Who Uses Subtle Tremolo ?

Dean Cavill · From: Toronto

I don't mean the "in yer face" stuff, but the fast, subtle, tremolo as per my previous post, "Tremolo Treatise" (which hasn't faired to well in the reply department)

Thanx

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Steelin' for the Dark Side
Carter-U12, a Bar, and some Picks

Dean Parks · From: Sherman Oaks, California, USA

The tremelo you're talking about in the PF ending on Alan Jackson's "Drive" is simply vibrato, done with the left hand with the bar.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Most of the early Fender amps had tremelo long before they had reverb. It was a novelty at the time, but I never found much use for it.

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www.genejones.com

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I like Trem for anything with that Bo Diddly beat (Not Fade away, Who Do You Love, etc...).

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Tremolo, using a UJT relaxation oscillator to vary the gridbias on the output tubes. Copied the circuit in 1968. Neat. Found it useless with the steel though...

C. Christofferson · Posted 30 Aug 2006 10:18 am

A while back i ran into an origional 'Uni-Vibe' exactly like Hendrix's. Nice variable speed rotating chorus/tremelo. Sounds good with steel. Pure analog delight.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Amplitude modulation = right foot
Frequency modulation = left hand

I don't say this to be flippant, but some times I will do a volume pedal tremolo at the end of a chord, just as I will with the volume control on my Strat. It's not very often, so it's a lot simpler than using an effetcs pedal or the amp. I have tried to use the tremolo on my Session 400 for a faux Leslie effect, but I've not found a way that sounds good (any tricks?). I happen to own a Magnatone guitar amp that has a frequency modulating vibrato effect, and it sound great with a standard guitar, but not so great with the steel......maybe the vibrato clashes with the bar vibrato and it just sounds lame. I've not had much luck with frequency modulating effects with pedal steel, the bar seems to fill that space fine, and any more than that sounds weak.

[This message was edited by Cliff Kane on 30 August 2006 at 12:29 PM.]

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Buddy, on "Half a Mind."

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Me too...usually on harmonic chord fills.

Dean Cavill · From: Toronto

Thanx all for the replies.

Let me clarify.
If you can hear tremolo throughout a recording (like the Bo Diddly stuff),
then you've misunderstood the question/topic.
If it weren't for PF's unaccompanied ending on "Drive", I never would have noticed this subtle tremolo.

Cliff,
Yup, I certainly know the difference between vibrato(pitch) and tremolo(volume),
but clarification is a good thing in such matters... thanks.

Mr. Parks,
If you indeed put your cans on and listened to this end bit of "Drive", then,
Can we agree to disagree ? ... 'cause I can't even think that fast, let alone shake my hand without a bar at that speed. Granted, the final chord has the "normal" amount of
Bar vibrato, but I'm referring to the very subtle processed sound which was backed off just prior to that last sustained chord...
It's way down in the mix, but definitely there. Give 'er a second listen if you get a chance.
(BTW, are you the "Dean Parks" of Steely Dan fame ? Sorry if you get flamed with this question every day... had to ask.
If so, had your PMZ playing been inspired by Skunk Baxter or visa-versa? )

Ray,
Thanks for tip on using Unijunction Transistors to oscillate a tube's grid bias voltage,
but I'm talkin' very fast and subtle(low intensity) here, regardless of how the tremolo is derived.

My guess is that what I'm hearing frequently in current day recordings is a post-recording mix decision to add a "shimmer" (the best description I can come up with) quality (nowhere near the obvious warble usually associated with either tremolo or vibrato) to the instrument, and also that many players may not be aware of this except that the final mix sounds good to them.
In that respect, this question/observation would just as well be directed to producers or engineers who frequently make us PMZ players sound better than we already do, inconceivable as that may sound.

FWIW, I think this is a great effect when used in moderation. More soulful than chorus, especially stereo chorus, which washes anything everywhere in the mix.

Does anyone know if this production effect is used more frequently than, say, 10 years ago, and has been pretty well been limited to "New Country" so far ?

dc

[This message was edited by Dean Cavill on 31 August 2006 at 10:01 AM.]

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

I can't count the times I've heard Ace's 'How Long Has This Been Goin' On", on the radio.

One time, and one time only, I heard the tune on the FM band, and it sounded to have such depth and beauty and richness and fullness as to take me by suprise. It was a kind of tremolo/reverb effect. I have no idea what effect the station applied to the tune, but it was really appealing.
And no, I wasn't smokin' anything.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Hey Dean....you know, I wasn't thinking that you didn't know the difference between them--and you're right that clarification is good, because sometimes the terms are used interchangably--I just think it's pretty cool that we already have the ability to get both with the basic gear we use. I would like to know how many people use their volume pedals for vibrato? I think it works great as you have control over the attack and decay. I think it is practical for short term use (I guess it's hard to do both a trem effect and swell at the same time), and in a way it sounds cooler than a pedal because of the non-uniformity in sound. Great topic!

[This message was edited by Cliff Kane on 31 August 2006 at 06:00 PM.]

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