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I don't have any problem with my Koma Kommanders or with the infrared sensor on my bd-101. You just have to set them up by adjusting their trimmers properly for how you are using them. I get alot of expressive control out of them, the Kommanders especially where I can hook up two cv sources per Kommander.

Uncle Grandfather wrote:I don't have any problem with my Koma Kommanders or with the infrared sensor on my bd-101. You just have to set them up by adjusting their trimmers properly for how you are using them. I get alot of expressive control out of them, the Kommanders especially where I can hook up two cv sources per Kommander.

I totally agree. It was the one thing that worked on mine, but like I said, I had to adjust the sensitivity. But I think for a slower, more controlled sweep like building up to a drop a kob or pedal is better because of controlled slow rise. Just holding your foot up for so long would get annoying. Haha.

I really like the Koma stuff and may take the dive again someday. Do you have the ft201, UG?

I mean, if you are worried about the line vs instrument thing on the Koma stuff, just use a boost/add some gain in front or up the volume on your looper. It should be fine though.

lordgalvar wrote:Do you have the ft201, UG?

I've got an early model 101 that doesn't have the lfo mod that makes it more guitar friendly but I use mine with my guitar all the time with no problems at all. I've been on the fence about the 201 for the longest time and will probably grab one when i find a good price, its just so versatile i know i'd get alot of use out of it but nobody is flipping them. You're right that getting long slow sweeps is a pain using photo cells vs. expression pedals but for getting unheard of sounds they can't be beat. Same thing with the zvex probe pedals they are a unique means of getting new textures and tones that a normal expression pedal just can't get close to replicating.

I wish mine wasn't doa...haha. I had a blast even with the broken one. The gate on the bd101 was one of the funnest tremolos I've ever used. Ahhh, maybe koma will be my next thing. Thanks thread and UG. Always talking me into stuff again. Going to sell all my extras around the house and see what I can come up with.

So UG, the way you've set it up the photo sensor does work when you have socks / shoes on?

Mine worked with shoes or socks. I just upped the gain to get a wider sweep.

Tristan wrote:So UG, the way you've set it up the photo sensor does work when you have socks / shoes on?

yeah, i normally wear a pair of shoes that have a mostly solid sole on them, but i'll put duck tape over my more grooved bottom shoes to get a stronger/different response from the infrared sensors. normally i use a table top setup and use my hands but shoes work fine too you just have to use them correctly.

I've heard rumors that jwar's boner is really effective when using the photo sensor.

I'm going to echo the guys here and say the MF-101 with an expression pedal. I use one on my board for transition sweeps in in a few tunes.

Here's a poorly recorded one-take of my band. There's an MF-101 sweep around 2:17 leading into a section where I am making sonic soup. Gives you a bit of an idea how it sounds.

pedal chain is ghost echo > dirt transmitter > MF101> disaster transport > AC15 into an SM57

https://soundcloud.com/lightproof/volunteers

Tristan wrote:Tried it, it didn't sound deep / synthy / heavy enough to me and it had some weird noise / power issues, the step thing was fun and seemed more useful to me than the MurF (shitty weakass filter if you ask me) but ultimately I think Koma stuff just isn't that great on guitar.
The Dr Scientist BitQuest, Moog MF Drive, Iron Ether Xerograph Deluxe all sound much better / deeper / heavier / synthier than the Koma in my opinion.
For those Electro style expression or knob sweeps I'd get an MF Drive or a BitQuest, you could try that Dreadbox stuff too.

Got the Dreadbox stuff here now, I think it's total crap, hissy, weak, doesn't react / trigger well, no balls, no nothing, for sure there's better stuff on the market.
I'm going to return it right away, excuse me for recommending it.

Tristan wrote:

Tristan wrote:Tried it, it didn't sound deep / synthy / heavy enough to me and it had some weird noise / power issues, the step thing was fun and seemed more useful to me than the MurF (shitty weakass filter if you ask me) but ultimately I think Koma stuff just isn't that great on guitar.
The Dr Scientist BitQuest, Moog MF Drive, Iron Ether Xerograph Deluxe all sound much better / deeper / heavier / synthier than the Koma in my opinion.
For those Electro style expression or knob sweeps I'd get an MF Drive or a BitQuest, you could try that Dreadbox stuff too.

Got the Dreadbox stuff here now, I think it's total crap, hissy, weak, doesn't react / trigger well, no balls, no nothing, for sure there's better stuff on the market.
I'm going to return it right away, excuse me for recommending it.

Good to know. Thanks for the heads up. I never hear anyone talk about them and was curious as to why. I mean the only ILF demo I had seen was Nora's taff tremolo one. MF drive is a great suggestion that I missed the first time around.

I wanted to add that a sweep-like effect can be done with a lot of different effects as long as it's gradual and builds to the drop. Ring mod, filters, bit crushers, waveshapers. Sweep the blend. But 303 acid sweeps with a lpf are the right way.

Get a filter put into a wah enclosure.

Sad about the dreadbox stuff. They look so nice.

Did you ever find something robapov?

I think one of the problems with the Dreadbox stuff is that it's 2 pole so it just doesn't sound really deep you know, I have the Lamda here too which is supposed to be 4 pole but I don't even want to hook it up considering how crap the Epsilon and Square Tides are in my opinion, maybe other people get great sounds out of them, who knows.
The MF Drive is awesome, I think it sounds really great for those deep synthy sweeps.

Tristan wrote:I think one of the problems with the Dreadbox stuff is that it's 2 pole so it just doesn't sound really deep you know, I have the Lamda here too which is supposed to be 4 pole but I don't even want to hook it up considering how crap the Epsilon and Square Tides are in my opinion, maybe other people get great sounds out of them, who knows.
The MF Drive is awesome, I think it sounds really great for those deep synthy sweeps.

I know what you mean about the 2 pole thing. Its kinda hard to really find info on them outside of their own videos which don't really tell that much and make them sound way better than they actually are. That's why I never pulled the trigger and went with Moog instead (funny enough, because the koma was broke and I was choosing between dreadbox and Moog for the exchange). I dunno, maybe they fit into the drum machine synth world better? The Lambda did seem the least impressive to me out of those (at least, the least amount of options).

Actually getting some cool sounds out of the Square Tides now, using it with an expression pedal makes a huge difference, without it's pretty boring but with it really comes alive.
The sweep on the filter is pretty nice, it's a bit on the tidy side of the fence but that's okay and works well for certain type of synthy sounds that are not really nasty or over the top.
It would have been great if you could switch the filter on/off maybe so you can easily go from one sound to another and I miss a bit of a gating effect especially on the square wave, both the square wave and octave seem to have a bit too much of a lag / soft response to get those more touch dynamic synthy sounds out of it.
A switch to go from 2 pole to 4 pole would have been really nice too.

Tried the Lamda and in my opinion the MF Drive totally smokes it, it's just way more responsive and more suited to guitar / stringed instruments I think, the range on it is better dialed in and you can more easily get quite a few different sounds out of it that are actually really cool.
Still getting nothing out of the Epsilon, whatever I do with it, it all sounds shitty to me.

Tristan wrote:Actually getting some cool sounds out of the Square Tides now, using it with an expression pedal makes a huge difference, without it's pretty boring but with it really comes alive.
The sweep on the filter is pretty nice, it's a bit on the tidy side of the fence but that's okay and works well for certain type of synthy sounds that are not really nasty or over the top.
It would have been great if you could switch the filter on/off maybe so you can easily go from one sound to another and I miss a bit of a gating effect especially on the square wave, both the square wave and octave seem to have a bit too much of a lag / soft response to get those more touch dynamic synthy sounds out of it.
A switch to go from 2 pole to 4 pole would have been really nice too.

Tried the Lamda and in my opinion the MF Drive totally smokes it, it's just way more responsive and more suited to guitar / stringed instruments I think, the range on it is better dialed in and you can more easily get quite a few different sounds out of it that are actually really cool.
Still getting nothing out of the Epsilon, whatever I do with it, it all sounds shitty to me.

Can you get cleanish filter sweeps out of the MF drive? Also can you post a clip of it being used as a lpf/being sweeped? I'm debating a xero deluxe, bitquest, and the MF drive