MOOG MF-102 RING MODULATOR
In the analog guitar synth-mangling realm, the Moogerfooger Ring Modulator is
king. Anyone who has had the unearthly pleasure of captaining the mighty Minimoog
Voyager and wants to enjoy a similar experience with a guitar needs one of these
units. As the iconic wood paneling suggests, Bob Moog’s inextinguishable electronic
soul courses through the circuit board traces within. The
seemingly simple LFO and modulator sections can be finetuned to turn the guitar into an interstellar electro gong for
percussive bell tolling, a pulsing, variable-speed tremolo
zapper, or a zingy metallic tone transmitter. The MF-102
is easily the most strangely musical ring mod pedal I have
ever messed with. It can generate a near infinite amount of
synth-like textures that can be morphed any which way with
either knob or expression pedal tweaks. It can launch any
signal source into deep space, where seemingly soulless, yet
beautifully chaotic incoming transmissions murmur
from beyond.
CROWTHER AUDIO PRUNES AND CUSTARD
Like the ring modulator, this otherworldly harmonic generator-intermodulator goes
way beyond the traditional sine wave clipping that is commonly associated with guitarbased music. Like a repo man who spends his life getting into tense situations (as
opposed to avoiding them like ordinary people), the Prunes and Custard welcomes
odd-order harmonic content. These harsh spidery overtones spin a dense web
of intermodulation around the core signal and then
masticate it with pincers of pure venom-laced destruction.
The needle-like noise pierces right through the mix and
becomes even more interesting when double stop bends
and complex chords are introduced. The intermodulation
shifts south of heaven as I bend and peel apart notes
like a demonic maw gaping open to display rows upon
rows of incisors and globular saliva strands snapping and
hanging of it’s jowls. The Prunes and Custard will help any
healthy signal stay irregular.
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TONE TALK //
Guitar Transmissions from Outer Space: 5 Otherworldly Tones