Ever use pedals as a creativity tool?

[Armistice]

Because I've basically run out of things that I need in real life that my girlfriend can get me as birthday and Xmas presents, I've asked her to get me a couple of Strymon pedals for birthday (October) and Xmas, and, dear girl that she is, she has.

So I'm now the proud owner of a Big Sky reverb pedal and a Timeline delay.

I've got a Boss multi-effect that I used to use live but, as my last live gig was playing acoustic, there's just not that much you want to be doing with an acoustic guitar, and I long ago ditched all my single pedals - but if I want just a phaser or a chorus, or a delay, I really can't be bothered dragging the Boss unit out and remembering how to use it to dial up what I want.

But now I've got these two pedals, and they're pretty easy to use, I'm finding I'm starting to write stuff based on the sounds that they make. So that song I'll get round to singing shortly is heavily based on a Big Sky "bloom" reverb patch - completely not a "real" reverb emulation - the pedal has a number of engines that take reverberation to some interesting places. And the presets on that one are actually pretty good. Plenty of usable stuff.

And I've been dicking around with a reverse delay sound on the Timeline that sort of pulses away nicely - again, not a "real" delay sound but something a bit more out there. The Timeline presets aren't nearly as usable out of the box, but with a bit of tweaking you can get some nice noises.

Now I appreciate that you're not, largely, pedal fanatics - and frankly, neither am I, but I'm finding that in coming to grips with how they work and what they do, I'm creating actual music, rather than starting by creating actual music and wondering what effect, if any, I should apply.

I know I've hit something when I haven't touch a knob for 10 minutes but am just playing things, seeing what works...

I'm finding delays less useful than I imagined, but quite enjoying some of the interesting reverbs.

[Roman]

Yes, they can be creative tools. Anytime you get a different pallet of sonic colors it can inspire something new.
When i first started playing guitar i only played les pauls. When I got a strat, I instantly started playing things I'd never even dreamed of. Just because of the different sounds available to me.
I think with pedals it can be more so.

Btw, love the Strymon stuff. I have a bluesky verb. Love it.
I actually even use it on my console as outboard gear. The plate reverbs are great for snares.

[JD01]

I definitely find pedals creative - just any new sound really - when you get a new sound you just start playing with it and seeing what comes out. You start making noises you've never made before, and provided that they're not completely unpleasant, they usually inspire something.

[Greg_L]

I've somehow gone the opposite way. I got all these pedals thinking they'd be cool for recording and I'd never use them live. Turns out, I had it backwards. I very rarely use any of this shit for recording, and find myself kicking on the phaser or wah way more often live than I ever do while tracking.

I think it's mostly I just wanna separate myself from the other guitar player. Add something to the live sound. Stand out a bit. I don't need any of that with recording.

[rammer24]

[BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/H8dZwXnMrRU[/BBvideo]

[WhiskeyJack]

[BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/H8dZwXnMrRU[/BBvideo]

[WhiskeyJack]

In all seriousness though, i am supposed to be meeting up with an old buddy to try and hammer out ideas for some sort of musical project together. He is a major pedal effects guy and while that sort of thing isn't my own style, i am curious to know more about how he goes about getting his sound.

[Roman]

[BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/H8dZwXnMrRU[/BBvideo]

That was 100% perfectly, truthfully, fucking awesome!!!

[liv_rong]

Wow your gf must be rich!!

I absolutely find pedals make me more creative. So much so that I now have a pedal problem. The problem with that is they are expensive and I really dont need much more. I do love them though, tons of god damn fun.

[ido1957]

Haven't myself but absolutely agree they can spur on creativity and a whole pallete of sounds.