Lemon - Tremolo

[mirrorballman]

Most of Edge's sound sources are well-known by now, but the one I simply cannot find any info about is the massive tremolo effect on Lemon. There's pitch shifting going on, reverb, delay...but what does he use to get that tremolo effect? Which rack unit, anyone got an idea?

I've read you can get close w/ the Boss Slice Delay pedal which chops up your chords into pieces (just like a Tremolo), but I was wondering whether anyone has more insight on this.

Thx!

 

[BB Mac]

"Lemon" was written late during the Zooropa sessions between March–May 1993 during the band's break in the Zoo TV Tour.[2] Guitarist The Edge said the song originated from something he "worked up with a drum machine and bass, very rhythmic." He explained that he found it difficult to compose a guitar part to the song until he utilized an "unusual gated guitar effect which worked with the rhythm."[2]


its Possible he used the Eventide H3000. ive read in a magazine he has used the yamaha SPX90ll for in time tremolo on 'Sat of love' so the yamaha could of been part of a chain
of effects in the studio.the Eventide may have a preset thats been edited so thats a possiblity.

going back to 1993 the rack effects that could do Tremolo/gate Eventide H3000/Yamaha SPX1000/90/ TC2290 but not so great on this. i think the korg A3 also has sum gate effect but never tried it.

 

[mirrorballman]

Cheers for the answer.

I have the A3 and I haven't come across the given effect, I wasn't aware he has the H3000 since ZooTV? That might be a possibility. As for the TC, I'm also pretty sure that's not what creates the chopped delay.

The SPX90 sounds pretty reasonable too though.

Very curious about this one...

 

[BB Mac]

Hi mirrorballman yeah he had the Eventide H3000 back in the zoo tv days
infact right back to the Joshua tree tour it was in the rig.
i havnt really giving a direct answer as i dont really know it to be honest
but what we can do is narrow it down by maybe trying out sum units
so if anyone has the Eventide H3000 give it a go.i have the Yamaha SPX90ii
so will give that a go.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

It's in the Eventide. You can replicate it with a choppy tremolo and some pitch shifting. If you have something like a Line 6 M13, you can get close with that. Helena, at the Yahoo Groups "U2 Recording" yahoo group dialed it in on her Eventide.

Tones are simply one thing. Often, they are combinations. Spend a bit of time learning your effects and what effects sound like what... You will find things like, some phasers, if you screw with the settings will get you a "One" like rotary sound. Same with some chorus pedals.

When listening to a tone like Lemon as yourself 'what is it doing'. When you start to dissect that you then begin with your effects and going with... okay... tremolo and... pitch shifting... then start dialing things in.

The most essential thing to obtaining 'Edge tone' is to learn to really listen. To then learn to analyze what you are hearing and then start applying that with spending some experiment time with your effects units.

 

[eventide]

Brian Eno put Edges guitar through a vintage synth and Brian moved the joystick in time to the music to create the tremelo for Lemon... Can't remember what synth it was but it could have been a wasp or arp its housed in a suit case I know that much. Oscar maybe??

It was EMS VCS3

 

[Mack_Again]

I think that sound can be replicated sorta easily by just suing volume swells (just use volume control/pedal) with tremolo. or am i wrong?

 

[eventide]

I used a Digitech gsp2101 with pitch swell and heavy tremelo... The axe fx can create this patch with ease....
He used the A3 for the bridge riff

 

[Chill Mike D]

The shape of the tremolo plays a big part in the sound of Lemon too. I've always figured he was using a square shape, with reverb taking a little bit of the sharpness off of it:

Hearing Effects: Modulation 2 (tremolo, vibrato, pitch shift, wah-wah) | Easy Ear Training

 

[Mack_Again]

yeah I actually like square shaped trem. I know it's sometimes bit too much but still

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

The shape of the tremolo plays a big part in the sound of Lemon too. I've always figured he was using a square shape, with reverb taking a little bit of the sharpness off of it:

Hearing Effects: Modulation 2 (tremolo, vibrato, pitch shift, wah-wah) | Easy Ear Training

Yep. Reverb does smooth it out.