Extreme - Flight of the wounded bumblebee

C

cluijten

New Member
hi Folks,

I'm a fairly new user of the Axe-Fx Ultra, trying to find my way. Yesterday I spent a few hours trying to create a preset for Nuno Bettencourt's "Flight of the wounded Bumblebee" (intro to "he man woman hater").

I know how to set up the delay and tempo (using the Megatap delay with just one tap and time 220 ms).
However, it still sounds a bit fuzzy, whereas Nuno's original sound is extremely clear and tight.
It even seems to be that there is some "hidden reverb" present in the MGT which is hard to deactivate.

Since I also use a pitch shifter (one semitone down) I suspected this might be the cause, but it isn't.
I tried different layouts (also sending only the delay repetitions through a separate amp) but didn't help much.
Using only a Boss DD-3 in the loop of my Boogie MkIII does give the right sound... strange..

Has anyone tried to figure this one out (including the right layout and amp block settings)?

thanks a lot
Carlo
 
cluijten said:
hi Folks,

I'm a fairly new user of the Axe-Fx Ultra, trying to find my way. Yesterday I spent a few hours trying to create a preset for Nuno Bettencourt's "Flight of the wounded Bumblebee" (intro to "he man woman hater").

I know how to set up the delay and tempo (using the Megatap delay with just one tap and time 220 ms).
However, it still sounds a bit fuzzy, whereas Nuno's original sound is extremely clear and tight.
It even seems to be that there is some "hidden reverb" present in the MGT which is hard to deactivate.

Since I also use a pitch shifter (one semitone down) I suspected this might be the cause, but it isn't.
I tried different layouts (also sending only the delay repetitions through a separate amp) but didn't help much.
Using only a Boss DD-3 in the loop of my Boogie MkIII does give the right sound... strange..

Has anyone tried to figure this one out (including the right layout and amp block settings)?

thanks a lot
Carlo
Click to expand...

Why mega tap w/ one tap.
 
I just listened to that. I think that is a .8th delay. Meaning if you play 8th notes, 16th notes come out of the guitar

You could just manually set the tempo or use tap tempo and set delay tempo at .8ths

I would use a mono delay w/ feedback at 0% (this will give you only one echo) and the mix set around 50%
 
Yep. It's a repeat at 1 1/2 times the speed he's playing. So every repeat comes halfway inbetween the next two notes he plays.
Actual values must be somewhere on the net. As is probably the tab.

I always get lost after a couple of bars... :lol:

But seriously, I do think the pitch shifter might be causing some fuzz. It does with me when I try to simulate tuning down a semitone. Focusing the tone with a Parametric EQ like detailed by Radley last week could help some. And using a simpler delay. But it will not be perfect.
I have a guitar tuned down especially for this kind of things. No substitute will suffice. I suspect Washburn N2s aren't that expensive anymore nowadays? Oops. It seems they are...

Well. Any slightly decent humbucker equipped strat-type should be able to come closer than a pitch shifted one. Good for lots of other duties, like EvH tunes down too...
 
I've always found tweaking the delay volume vital in getting a patch for this song perfect, that and using as little gain as possible.
 
Hi guys

thanks for all reactions. Actually, I do have the tabs, so figuring out the delay time was not hard (the delay time is 3/16 of a note, with a tempo of 204 bpm (=294 ms per beat) this makes 220.6 ms as a delay time.

I used the MGT delay since with a normal delay and feedback to 0% I was still able to hear remnants of the second echo. Will try once more though (only weekend or X-mas holidays allow me to spend much time on these things). I think the point of using less gain might help out. If I come any closer, I will report here and post my patch. In the meantime, tips on which amp type to use are also welcome!

Carlo
 
cluijten said:
Hi guys

thanks for all reactions. Actually, I do have the tabs, so figuring out the delay time was not hard (the delay time is 3/16 of a note, with a tempo of 204 bpm (=294 ms per beat) this makes 220.6 ms as a delay time.

I used the MGT delay since with a normal delay and feedback to 0% I was still able to hear remnants of the second echo. Will try once more though (only weekend or X-mas holidays allow me to spend much time on these things). I think the point of using less gain might help out. If I come any closer, I will report here and post my patch. In the meantime, tips on which amp type to use are also welcome!

Carlo
Click to expand...


Just tested. mono delay feedback 0% w/ mix at 100% does only delays the sound, no echo. This means it is working properly and will give only one echo when the mix is down. For tempo : 3/16= .8th (label 8th DOT on the axe-fx)
you can also use the multidelay quad tap w/ only one tap (turn the other taps down), but it really isn't needed in this case.
 
can you walk me thru this calculation? id like to practice at a slower delay/metronome setting. :)
 
cluijten said:
Hi guys

thanks for all reactions. Actually, I do have the tabs, so figuring out the delay time was not hard (the delay time is 3/16 of a note, with a tempo of 204 bpm (=294 ms per beat) this makes 220.6 ms as a delay time.

I used the MGT delay since with a normal delay and feedback to 0% I was still able to hear remnants of the second echo. Will try once more though (only weekend or X-mas holidays allow me to spend much time on these things). I think the point of using less gain might help out. If I come any closer, I will report here and post my patch. In the meantime, tips on which amp type to use are also welcome!

Carlo
Click to expand...

Would love to see a YouTube video of the finished performance! Awesome solo by an equally awesome guitarist (the rest of the band's not too shabby either)!

BTW, if you haven't yet seen the "Take Us Alive" DVD, it is excellent!
 
mate I posted a patch ages ago...do a search it works pretty good!
I do have a video of me playing it but I'm to shy to post it lol
 
Gah- someone help me. I cant import that- when I use recall -> import from preset file and select your patch on my desktop - nothing happens :(
 
it is for an ultra(?) it has a metronome on it as well (a patch I bastardised)

the forum has been acting real strange with attachements....I'll upload the path again tonight
 
ah, well, i have a standard so maybe thats it :(

Can you walk me through the metronome -> delay calculation so i can figure out what to set my metronome to for a slower delay?
 
can you open the patch in axe-edit? might be able to steal the settings of that....it has a metronome in it as well
I will check it out but massive storms here right now Cat 5 cyclone :(
 
Not really sure if this is true or even helpful, but I remember reading somewhere that he had actually slaved the delay to the drum maching via MIDI. I suppose it woudn't make that much difference if you've got the delay setting right, but if you are playing along with a drum track and trying to sync up it may.
 
hey man, play with the master gate of the setup. it will eliminate the fuzz caused by feedback in between the fast notes. worked for me. cheers chris
 
OK now i have an Axe II and wondering how i can load this patch? When I try to load it, it says the asset type is different.
 
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