U2 Shimmering sound

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marik

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I hear lots about Edge's "shimmer".

What are some examples of parts of songs that i can hear this?

also, is there a single effect that is largely responsible for this sound, or have we deducted it mostly Edge's crazy chain of effect and processors?
 
WOWY
All I Want is You,

The ZooTv version of Running to Stand Still is a great place to hear it. He bring it in a bit stronger at the the end of the 1st chorus.

YouTube - U2 - Running to stand still

It is a single effect. Edge uses an AMS unit run through a custom built interface from CAE. He also uses and Eventide that can do shimmer and other similar sounds. ie Crystal Echos heard on the into of the Elevation version of The Fly.

There are several units out there that can achieve the effect. The Verbzilla from Line 6 is a simple choice since it is a single effects pedal. The shimmer is as good as other pieces of rack gear (Digitech DHP33, Axe-fx, Eventide) but it works pretty well
 
I managed to make a somewhat close approximation using various Garageband effects, but it sounds a bit different and has to be rendered after the fact, because it's too much processing to do in real time apparently.
 
Seriously.

I think I want that guy's entire pedal board, while we're at it.
 
Looks like he's got a Blues Jr and an ac30. The setup's a little complex for my poor brain (gimme a guitar, an overdrive, delay, reverb, tremelo, and my blues jr and I'm good).
 
the key to the verbzilla is splitting your signal to go through clean into the verbzilla and out to its own amp. throw in a volume pedal and you're golden :up:
 
Thanks for all your comments.

The pedalboard was a long time in the making - the wiring is a work of art. Was a fun project.

Regards
Gerry
 
HBK-79 said:
But the Verbzilla does not have true-bypass switching.

I was always told that you should stay away from pedals that do not feature true-bypass.:|
Click to expand...

Gerry appears to be using a switcher for different fx loops. The issue of "true bypass" for pedals is when you're running all your pedals in a chain. Since he's using a switcher, he can bypass pedals entirely.

Same thing as using a switcher in a rack setup.
 
So what you're all saying is that when the pedal is even off your tone is affected simply by having the pedal in your chain? Are there any other reverb pedals that aren't, but that make that sound?
 
the tourist said:
So what you're all saying is that when the pedal is even off your tone is affected simply by having the pedal in your chain? Are there any other reverb pedals that aren't, but that make that sound?
Click to expand...

That's exactly my concern. When a non-true-bypass pedal (like the Verbzilla or any BOSS pedal) is part of your main signal chain, it will muck up your tone even when it's turned off.

I like the Verbzilla because of both its reverb effects and shimmer sound. I'm thinking about getting a switcher to physically bypass the reverb/shimmer F/X when I don't need them while playing (like Loar suggested).


By the way- How does The Edge manage to utilize an F/X system chuck full of BOSS pedals and boutique pedals, and NOT experience any tone-sucking? Any experts here?:slant:
 
I wouldn't get too hung up on "True Bypass". It can cause you problems in its own right. Do a Google search on the pros and cons...prepare yourself for some serious reading :ohmy:

All of my pedals are in buffered loops. I designed my board so that all of my 'dirt' pedals are isolated from my main signal path unless I call them in with my switcher. As noted in one of my videos, the audio path from Guitar to Amp (TONE) is preserved as best as possible.

Regards
Gerry
 
So, if I have a signal splitter, a Boss TU2, and a Line 6 delay, and I get a verbzilla, should I set it up line this?:

Guitar->tuner->signal splitter (side A)->delay (left jack)
->signal splitter (side B)->verbzilla->delay (right jack)

And then from the delay just go from one of the outputs into the amp? My amp (Fender Blues Jr.) only has one imput and no fx-loop. I want shimmer, but I don't wanna kill my tone.
 
For those who own a korg A3, I use this patch to create the shimmering sound for the live intro of "city of blinding lights" and to simulate the Ebow in "with or without you". I pick just one string at the time, lightly and quickly with an herdim pick.

Chain 13:
A B C D E F
dist_1 50 50 3.00 10 3.5 -
XCIT 15 6.2 - - - -
MDL_1 500 5.5 40 3.4 2 64
PTCH 5 - - - - -
X_DLY 370 65 400 65 0 50
X_DLY 400 75 300 75 0 72
 
the tourist said:
So, if I have a signal splitter, a Boss TU2, and a Line 6 delay, and I get a verbzilla, should I set it up line this?:

Guitar->tuner->signal splitter (side A)->delay (left jack)
->signal splitter (side B)->verbzilla->delay (right jack)

And then from the delay just go from one of the outputs into the amp? My amp (Fender Blues Jr.) only has one imput and no fx-loop. I want shimmer, but I don't wanna kill my tone.
Click to expand...

Your Boss tuner would suck your tone. Best to place that in its own isolated loop.

In the above example I would do the following (e.g. using Axess BS2 buffer/splitter):

Guitar -> Split 1-> Isolated out into Tuner
2-> main path .... Delay -> Mixer -> Amp
3-> Verbzilla path -> Mixer -> Amp

Regards,
Gerry
 
the tourist said:
What type of mixer would you suggest?
Click to expand...

Um...I don't see a mixer on Gerry's pedalboard.

From what I understand, all the signals "mix" inside his CAE, where the final output is split into two- one goes into the TimeFactor, and the other goes into the Verbzilla.
 
HBK-79 said:
By the way- How does The Edge manage to utilize an F/X system chuck full of BOSS pedals and boutique pedals, and NOT experience any tone-sucking? Any experts here?:slant:
Click to expand...

High quality cables, well-organized layout of the system, and he's not using all the pedals at once.

Remember, when you use a switcher, only the pedals (or rack units) that are switched on are in the chain at any one time. When you think about what Edge uses most of the time in his main chain, he really is only running 1-3 pedals plus a 2290 and (usually) the SDD3000. He may switch different units and pedals in and out of the chain by changing patches or switching on or off individual effects, but he's not running everything at the same time.

Hence, no tone sucking.

Again, it comes back to the switching system he uses.
 
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