Re:Re:will Vortex work

[a k butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

>
>>www.andybutler.com now hosts the "Vortex Database"
>
>Andy,
>
>I'm also considering succumbing to the obscure coolness of the Vortex, 
>and 
>was wondering if you could help out with a couple more quick questions 
>before I lay down my cash.
>
>First, I notice that on a few of the sample patches on your site you're 
>using the expression pedal to do volume swells into the delays.  I plan 
>on 
>doing a good bit of such swells, but I'm concerned that -- since the 
>Vortex has a pretty limited number of memory slots -- it might not be a 
>good use of the available presets.

To get the really amazing swells, I use one pair of presets and morph 
between them. The pedal simultaneously controls input vol and echo 
feedback, so the sound continues more or less as long as I hold the pedal 
down, but fades quickly when I pull back. It also messes with the FX 
rate/depth to add a bit of interest.
Some of the Vortex patches can be made into swells , but not all of them, 
so you can make a swell that only takes up one patch, but there's some 
sounds that can't be made into swells.

I never found the number of patches available to be a limitation, what 
usually happens is that I set up a pair of patches that can be morphed and 
play with them. There's always a whole load of possibilities within a 
morph, like having several sounds in one.

>  However, should I just plan on buying yet another volume pedal to put 
> inline before the Vortex, or can I really get away with consolidating 
> that function into a single unit?

Well, I don't use a separate swell  at the moment, but if you do add one 
it 
certainly increases the possibilities (especially if you can work 2 pedals 
at once).


>Second, just how viable is the Vortex for looping?  I thought I'd read 
>that a good deal had been done with it, but I just keep coming back to 
>the 
>specs that say there's a max time of only two seconds on the delay.  That 
>sounds a bit constrictive.  Am I merely misreading something here?

2 seconds is what you get in some patches.
Or 2 lots of 1sec in the rest.
It's possible to program 2 independent 1s loopers.
It's possible to set up a 2s loop, break it apart, and put it back 
together 
all twisted.

So not a "fully featured looper".

The Vortex is a "good deal" though, as it didn't sell and a lot of stock 
was sold off at a fraction of the original RRP

andy butler