Most of the posts I have read say to run the input gain at 10, so have any of you had problems with distortion doing that? Also some of the knobs are loose. They appear to be the same knob I have on my SCSD so I assume I can pop the cap off & tighten the screw. Have any of you had to do that too?

hieronymous · « **Reply #13 on:** May 01, 2012, 07:45:09 PM »

A video sounds like a great idea! Wolf and I have been looking for an excuse to get together - maybe we can throw something together...

In the meantime, here's an older thread with some SF-2 adjusted recordings. I didn't go into detail about my settings though. I think I have taken some pictures though when I have used the SF-2 - will try and find those.

You can hear the final version of the track here: initial android avarice

tbrannon · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2012, 09:18:23 PM »

Harry- those recordings are what prompted me. I remember listening to them when you posted them originally. I think if people were able to take a picture of the settings, and post it along with the soundclip that it would prove useful.

Just a suggestion- I don't have an SF-2, so won't be a contributor, but I do like listening to you guys discuss settings and sounds!