tone makers
The Danish effects behemoth T-Rex is far from extinction as its founders talk tone and reveal a new Binson Echorec…
1 What was the first pedal you built and how did the design come about?
Lars Dahl: “It was the Mudhoney [distortion]. Sebastian and I were studying electronic engineering and our project was to make an analogue pedal MIDI controller. Sebastian did all the digital stuff and I did the analogue stuff. When it was done we said, ‘Why don’t we also make the analogue pedals?’ We made the Mudhoney first, then the Alberta [overdrive] and Tremster [tremolo].”
Sebastian Jensen: “We later found out there was a movie and a band that are called Mudhoney!”
2 What’s your best-selling pedal and why do you think that is? LD: “At the moment, it’s the SoulMate Acoustic [all-in-one acoustic pedalboard] and the Replicator Junior [tape echo]. The SoulMate Acoustic is so easy to use and it sounds great. Our power supplies, the FuelTanks, are also very popular.”
3 What do you think makes T-Rex unique as an effects company? SJ: “We’re good at combining the older analogue circuitry with newer digital technology and making it intuitive to use. That’s why the Replica [delay] was a success after we made the first machine way back in ’96; Lars made a very nice analogue part and I made a digital part beyond what was around at the time.”
4 Is there anything new on the horizon with T-Rex? LD: “At the moment, we’re working hard on our Binson Echorec [echo unit]. Our biggest concern was how to make a machine that people could use without things going wrong. And I think we’ve done that. It’s very stable. The prototype sounds fantastic and is so much more stable than the original ones. The originals had one record head, but ours comes with two record heads, ‘original’ and ‘modern’, so you can get longer delay times. And, like the originals, it has four playback heads, but with ours you can adjust the volume for each of them separately. You can also adjust the speed by ±20 per cent, which changes the character of the sound a lot – it’s like an EQ – and with the dial in the middle, it’s the same speed as the original Echorecs. You can also plug in a momentary switch and tap in the tempo.”
SJ: “And we’ve been experimenting with a hardcore DSP platform – we’re thinking of making a modern version of the T-Rex Replica. We’re also making a new and upgraded series of power supplies.”
5 What’s your best tone tip? SJ: “Use pedals. Don’t go purely digital. Break it up with analogue.” LD: “At the NAMM show recently, [T-Rex’s] Michael [Pagaard] was playing with a Replicator and the classic T-Rex reproduction pedals – the Mudhoney, Alberta and Tremster – and people were stopping and asking what the sound was. It was almost like they’d forgotten what good analogue pedals sounded like.”
6 Name some common mistakes guitarists make with effects… SJ: “Using poor cables.” LD: “It’s amazing what a difference using good cables can make to the sound of your pedalboard.”
7 If you had a three-pedal ‘desert island’ pedalboard, what would be on it and why?
LD: “The OCD [overdrive] from Fulltone, then a T-Rex Mudhoney and a Replica. Sebastian and I are pretty proud of the Replica, because it still stands out as a great delay pedal.”
8 What are your favourite effects pedal moments to be heard on record and why?
LD: “I love how John Mayer used the [Roger Linn Design] AdrenaLinn effects. I also love Brad Paisley’s sound, but I don’t know what effects he uses. I love Clapton’s sound, but that’s probably just as much about his pickups. There’s a band here in Denmark called D-A-D and [lead guitarist] Jacob Binzer is one of my favourite guitarists. He has an unbelievable tone.”
SJ: “He used T-Rex pedals!”
9 What new pedal triggers your GAS the most now? SJ: “I think there are way too many pedal manufacturers out there. I can’t navigate it any more. And I think it’s more often about looks than sound. Do we really need another overdrive pedal to add to the two million others that all sound the same?”
LD: “I’ve got one of the first Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer pedals and it’s still sounding fantastic.”
10 What problems have effects designers yet to crack? LD: “We need brand-new sounds – so much of it is like old wine in new bottles. The new [effects] era is about impulse response, but it’s just a sample of the old stuff.”
SJ: “It’s never going to be the same as analogue, but it’s good enough.” www.t-rex-effects.com