A challenge - could we do it?

[MikeH]

To answer the original question, my guess would be no! 

[Mark Hammer]

Well then let's think of it as a brief collective "vacation" from the usual, or a "class field trip".  Let's journey to the center of our minds, or maybe turn off our minds, relax and float downstream, come along if you can! 

[tubelectron]

....  Let's journey to the center of our minds, or maybe turn off our minds, relax and float downstream, come along if you can! 

And listen to Tangerine Dream "Stratosfear", Robert Schroeder "Cygnus-A" or Klaus Schulze "En=Trance" would be of a great help, indeed...

A+!

[MikeH]

I think maybe a better idea would be a "No Distortion Allowed" subforum.  Then we could take a vacation from ODs and Fuzzes anytime we wanted.

[Mark Hammer]

Nah, that would fragment the forum even more.  A simple banner or sticky that said "PLEASE DO NOT POST ANYTHING RELATED TO FUZZ, DISTORTION, OR OVERDRIVE UNTIL xxH/date PACIFIC TIME" would do it, and nothing else would have to change.  A person could still scroll through the holdings, and make use of whatever is here, without having to keep track of which subforum to look in.

[nexekho]

I think it'd be pretty cool if you could categorize your post (as distortion/delay/chorus, phaser/etc.) and then be able to filter out categories using a series of checkboxes down the side, so by default you see everything (thus not fragmenting the board as much) but if you're really sick of Fuzz Faces you untick distortion.

[Mark Hammer]

At one level I agree with you.  But I've been here long enough to know that a great many topics can fall into multiple categories at the same time.  The threads are not nearly neat enough to be classifiable into any any particular coding system.  Sure it MAY look like it's about some boutique noise-maker, but it ends up being about how to bias JFETs or what the differences are between different types of Darlingtons, or the interaction of guitar output impedance on pedal input impedance, or whatever.  Few threads are about one thing only (and we like it that way!!), so having a classification system like you describe could easily end up being a burden on the poster/OP or misleading when it comes to searching.

Stupid human tangential thinking!!!  Grrrrrrr......

[Gordo]

Nah, that would fragment the forum even more.  A simple banner or sticky that said "PLEASE DO NOT POST ANYTHING RELATED TO FUZZ, DISTORTION, OR OVERDRIVE UNTIL xxH/date PACIFIC TIME" would do it, and nothing else would have to change.  A person could still scroll through the holdings, and make use of whatever is here, without having to keep track of which subforum to look in.

Heresy!!!  I'd rather slam a car door on my head.  <<Looks lovingly at Fuzz Face - "I won't let that mean man ignore you...">>

[WGTP]

Getting desperate and starting to negotiate...  How about sacrificing the FUZZES, but allowing DISTORTIONS AND OVERDRIVES...   (I don't really like fuzzes anyway) 

[nexekho]

Few threads are about one thing only

True, which is why with a checkbox system you could put your post into as many categories as you wish.

[MikeH]

Getting desperate and starting to negotiate...  How about sacrificing the FUZZES, but allowing DISTORTIONS AND OVERDRIVES...   (I don't really like fuzzes anyway) 

But how to quantify, what is actually fuzz, vs distortion, distortion vs OD, etc?  For that matter, would swearing off distortion for a week also mean swearing off boosters?  While not actually being 'distortions' technically, they do generate distortion.  Sometimes intentionally...

[frequencycentral]

What about 'hey my phaser is distorting' - can I post that?

[Mark Hammer]

No.  Everybody else can, but you...well you've been a very naughty boy.  No pudding for you, young man! 

Well, reflecting on it for a moment, since the goal is to get a phaser to NOT distort, that would be alright, so long as you are not complimentary about it.

But I think a bunch of the posts in this thread illustrate my basic point, which is that it's hard to get away from the topic (hence easy for some of us to get fed up withit!).

[tubelectron]

What about 'hey my phaser is distorting' - can I post that?

Yes Rick, you can speak about my UFO phaser, eh-eh-eh 

This afternoon, a friend came home and he was mainly interested by the clean and deep sound of my Boogie MKIIA... Until he wanted to know what where my latest release in term of overdrive, distortion and fuzz, and try it all, of course... The loop turns and is closed. For sake, I am listening now to Klaus Schulze "Castles" tune, from his album "The crime of Suspense" : absolutely no fuzz no dist here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKtL28wOhaE

A+!

[WGTP]

I deliberately left my proposal vague, sort of like a politician.

If this happens, I may be forced to change strings on my guitar and maybe right a song.  Do some real music stuff.  Dammit.   

[deadastronaut]

 +1 Klaus Schulze....you have good taste!...

[DDD]

Mark,
your idea is an excellent idea, because it can support the SEARCH functon instead of cloning the same answers\questions 20 times a week.
Moreover, the same "ban" may be applied to other categories time-to-time.
For example: "Fuzz Free Week", then "Delay Free Week", then "Tube Free Week", e.t.c.

[tubelectron]

+1 Klaus Schulze....you have good taste!...

Yes, deadastronaut,

KS is one of the Godfathers of EM (electronic music), and moreover a very kind man... Here is speaks and demonstrates his 1st synthesiser :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW0aPqL73v0

Doesn't mean that KS ignores distortion : here's a sample of  "Mephisto", from the album "Moonlake" (2005), where he uses a distortion with it's Minimoog, beginning at 4', until the end - Mark : there's NO guitar, so I think I am not in infringement...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvZwYk2FT4s

But if you prefer deep synth sounds, KS is also a king. Here is FM Delight, from the Album En=Trance (1988) :

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

Another one to mention is Robert Schroeder. I am a fan of his music since his debuts in 1981, and still in contact occasionally with him. Here's his website and myspace page :

http://www.news-music.de/home_e.html
http://www.myspace.com/robertschroeder1

Have an ear to his album "Cygnus-A" (2010). Again - no guitar in sight... without guitar, distortion is more difficult to trace in a tune, IMHO.

A+!

[fpaul]

I vote for freedom and liberty to discuss whatever I want whenever I want.