Home › Forums › Tips, Tricks, Clips, and Pics › Ed O’Brien and his amazing string sound (using EHX pedals perhaps?)

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  • September 12, 2011 at 6:46 am #81881
    JohnStamos
    Member

    I decided one day, randomly, to pick up a POG2 and give it a run. I am really digging it. However, I was watching these performances of the song “Nude” by Radiohead and I am amazed at how accurate Ed O’Brien replicates the string section of the song using just a guitar and effects. Here they are:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSkTygQ7_qY (2:16-2:43)

    Now the best part for me is at 2:33-2:34 where he opens up with his gorgeous C#min chord that sounds incredibly close (to me) to a string section. He absolutely nails how it sounds in the original recording:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYLujepur9g (2:16-2:43 is the whole part, 2:33 is the C#min chord)

    Using the POG2 and the effects settings I’ve gotten from the great Bill Ruppert for the “Symphonic” sound on the Crystal-Shimmer Effectology video, I’ve gotten fairly close to Ed’s sound here but it’s just not there yet.

    There’s just something about this part that is just way more..string-like and less organ-y than the POG. Also, and probably most importantly, listen to the beginning of the part in question (2:16 in both links). The beginning low notes he is playing (Ab to A) sounds like a small string section beginning to stir. There is the perfect frequency mixture here. When I use my POG2, I get too much of that very obvious Octave effect and don’t get that incredible blend.

    Here is what I’m using:
    POG–>Volume Pedal in my pedal chain
    TC Electronics Nova Delay–>Hardwire RV-7 Reverb in effects loop’

    The amp is a Carvin Legacy with 2×12 cab. Will going STEREO help?

    I had a compressor before the POG but I didn’t like it. Seemed to just bring out those higher frequencies more.

    How is Ed getting this sound? I’m usually good at this stuff but I’m just amazed! I know he uses a HOG but I have a very strong feeling this is possible with a POG as well. If not, then please let me know so I don’t drive myself absolutely crazy!

    Does anyone have any ideas?

    http://radioheadgear.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=9

    If you scroll down to the bottom, you will see Ed’s pedalboard at the Haiti Relief concert where they also played the song.

    Here is a vid of the performance:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-BK5oRpmk (part starts around 1:43)

    The beautiful swelling chord doesn’t sound as epic here so maybe the secret lies in something else?

    Also, here is another video where you get more of a closeup of how Ed is strumming, etc. Must have something to do with it:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWV7kekV7WQ&feature=related (starts around 2:22)

    As you can see I’m positively stumped and driving myself crazy. There’s gotta be some EHX goodness out there (or ANYTHING) that can give me sound.

    Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate all the amazing things I’ve seen on this board.

    September 12, 2011 at 4:01 pm #115995
    bill ruppert
    Participant

    I do sounds like that using multi-tap delay.
    It gives it the effect of strings bowing back and forth very quickly.
    Check here at 1:59
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAiUMx1Dsm4

    Bill

    September 12, 2011 at 6:21 pm #115998
    Cryabetes
    Participant

    are you actually John Stamos?

    September 12, 2011 at 6:56 pm #115999
    JohnStamos
    Member

    hahaah no i’m not, couldn’t think of any log-in names and an episode of full house was on as i was registering so I just put down his name hahah

    im not nearly as cool as the Stamos we all know and love i’m afraid :(

    anyways, thank you so much for the replies! bill, i must have missed that effectology series. it seems that you achieve a very similar tone using picking, while Ed uses strumming. I’m gonna pick up a Memory Man today and see what I can do.

    he is playing around the 1-5th position on the fretboard, which leads me to believe he is using his HOG to create some sort of big octave effect along with the multi-tap delay.

    I’m also assuming that he has the HOG off when he is playing the beginning part, which is just the low notes that sound like a string quartet stirring to life, bowing back and forth rapidly… and then when he plays the full chords, he hits the HOG on and allows the octave effect to come through on the big chords.

    though I may be wrong. my biggest problem is getting those low cello/string notes in the beginning to sound as lifelike and natural as possible. granted, my whole impression of the sound could be more lifelike but that part is particular is especially difficult for me.

    so i plan on picking up a memory man and picking nice and softly in the beginning in the multi-tap mode then hit the POG with the ‘symphonic’ octave effect during the ‘bloomy’ part. i’ll also strum lightly rather than pick, as bill does in the reverb effectology series. add a little reverb and we should be good perhaps!

    as you can see, i’m quite obsessive about all these little things, which i guess is something i should work on :D

    anyways! if anyone has any other tips, please send them my way :)

    September 16, 2011 at 12:46 pm #116032
    SupremePancake
    Member

    Not my video, but pretty spot on.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-9El-fmOCY

    Really you need the glitchiness of the digitech whammy to get that tremble of the strings.

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