Something new in footpedals.

[Mark Hammer]

I watched a demo of the new EHX Crying Tone wah today.  Although they're recycling the name from a 30 year-old pedal, there is precious little that is the same.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPaA0GEIHqU

My sense is that EHX essentially borrowed the technology used to make orientation-sensitive controllers and viewing devices (that can rotate the picture when you rotate the viewer) and adapted it to filter control.  There is no treadle or pot.  You simply rock the entire object back and forth on a pivot point.  Interesting.  We may begin to see this on other devices.

The problem I see with it, though, is that if the entire thing needs to move, how on earth do you secure it to a pedalboard?  Additionally, even though you might only be rotating it over a 30-degree arc to operate, that constant twisting has gotta shorten the lifespan of the path cables plugged into it.  Still, how sweet to not have to deal with pots, pot taper, pot noise, etc.

[Jdansti]

They might be using an accelerometer chip to sense the motion.  They could have used the same technology in a pedal that has a stationary base with the sensor in the moving top.   It does look like it would be hard on cables and would be difficult to use on a pedal board.

[deadastronaut]

no moving parts....except the whole box.... ...

[merlinb]

Urg, you're making a promotional video and you pick the least charismatic guy for the technical schpiel  

[Pollinator95]

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[Pollinator95]

They might be using an accelerometer chip to sense the motion.  They could have used the same technology in a pedal that has a stationary base with the sensor in the moving top.   It does look like it would be hard on cables and would be difficult to use on a pedal board.

That's where their new product comes in: the Stasis Board!

[Ronan]

Miniature gyro's are getting cheap, maybe they are using one of those. Maybe there are diy possibilities for a gyro, as in reply #1. But the calibration button suggests its some sort of (or similar to a) pendulum sensor.

[Johan]

"...we have a battery door, we're very exited by this..." 

J

[R.G.]

There are many tilt sensors which use a fluid in a partially-metalized container and sense the variation in capacitance to the outer wall of the container.

I'm waiting for the Thought-Wah - it senses what you really wanted it to do and then does it.

[bonaventura]

I'm waiting for the Thought-Wah - it senses what you really wanted it to do and then does it.

interesting.

how to install it to wife?

[crane]

No moving parts except signal calbes and dc cable - I bet you have to change faulty dc cable on this pedal more often than you have to change a pot in an ordinary wah wah.
A friends of mine said - I wonder how this one sounds if you throw it down the stairs

[DougH]

There are many tilt sensors which use a fluid in a partially-metalized container and sense the variation in capacitance to the outer wall of the container.

I'm waiting for the Thought-Wah - it senses what you really wanted it to do and then does it.

That would make a good complement to my "I could have done that" pedal...

[Jdansti]

Sorry-misquote. All thumbs today.

[Jdansti]

No moving parts except signal calbes and dc cable - I bet you have to change faulty dc cable on this pedal more often than you have to change a pot in an ordinary wah wah.
A friends of mine said - I wonder how this one sounds if you throw it down the stairs

I was thinking that you have a good looking woman stand next to you on stage and move it around-preferably in sync with what you're playing.

[petey twofinger]

maybe you could have side rails to keep it in place on the pedal board . coily dc cable ? ball bearing jacks ?

i can picture the EH design lab , they have a round cage like for lotto ping pong balls filled with components . the model lady spins it , and mike starts pulling out random parts and assembling a pcb . theres a guy blind folded with a dictionary in the corner . the qc guy has a micrometer on mikes reuben sandwich .

speaking of new , i did see a vid with craig anderton , he claims to have a whole new "next generation" thing but he wont give any clue as to what it is except that it is analog . he also eluded that it would be a whole "line" , as in modules , plug ins , and pedals , he did mention that it could be a long while  . good to see him 'active" again , what was he doing ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3yK02X3090

ot , but i wonder why no one (that i am aware of) hasn't tried hexaphonic pedals , wasn't boss going to do those a while back ? i am sure there are just too many issues with this idea but ... i imagine it would be pretty cool .

[digi2t]

There are many tilt sensors which use a fluid in a partially-metalized container and sense the variation in capacitance to the outer wall of the container.

I'm waiting for the Thought-Wah - it senses what you really wanted it to do and then does it.

Maybe something like this?

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:44kLLUAnOCIJ:www.inclinometer.eu/MRI-S-XX-L-1.pdf+inclinometer+resistance&hl=en&gl=ca&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiuGdadvA-_Zv7yJgBioMddFgtJcZgZALUafaP0TsvKOk0ILyW4fANvyTNjeJtsAe5r0M7QWD9bWpkbdUJ-p7saV_R5pfV1QJeQe-KPOcNqIoYE1bYES_1Istf873OkdY2j3jI1&sig=AHIEtbSY-hso6oTaL0tmZkF9YVuN5Jt_sg

I've tried the Thought-Wah. Teamed up with my Dream-Guitar, Halluciantion-Amp, Sub-Conscious-Fuzz, and a Semi-Lucid-Pick, I sound like Hendrix any day of the week  .

[frank_p]

I'm waiting for the Thought-Wah - it senses what you really wanted it to do and then does it.

Cry, obviously.

[The Tone God]

I've been playing with sensors on rocker pedals for a bit since I moved on from proximity controllers. There are three things I see wrong with this design.

1. You cannot mount this to a pedal board.

2. You cannot remove your foot to leave it set in a "sweet spot".

3. You have to calibrate the thing pretty much every time you turn it on. PITA

Its a nice step but I think players really want to have that rocking mechanism even if its just a single moving plate.

Andrew

[Mark Hammer]

Excellent points.  #2 hadn't occurred to me before, but for some players, it's a deal-breaker.

[Earthscum]

I've tried the Thought-Wah. Teamed up with my Dream-Guitar, Halluciantion-Amp, Sub-Conscious-Fuzz, and a Semi-Lucid-Pick, I sound like Hendrix any day of the week  .

I tried the Hallucination amp before. I thought it sounded better than anything else I've heard, but I definitely had to close my eyes to keep the colors contained. Everyone else that heard me playing it said it was really quiet, like they almost couldn't hear it... screw them. Emporer loves his clothes!!!


As to the points Tammy mentioned, #2 was the first thing that came to mind. That was a prime concern with the 2 wah shells I've made (1590A uses a rod that is pressed between 2 felt pads, and the Wood wah, now the Steam Funk Wah, uses nylon washers with spring compression). I didn't think about it not being mounted to a pedalboard, because many of the guitarists I know have their wah setting off to the right of their board, even if they have a space on the board for carrying it.

#3, damn... agreed, PITA.

I don't think I could stand kicking this thing around a dirty wood stage... even the best rubber grippers are prone to slide on sweat, beer, and all week's dust collection. Also, on a side note, to me it looks like it was designed by Behringer, lol.