# I hate knobs!!!!



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Since I discover the actual forum my tastes in music/gear change a lot and thanks to you all! I discover many things and many other point of view! At the beinning the best gear where with the most technological stuff and the more knobs possible! Now things change, I prefer the possibilities of simple things and one of the aspect of that idea is I discover that I really hate knobs. 

More than 3 knobs on a FX is way too much for me, I lost myself in all the settings possible. I prefer haveing something really simple but efficiant. One other thing is the g** d*** internal trimp pot!!! Why can not just put a fuc**** outside volume knob or none, is it that complicated! I have a Malekko Delay, that I really love but the volume is a trim pot and even with small screwdrivers for glasses I strip the little plastic screw and the volume is till too high!

But now I'm set! I know that is really easier and more focused on playing to have only a couple of knobs and the reast in your hands!

This fact helps me alot to know why I reacently love Tele! 

Am I alone????


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Alone.. nope last guitar as 2 vol's and one tone. That's one more than the Teles but that's ok. 
What's this effect's thing with knobs?:sport-smiley-002:


----------



## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

*Knobby*

I find myself getting mesmerized into a stupor when I look over all the knobs on my pedals and SFTR. But then I just turn up the only knob that matters and all my concerns are blasted away.:wave:


----------



## screamingdaisy (Oct 14, 2008)

I think the Phase 90 is one of the greatest effects ever. When you turn it on it either sounds good or it doesn't, and if it doesn't you turn the one knob on it until it does, or you shut it off.

Pure simplicity.


----------



## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

You should try an Ethos pedal...










12 knobs, 7 toggle switches, 3 footswitches, and I'm guessing some internal trim pots too. :smile:


----------



## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Sneaky said:


> You should try an Ethos pedal...


How do you like the Ethos?

What's the silver pedal at the upper left?


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I don't mind knobs, but they have to make sense.

I'd prefer 4 knobs that do their job well and allow me to get the sounds i want, vs 8 knobs that make it a chore to get a good sound.

I love that my les paul has 2V-2T configuration, and dont really like the whole single-knob signature/custom guitar thing that some of the 7-string community has going on.. to each their own.

that said, I have no fear when faced with the front and back end of a mesa dual recto that I'm expected to play .

when it comes to effects, I like K.I.S.S. - which is why I just want a DD-3/DE7 and EHX Holy Grail to complete my "pedalboard" (i run a Tubescreamer and that's it)


----------



## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

NB_Terry said:


> How do you like the Ethos?
> 
> What's the silver pedal at the upper left?


The Ethos is great once you get it dialed in. I'm not sure if it's a keeper yet... The silver one is a D*A*M Drag n Fly (Silicon/Germanium hybrid fuzz).


----------



## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

I hate knobs too. Good thing this forum doesn't have too many largetongue




> I'd prefer 4 knobs that do their job well and allow me to get the sounds i want, vs 8 knobs that make it a chore to get a good sound.


----------



## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Geek said:


> I hate knobs too. Good thing this forum doesn't have too many largetongue


 
Ahhhhh, the infamous foreplay rack unit... :smile:


----------



## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> Ahhhhh, the infamous foreplay rack unit... :smile:


LOL!!!

I gotta tell Doc Bottlehead that one at the next HiFi festival 
(He has a preamp called the "Foreplay")


Cheers!


----------



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Budda said:


> I don't mind knobs, but they have to make sense.
> I'd prefer 4 knobs that do their job well and allow me to get the sounds i want, vs 8 knobs that make it a chore to get a good sound.


really good pint here! That's the most important thing about the simplicity, usefull!! Not 'cause there's 10 nobs that the effect will be better!!!


----------



## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

Ti-Ron said:


> Since I discover the actual forum my tastes in music/gear change a lot and thanks to you all! I discover many things and many other point of view! At the beinning the best gear where with the most technological stuff and the more knobs possible! Now things change, I prefer the possibilities of simple things and one of the aspect of that idea is I discover that I really hate knobs.
> 
> More than 3 knobs on a FX is way too much for me, I lost myself in all the settings possible. I prefer haveing something really simple but efficiant.


I couldn't agree more! I feel like more than 3 knobs is too much. I like an effect where I switch it on and it sounds good. Turn the knob one way to get more effect, and the other to get less. I don't want to spend all afternoon dialing in a decent sound. This is why I've stayed far away from multi-effect units. If I have to monkey around with editing and saving patches then it's a waste of my time.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

ANY pedal should let you get to the sound you want (and that it is capable of) easily and efficiently. It should also allow you to recreate previous tones *reliably*.

Based on that dictum, _sometimes_ more knobs (and switches) are good, and _sometimes_ not so much. Occasionally, additional controls allow you to replicate a tone *in spite of* the input signal qualities. But, they can also complicate the process of reproducing a tone.

Of course, if the dialability of the existing controls is not well thought-out, then it doesn't matter how many you have; it will be hard to nail a desired tone in repeated and reliable fashion.

Case in point. Say you have a tremolo pedal, and the rate/speed covers a wide range, from much slower than you normally use, to much faster. Because the speed knob only has so much rotation, all those speeds have to be jammed into that 7:00-5:00 range and the part you're interested in may be somewhere between 3:00 and 3:15....if only you could find it again. In those circumstances, it's much better to have a narrower range of adjustment on the knob, and add a range switch.

Another case in point. Most modulation effects, like flanger, phaser, and (to a lesser extent) chorus, really need a minimum of 4 knobs, and often 5 is more appropriate. Many players have grown up with one and two knobbers, but then soon find themselves hankering for a different sound. That different sound may well be easily attainable from the very same pedal, if only it had the missing additional controls. The venerable MXR Phase 90 gives you *one* level of regeneration, *one* amount of sweep depth, and only *one* sweep starting point. Players get their knickers in a knot wanting a "script" P90 sound and sell one pedal to buy another, when both sounds could be easily obtainable if only MXR had believed in providing a Regen and Sweep Width control.

I suppose another consideration is simple manipulability. There are only so many knobs you can fit in a standard-sized package and still be able to twiddle them.


----------



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Again mrhammer you're right! The efficacity of knobs are a huge part of it, but again I don't think we need tonnes of knobs to be able to have a good sound! An like Toastman said, things like multi effects are a pain to dial in! I had 2 of them and have the chance (or not) to try some other and it always way too much, I don't want to dial up a gps but an effect!  Maybe I just got some bad experiences! kqoct


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Quelques musiciens veulent réproduire des tonalités connus, et d'autres veulent créer leur propres tonalités; des voix nouveaux. Pour ceux qui veulent réproduire une tonalité désignée, ou bien connu, souvent 2 ou trois controles suffisent. Pour ceux qui veulent sculpter leurs propres tonalités souvent même 5 ne suffisent pas. Donc, comme beaucoup dans la vie, ça dépende.


----------

