Synths and Pedals | Distortion | Thomann

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

The guitar pedals used to modulate the synthesizer sound is magical! I love doing it, great job!

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Thanks! Glad to hear you're getting good results too //Jason

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

@@ThomannSynthesizers prego, ciao! :-)

[@trevormalcolm4328]

Thanks for using the Volca Drum as a test machine, it really helps to understand the effectiveness of the pedal by using familiar kit!

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Glad you found that useful.. it’s a crackling box too! //Jason

[@Sluhg]

aha love the enthusiasm! Great to hear these on synths and drums instead of guitars :)

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hahaha, thanks - good to hear! I came from guitars, many years ago and have always used pedals with my synths. So I'm glad you found it useful! //Jason

[@rars0n]

Seems like square wave is a good choice for distortion pedals. That Volca Drums sounds pretty awesome plugged into just about anything, too. I might have to pick up one of those on the cheap.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Surprisingly good little Drum synth - why it made it onto the Top 5! //Jason

[@arthurlayne6350]

i guess it's quite off topic but does anyone know of a good site to watch new series online?

[@t55a2]

@@arthurlayne6350 4Chan

[@andikellotat5128]

Wow! Amazing. Would love to hear a moog dfam with some preamp and metal distortion fx

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Totally! What a great combination that would be //Jason

[@nym053]

Would totally sound like industrial techno ;)

[@stephenholden5488]

That AMT has great sound, might have to get me one of those. Same idea with Delay and reverb pedals would be good too.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Isn't it? Valves are so good for Synths... Glad you enjoyed.. I'll get my thinking cap on then for those ideas 😉 //Jason

[@TheWriter86]

Dude, this was great. So many cool pedals!!

[@Grant82gc]

Oh that AMT preamp sounds much more subtle which is great for my use case. I wish they made stereo distortion pedals.

[@Feldspar__]

Very informative. The drums really come alive with some great sounds. The synth just sounds like it’s has a low pass filter put on it.

[@xanfus]

I love to run my volca beats through my line 6 pod 2.0 . If you you run midi in from the volca beats to the midi out of the pod, the effects sweep to the tempo of the drum machine. Sounds amazing with a phaser and delay!

[@C.S.Argudo]

I mentioned doing this to my friends and they said why would you do that and here I am. Dope video and thanks for the confirmation bias

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hahah my pleasure! Always happy to help prove a good point. Glad to hear you enjoy the feature too! Keep at it =/Jason

[@thejoshuathomas]

I have a Boss MT-2 clone on the way. After listening to overdrives, distortions, fuzz, and heavy metal pedals, I realize the tone and flexibility I was looking for comes from Heavy Metal pedals. Now, I must resist buying a fleet of them over time with only minor differences. The force is strong.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Yes it is!! I have now lost count of mine - However, I think I definitely have more fuzz pedals than anything else.. this is the pitfall and the joy of distortion! Keep up the good work //Jason

[@ryanpwm]

Death by audio fuzz war... expensive pedal but it's what you want lol. Doesn't suffer from the band limiting that many pedals have built in.

[@thejoshuathomas]

@@ryanpwm Appreciate you for the recommendation. 👊🏾

[@StratsRUs]

Great range of examples.Very entertaining presentation too.Thank you.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Glad you found it entertaining as well as useful - my work is done! Thank you //Jason

[@mikkoyli-hukka1665]

Thanks for the video! ..but now I need all the pedals! MORE noise, chaos and distortion!!!

[@nym053]

Thanks for this. My favorite in this demo was Big Muff and the Harley Benton. Would like to hear synth and drum machine with Hot Tubes and Mudhoney.

[@syntheffects]

The HB pedal is also a Metal Muff clone.

[@firesailstudios1003]

WMD Geiger counter .... worth checking out on this topic

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Ooh hello indeed! 😝//Jason

[@adamkrasneski3679]

Fun vid. Ive been having a time w the line 6 pod 1.0 and my electribe er1. Compression distortion time effects and reverb in one spot. Wish the pod had a stereo input tho.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

I had a Pod back in the day and I put everything through it! I think some of the new line 6 stuff is really good too.. the HX stomp has a stereo in 😉 //Jason

[@luggasonic]

this is exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Yes! My work is done - so glad you found this useful :) //Jason

[@luggasonic]

@@ThomannSynthesizers finally, as a bloody beginner in creating music with synthesizers, I added the Harvey Benton Extreme Pad to my Korg Volca Beats and OMG what kind of sounds I already created with both of 'em combined!

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

@@luggasonic Nice! Glad you found this useful and are enjoying yourself- that is the most important thing! All the best//Jason

[@Tehstroyer]

Cool video overall, but pretty sure the Metal pedal is actually a preamp or even an amp pedal with a simulated speaker? I would also like longer demos and I don't mind the videos being longer overall. As for some of my pedal suggestions for an eventual 2nd video: - ProCo RAT (probably the most used distortion for a 303? Also my favorite distortion pedal overall) - Something based on the Boss HM-2. Be it a boutique clone or a simple Behringer copy. - fuzzes that aren't Big Muffs (Muffs are basically their own category and are very scooped) - Green Russian Big Muff (a bit of an outlier in the Muff family: less gain and a bit more mids than usual. Wonder how its -for the lack of a better word- fluffy sound would work on synths) - an overdrive trying to emulate power amp distortion, like the Earthquaker Acapulco Gold or Fulltone OCD - pedals stacked (for example, the mid-bump in Tube Screamers is often used to counter the scoop in Big Muffs. Or you could try to mix fuzz and distortion etc.)

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.. nice list! I own a few of those pedals too. You may have to keep your eyes out for some of my home content, I may grab them out! I have a Black Russian big muff.. which sounds great..not sure how it compares to the green one though🤔 //Jason

[@ryanpwm]

The tube screamer is so good it's even a full fledged eurorack module in the form of TRSHMSTR. Ritual Electronics Miasma is a RAT pedal, but they let you switch the diodes in and out as you please, since that's basically the core difference between any of the RAT pedals.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Thanks for that! I’ll have to check them out .. but RAT fan!! //Jason

[@beloyaraistov8007]

Omg elektron analog heat the BEST. SUPERB SOUND

[@naiburu9318]

Dang dude! That sounds super industrial!! @10:45

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hahah thanks! And also Busted!! Love some industrial //Jason

[@badinibeats5939]

whaaaaattt bro that intro loooooooooool

[@Relyick]

The poison ivy bass fuzz is crazy on synth, dwarfcraft Reese lightning, pork n pickle by way huge. Those things can make a synth sound like a guitar

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Ooh now I'm listening! Thanks for sharing.. //Jason

[@Relyick]

@@ThomannSynthesizers Np :). I use distortion on my synths all the time. I also forgot to mention the boss metalzone; that’s also a very good one on synthesizer

[@Relyick]

@@cevanfx40 I think of Either doom metal, stoner, psychedelic. Or Smashing pumpkins because of the big muff Op that he used

[@stefanocapra9857]

Very interesting video. It's very hard to find an overdrive/distortion pedal that can really make the sound of a synth more "aggressive" without losing the low-frequency component of the original signal (notable exceptions are the bass-overdrive-type pedals). Overall I think that a video about how to properly mix natural synth signal and distortion channel (with different pedals) would be very interesting. Still, I personally think that a pedal that can "improve" (please let me use this term) the sound of a synth like an OD/dist does on a guitar is still to be invented.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Yes indeed.. I think the analogheat goes a long way to getting that.. but maybe I should have grabbed a bass distortion pedal! OK.. Next end jam i do on the channel I'll grab one! But mixing with distortion.. there's a feature! //Jason

[@justanotheryoutubechannel3102]

0:00 WHY SO ANGRY? If you REALLY want a monster "pedal", check *Elektron's Analogue Heat* out! it's a dedicated multi-distortion effects box (not a pedal) & sounds warm to gnarly great "shootout" and I'm only up to the OD. WOW! I wasn't expecting ANY of these distortions to create new envelopes or resonances, just different degrees of fat & fuzz. I never knew distortions could twist sounds this much. thumbs up. i DESPISE heavy metal more than any genre, but it was cool hearing your beatbox kind emulating DMX pool ball handclaps. now i'm surprised that there are so few modular distortion units. they really do give you new textures

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Haha I was trying to add some natural overdrive to my voice!! I’m so glad you got something hood from watching this! I loved the analogue Hear- It did a video on that too - have a search! As for modular, the Dreadbox Dystopia is pretty good! Keep pushing! //Jason

[@PooNinja]

Distortion works with ery thing musical 🤘🏽 bring the clipping 🤘🏽😂😂😂

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hahah yes indeed! Love a bit of overdrive on everything! //Jason

[@PooNinja]

Thomann Synthesizers some very NIN tones to be had with those gain boosters

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

@@PooNinja Now you're talking! Good bit of industrial needs it.. //Jason

[@JoelGilardini]

Nice demo! A question: how did you set the output on the AMT SS11, To Amp or To Mix? I have myself an AMT SS20, which is cool because it has 2 outpus, one with and one without cabinet emulation. So I have an ab-box after it to switch between the OUTs, having that cabinet emulation can drammatically influence the sound, especially with synths.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hi, I'm pretty sure we used Mix, as it went directly into our audio interface.. but totally get your point about the cab simulator.. Theres a while other video 😁 //Jason

[@stevenaustin4591]

Here's one, Run a Yamaha Reface YC organ synth through a EHX Cock Fight Fuzz/Wah/Talkbox. I've done it, and it sounds REALLY aggressive like something The Prodigy might use! Its Awesome! :)

[@jat5am]

could you make a vid? I wanted to buy that pedal for guitar for a long time, but now I mess with synths and I really miss that extra dirt sometimes.

[@stevenaustin4591]

@@jat5am I'll put something up soon

[@jat5am]

@@stevenaustin4591 thanks, drop me a message here, please

[@stevenaustin4591]

@@jat5am where do you want me to post the vid?

[@jat5am]

@@stevenaustin4591 anywhere you want, at your channel, google drive or whatnot

[@TheLokiBiz]

I also have an Arturia Minibrute 2 (it's the keyboard version though, not the sequencer one) - it's it possible to use it's semi-modular capability to put the distortion pedal earlier in the chain, so it comes before the filter?

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

I don't think the Microbrute is modular enough to let you do that..might be worth checking the manual //Jason

[@TheLokiBiz]

@@ThomannSynthesizers I have a Minibrute 2, not a Microbrute, if that makes a difference.

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

@@TheLokiBiz My bad, I meant minibrute 2, somehow typed micro! //Jason

[@chrismaister721]

Hi, Excellent video. Looking to get a few distortion pedals, so I really enjoyed it. One question, though. Did you sync the synths directly to the pedals and then to the audio mixer? If so, what type of cable did you use from the synth to the pedal and from the pedal to the interface? Chris

[@marzacdev]

Thanks for the demo but next time ... please use the envelope on minibrute filter. Distortion reveals his character when signal harmonics and amplitude are changing. Here the sound is static and that doesn't tell much.

[@noobslayerr9732]

The more extreme sleeps behind ya😂 empress also is impressive

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Hehehe Cheeky! The Empress was so silky smooth..lush pedal! //Jason

[@noobslayerr9732]

@@ThomannSynthesizers at the end of the day no matter the fx no matter the reverbs and delays the real thing which will make the mix alive is a good overdrive boost and tard distortion (depends the genre) how is that new apollo overdrive by spaceman? I need some extra good punch drive for my alpha base and 999 😈🖤

[@GrootsieTheDog]

Try the foxy tone box :)

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Wow - That is GORGEOUS!! Orange too...! That wasn't around when we made this feature - otherwise it would not only have made it on - but also back to my studio too...*added to wishlist //Jason

[@720_VR_Music]

Quick question, I have issues with volume when plugging my volca drum into my speaker amplifier or my audio interface. How did you get the volca drum so loud? also I think you've sold me on the extreme metal pedal haha

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Difficult to answer.. could be many things, try turning the input gain up on you interface.. or add the extreme metal as a boost🤘//Jason

[@LoneSampler]

Hey man, cool vid, been using distortion on a semi-modular synth in drone mode-it gets pretty crazy sounding! Check out Plasma Pedal by GamechangerAudio, it gets super dirty and has superb sounding wide range low/high Eq’s even with no distortion dialled in (wet/dry)!

[@ThomannSynthesizers]

Thank you Glad you enjoyed.. There are so many cool overdrive/ distortion units out there - I did want to include that pedal- it's epic..and also firmly on my wishlist 👌Best //Jason

[@noobslayerr9732]

An underated distortion that alexander pedal defender. Its face melting it freaking destroyed my system 8🤷‍♂️😂 i have a wet dream of a sherman on a jdxa tho ..soon tmann..soon

[@garrygalkin2026]

Crapiest overview. Less oversalted faces and emotions, more sounds flex and doings. Where is Elektron with volca?

[@jonnyhead]

That Arturia sounds pathetic, couldn't have found a better sound?