Saigon Kick "Afraid" - step filter effect

Lost Film

Lost Film

Member
Hi everyone,

I'm hoping for some help in trying to figure out how to replicate the effect used in Saigon Kick's song titled "Afraid". Here's a link to a video on YouTube, if you listen to the first 20 seconds of the song, you'll hear what I'm talking about:



I contacted Jason Bieler (Saigon Kick's guitarist) on Facebook and he actually responded to me and said he used a Zoom 9002 on this. I contacted the Zoom company and asked if they had any info on the effects for this model, but since it has long been discontinued, they no longer had anything. However, they did suggest that a step filter was used to create that effect.

I don't see that there is a step filter available in the effect library on the Axe FX III. However, I do see a filter. I played around with it a bit, but can't really get close to this sound. I'm new to the AF3 so I'm not very experienced with what it can all do and hoping one of the more experienced users might be able to help design an effect (for those who like a good challege :)) or at least give me some advice. Thank you!

Andy
 
Man, I loved my 9002 and 9030 units. Never should have sold them. But yea, what @Rex said. I'll see if I can cook something up.
 
Thanks for the quick replies guys! Yeah, I do have the LFO type set as square and it gets close - kind of gives it a bit of a wah effect with a high pitched ring to it - but there seems to be some echoing at different pitches which I can't seem to replicate.
 
So the only part I'm having trouble dissecting is the phaser or flanger on the tone. That's a distinctly Zoom-sounding flanger that I've never copped very accurately. I just don't know how to give it that metallic-like tinge.
 
Well, here's a first pass. I'm using @2112's Marshall preset as a base for the tones here. You'll want his LT TV Mix 2 IR in User 1, Slot 4 for this to make any sound.

Screen Shot 2019-08-31 at 1.27.23 PM.png

The Intro and Ryhthym scenes are running a stereo amp pair because I thought it got closer to the album's wide sound. Everything was dialled in with a JEM.

I cannot figure out that high frequency content on the processed part of the signal. This pass feels tamer, less synth-like than the recording. But it's in the ball park. I need to flip through the factory presets because I think there might be one in the bunch that's got some tonal hints in it.

I used the sequencer to make a step-wah block that's running in parallel to the dry signal. I just randomized the sequencer and then adjusted it so that adjacent steps always made big jumps.

Screen Shot 2019-08-31 at 1.32.09 PM.png

The sequencer is assigned to the control parameter on the wah block and that wah block feeds a phaser block that's setup for 12-step phasing (the Zoom's 12-step phaser is a pretty famous sounding phaser from the 90s that's hard to cop).

Signal chain is:

Screen Shot 2019-08-31 at 1.32.20 PM.png


The AMP and CAB blocks are setup to preserve the stereo input. The delay is stereo tape, set fairly short. Delay, phaser and wah are all tied to the preset tempo so you can adjust that and they'll all stay in lock step..

Try it out and let me know what you think?

You can get it here: https://axechange.fractalaudio.com/detail.php?preset=7226
 
Wow! That sounds great! Nice job! I would agree with what you said about it being a little tamer than the original with the tones and phaser, but I don't expect we will be able to hit it exactly. It's very close...and way better than what I had going. Thank you very much!!!
 
This is a time where I'd love to ping Matt for his input, but I know he's a busy person these days.

Maybe @VegaBaby has some suggestions? I know he shares a love of the old Zoom effects units.
 
Agree with others its basically a step
Sequencer and a filter or formant
My little 505 had that effect called step filter

Listening again i think there is a formant in there it more vocal than a wah and more like pronounced vowel sounds
 
Randalljax said:
This is good but i suspect a formant
And also a light flange in there perhaps ?
Click to expand...
Might be on to something there. I went back and forth between flanger and phaser and couldn’t decide. The Zoom was known for it’s 12-step phaser.
 
Tried a formant block instead of a wah block and nope. Definitely not right.

Flanger is in the preset already if you want to try it instead of phaser.
 
iaresee said:
Tried a formant block instead of a wah block and nope. Definitely not right.

Flanger is in the preset already if you want to try it instead of phaser.
Click to expand...
Maybe there is a formant in parallel with the wah with a lowish level. Just a guess though. Now I'm curious to try this ;)
 
normanaj said:
Maybe there is a formant in parallel with the wah with a lowish level. Just a guess though. Now I'm curious to try this ;)
Click to expand...
I think it's resonance on the phaser that's giving it a chirp. I'll work on it some more tomorrow.
 
normanaj said:
Maybe there is a formant in parallel with the wah with a lowish level. Just a guess though. Now I'm curious to try this ;)
Click to expand...

This watching Leons latest wah vid
Perhaps the formant or filter is parallel on a side chain

I think your mostly right though iarsee
A step filter w a phaser 12 stage
Hi resonance
 
Applying @2112's tips for the wah block and this is much better. I should have clued into that Fat control yesterday but didn't. Turning that down so there's no dry and dialing back the tracking so you get the pops on the abrupt controller changes really helps get this much closer to the album track.

Clip:



Preset: https://axechange.fractalaudio.com/detail.php?preset=7230

Signal path is simpler:
Screen Shot 2019-09-01 at 10.04.46 AM.png

Everything runs through the WAH > PHASER path when you're on the Intro scene. The dry line isn't in play here any more.

Wah settings are more extreme:
Screen Shot 2019-09-01 at 10.05.38 AM.png

I played around with the EQ on the wah but didn't think it made much difference.

Switched to a 2290 delay as well for all that reverse phase stereo goodness. This sounds pretty great in stereo now with those dual AMP blocks panned hard left and right.
 
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