tone makers
The Pigtronix designer on Electro-Harmonix’s 70s analogue effects and the modern-day mastery of Xvive and Beetronics…
1 What was the first effects unit that you built and how did the design come about?
“I was experimenting with echo effects before there was such a thing as an analogue delay chip and came up with a slap[back] echo device that was like a hose with a speaker at one end and a microphone at the other. It grew from there. I graduated from Cooper Union Engineering School [in New York] in 1976 and later that year I got a job at Electro‑Harmonix where I quickly rose up the ladder. I was there from 1976 to 1981. The first commercial product I worked on was an improved version of the Memory Man [analogue delay pedal] called the Deluxe Memory Man. It was very successful and Electro‑Harmonix had a problem keeping up with demand. I also designed their Deluxe Electric Mistress, Deluxe Big Muff, Deluxe Octave Multiplexer, Clone Theory, Polyphase, Attack Decay and Talking Pedal.”
2 What’s your best-selling pedal and why do you think that is?
“The [Electro‑Harmonix] Deluxe Memory Man. It was designed around 1977 and is still in production today. It seems to be recognised as a standard of analogue delay pedals. I also designed the [W3] Memory Analog Delay for Xvive, which is a state‑ of‑the‑art version of the Deluxe Memory Man [concept] with better modulation and more up‑to‑date components.”
3 What do you think makes your pedals unique?
“Being unique means having vision – an idea for something that’s different. And that gives it great potential for success. If you make a pedal that’s different enough and it’s marketed properly, it’ll be worth it.”
4 Are there any new pedals from you on the horizon?
“I recently did a project with Filipe Pampuri at Beetronics called the Royal Jelly [overdrive/fuzz] and I think it’s one of my masterpieces.”
5 Which notable players have used your pedal designs?
“More than I’m aware of! I’m sure I’ve heard my pedals on the radio without knowing it!”
6 Tell us a secret about effects you’ve discovered…
“In most cases, a quality amp will make things sound better, although if the equipment before it is not good it can bring out its flaws. People should read up a bit on electronics to get a basic understanding of what they’re using. I have several articles on my website about sound and electronics that might be helpful.”
7 What’s your best tone tip?
“If you’re looking for clarity, make sure you’re not loading the pickup. If the first pedal in your chain doesn’t have a high‑ impedance input, use a high‑impedance input buffer. Also, if you have a big chain of pedals, it often helps if you have a buffered bypass. Every setup is a study in itself and each component is a link in a chain. That chain is only as good as its weakest link.”
8 What’s your favourite vintage pedal and why?
“The [Electro‑Harmonix] Big Muff Pi is pretty good and is still being produced. It has a unique sound and was a breakthrough in distortion when it came out [in 1969]. The [late 70s] op‑amp Big Muff Pi design was one of my things. They’re different because they have op‑amps instead of transistors, but they do basically the same thing – very hard fuzz. They have a noticeably grungier sound, which some people prefer… I didn’t know that Electro‑Harmonix released a new version [2017’s Op‑Amp Big Muff Pi]!”
9 What are your favourite effects pedal moments to be heard on record and why?
“Some of them go way back to the 50s and 60s. There was a hit song in 1959 called The Big Hurt by Toni Fisher with a flanging effect that was very unique at the time. It was achieved by playing back the same thing on two tapes at almost the same speed; when they went out of sync, you got a flanging effect. In order to slow one of the tapes slightly, they would rub a finger over the flange of the tape reel and that’s where the term ‘flanging’ comes from.”
10 What problems have effects designers yet to crack?
“I’d like to come up with an all‑analogue pitch shifter. It’s normally achieved digitally using complex algorithms, but doing it analogue is a different thing entirely. Some say that it can’t be done, but I’m not sure about that. I came up with a prototype using delay chips called the Flattener, but it wasn’t marketed. Maybe it was too limited in what it could do – you could only bring the pitch down. Still, it worked!” www.howardmickdavis.com