I hate shimmer reverb

[deadpool_25]

IJS

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Not alone, you are.

https://thegearforum.com/threads/shimmer-reverb-is-crap.2997/

 

[dronerstone]

Whenever I use shimmer reverb, it's for mimicking the "Blade Runner" sound aesthetic.

Add slight tape warble, an EHX Superego, maybe auto-swell, and you'll be floating through neon-nocturnal retro-futuristic space crap in no time!

Just for fun tho. Wouldn't ever use shimmer in a serious preset or on my "band board".

It's probably for P&W folks.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I think it's fine when you really don't want your guitar to sound like a guitar anymore. But the way most people are using (or rather "demoing") it, as in "oh, let's make these bog standard arpeggios sound as if they were impressive all of a sudden", it starts to suck almost instantly.

 

[the swede]

it has to be done right, i prefer a lower octave beneath the reverb.... but... is it really a "shimmer" then?

 

[Snags]

Shut your filthy mouth!

Well, actually, I largely agree, apart from I use it in a couple of places in the band to cover where I don't have a synth pedal or want an subtle "strings" effect underneath the main notes.

 

[Deleted member 1726]

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

I think it's fine when you really don't want your guitar to sound like a guitar anymore. But the way most people are using (or rather "demoing") it, as in "oh, let's make these bog standard arpeggios sound as if they were impressive all of a sudden", it starts to suck almost instantly.

So the equivalent of high gain applied on power chords

 

[Orvillain]

I've learned that there's actually a few shimmer approaches I like. Nearly all of them are way more synthy or subtle than what you'd get out of the BigSky or something like that.

The MercuryX is quite cool in this respect, but you really need to get the placement of the pitch block in the right place. If you put it in the wrong place, it sounds like foreskin. But if you get it in the right place, then it sounds like phwoaaaarskin.

Low mix values is the key too. Because I really hate it when you play a chord, and this fake Vangelis tripe comes out of the speaker. Gotta keep it way subtle, and also fuck it up with bitcrushing and filters and the like.

Static shimmer is extremely dull to me.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Generally I don't like the stock effect sound that you typically hear. It's too present. I think with a lower mix and darker filtering it has some useable qualities. First time I ever experienced that effect was with a Digitech TSR-12 rack unit. My band in the mid 90's used one mainly for vocal effects like reverb and delays, but it had a lot of other useful choruses and flangers I'd sometimes used for guitars. I immediately wrote a track when I tried the "shimmer" effect back then, and too be honest it sounded much better than many of the shimmers I've heard today.

 

[Deleted member 1726]

Generally I don't like the stock effect sound that you typically hear. It's too present. I think with a lower mix and darker filtering it has some useable qualities. First time I ever experienced that effect was with a Digitech TSR-12 rack unit. My band in the mid 90's used one mainly for vocal effects like reverb and delays, but it had a lot of other useful choruses and flangers I'd sometimes used for guitars. I immediately wrote a track when I tried the "shimmer" effect back then, and too be honest it sounded much better than many of the shimmers I've heard today.

I still have my TSR-24s, it eats Styemans like buttered popcorn...

I also have a PCM42, Eclipse, some Helicon units, an H8000 & they're all great for the personality they bring to the mix or guitar FX, but I cut my teeth on that Digitech & know the menu backwards & forwards

 

[laxu]

So a shimmer reverb is basically reverb with a pitch shifted sound one octave up. Sometimes also one octave down.

Where a lot of shimmer reverbs go wrong is that they push that pitch shifted sound to the extreme, and don't offer controls to tame it down. If it's set more subtle, it's fine.

Also using a different interval can make for some great textural sounds. The Strymon Nightsky is great at this since it's easy to mess with.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I still have my TSR-24s, it eats Styemans like buttered popcorn...

I also have a PCM42, Eclipse, some Helicon units, an H8000 & they're all great for the personality they bring to the mix or guitar FX, but I cut my teeth on that Digitech & know the menu backwards & forwards

Nice collection.
I do still have the TSR-12, but something is wrong with it and I've not tried very hard to fix it.

 

[Orvillain]

So a shimmer reverb is basically reverb with a pitch shifted sound one octave up. Sometimes also one octave down.

Where a lot of shimmer reverbs go wrong is that they push that pitch shifted sound to the extreme, and don't offer controls to tame it down. If it's set more subtle, it's fine.

Also using a different interval can make for some great textural sounds. The Strymon Nightsky is great at this since it's easy to mess with.

Or like Boss, they use the whackest sounding pitch shift ever, which just ruins the entire effect right out of the gate.

 

[Mikael Dez]

I’m always a plate or hall guy. Cave if I’m feeling extra black metal that day I guess

 

[Cirrus]

Don't use it then. I'd rather use shimmer reverb than chorus.

 

[Mikael Dez]

Don't use it then. I'd rather use shimmer reverb than chorus.

Chorus?? My favorite effect

 

[FuzzyAce]

Chorus?? My favorite effect

Of chorus it is.

Thanks, I'll be here all day.
(not really, I have a real job lol)

 

[Sascha Franck]

Static shimmer is extremely dull to me.

Imagine playing "One Note Samba" through that. With lots of compression, too.
"Static Comp Core"

 

[Sascha Franck]

Chorus?? My favorite effect

Of chorus it is.

Stop outing yourselves!