Minis from the Bigs: MXR Carbon Copy Mini

Since today's news about MXR Carbon Copy Mini and since maybe you like me love mini sized pedals i've decided for a series of posts called "Minis from the Bigs". This is all about having pedals that are little but are made from big brands. Because maybe you want the opportuinity to buy a, maybe, better mini effect for your small board.

So here it is, one of the best selling delays but in a mini format. I regularly use the ZOOM digital version of it so i can bet it is good. Should sell for about 110€.

Give it a try for yourself!

Guitar Learning Tip 2

Hear vs Tab

I recently discovered there is a debate going on internet about this.

Some will say that tab is dangerous for your guitar education. It makes the hardwork for you and left you with your hear untrained.

I think that we should take the best of both words.

When you start learning a song a decent tab will help you get faster in to the song. You need to have some fun, especially at the beginning when you have the whole journey of learning a song in front of you.

Then, after you have gained some amount of notes of the song, you can start using your ears. Tabs are not perfect, sometimes what you hear does not match at all with what you read on the tab. This is the moment you go your way. Stop reading and listen carefully. Use your hardwork where it matter. The goal is not track down the song perfectly. Is being happy with what you play. Find the right feel for that special note.

And if it is needed, find the fingering you are most comfortable with. Move the notes in the kayboard until you find the way that is more naturale for you or just sound better.

Guitar Learning Tip 1

I am dedicating some time to clean my execution of one of the solos in "High speed dirt" from Megadeth.

Thing is there is alway some lick that is harder. Some that you are not sounding as you wish.

Sometimes is better that you stop playing the entire solo and dedicate more time to a smaller part.

Try to isolate the part where your fingers get in trouble and, if it is possible build an exercise on it.

Then play it as slow as you can play it clean. Focus on get the movement right. Focus on make every note sounding right and clean. As slow as it needs to be. Play it for at least 15 minutes in a row, once or more for several day. You will see improvements when you play it faster.

The exericise above looks pretty simple but it is not. There are a lot of things involved. It moves 3 times forward in the keybord and 2 time backward. It uses 2 different fingers position (1-3-4 and 1-2-4), so you are training also your ability to change position. It also stresses the pinky (4) since it is the first finger landing in the new string.

new pedals from joyo

Joyo has annonuced some new pedal series: the REVOLUTION. They are not small, but they are good and cheap.

What do we have?

JOYO Tauren Overdrive, undoubly a Klon clone

JOYO Taichi Overdrive, a zendrive/dumbler clone

JOYO zipamp overdrive, it is sayd to be a BBpreamp in the Andy timmons flavor. actually joyo already had something similar in the Ironman AT

JOYO Maximum mosfet overdrive, the second take on the fulltrone

JOYO Uzu Distortion: it has full stack EQ and is sold has a metal pedal that goes from British to american with high gain. It has a suspect BIAS control (should be a blend between the 2 flavors). Many beloive it it a Boss Metal zone clone. I hope is not, may be a future purchase.

My new love for the zoom MS50g

Now that i have spent again some time with my multistomp, using it the right way and as a stomp i am really digging it.

I am not saying that its models are perfect but they have enough "flavor" and are usable.

First of all i really like the sensitivity of the autowah. Far better than the donner. Does not need to be fine tweaked. Cannot say a lot about the tone since i am not a wah wah expert.

Then the point on the whole overdrive section is the unity gain. You HAVE to set it right. 50 is far to high on a lot of models.It distors the highs
I already knew that the MetalZone was good for me. But i discovered that also MB Throttle is a nice toy. It is not identical to the tone of my Mustang but is very usable. I think that the main differences are that i scooped the mids on the Zoom and the Mustang has a TSish Overdrive. But it is ok because i like to have same different flavro at hand. The good thing is that i can use the Zoom in place of my Boggie channel in the amp and use the amp channell for a something else like mild bassman drive.

I also found a way to make the RedCrunch sound similar to the Plexion for the setting that i use for high gain and marshall.

I still find the plexion better but is good to know that i have a backup options or that i can move some of my mine tones all with the Zoom.

the wah conundrum

So, my Donner Dynamic Wah has suddenly stop working...

Since it was bought brand new and Amazon fully refounded me, i saw it as an opportunity.

I made a little research to see what could fit better to me.

As a side note, since i have a Multistomp in the board, i can do without, my only limit is that i need to pair it with an overdrive from the MS itself, since the MS is at the end of the chain...

Anyway.. after i did my homework i have con for this one:

MOOER MOD FACTORY (MK I)
I read some review that said that this is not an high wuality effect, but i really dont care, i am not that picky on chorus and phasers right now, they are just option to experiment in different positions. but i really like the fact that is both touch and auto and also the size. I still hope to like it more than the donner. The donner was ok but i think i could find something better, but keeping the small format.

AURAL DREAM DIGITAL WAH
This was promising, a lot of options and maybe good  tone, but it was big and looks like it has an annoing click so the MOOER won

JOYO WOW WAH
Looks like it has some very good tone, but not a lot of options and also pricy

MOOER ENVELOPE
Maybe it sound better than the Mod Factory , but i found a mod factory for the same price....

MOOER WAH DIGITAL
That was pretty interesting,, but also pretty pricy

ENO TC-61 AUTO WAH
It is named auto wah but i think it is a touch wah since it has SENS control. It is the cheapest of the bunch.

Maybe at dome point i will buy another one for my little collection....

The plan (pedal speaking!)

I have an idea to expand the numer of pedals in my ikea mini board, this is the layout:

This is near or less the plan: the Zoom is coming, with also a bb preamp from mosky, the rage slot should be an high gain pedal, would like to test that if i find an used one at a price. Or maybe i will use the Zoom for the high gain pedal and free that slot for another permanent ODDS. The upper, rised slot are the swappables ones. The mosky pictured is already in house, the crazy tone may be the next purchase since i love the plexion i would like to taste the Riot clone.