Lo-Fi Guitar Tone Tutorial - How to Make Worn-Out Tape Sounds

[@bassimprovjams3772]

The shot with the guitar, pedals and tape all over them all would make such a beautiful piece of art on a wall!!

[@thepedalzone]

Cheers, man. I'm really happy with that shot as well :)

[@JimmyGallowayGuitar]

I learned something with the filter. Very cool! This reminds me of a small elephant toy I had with a music box in it. I used to love winding it up, putting my ear to it, and hearing the gears wind down. I still have it 45+ years later. Probably my first musical memory. I love your channel man. Glad to see it grow

[@thepedalzone]

Happy to hear there was some newfound inspiration in the video for you. Makes all the work worth it 😊 And what a cool and magical musical memory. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. Since becoming a father it's become obvious to me how important music is. The way my daughter glows up when she hears a song she knows, or a song she doesn't know but instantly falls in love with. The way she all of a sudden can sing a song flawlessly from beginning to end without me ever having heard her practicing it. The way music and song makes my 4month old twins calm completely down and go into deep listening mode, and taking in the new sounds for the first time in their lives. Music is magic. We can try to make sense of it and put it in boxes, but in the end, it is the clearest proof to me that magic exists. Something that just instantly moves us and creates memories without us really being able to explain why.

[@JimmyGallowayGuitar]

@The Pedal Zone you are busy! I have 4 girls, the youngest are a set of twins. Music is certainly magic, and also the great communicator. Cheers!

[@TheGreenKingdom]

I love these videos where you combine existing pedals to create a sound rather than always focusing on the latest and greatest as sone do. The idea of using a filtery pedal for the wow and vibrato for the fluttery sounds is awesome!

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you so much! I really enjoy making these Tonal Teamwork videos, so it means a lot to hear that the effort is appreciated by you. The fun part about playing with pedals has always been the explorative aspect of combining and stacking pedals to conjure new sounds.

[@EthanRMus]

The aqueduct is my go to vibrato for sure. Underrated pedal

[@thepedalzone]

Super underrated! EQD really made something awesome with that one

[@jaymax3201]

I originally loved the fantastic delay reverbs and modulation algorithms.Especially shimmer reverb and chorus.Since a year ago, I've been immersed in researching and creating generation loss sounds with HX Stomp, but it requires a lot of ingenuity.Even if the tape eater is added in the update, finally couldn't resist getting Cooper FX Arcades. I could get the last one and two cartridges.I made the decision too late to get all the cartridges, but I am very happy with the results. Great video, thanks！

[@禎子佐々木]

Really nice a Lo Fi Tut, Lo-Fi is really something on its own to explain and to experiment with also in a mixture, sometimes Lo-Fi do really fit so good for a sound.

[@thepedalzone]

Thanks! Happy you liked the tutorial 🙏

[@gregs6424]

Vibe! Drive! Fil-tered sounds! I'm living La Vida Lo-Fi

[@thepedalzone]

Hahahaha! I’m gonna be singing that all day now. Thank you! ❤️😹

[@gregs6424]

@@thepedalzone any time! 😆

[@Lodit24]

Great sounds in this one, I'm really stoked for the next episodes of this! This also reminded me: Would you consider showcasing the Kinotone Ribbons? It does the Lo-Fi thing really good and does deserve a lot more attention for what it's worth imo.

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you so much! And yes, would love to check out Ribbons at some point. It's one of the very few pedals I actually have massive GAS for. It looks super cool.

[@phantominterrogative]

There was some Vangelis Spiral-like tone flavour to that Mellotron.

[@thepedalzone]

Vangelis tones are always the best tones. Honored to hear that the Mellotron section transported you to his epic and iconic sonic worlds.

[@jcloud7]

Love that lofi. Another great video. You’re one of the main reasons I own some of my reverbs, thanks!

[@thepedalzone]

Thanks, man!! That really means a lot to me. I’m honored to hear that some of my videos have helped you find some cool ambience devices

[@grizelda4526]

Great project! My favorite sounds to make. A few other good choices: Walrus Juliana for Vibrato, OBNE Dark Star for bit crush. A Flash Back 2 for some reverse is cool. Champion Leccy Swan Hunter for Tape Delay plus the effects loop gives extra options. Chase Bliss Gen Loss is one stop shop king. I definitely like using combos of pedals though. Maybe a version for bass?

[@thepedalzone]

Thanks, man! Happy you enjoyed it. Lo-Fi sounds are some of my favorite to explore as well. One-stop pedal solutions are nice, but I've always found it more fascinating to see how close I can get to the sounds I hear in my head, with the pedals I already have available to me. Combining pedals is also what made me fall in love with these weird boxes of wires, diodes and resistors. How combined pedals can become more than the sum of its parts is just magic to me

[@MrDxbrown]

Thank you! Always a pleasure to see and hear your dedication to music!!

[@thepedalzone]

Thanks for watching and listening. Means a lot!

[@hoggboyy]

That is fucking incredible.

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you very very much ❤️🙏

[@johntsg]

Rad video man! Love these kind of videos with the pedal paring, super inspiring 🤘🏼

[@thepedalzone]

Cheers, bud! Means a lot to me ❤️

[@b0000kify]

already nice with the OD/vib , but that no resonance filter is the sauce!

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you! Yeah, the Filter really makes the sound more alive and interesting to listen to.

[@jdoppler]

Super nice setup dude. Perfect combo to get wear dusty sounds.

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you so much 😊

[@noyd4172]

thank you for doing your part to change public opinion on envelope filters and showing how we can use effects that some us may already have to get to the good stuff: making music (and I think I caught something a little Perth-like in there ;P )

[@thepedalzone]

A filter pedal is honestly one of the most useful pedal purchases a musician can make these days. It's such a versatile effect.

[@justinhong7638]

Very inspiring as always. Excited for this series! Hope you're doing good Stefan, you didn't seem at 100% in this video. Sending you good vibes my dude :)

[@thepedalzone]

Thanks! Happy you enjoyed it. And thanks for looking out for me. I’m doing fine, man. I was just tired when I recorded that speak. Having 3 small kids in the house, will do that to a man 😊 #TiredDadVibes

[@justinhong7638]

@@thepedalzone Good luck to you sir! I'm sure that's not easy haha

[@yaqzan24]

Yay a new video, love you Stefan!

[@thepedalzone]

Awwww! Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[@mastertigh-8617]

Great video and a great idea for a series keep up the good work. 👍

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you very much!

[@skyviewdesign]

Yesssss!!! Beautifully done!

[@thepedalzone]

Aaaaw! Thank you ❤

[@compucorder64]

For these types of tones, I also love Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water, Strymon Magneto and Zvex Lo-fi junky. And the real spring reverb in my Vox ACs is nice and grungy too. For other more digital lo-fi flavours, Chase Bliss Mood mk.II, Soma Cosmos and Walrus Sloer are cool too. Interested in Lossy (and Generation Loss) too.

[@RustySoul-ii1cl]

Thanks for this video 😁

[@thepedalzone]

Cheers! Happy you like it

[@regaudieguillaume]

You're a master at that task!

[@thepedalzone]

Gosh! Thank you so much 🙏❤️

[@DalelCampbell]

Truly

[@laurentsaint-laurent3659]

That's super cool, great idea for a series of tutorial.. eagerly awaiting the next!! It would be nice to show some easier to find & cheaper alternative, tho.. vibrato pedals with random mode are rare as hen's teeth ..

[@thepedalzone]

Happy you liked the video. Means a lot to me. Regarding the pedals, don’t focus too much on the specific pedal I use (they are simply my personal faves for the task) focus on the effects type and the concepts presented. You can easily use a vibrato pedal that doesn’t have a random mode. It won’t capture the unpredictability of real tape and real moving parts, but it’ll still give you a great lo-fi sound. I would focus on slower modulation rates if you’re using a more cyclical wave shape like Sine or Triangle.

[@levistine6733]

Very helpful video! Where did you get the pickguard for the jazzmaster? I love the art on it!

[@thepedalzone]

Happy you found the video inspiring and helpful. Makes all the work worth it. The pickguard was made by Indra Guitars. Can't recommend him enough. He's a treat to work with, and he's just incredibly talented.

[@everestdesign7]

My dude, been enjoying your lo-fi sounds for ages. Can I ask, what artists do you listen to for lo-fi sounds?

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you so much! Means a lot to me 🙏 Some musicians I admire who incorporate lo-fi aesthetics into their music are William Basinski, Bibio, Mount Eerie, Sparklehorse, Amulets, Caspian and CHVRCHES, just to mention a few 😊

[@michaelsnydermusic]

Great video. Question; What’s your band’s name again? I remember checking out the album a while ago and really liked it. I’d like to find it again and buy a copy. Thanks!

[@stuartchapman5171]

Another fantastic vid, the filter is a great idea, especially when you back off the resonance. I have a big stack of cheap clones of classics for doing these stacking experiments. My vibrato really needs upgrading though. It needs to go slower deeper and have the random option. You had the speed over noon and the depth before noon. So this will go a lot slower and deeper. This is probably the vibrato I need. Here's an idea, if you have an old budget uninsulated power supply, thats noisy, when you mix an analogue drive with some digital pedals, dig it out and give it a try.

[@thepedalzone]

Happy you enjoyed the video. Means a lot to me. And yes, the Aqueduct can go quite slow, at least in Random mode.

[@InflatableTube]

Love it.

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@carbivore]

Love your customised J Mascis Jazzmaster! Where did you get that pickguard? Also, are you using the stock pickups? Any other mods that you have made? Thanks

[@Zan_Halford]

Stefan, are you more apt to put the overdrive at the end or before the filter and vibrato? I saw your tycho inspired lofi video ( 5 years old now) where he had the overdrive last to simulate the tape machine while the vibrato is the tape . What are your final thoughts !😅

[@alexg8233]

Very nice sounds. I was thinking about something like that, but in stereo. OBNE Float is already stereo, Aqueduct can be shifted to Walrus Julianna. But I don't know about stereo overdrive pedal with LP and HP filters. Is there one on the market?

[@frederikvedersoe]

Fedt Stefan!

[@thepedalzone]

Mange tak!! 😊

[@effectspedalcentral]

Hell Yeah, I like it!

[@thepedalzone]

Rad! Thank you 🙏

[@Zan_Halford]

Can’t wait to hear you on OBNE Object Worship! Hope you’re next on the cast Stefan✨

[@thepedalzone]

I wouldn't even know what object to worship. My mind and life has been bombarded with so many awesome pedals and instruments over the years. I can always talk about the Dispatch Master, but it would probably be a very short conversation since it's a pretty simple pedal :)

[@bismarkwilliamson8117]

sick

[@thepedalzone]

Happy you dig it!

[@krystiankrewniak]

Cool video and sounds! Something's wrong with your mic. There are some reflections present. Did you change the mic placement?

[@krystiankrewniak]

Or was it an artistic choice?😊

[@thepedalzone]

Nothing’s wrong with the mic. You’re just hearing room reflections. Recording more from my home office now, due to my family situation ( became a dad to twin boys 4 months ago) and the room isn’t properly acoustically treated yet. We’ll get there in time. For now, let’s just see it as a part of the lo-fi aesthetics 😹

[@krystiankrewniak]

@@thepedalzone That's what i initially thought. Room reflections.Congrats on becoming a dad!

[@anthonywong9462]

Shallow water 🖤

[@thepedalzone]

This is indeed a very similar concept to what Shallow Water is built on. Random modulation and envelope filtering.

[@mettomattieffetti9622]

I love that sound...😱 ....If I use two drive pedals, one in front and one at the end of the chain, (almostly minimum gain)...will It help to keep the white noise constant?

[@thepedalzone]

Happy to hear that, man! Means the world to me ❤ If you want a constant white noise effect (which I totally understand why you would) then you need a constant white noise generator at the very end of the chain. The thing with the white noise generator in the Beautiful Noise Exploder is that it's envelope triggered as well, so it's only creating white noise when my playing dynamics surpass the set threshold on the pedal.

[@dreamcity7514]

would you use reverb or tape delay to add space? how would you add it?

[@thepedalzone]

Sure. I'm doing that in the video actually. The delay and reverb has just been added in post in the DAW though. But if you want to do it with pedals, then there's a couple of ways you can do it. You can place the delay and reverb at the very end, meaning you'll hear your lo-fi tone played in a nice ambient space. Guess you would call that the "normal" way of doing it. You can also place your delay and reverb before the vibrato, which will impart the ambience with the pitch fluctuations from the vibrato. A really cool sound as well. You can also place it before the gain stage, if you want a more compressed and gritty ambience. The one place where it can cause problems in this chain, is if you place them before the envelope filter, since that effect is so dependant on your playing dynamics, and the delay/reverb feeding into the envelope filter would mess with that. But that can also be a cool glitchy sound in itself. So what I'm trying to say is, there's no right or wrong. Just a multitude of different sounds that can all work wonders in the right context. Hope this helps :)

[@dreamcity7514]

This is really helpful interesting information. I am still pretty new to pedals and tones. I guess my biggest thing for the delay is if you're using a slapback or more of a long extended delay@@thepedalzone

[@Rhinodo99]

Very nice. Looking at envelope filters now... 😅

[@thepedalzone]

Thanks! Pumped that the video has made you interested in filter pedals. One of the most useful and versatile effects you can place on your board 😊👍

[@anjy2l332]

What other vibrato pedals have that random feature?

[@alexg8233]

Shallow Water, Walrus Julianna.

[@joshguthriemusic8090]

❤️❤️❤️

[@thepedalzone]

😍😘

[@illcomeupwithacreativename4096]

i'm gonna be completely real for a second, your videos are very neat and the sounds you make are amazing and some of my favorite guitar tones that i've ever heard outside of an album/song, BUUUT it can be frustrating when the video entitled "how to make x sound" turns out to be basically just "buy this whole list of incredibly expensive equipment and then just use these settings it's super easy". i came here to learn how i could make those sounds with the stuff i have, not to listen to some sounds that are - again - amazing, but it doesn't matter since the methods used to attain those sounds are locked behind a very high paywall. again, no hate, just critique.

[@thepedalzone]

Happy you enjoyed the sounds and concepts. Means a lot. The sounds here aren’t locked behind a high paywall. I’m sorry if the pedals in play are blinding the actual ideas here, which are the effects types, stacking order and use case concepts. You can create this or something very very close to this with most vibrato, envelope filters and drive pedals. You don’t need these pedals. They are simply my faves for the task. Try out these concepts with what you have. I’m sure you’ll get very very close or get a lo-fi sound entirely of your own. This video series is here to trigger your imagination, and I hope it’ll do that. Let me know if you have questions on how to get there if you have similar effects types at home. I’d be more than happy to help 😊👌

[@mrblablablabla]

Zoom multistomp 😉

[@thepedalzone]

@@mrblablablabla - That will definitely do the trick. Really cool and versatile device

[@dstroviolin]

@@thepedalzone That’s what I do with some of the info on the best pedal videos. In fact, I just did this recently after I watched Stefan’s Screen Violence demo. I tried to emulate what I liked best about that great pedal by tweaking the pedals that are normally on my board, and it worked! I actually have the SV and love it but I don’t have the real estate for it & would have to remove other fine pedals to include it. So I extrapolated & had an inspiring result. I’ll save the SV for special occasions, most likely studio, as it’s still a unique device. The most important lesson is to explore what you have, there’s more in there than you think!

[@Napoleonwilson1973]

I just bought generation loss mark 2 had to sell some other equipment 😂

[@bradruhfel4883]

Barbershop plus shallow water does me right

[@thepedalzone]

It most definitely should. Shallow Water is an all in one lo-fi solution built on a very similar concept as shown in this video. Random modulation and envelope filtering. You definitely have lo-fi dream worlds at your feet with those two 😊

[@whosregis]

Next challenge - replicate chase bliss ayahuasca.

[@thepedalzone]

The core concept should be pretty easy to recreate. It's a fuzz feeding into a tremolo. The thing that can be difficult to recreate is the ModuShape section, which allows you to tailor the shape of the beginning and end of the LFO.

[@whosregis]

@@thepedalzone i really enjoy your videos, keep up the good work 👍

[@thepedalzone]

Thank you! That’s super kind of you ❤️

[@troypeterson7943]

Ever try to figure out why this type of.music is popular ? Maybe the decay of modern civilization, Maybe the lack of feel in modern music because of digital creation instead of analog ? It's very dystopian sounding

[@333_Tarot]

Na, jus get zoom ms-70cdr n ur good

[@thepedalzone]

Yes, you should be more than able to make this sound with that device. This is not about the specific pedals. This is about the effects types and concepts needed to create the sound. I’m just using the pedals I have, and the point is that you’ll hopefully get inspired to use what you already have to create a similar sound 😊 Zoom CDR is great 👍

[@Mockingbird650]

My Bloody Valentine, anyone??

[@thepedalzone]

Always

[@wavving3alupa]

- lo-fi. - the cost of the equipment from this video is over $300. - :/ for me, to make a real lo-fi you don’t have to buy such fancy equipment, IMHO. anyway, thanks for the video!!

[@thepedalzone]

It’s not about the equipment. It’s about the effects types, use concepts and stacking order. You can use whatever brand of pedals you want. Most vibratos, envelope filters and overdrives will get you to this sound or a very similar sound

[@Iconoclast1312]

Honestly my favorite pedal for lo-fi sounds is the Zoom MS-50g. You can stack most of the effect types here and people have made a lot of patches to get different lo-fi sounds

[@wavving3alupa]

@@Iconoclast1312 love this pedal too)