Andy Summers...more Chorus or Flanger ?! [Archive]

JohnK24

01-23-2007, 08:35 PM

I'm getting back into my eighties Police crazy days...I was a nut for what Andy Summers did with chords and effects. In the early 80s I had an EH Electric Mistress and Smallstone that I mated with a ton of reverb and did my Police thing. Those boxes are long gone.

So, imho, what was Andy's main choral texture tone on those first 3 Police albums (Regatta de Blanc is my personal fav)...more flanger or more chorus ? I even dig Andy's current jazz works, but those sound more like chorus and heavy delay (Green Chimneys is a killer album).

thoughts ?

J

bduguay

01-23-2007, 08:59 PM

AFAIK, original small box EH Electric Mistress.
I'm fairly certain if it wasn't for the impact his sound had on me, I wouldn't be on forums like this today.
B.

EunosFD

01-23-2007, 09:15 PM

I think it was more flanger than chorus, but I'm pretty sure he used both. I was fiddling around with a flange/delay setting on my MPX500 tonight & the first thing that came to mind was Police music. I believe there may have been a thread on here a few months back about this which went into detail about his setup from that era so it might be worth digging around some.

Monkeyboy23

01-23-2007, 10:17 PM

http://web.tiscali.it/andatta/

That's a really cool site dedicated to Summers. They list his gear by era, and for the Police it's the Electric Mistress...no chorus.

Improviser

01-23-2007, 11:09 PM

Love the sound of the original EH Electric Mistress, but not a fan of the build-quality, volume-drop, etc...

Are there any quality clones of this pedal out there?

KennyM

01-23-2007, 11:35 PM

I used to nail all those Police sounds back then with the following chain. Dyna Comp or Boss Compressor (was it a CS-1?) into a Boss Flanger (BF-2) into a Boss Analog Delay (DM-2). I generally ran stereo during that era using a CE1 Chorus to split the signal to two amps. The main Andy Summers swirl in my opinion was the flanger. Set the analog delay to an 1/8th note with a fairly loud repeat, not too many repeats and you're there. Gotta have the Tele though!

Uma Floresta

01-23-2007, 11:46 PM

A dynacomp, an Electric Mistress, and an analog-sounding delay should be everything you need. I think he actually used the CE-1 chorus as well. Walking on the Moon sounds like chorus to me. But yeah, his main "chorus" was the EHX EM.

bduguay

01-24-2007, 08:38 AM

Not to sound like some 'Andy Summers knowitall' but, I recently finished reading his new book 'One Train Later' and there was never a mention of using chorus.
In my experience the Electric Mistress, and I'm sure the same could be said for most flangers, can cop all the swirliness found in chorus right through to vibe type pedals.
B.

trancedental

01-24-2007, 09:43 AM

Roland dimension C racks & Jazz Chorus amps, I don't think he used chorus pedals?

KennyM

01-24-2007, 11:25 AM

Flanger is definitely the thing. I used the CE1 chorus mainly for a stereo spread. Swirl is all flanger and gets swirlyer when fed into the delay.

burningyen

01-24-2007, 11:35 AM

AFAIK, original small box EH Electric Mistress.
I'm fairly certain if it wasn't for the impact his sound had on me, I wouldn't be on forums like this today.
B.
Me too.

burningyen

01-24-2007, 11:37 AM

Love the sound of the original EH Electric Mistress, but not a fan of the build-quality, volume-drop, etc...

Are there any quality clones of this pedal out there?
Howard Davis mods DEMs to correct the volume drop issue. He modded mine, and I love it. I would think the same could be done to an EM.

JohnK24

01-24-2007, 11:38 AM

thanks guys...I thought back in the day my EH EM was the cat's a%s for those Police chords I was grooving on...

I'll be checking out a few flangers this week. Local shop has a used MIJ Boss BF 2 for $40...hmmm?

wickidriffs

09-29-2008, 11:09 AM

Andre357

09-29-2008, 12:10 PM

You can nail Andy summers chorus/EM flange AND delay sounds ( at the same time ) with an eventide Timefactor.

It's spooky it's so much like his sounds , when dialed in. Throw a compressor in front and you can nail the whole police catalouge ( with a good amp or od as well )

zachman

09-29-2008, 12:12 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IeeZZj_HNs&feature=related

Shon Kornfeld

09-29-2008, 12:18 PM

seiko

09-29-2008, 12:29 PM

Howard Davis mods DEMs to correct the volume drop issue. He modded mine, and I love it. I would think the same could be done to an EM.

AFAIK Summers left the Dynacomp on all the time, which also helps balance the volumes some. I've seen it suggested that he had Dynacomps at both ends of the signal chain.

geetarman

09-29-2008, 12:36 PM

Get a Hartman Flanger it's got Andy Summer's tones all over it without the drawbacks of the EH EM.

wickidriffs

09-29-2008, 12:37 PM

Get a Hartman Flanger it's got Andy Summer's tones all over it without the drawbacks of the EH EM.

Why not the Deluxe Electric Mistress?

fr8_trane

09-29-2008, 01:29 PM

Andy always used the TC 1210 Chorus live, ive seen his rig(s) while working at Custom Audio over the years.

Sure but the TC is a chorus AND flange

http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/fit,400by400/481f2f09ec11419bab893316fa63a2bc-21b001ea6769560d569e52412f022b05.jpg

The EH mistress is the unit on the records and it was also a favorite of Dave Gilmour, nuff said.

zachman

09-29-2008, 01:51 PM

Sure but the TC is a chorus AND flange

http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/fit,400by400/481f2f09ec11419bab893316fa63a2bc-21b001ea6769560d569e52412f022b05.jpg

The EH mistress is the unit on the records and it was also a favorite of Dave Gilmour, nuff said.

Not BOTH simultaneously though...

geetarman

09-29-2008, 01:53 PM

Why not the Deluxe Electric Mistress?

Because it's huge, noisy and has a volume drop when engaged the Hartman eliminates all that while producing all those good tones.

wickidriffs

09-29-2008, 03:07 PM

Not BOTH simultaneously though...

But you could use the TC SCF with an Electric Mistress for simultaneous chorus and flanger effects.

wickidriffs

09-29-2008, 03:08 PM

Because it's huge, noisy and has a volume drop when engaged the Hartman eliminates all that while producing all those good tones.

I have not encountered any volume drop or noise while using the DEM.

geetarman

09-29-2008, 03:21 PM

I have not encountered any volume drop or noise while using the DEM.

Consider yourself luck then.:) The Hartman is based on the original EM which is what Andy used as well as Alex Lifeson and Gilmour the DEM sounds very different that said the Hartman can get that sound too with a bit of internal trimpot adjustment. Plus the components used are much higher in quality and tighter tolerance than what you'll find in an EH.

zachman

09-29-2008, 03:37 PM

But you could use the TC SCF with an Electric Mistress for simultaneous chorus and flanger effects.

Yes, you could... But, it still won't sound like a 1210, Tri-Stereo Chorus or Dimension D.

It's really cool that there are so many choices nowadays. In some cases, there are alternatives to getting a certain sound, in some cases there isn't

(Depending on how particular you are about the result you're going for)

wickidriffs

09-29-2008, 04:53 PM

Yes, you could... But, it still won't sound like a 1210, Tri-Stereo Chorus or Dimension D.

It's really cool that there are so many choices nowadays. In some cases, there are alternatives to getting a certain sound, in some cases there isn't

(Depending on how particular you are about the result you're going for)

cool

Bobby D

09-29-2008, 05:40 PM

Andy always used the TC 1210 Chorus live, ive seen his rig(s) while working at Custom Audio over the years.

Also, i own one of his 1210 units with his settings marked on the front.. its an amazing unit but unfortunately i have to sell it... on the 'bay right now:

http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=%5BCacheBuster%5D&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=4&campid=5335828753&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dl l%3FViewItem%26item%3D160287138525%26_trksid%3Dp39 07.m32%26_trkparms%3Dtab%253DSellinghttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160287138525&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campid=5335828753&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dl l%3FViewItem%26item%3D160287138525%26_trksid%3Dp39 07.m32%26_trkparms%3Dtab%253DSelling)

I saw that, and can I just say that is AWESOME! drool.....:BEER

eBay

09-29-2008, 06:19 PM

I think it's really cool chasing Andy's sound; I always loved his playing and ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-I-TcL49Q

wickidriffs

11-30-2008, 04:59 AM

I think it's really cool chasing Andy's sound; I always loved his playing and ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-I-TcL49Q

That was great.

What chorus/flanger did he use there?

KennyM

11-30-2008, 06:00 PM

Flanger and delay

zachman

02-03-2009, 05:13 AM

That was great.

What chorus/flanger did he use there?

The Chorus in THAT rack was a Dytronics CS-5 Tri Stereo Chorus

http://rush.sub.jp/musette/archives/jpeg/Tri_stereo_front_shot_small.jpg

kpm62

05-18-2009, 08:48 AM

Great Book
yeah it wasn't after the Police got to palying steady gigs he got the echo plex and then the compressor fuzz flange and phaser
GREAT BOOK

playthecray

05-18-2009, 09:36 AM

EH Electric Mistress Deluxe will nail the Andy Summer's sound.

michael c

08-02-2009, 08:10 PM

Early Police (Walking on the Moon) was an A/DA Flanger.....

strings2wood

08-02-2009, 08:39 PM

Andy Summers sounds at 1.30
"Driven to Tears"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sDi9m8fRMw

Deluxe Electric Mistress-
BJF Pine Green Compressor
Rocket Ride Delay (First Echo on the Moon). Modded DMM XO

Delay is deliberatley overdone to get his lush sound.

I'd love to post some other Police "interpretations" where I think the sound is pretty close when doing them live.

e.g. De Do Do Do Do,
Every Breath You Take
Walking on the Moon
Spirits in the material World
Murder by Numbers.