Because Everyone Needs A Ring Modulator For Guitar [Robot Sounds - With Band Jams & Everything!]

The most universally hated guitar effect of all time for guitar?
Welcome to the show! Mick here. I have been binge-listening to Wayne Krantz these past weeks. And every now again, up pops this crazy robot sound in his music… which I know is a ring modulator, but that neither Dan nor I have really explored. And then there’s Joey Landreth who, as usual, did things that defy explanation and understanding is this show here: • The Brothers Landreth ...
Like two Labrador puppies following some ripping Rottweilers, we have acquired three Modulators Of The Ring Kind and we’re going to attempt to: a) understand them, and; B) see if there’s anything remotely musical to be achieved here today. To whit, we’ve asked our old mucker and long-suffering TPS Drummist, Dougie Mussard, to join us for the afternoon and whack out some beats. Let’s see what happens…
Erm, Exterminate!
Enjoy the show…
Pedals & stuff in today’s episode
• TheGigRig Three2One
www.thegigrig.com/three2one
• Reeves Electro ZO:
www.reeveselectro.co.uk/produ...
• Keeley D&M Drive
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: bit.ly/2pUDUAE
USA: bit.ly/3ltKAoo
• DOD Gonkulator
Australia: bit.ly/3TSMFdq
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/vNnWdA
• Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge
fairfieldcircuitry.com/collec...
• Electro Harmonix Frequency Analyzer
No longer available
• Stone Deaf Tremotron
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: bit.ly/3G1nYWw
• Mythos Pedals Oracle Analogue Delay
Australia: bit.ly/3gUpk91
USA: bit.ly/3nRxPFM
• Meris Mercury 7
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: bit.ly/38aVTft
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/vNnW7W
• TheGigRig G3
www.thegigrig.com/g3
Interesting bits and go-to sections
0:00 Intro ‘playing’
2:35 Why? Just why?
3:45 Today’s pedals
5:00 Background & context
8:30 Today’s amps
9:05 The connection with tremolo
10:00 What is a ring modulator?
13:33 Let’s hear it then
14:54 EXH Frequency Analyzer
17:36 Let’s add some fuzz
18:30 Split the signal Iommi style?
20:50 DOD Gonkluator
23:58 Fairfield Randy’s Revenge
26:15 Expression pedal control
29:48 Band Jam 1
31:40 Band Jam 2
35:40 Band Jam 3
38:41 Closing thoughts
Guitars in this video
Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1964 SG Standard with Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
Fender Custom Shop ’52 Heavy Relic Telecaster - Dan’s video here • That Pedal Show - Dan'...
Fender Player Precision Bass - no video
Amps in this episode
• Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb with Jensen C-12K speaker
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
USA: imp.i114863.net/P01236
• Marshall 2245 JTM45 & 2061cx cab with Celestion G12H Anniversary speakers
• 1979 Fender Bassman 70 & Barefaced Cabs Big Twin
We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel.
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/ thatpedalshow
Please visit our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf

[@brianhammond761]

Would love to see Fairfield Circuitry’s Meet Maude delay or Shallow Water vibrato on the show sometime!

[@UnitedEffect]

Ring modulators have always fascinated my more adventurous & experimental side. First used one back in the mid 1970's. After hearing the jams going on in that wonderful trio setting, it's high time I invest in a new ring mod. You guys were really grooving! More to come I hope...? Thanks for sharing this wonderful & whacky effect to a wider audience. I trust they'll start showing up on more players pedal boards after this great video. Thanks guys!!!

[@Cesiumswimsuit]

This was a fun one, always happy to see Dougie on the kit!

[@periloustemple8290]

I did not expect to love this 1 as much but expectations exceeded!!! That stuff was awesome- & the TPS trio was extraordinary!❤❤

[@damianhooper4427]

Cheers for the show on Ring Mods chaps. It always makes feel compelled to re-watch Old Dr Who episodes - after hearing a few in action.

[@Parariddle]

I was hesitant over Ring Mods but magically surprised by this, great episode gents and stellar bass work and hats off to Dougie too for most excellent drumming. Guitar work on point as always 😊

[@davidmchugh4251]

Thanks fellas! One of my favorite episodes ever completely opened my eyes to ring mod! Loved the jams and now I need a Gonkulator! Probably worth it for the name alone haha

[@kanehicks9321]

Great job guys!! Your demos sounded terrific. Love it when you guys get going and jam with drums in the mix. Cheers!

[@kevinquinn6874]

Very Much Enjoyed the Live Playing Portion of the Program!!! Great Jams! 🎸❤️🤠

[@TimBentley]

The band format made all the difference in demonstrating how ring mods can work in a musical context. Really nice work 🙂

[@jamesseale2980]

I love these old school deep dives in how a type of pedal does what it does

[@phillipbland2861]

And as a side note, the D&M sounds fantastic as usual. The volume on tap in that thing is incredible.

[@smelltheglove2038]

I really like it. I like “dan” side stacked after my Timmy with humbuckers. Such a lovely tone.

[@jefe_golf]

I was playing around with maj9 chords this morning, (I got turned on to them from one of Dan’s old lessons) & you nailed it at the end of the opening jam! Well done.

[@hgkress3501]

The Fairfield Circuits pedal is by far the most interesting one. Thanks lads for another great episode!

[@smelltheglove2038]

Into the fan you ALWAYS say: “Luke I am your father”

[@andsoistopped]

Forget the ring mods I now want to buy a fan.

[@hedgehogstv2132]

I AM IRONMAN!

[@stanislavmigra]

"NO! Iiiiii am your father" 😁

[@mikeh892]

​@@stanislavmigra Han shot first

[@stanislavmigra]

@@mikeh892 Han shot first 👍

[@WhatsUpWhitey]

Never thought I would be saying to myself, “I need to get a ring mod!” Great show and information.

[@hoganshideout]

Nice! You guys did an awesome job demonstrating this in a band context!

[@marleenvos4126]

Great episode, this was fun

[@bobdobbs8397]

Finally! Ring Mods are a must have for every genre.

[@DRChevalier]

My profound thanks gentlemen! I have this function in the H9 Max or some other multi effector. It always sounded like a flock of turkeys bringing up last week’s lunch so I never used it due to lack of knowledge on my part. Fortunately there are you fine professionals who can educate me and I know understand that this effect does in fact sound like a flock of turkeys yacking up yesterday’s lunch and I will never more wonder if I am missing something. You’re the best!

[@ThatPedalShow]

HHahahh! Nice one Ross!

[@Tanzi24]

That lovely bit of dissonance at 32:29 was glorious! I can hear the jazz fusion influence. A bit of John McLaughlin there! This was a fantastic episode, thank you gents!

[@ewetoo]

Nice jams, some nice bassplaying Mick and Dan! It's a tricky kind of pedal to integrate into one's board but I can see a use for it. Ring mod with distortion definitely works.

[@tonebender69]

This is awesome!!!! You guys successfully incorporated this difficult effect. Great tones

[@tonebender69]

And fantastic riffing in the band segment.

[@chrisrobinson8660]

Thanks for the great jamming, guys! Wasn't sure that was possible with a ring mod but y'all made it work. :0)

[@waitingforguitar6991]

Krantz is such a rhythmic player, he is able to remove focus from the key center and just communicate with rhythm and tonal color. Thus, his ability to succeed with the ring mod. =)

[@AWilliams7878]

Couldn't say it better. Krantz is a master of rhythm / poly rhythm.

[@joaopauloaboim8320]

Epic! Great show! Such great tones as always!

[@DeadWhiteButterflies]

The split amps with the ring mod sounded so good on my monitors! This whole episode has really shown me that Ring Mods are firstly used more often than you think, and secondly deserve a bit more credit as a result. It's a sound that's probably a bit harder to work with, but you've definitely demonstrated it's a case of dialling it in and finding what works for you. A great sound if you're in a Tame Impala situation, or a Harsh Noise outfit, or even a Stoner Metal band. It's just something to get weird with. My EHX Ring Mod is great for doing oscillation stuff (especially when you've got a self oscillating delay going at the same time), and I've turned heads on stage before with it when I do some freaky noise stuff at the end of a set. I always had people afterwards asking me what that sound was. It's a textural flavour you don't hear often, so people notice it when they hear it.

[@ThomasHope73]

I always think of Jan Hammer when it comes to Ring Mods; he was of course in the Mahavishnu Orchestra AND Jeff Beck’s band, in the ‘70s.

[@Diax1324]

He also gave Jeff Beck his maestro ring mod that he used for decades!

[@brianmcdermott281]

Oh yeahh, Jeff Beck with Jan Hammer group live is one of my fav albums

[@davidw4664]

Thanks for showing me that I absolutely do not need a ring modulator haha😅, Great show guys!

[@AndyCooper761]

Cool episode! Happy Easter Dan and Mick and all at TPS Towers

[@merbertancriwalli8622]

All of the Daleks are now rematerialising around your studio - Modulate!! Modulate!!

[@misternevercot8706]

Wow great Coverage of the Topic. And Dan on the Bass Guitar was freaking grooving fantastic!

[@andrews2772]

Let's just be honest, the green sg is amazing and it is here to stay. Live your best life Mick and Dan, many thanks for all your hard work from the gateway city in the US

[@AdamGotheridge]

Band jams were super fun and really enjoyable. 👏👏👏

[@ChrisJohnson-lp3hc]

Super here for it! Love weird noises in general, and ring mod with fuzz is beautifully nasty

[@Airfire21]

Can I just say - in addition to all the ring mod coolness - what an INCREDIBLE distortion sound in the Gonkulator! Some people say its the DOD Grunge - I wonder if that's really true! And micks playing was incredible when he first heard it! Loved the band sections, honestly missed them. Great episode fellas!

[@3rdNippleClips]

Reminds me of my mis-spent youth - drunken hr after hr with my mates making silly noises thinking we were Zappa...

[@stevea5388]

You blokes have been on the Easter Mushrooms!! I’m hearing a slicer, some crazy reverb and arpeggiated chords for a total trip. Great show. Really enjoyed it.

[@scottcurry4116]

Forbidden Planet is one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies. They also used a Theremin in the sound track. Ring modulators add so much weirdness to guitar sounds. It’s like an octave pedal on acid. Great show!

[@philipellis7039]

I think I’m correct in saying that the soundtrack has some of the earliest recorded electric bass guitar as well.

[@AZFunk]

Love these episodes when you guys play!

[@chrisegg7936]

I get why it was discontinued but the way huge ringworm is really worth a look for anyone enticed by the ring mod sound. It's the only ring mod I've messed around with where I feel like I have all the controls necessary to make it somewhat musical (or sufficiently not musical when necessary).

[@IngeJ]

Great show guys (as always). Last thing first: more TPS Trio, please! So enjoyable to get the geeky stuff in context. Then on to the ring mods. Been a fan of the effect for years, but didn’t get one until I got the Randy’s Revenge about two years ago. It’s such a great pedal. I prefer to use it without an expression pedal and just use my toe/shoe on the big frequency knob. Be sure to explore the slow sinus mode in combination with the blend knob for some unique shifts in tremolo, almost vibey in some settings….

[@oliv9312]

That intro jam woke up my cat but good - looking forward to the rest of the episode

[@marshallgibson1871]

Just got a laugh out of the fact Mick climbed the gear mountain to the peak. The epic strat journey that might have felled a lesser man. The amps, my goodness, the amps… behemoths of glory and price. Just to make robot noises with a ring mod. I love it

[@pvolt7]

Jams were so so great! loved it

[@davidsummerville351]

Great info. Understanding is the key to using it effectively. Love Randy's Revenge, very versatile.

[@bluesful]

The Gonkulator was my favourite. The Distortion in it sounds great too.

[@fredhystair5789]

Cool. I've expected that one for sooo long !

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

Groovy jams, you guys are awesome

[@jaaaash1382]

Great shout for Incubus "glass" Dan! What a great use of the Gonk.

[@jonpardoe]

My Gonkulator arrives on Wednesday! Actually used the one in Logic Pro X quite a lot a few years back but, now that I've got several Fuzzes to pair with it, seems like the right time to 'get real'. Excellent demos as always, of course 😊

[@camhaines5482]

Thanks! I like it when you mention songs and artists that use the pedals. I love to surf you tube for the songs.

[@mrjsings]

Excellent job on the mixing Mick

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you!

[@MrLeka1111]

Very nice (and professional) solos on guitars specially in session part. Jazz, blues... are mixed excellent. Drummer man is super too. Thanks I am impressed.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you!

[@richardsmith1487]

Fantastic found my new always on pedal!

[@jamiebridson7871]

Wayne Krantz is the master of this sound! And his trio w/ Lefebvre and Carlock kicked ass! That's also the period I was listening to him a LOT, so it's defo a fave lineup.

[@norbertplaysguitar7244]

Love Doug’s smile when he plays. It‘s always a good addition to show stuff in context. Watching TPS for years now and I don’t remember if you have done it yet, but what about a TPS show on pedals on drums? Also would love to get another show on ‚strange’ pedals on acoustic. Thanks for the entertaining and instructive episode!

[@therewasascene]

Good gourd that SG sounds as good as it looks

[@jrchanning]

Loved the band jams and the ring thing was an interesting sound in small doses !! 😛

[@JohnHorneGuitar]

Sounds great! The only ring modulator I ever had was in the old Alesis Quadraverb. So many menus to tap through...

[@MR_Robbers]

Severrrrral more minutes in...thanks for the jam legs! Enjoying it

[@Sammywhat]

I never understood ring modulation until I've seen Wayne Krantz - Why at The Miraverse here on KZbin. Mick started down that percussive funky avenue in a similar fashion. Totally makes sense now. But before I've seen this usage, it's always been a mystery to me. Nice work Fellas!!

[@sesa2984]

I'm working (diligently) on a diamond-encrusted, gold-plated, gonkulator clone called the Bling Mod.

[@ThatPedalShow]

THIS! Swaovski!

[@geoffblack9655]

Come ON! You guys are amazing for CLEARLY getting out of your comfort zone. I NEEEED a Randy’s Revenge. Seems to be THEE most musical ring mod I’ve ever heard. That trem it can achieve is amazing. My fav ring mod to date. And I’ve had a Gonkulator.

[@ZillianZilch]

I’ve listened to Paranoid a thousand times and never once noticed the ring modulator on the solo. Now I can’t unhear it! It’s amazing what you don’t hear until it’s pointed out to you.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Same here! Mick here

[@jitterbug__]

Thank you for doing this one 🙏

[@brandoncoventry5662]

Great episode! Some other constant ring mod users are Gilad Hekselman who uses it all the time, but most notably on John Raymond's Minnesota, WI. The other is Tim Lefebvre who uses it on bass throughout the whole Donny McCaslin catalog, but most notably casting for daylight

[@ThatPedalShow]

Awesome! Thank you for that!

[@tituschalk]

Woah Dan get your gonk on!! Some sweet playing there in the jams!

[@mikaelforss5725]

How cool Jam

[@timchalmers1700]

I love the jams !!

[@DBroce]

You just took the pedal I would never own and made it cool. I had only heard Metal guys use them and thought they sucked. I also appreciate the drummer kicking in the Freeway Jam intro. Thanks Dan and Mick.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Dougie FTW! Dude has a shuffle. :0)

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

I started playing guitar, and played many hundreds of gigs with nothing more than the 'basics'. Even the most basic ring-mod in the hands of a curious creator exponentially extends the possibilities of any guitar.

[@chrisbolton5461]

Cracking video and some great sounds'

[@oldwoodsmellsgood5597]

Massive 👍 for Dan's playing!

[@chrisdrake447]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 ... “I’m your biggest fan ...” Never, ever gets old, that one 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Sousafolle]

Thank you it was a big fun episode. I inadvertently started the jams at the end with the player set at 1.5x speed 😂Give it a try! Joking apart, I agree so much that everyone needs a ring modulator. Thinning my board lately and the ring modulator is definitely there to stay.

[@elliotttadanier5971]

Three cheers for Doug!! I love some guitar playing, but it’s better when the drummies come to the party too.

[@wallacem2652]

Another fantastic episode full of inspiration. I think tomorrow i'm gonna put my hands on my Mobius trying again to make the damn "quadrature" engine work!

[@philgoldstone5888]

Really enjoyed that!

[@67er_matze97]

Success!! That definitely was some great music in the jams. Great also to see + hear you guys play together with Dougie on Drums. I think the Reeves' ZO: is a fantastict pedal. I'd love to have a bit more in depth view on it in the future (but I will take a look also if that was done in previous episodes)

[@brainbuginfestation8548]

You finally did it!!! :-)

[@ChrisSkinner1]

Wayne Krantz is AWESOME. I just “discovered” his music a few weeks ago and I’m obsessed.

[@UnitedEffect]

If you're interested.... Wayne Krantz has a fascinating music book in publication called "Improviser's OS".

[@justinguitarcia]

@@UnitedEffect that book is GREAT, super interesting read/study

[@ChrisSkinner1]

@@UnitedEffect I will definitely check it out! Thanks for the tip!

[@UnitedEffect]

@@ChrisSkinner1 No problem.

[@UnitedEffect]

@@justinguitarcia Agreed...100% I like to take a note grouping and build harmonies/chords from each note. It helps to map out the fingerboard and great for getting the ears to hear new chords and colours.

[@GregSB1]

More band jams please!

[@andsoistopped]

Hurrah for bank holidays so I can watch in 4k on 65 inch Oled Screen. So what’s today…..ring mod….ok this should be fun.

[@eaglerayrob]

Pedals (and music for that matter) that create atonal sound really challenge me. These do have some cool textural elements. I can see "tuning" one of these and mixing it in lightly for texture. Thanks for taking me somewhere that I wouldn't have gone on my own.

[@antonrandle4146]

The Gonkulator was the more guitar friendly sound with a shallower learning curve to get creative with. For some reason I can not get the '70's British cartoon classic, Rhubarb and Custard's theme tune out of my head now! Thanks for the entertainment.

[@lasterlou]

That Jam 2 is amazing guys, you should totally make some kind of record with it

[@karllongbottomguitars9192]

A money saving episode 😂😂😂, seriously though, great fun as ever 👍

[@dominicvonriedemann2617]

Thanks for a deep dive into an effect I never really had time for, unless I wanted to terrify the other members of my band. FYI, when playing bass, you'll want to wrap your cable in your strap. Very few things suck worse than playing a song and being suddenly disconnected when either you or someone else steps on your cable. Other than that, great show guys.

[@justinguitarcia]

I love ring mod, especially for comping. It almost turns the guitar into a weird tonal percussion instrument

[@albertplaysguitar]

Finally! An intro that's "out of this world"!😂😂😂

[@davidkieltyka9]

One of the original Moogerfooger gizmos from the late 1990s, the MF-102, is a ring mod. Also doubles as a cool sounding tremolo with sine & square wave options.

[@jordanmuller4735]

My favorite contemporary example of a ring mod is the song Car Crash by Idles. Using it like a subtle synth worked perfectly in that song. I have the Randy’s revenge and it’s a phenomenally versatile pedal: crunchy, chimey, pretty, ugly, and an amazing tremolo.

[@dlbrownmac]

You actually used a Bassman with a bass! I thought that was illegal!😂

[@edphaze6550]

I’ve had a Gonkulator for years and I do actually use it occasionally for some weirdness. It’s fun!

[@brian_mccomedy]

I left this comment on a JHS video but here's further info on how Ring Modulation works: " Carrier frequency is what you set on the pedal (i.e. tune it to the note A - 440hz) Modulator frequency is whatever note the guitar is playing (i.e. play the dominant 5th, like in a power chord, which would be E at 659.25hz) The pedal takes those two, and mixes in the sum and difference of those frequencies. So it will generate the sum frequency: A-440hz + E-659.25hz = C# at 1099hz (C# is a Major 3rd in the Key of A), And it will generate the difference between the two frequencies: A-440hz - E-659.25hz = A at 219hz (The note A but a lower octave down). As you can see the frequencies it generates aren't perfectly in tune, and depending what note you play it can sound more or less dissonant. Other names for it could be: - microtonal chord generator pedal. - Unison Bend pedal - Mathematicians noise rock pedal Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk."

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you for that!

[@djtomoy]

Mick has excellence bass playing body posture

[@CradleRawk]

I think Mick has finally cracked. Either that or he’s hit a whole new level of consciousness where blooz sounds different 😮😂😂😂😂. Awesome

[@ThatPedalShow]

It's definitely the latter. ;)

[@colinedmunds2238]

I’ve always loved Ring Mods on drum machines

[@jamesbaker9539]

Wow, great to see you guys play music! I am fairly new to your channel and got the impression you do have some videos with songs being played, but this was my first to see one. Thank you for putting the pedals to actual musical use!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks James. You’d be amazed at how many people really do not want any music on a guitar channel, but hey, we’ll do what feels right at the time. Cheers!

[@danielr8932]

That does surprise me. But it’s rare to see Dan and Mick play songs together. When they do, however, it’s pleasurable music to my ears. I hope it “feels right” more often!

[@joshjohnson9097]

@@ThatPedalShow fuck ‘em. Sounded great!