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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Bought a brand new Boss FRV-1. Does this seem normal? Not getting much drip at all at ANY setting.

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I decided to take the plunge on a Boss FRV-1. Bought one brand new online and I love the sound of the reverb itself, but it seems I'm really not getting any drip at ANY setting on this thing. I tried palm muting virtually every note on the fretboard at lots of different settings and here or there it seems there might be a faint tiny occasional drip, but on lots of the demos I've watched, people are getting TONS of drip on their FRV-1's. Could something be wrong with this pedal?

Other than the lack of drip, everything else sounds normal. I tried with the supplied battery and my Pedal Power 2+ and I'm scratching my head because I really wanted the drip like these videos down below. I'm using a Strat with vintage style pickups into a 68 Super Reverb. Mine will not drip like these videos at all. I've tried varying my pick attack as well and I'm getting nowhere. Any input would be gladly appreciated.

Input / output reversed?

METEOR IV on reverbnation

No. Would it even work at all that way?

I went back and listened to a recording I made of it on my phone and I'm hearing some drip here and there but it's not as pronounced at all as any of those videos I linked. Those players are getting a crazy amount of drip.

Try different cords maybe. If that doesn't work it's likely a defective unit.

METEOR IV on reverbnation

One thing that helps with DRIP is treble. On the super try the bright UP and treble around 5/6 and bass at 2/3. Then on FRV try tone between 9 (oclock) and 12 (oclock) or 1/4 - 1/2 up. The bridge pickup, tone at 10.

Last edited: Mar 29, 2017 16:58:53

I'll try those settings out tomorrow. Thanks! I would have a hard time believing that a new Boss pedal would show up with any issues, especially since everything else seems to be working fine, so maybe it's just not gelling with my Strat or something. Unfortunately, that Strat is all I have right now.

Last edited: Mar 29, 2017 17:13:28

I don't believe that your guitar is the problem. A Strat should work out fine.

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

It may be prudent to mention that the drip really only comes out when you're picking muted strings. Are you applying palm to strings when you play?

Also make sure the amp reverb is off. FRV dwell and level at lest 1/2 then go from there

Redfeather wrote:

It may be prudent to mention that the drip really only comes out when you're picking muted strings. Are you applying palm to strings when you play?

Yeah. I'm palm muting and not getting much drip, which seems odd to me because the guys in the clips I linked were gettting drip so effortlessly. I'll mess with the settings again tomorrow and I do hear some drip here and there but it's not so steady and pronounced as the clips above. Then again, I've heard some other clips where guys weren't getting much drip either on the palm mutes, so maybe these pedals vary a bit somehow.

revmike wrote:

I don't believe that your guitar is the problem. A Strat should work out fine.

Rev

Yeah makes sense, don't know why I thought that. I guess I'm just analyzing everything.

derekirving wrote:

Also make sure the amp reverb is off. FRV dwell and level at lest 1/2 then go from there

Yeah, amp verb is off, generally setting level around 1:00 and dwell at 3:00.

Maybe you could provide some audio demos?

dripdripFL wrote:

I'll try those settings out tomorrow. Thanks! I would have a hard time believing that a new Boss pedal would show up with any issues, especially since everything else seems to be working fine, so maybe it's just not gelling with my Strat or something.

The list of new gear in history that is DOA out of the box (even by big name makers) is a long one. It happens. (There's nothing wrong with the amp or guitar you're using.) You should be able to easily get drip out of that pedal (FRV-1's can get shrill, but drip is not a problem.) Honest, if you can't get drip out of Kilian's settings on the shootout video, call the vendor & return the unit.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Badger wrote:

dripdripFL wrote:

I'll try those settings out tomorrow. Thanks! I would have a hard time believing that a new Boss pedal would show up with any issues, especially since everything else seems to be working fine, so maybe it's just not gelling with my Strat or something.

The list of new gear in history that is DOA out of the box (even by big name makers) is a long one. It happens. (There's nothing wrong with the amp or guitar you're using.) You should be able to easily get drip out of that pedal (FRV-1's can get shrill, but drip is not a problem.) Honest, if you can't get drip out of Kilian's settings on the shootout video, call the vendor & return the unit.

Oh I hear you there on new gear having issues. I just figured being that it's a Boss product and digital that there would be some consistency in the FRV-1, that they should all drip the same. I bought it new from Sam Ash on Reverb.com and they say no returns unless not as described in their policy. I don't know if they'll consider the lack of drip as an issue since the actual reverb works.

I spoke with a rep from Reverb about it yesterday on the phone who told me it must just not be working with my rig, but I don't see how that's possible. I would think I should be able to replicate the exact sounds on those videos.

I'll see if I can get some kind of sound clip uploaded.

This may have been covered elsewhere in this thread...
Go guitar>FRV-1>amp
For now, do not use any other pedal at all
Try fresh battery vs 9v adapter, try different cables, try different guitars, if applicable.
If you use a power adapter and it happens to feed multiple pedals, disconnect all other pedals during this testing. It is a digital pedal and if it is being starved because of inadequate power, performance may be affected.
Yes, short, percussive palm-muted notes should accentuate the drip.
While trying all the above, set all three knobs of the pedal to the 12 o'clock position and just note if there are any differences.

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada

Last edited: Mar 30, 2017 08:53:29

Yes, something up on Soundcloud etc. would be helpful. I just pulled mine out of the board bag & tested it. Works good (although it does depend a bit where it is in the chain, not a drip-breaker). One thing you might explore with your Strat; use the middle pickup. You might not get the best reaction off those strings into a pickup because of the bridge pickup's location; not because of where you're muting/picking but because of where the pickup itself is.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Ok. I don't have a mic right now so I couldn't mic the amp, so I had to play the pedal through a fender amp sim on garageband. Not ideal, but better than nothing. It's performing exactly the same in my amp.

I just play some generic palm mute stuff to try and summon those drips. At one point you can hear some drip but overall it just doesn't seem to be as pronounced as the videos above, where you can really hear that metallic ping on their palm mutes. Mixer and Dwell set a little over 1:00 and tone at noon. What do you think?

https://soundcloud.com/user-812437852

Last edited: Mar 30, 2017 11:34:32

My FRV-1 is out on loan right now so I don't have it in front of me to try but I was messing around with my Surfy Bear DIY reverb unit about 30mins ago.

I don't hear a massive difference between the FRV-1 in the video vs. the OP's Soundcloud clip.
What I do hear in the video (Topanga vs. FRV-1 vs. real reverb unit) and can attest to is that no single effects unit I have heard captures the drip, splash, and metallic flutter of a real tank.

At this point, the only thing I can suggest is to increase the Dwell and Tone to about 1:00~2:00 and dial the Mix back to a level that keeps the digital "zing" in check.

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada

Last edited: Mar 30, 2017 12:14:47

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