New Pedal: AdrenaLinn III

Got a new (to me) Roger Linn AdrenaLinn III pedal. For a while, I’ve been looking at pedals that will let me do several different things: Midi-synced tremolo (like a Gig-FX Pro-Chop), Midi-synced beat slicing (like a Boss SL-20), Midi-synced delay (like a Strymon Timeline), a pedal-operated Midi drum machine (like the Beat Buddy), an amplifier sim (like the Tech21 Character pedals), and a Midi step sequencer (like the Electro-Harmonix 8-Step Program).

And behold, the AdrenaLinn III does all of these things, and then some. So far, I’m extremely impressed for a single box that has all of these features in it. It’s got more tricks in its bag than you can shake a stick at. Continue reading “New Pedal: AdrenaLinn III”

MIDI Controllers: Not Just For Keyboards

I’ve been working on my new guitar pedalboard, with the idea to have a 1U rack space and two rows of pedals. This should give me more possibilities in less space than a monster controller pedal, using stuff I already have. However, with a rack effect unit (and even some pedals now), you need some way to control it.

(This picture is a bit different than it will look when finished, but you can see the 1U rack unit. The MIDI pedal will go where the Roland interface is in this pic)

Pedalboard

Next to go on the board is some sort of MIDI pedal that is capable of sending Program Change signals to the rack unit. Ultimately, I’d like one that does Program Change, Continuous Controller, and a tap-tempo MIDI clock. As far as I know (and I’ve researched it endlessly) I can get two of those features in a pedal, but not all three. It just doesn’t exist as far as I know, outside of custom $1000 setups.

Well, if I had to choose between two of those features, one would have to be Program Change. And as far as MIDI clock tap-tempo, I only know of a few pedals that can do that. The cheapest and most flexible would probably be the Molten Voltage “Tempode” pedal. I also discovered that Molten Voltage offers a pedal with the same functionality, plus simple up/down program changes called the Master Control. For the price of a Rocktron MIDI Xchange, I can get the same functionality with tap-tempo MIDI clock and start/stop.

So, how exactly does this MIDI stuff work, and what do PC, CC, and MIDI Clock messages do, exactly? And why do you need them? It depends on what you have on your board, and how you want to control it. Lots of new effect pedals can use MIDI too, including ones from Boss, Strymon, TC Electronics, Line6, Eventide, and so on. Continue reading “MIDI Controllers: Not Just For Keyboards”

The Survivor

Here’s an ’86 Raleigh Capri I rescued from the dumpster. I changed out the wheels, tires, and cranks, but otherwise, it’s all original… including the squeaky chain! Rides fine, though. Just needs some loving. Do you have a favorite old bike that you just can’t get rid of?

2013-05-27 17.44.05

Little Miracles

At work the other day, someone found a hummingbird stuck in spiderwebs, nearly dead. We cleaned it up and managed to nurse it back to health with dribbles of Coke, until a few hours later it was strong enough to fly away on its own. Cool stuff!