Ring Modulation that follows pitch of guitar?

[Rena Rune]

The only pedal I know that can do this for sure is the EHX Ring Thing, but to get it to successfully work you need to place a boost in it's "loop", which is awkward.

I'd like a pedal that's basically just designed to do that, and give my FM-Synth like tones by doing so. The Digitech Synth Wah I have seems to use some kind of FM like synthesis to do what it does but it's all filtery type effects.

Any ideas?

 

[JamonGrande]

About 15 years ago I had a Boss ME-8 that had both a fixed ring mod mode and a pitch tracking mode. The overall effect of the pitch-tracked ring mod wasn't anything spectacular, but the box was capable of some unusual sounds (for a mid-90s multi-effect). And in some ways, an octave fuzz acts like a ring modulator whose carrier is the same frequency as the incoming signal. Outside of that, its surprising how many ring mods I've come across that don't have the feature.

joe

 

[tibbon]

I'd probably just use a modular synth if I was doing this.

I'm trying to imagine if a combination of the FreqBox + MF-102 would do the trick.

 

[4nd3h]

EHX Ring Thing. Look up demos, it's really cool. You can tune it to your key.

 

[Rena Rune]

You need to either

1) Keep your foot on the tune button(I tend to play without feet when I can)
2) Put a boost in the loop

It's a bit too expensive for me too for just that effect. The price of the Way Huge is more reasonable. It has an input for the Carrier signal, but I don't know if you can use the guitar signal.

 

[nrvana8775]

I'd probably just use a modular synth if I was doing this.

I'm trying to imagine if a combination of the FreqBox + MF-102 would do the trick.

FreqBox doesn't track the pitch though, and it's only mono. I guess the hardsync is just for restarting the oscillator.

You'd need some way of getting pitch cv from the guitar.

 

[muffinman]

the Pigtronix Mothership's ring mod tracks along to your input signal pitch, no additional pedal/loop required

I inquired at Copilot to see if he could mod a Planetoid to do this, it might be a possibility...I'm also hopeful Fairfield will inlcude this feature in the next incarnation of the Randy's Revenge due this spring/summer

 

[nrvana8775]

I'd suspect that ironether is going to do it before anyone else. He has a new pedal with pitch tracking, so we'll see how it goes.

There is a pitch -> cv converter module, but again, it's only mono. You could connect that to the pitch cv of the freqbox. You could then run that into the moog ringmod. You'd have two oscillators.

 

[drbob1]

I second the Mothership, great pedal, cool sounds and great company. David plays out with his toys so you know it's going to work live...

 

[Rena Rune]

Mothership is way out of my price range though. I really just need a Ring Mod that converts the guitar signal into VCO pitch

 

[Rena Rune]

I'd suspect that ironether is going to do it before anyone else. He has a new pedal with pitch tracking, so we'll see how it goes.

There is a pitch -> cv converter module, but again, it's only mono. You could connect that to the pitch cv of the freqbox. You could then run that into the moog ringmod. You'd have two oscillators.

And have spent $800 I don't have for one sound.

 

[nrvana8775]

This + a ring mod with pitch cv in. Still, you're only getting it in mono. Same with the pigtronix.

 

[nrvana8775]

Basically.....it doesn't exist.

You need to combine multiple interfaces to get what you want.

 

[nrvana8775]

Here's a thread:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/instruments-amps/174510-pitch-cv-converter.html

 

[Rena Rune]

Is there a VST even that does this? I could work with that maybe.

 

[nrvana8775]

Not sure. You're entering into modular territory, which is where I'm heading due to these kind of limitations.

 

[Strung Up]

Basically.....it doesn't exist.

You need to combine multiple interfaces to get what you want.

This is possibly correct. If memory serves, ring modulation is taking the sum and difference between an input signal (typically an instrument's output frequency) and a carrier frequency. Good devices let you set the carrier freq with some degree of fine tuning, no drift, and no carrier signal bleed-through.

If someone's making one in a pedal that also let's you set the interval between the carrier and the input signal to constantly track at the same interval from the input frequency (which is how I understand the OP's query), I'd love to know about it, too.

 

[Rena Rune]

That's how Ring Modulation sounds tend to work on a synth basically. How it's used on guitar isn't terribly useful/musical though it's great for robot noises.

 

[drbob1]

Wait a sec, it DOES exist, the Mothership. It's just more expensive than the OP wants to spend.

Check this, ring mod is an effect where a carrier is combined with the input notes. The output includes input note, upper and lower sidebands (the sum and difference of the two frequencies) and possibly the carrier, depending on implementation. So you put in one note and get out 3 or 4.

If the carrier is designed to track the input note you'll end up with one of two results. If the tracking is linear (a constant offset from the input note) the carrier will be inharmonic (not an overtone or subtone) of the input note and you'll get typical gong-like output, but with frequencies rising and falling as you change notes. If the carrier is a multiple or divisor of the input frequency then you'll get harmonic output at times (say your carrier is twice your input note, then an A440 will output A440, A440, 1320, A880 which is a close approximation of a chord).

 

[nrvana8775]

Ha, I think he wants a polyphonic tracker for under $200. That is not going to happen

There is a cool video of some guy using the pitch cv out from the mothership to control a korg ms-20. Sounds sooooo fat.