The demo at about 3:30 really sells this pedal. Sure, you can get all kinds of gimmicky sounds out of this thing, but when you use it to flesh out your guitar tone, then you really get the full effect. If you're a creative guitarist, then you're going to find many excellent uses for this thing. If you aren't creative, then no pedal is going to save your music.
...if you love organ and are a reasonably creative guitarist...this pedal is phenomenal.It is extremely versatile and has quite a range of both traditional and pleasant sounds as well as more outside and experimental applications...no demo will do it justice but your own. I have one and belive it is INCREDIBLE...but then again I love many styles of organ playing and technique...
lot of hate and/or butthurt, having played guitar for 20+ years and piano/keys for 2 years, this pedal is amazing. Not that I would buy it since I already have the real thing but still. Sounds great
+Thomas Hughes I don't know why this wouldn't be tasteful to Hendrix. Whats the problem with this pedal? You must be one of the thumbs down on the video.
Hendrix certainly was an innovator. He may have tried everything. Hopefully he'd have retained his wonderful 'taste filter' though, the threshold of which would be set far, far above the sounds coming from this horrible, horrible pedal! No Jonathan, he was not a personal friend of mine. I'll assume he wasn't a personal friend of Edgar Beja, Chris Davies or JAT002 either. Did you know him? Did he tell you that he wanted to change his direction and incorporate horrid sounds into his work? I know it's all subjective, and I know Hendrix was versatile but this pedal sounds truly dreadful. Like a shitty plastic Hammond organ. Just so far removed from anything Hendrixy, unless you count his use of the Leslie and Univibe, both of which sound so vastly superior to this pedal I can't see him picking this over either. I like EHX. I think they're an interesting company. But the B9 sounds awful. If you think it really sounds like an organ, you're mistaken. If you take it on its own merit...hmmm, still sounds awful!
A very thin steel or aluminum perhaps!Sturdy and there is no latency and the only wierd thing you have to get used to is the very natural organ and keyboard sounds you get instead of a stringed instrument!
Bought one today. Beautiful sound when coupled with the other pedals. But... I have one issue, which happens to be an important one for our band: How to I get the B9 to breathe infinitely? Or a longer decay? Anybody have any ideas? my guitar is tuned to A#
Unlike guitar-and very much like an organ-the B9 doesn't decay, the notes simply stop when there is no signal present. From a performance standpoint, you're no doubt used to the decay that happens with a guitar signal. One way to get the B9 to have more of a guitar-like decay would be to use a volume pedal on the Organ output only and roll back the volume pedal to mimic the decay of your guitar signal. It could also be a blend control between the guitar and B9 sounds. Another option would be to add a ducked delay and/or reverb to the B9 signal only. Ducking effects means that while signal is present the effects are not; when there's no signal, they are. When you stop playing, the ambience appears so you don't have a hard stop. You can smoothly control the amount of ducking so the effects swell in to match your performance. Separate processing of the B9 can give you more control over it, I'm glad you're enjoying using it! Hope this helps. Thanks-Don Carr
+aidanvinum Compressor. You need to compress the hell out of your guitar going into the B9. That'll double your sustain (but still not 'key down' like a real organ). I'm actually surprised they didn't build some of the "Freeze" features into the B9 and C9. You can also cut your attacks off with a volume pedal - still not really an organ but... Beyond that you're gonna need a MIDI pickup and a real synth. I used to trigger background organ/string/flute pads that way - they sustained until the next trigger or a kill pedal on the floor stopped them. .
I saw a video where the guy was using a delay and reverb pedal right after the b9. The decay and trails of those pedals took the organ sound with them.
Hi Chris, we've passed that request along to Don. In the meantime you can watch Don push the Synth 9 to its extremes in this performance video: th-cam.com/video/7z1Ju9biGZE/w-d-xo.html
Hi Logan Hall! Hope this doesn't disappoint you but it’s just a standard, jazz turnaround: starts on a ii minor chord for a bar, V dominant 7th for a bar; then two beats each of III, VI, II, V, resolving to a I chord with a “Count Basie” ending. I did a walking bass-line underneath, simulating an organ with bass pedals. Thanks for noticing and asking, hope this answers your question! - Don Carr
Some great sounds, but for how much I would use it, the $220 price tag just is more then having that effect is worth. I'm not saying it's not a fair price, just saying I wouldn't spend that much for that type of effect.
Worth every penny. It's like owning a completely different instrument. It changed me from a clean player to a bit of a pedal head. Paired with the Superego + and expression pedal you can really sound like you're playing a Hammond or organ with both hands
Hi, Ronald. Yes, the B9 is designed to be used in a typical effects chain. You typically would want the B9 first in your chain so that it gets the direct guitar signal but then you can run whatever you want after that. They can sound very cool going through other effects. A little delay or reverb can really help add some vibe to the sound. Thanks for your interest! Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com
Hi, allegrobarbaro63. You can plug other instruments into it, but guitar is what it’s designed to work with. Anything else might not track or follow your playing very well. Thanks for your interest! Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com
@@sweetwater Thank you for your quick answer! Seems that I'll buy it this week. I intend to use it with (some) keyboards to make them sounding better, more 'organish' more hammond-like.
I just got one of these. What they don't tell you in the demos is, you need a bass amp or PA to use this thing at any kind of volume higher than maybe speaking volume, or it will blow the hell out of your speakers. It add a 1 and 2 octave below tone. I ran mine through a Marshall DSL with a JCM 900 cab. Sounds godawful. Not even that amp can handle the lows this thing adds. At low volume it's lots of fun. crank it up and your amp will suffer, and so will your ears. There are also latency issues. Try it before you buy it.
Hmm... not a fan. If the goal is emulating an organ, a sound-to-MIDI device controlling a dedicated organ sampler or model would be best. If the goal is a unique tone with an organ-like flair, it's not all too exciting. It seems to work well at beefing up a guitar, but I'm not sure if that justifies the price tag. Still, I'm sure people out there will find a creative use for it!
Interesting pedal. Honestly doesn't really sound like a Hammond, but a decent approximation of an "organ" sound for live purposes. I think it provides some interesting sounds and textures to work with. But does it replace a real organ? Absolutely not. I say this after spending a couple of weeks in the studio tracking guitars and tracking keys with a vintage Hammond C3 with a Leslie 122. I travel with a vintage Hammond M3 and use a Nord Electro 4 for B3 sounds at gigs, as well. Just an objective list of things the pedal is missing from the real Hammond sound- 1. Leslie fast/slow controls (absolutely crucial to sounding authentic), 2. Sustain (your "organ" pads will only last as long as your guitar's sustain, real Hammond's sound as long as you are pressing the keys), 3. Adjustable drawbar settings (unless you only want a Jimmy Smith 888000000 sound, you're going to want to adjust drawbars in real time; few Hammond players leave the drawbars at one setting. There're a few common and highly useful drawbar settings missing from this pedal), 4. Accurate key click (the sound from your guitar is created through picking, which affects the percussion sound emulated by this pedal. Close, but no cigar), 5. Chorus/vibrato (unless you're happy with whatever C3 chorus emulation is set by each preset on the pedal, you're going to miss the ability to select chorus), 6. Lower manual drawbar settings (you cannot have a different drawbar setting for lower and higher registers like a dual manual tonewheel organ, as demonstrated by the walking bassline figure in the video. The bassline had to be the same drawbar setting as the comping). Probably a useful pedal for a band wanting to approximate an organ sound for a couple of spots in a live set or someone who wants some colorful textures and isn't concerned with actually sounding authentic.
leo moon Yes, I failed to like this pedal. Maybe it's fun for some people to dick around with, but the only serious use I can find that would be musical (not annoying) is the layering capabilities (placed quietly behind various guitar sounds). The solo emulations are, as I said, not even close; it sounds like they were tweaked by an engineer with an oscilloscope, rather than a musician with ears.
@@OnlyPartiallyHere I’ve used it on a few minor sessions successfully and the producer has been quite happy lol Everyone’s an expert in their own head- especially idiot guitarists-they are a special breed
The demo at about 3:30 really sells this pedal. Sure, you can get all kinds of gimmicky sounds out of this thing, but when you use it to flesh out your guitar tone, then you really get the full effect. If you're a creative guitarist, then you're going to find many excellent uses for this thing. If you aren't creative, then no pedal is going to save your music.
...if you love organ and are a reasonably creative guitarist...this pedal is phenomenal.It is extremely versatile and has quite a range of both traditional and pleasant sounds as well as more outside and experimental applications...no demo will do it justice but your own. I have one and belive it is INCREDIBLE...but then again I love many styles of organ playing and technique...
lot of hate and/or butthurt, having played guitar for 20+ years and piano/keys for 2 years, this pedal is amazing. Not that I would buy it since I already have the real thing but still. Sounds great
Used my B9 with a Fender Princeton Chorus amp, activated the stereo chorus thru the PA system, and the church folks thought we had a new organ player!
Best demos on you tube, great stuff Don
I have one of these, and, it’s a blast to play with…….
Would love to have a violin/strings effect like this.
Somebody demo this thing with an Ebow.
If hendrix was alive he would buy this pedal!!
+Edgar Beja I don't think he'd have bought this pedal; Hendrix had taste!
Hendrix was an innovator, he would have tried everything
+Thomas Hughes I don't know why this wouldn't be tasteful to Hendrix. Whats the problem with this pedal? You must be one of the thumbs down on the video.
@@TomPoop personal friend of yours was he?
Hendrix certainly was an innovator. He may have tried everything. Hopefully he'd have retained his wonderful 'taste filter' though, the threshold of which would be set far, far above the sounds coming from this horrible, horrible pedal! No Jonathan, he was not a personal friend of mine. I'll assume he wasn't a personal friend of Edgar Beja, Chris Davies or JAT002 either. Did you know him? Did he tell you that he wanted to change his direction and incorporate horrid sounds into his work? I know it's all subjective, and I know Hendrix was versatile but this pedal sounds truly dreadful. Like a shitty plastic Hammond organ. Just so far removed from anything Hendrixy, unless you count his use of the Leslie and Univibe, both of which sound so vastly superior to this pedal I can't see him picking this over either. I like EHX. I think they're an interesting company. But the B9 sounds awful. If you think it really sounds like an organ, you're mistaken. If you take it on its own merit...hmmm, still sounds awful!
I bought one and was suprised to feel how light it was!I remember back in the day my boss pedals were made of steel or lead!
Is this not steel?
And, do you get any noticeable latency on it?
thanks :)
A very thin steel or aluminum perhaps!Sturdy and there is no latency and the only wierd thing you have to get used to is the very natural organ and keyboard sounds you get instead of a stringed instrument!
gary h Thanks :)
I felt the same thing. I just bought B9 yesterday and couldn't believe how light it was. Crazy light!
Trying to get to a store to demo it for myself but everywhere I go they're sold out. EHX is on a role lately.
Bought one today. Beautiful sound when coupled with the other pedals.
But...
I have one issue, which happens to be an important one for our band:
How to I get the B9 to breathe infinitely? Or a longer decay?
Anybody have any ideas? my guitar is tuned to A#
Unlike guitar-and very much like an organ-the B9 doesn't decay, the notes simply stop when there is no signal present. From a performance standpoint, you're no doubt used to the decay that happens with a guitar signal.
One way to get the B9 to have more of a guitar-like decay would be to use a volume pedal on the Organ output only and roll back the volume pedal to mimic the decay of your guitar signal. It could also be a blend control between the guitar and B9 sounds.
Another option would be to add a ducked delay and/or reverb to the B9 signal only. Ducking effects means that while signal is present the effects are not; when there's no signal, they are. When you stop playing, the ambience appears so you don't have a hard stop. You can smoothly control the amount of ducking so the effects swell in to match your performance.
Separate processing of the B9 can give you more control over it, I'm glad you're enjoying using it! Hope this helps.
Thanks-Don Carr
+SweetwaterSound +aidanvinum in theory an EHX Freeze before the B9 could work. No idea what that would sound like in practice though.
+aidanvinum Compressor. You need to compress the hell out of your guitar going into the B9. That'll double your sustain (but still not 'key down' like a real organ). I'm actually surprised they didn't build some of the "Freeze" features into the B9 and C9. You can also cut your attacks off with a volume pedal - still not really an organ but... Beyond that you're gonna need a MIDI pickup and a real synth. I used to trigger background organ/string/flute pads that way - they sustained until the next trigger or a kill pedal on the floor stopped them. .
I saw a video where the guy was using a delay and reverb pedal right after the b9. The decay and trails of those pedals took the organ sound with them.
Fascinating! Good demo! :-)
Do you know other guitar pedal with organ sound?
Almost Halloween 2020 and the intro is haunted house music. cool. I'm looking to buy one on Facebook marketplace in 10/2020.
Hi Don, could you also perform a similar demo of the synth 9 please?
Hi Chris, we've passed that request along to Don. In the meantime you can watch Don push the Synth 9 to its extremes in this performance video:
th-cam.com/video/7z1Ju9biGZE/w-d-xo.html
What is the line from 1:32 called? I've heard that in another demo and I'm dying to know what it is!
Hi Logan Hall! Hope this doesn't disappoint you but it’s just a standard, jazz turnaround: starts on a ii minor chord for a bar, V dominant 7th for a bar; then two beats each of III, VI, II, V, resolving to a I chord with a “Count Basie” ending. I did a walking bass-line underneath, simulating an organ with bass pedals. Thanks for noticing and asking, hope this answers your question! - Don Carr
Thanks!
Hi. Can i play the Doors songs with this pedal ? Thanks.
Very interesting. I want. What are the settings at 3:32 ?
Love it
Some great sounds, but for how much I would use it, the $220 price tag just is more then having that effect is worth. I'm not saying it's not a fair price, just saying I wouldn't spend that much for that type of effect.
Worth every penny. It's like owning a completely different instrument. It changed me from a clean player to a bit of a pedal head. Paired with the Superego + and expression pedal you can really sound like you're playing a Hammond or organ with both hands
Can you use the B9 in line with other effects pedals
Hi, Ronald. Yes, the B9 is designed to be used in a typical effects chain. You typically would want the B9 first in your chain so that it gets the direct guitar signal but then you can run whatever you want after that. They can sound very cool going through other effects. A little delay or reverb can really help add some vibe to the sound.
Thanks for your interest!
Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com
Wish you would demonstrait a singing and playing!
Can this guitar effect be used for other instruments than a guitar ?
Hi, allegrobarbaro63. You can plug other instruments into it, but guitar is what it’s designed to work with. Anything else might not track or follow your playing very well.
Thanks for your interest!
Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com
@@sweetwater Thank you for your quick answer! Seems that I'll buy it this week. I intend to use it with (some) keyboards to make them sounding better, more 'organish' more hammond-like.
I'd love to use it with a Blues Driver, see how it comes out.
the b9 sounds 60s cool the 805 together kinds kills the tone wave from the b9 all in all pretty cool
Wow, is that an alien guitar pick necklace?
that thing u played at around 3:30 it stuck on me
Is this guy related to Weird Al???
Weird Al does not have boobs.
Weird Al has all the boobs he wants. It's just no two are alike.
beautifulmicia so mean 😂
I just got one of these. What they don't tell you in the demos is, you need a bass amp or PA to use this thing at any kind of volume higher than maybe speaking volume, or it will blow the hell out of your speakers. It add a 1 and 2 octave below tone. I ran mine through a Marshall DSL with a JCM 900 cab. Sounds godawful. Not even that amp can handle the lows this thing adds. At low volume it's lots of fun. crank it up and your amp will suffer, and so will your ears. There are also latency issues. Try it before you buy it.
They didn’t mention they’re running his voice through an Electro Harmonix G9 Greg Koch simulator
Combine this pedal with a Neo Instruments Ventilator II and you'd have an awesome combination.
Hmm... not a fan. If the goal is emulating an organ, a sound-to-MIDI device controlling a dedicated organ sampler or model would be best. If the goal is a unique tone with an organ-like flair, it's not all too exciting. It seems to work well at beefing up a guitar, but I'm not sure if that justifies the price tag.
Still, I'm sure people out there will find a creative use for it!
then dont buy it
Sound to MIDI? How's that going to work at a comparable price?
Because this is analog, midi be digital yo
Sounds good, but not authentic. It's not about sound itself, but specific guitar attack phase , when string plucked. It doesn't happen on keyboard
There's no Z in Leslie.
Take me out to the ball game....
I thought it was Weird Al Yankovic from the thumbnail. No offense. :0)
Nobody likes the "Chime" setting...?
Interesting pedal. Honestly doesn't really sound like a Hammond, but a decent approximation of an "organ" sound for live purposes. I think it provides some interesting sounds and textures to work with. But does it replace a real organ? Absolutely not. I say this after spending a couple of weeks in the studio tracking guitars and tracking keys with a vintage Hammond C3 with a Leslie 122. I travel with a vintage Hammond M3 and use a Nord Electro 4 for B3 sounds at gigs, as well.
Just an objective list of things the pedal is missing from the real Hammond sound-
1. Leslie fast/slow controls (absolutely crucial to sounding authentic),
2. Sustain (your "organ" pads will only last as long as your guitar's sustain, real Hammond's sound as long as you are pressing the keys),
3. Adjustable drawbar settings (unless you only want a Jimmy Smith 888000000 sound, you're going to want to adjust drawbars in real time; few Hammond players leave the drawbars at one setting. There're a few common and highly useful drawbar settings missing from this pedal),
4. Accurate key click (the sound from your guitar is created through picking, which affects the percussion sound emulated by this pedal. Close, but no cigar),
5. Chorus/vibrato (unless you're happy with whatever C3 chorus emulation is set by each preset on the pedal, you're going to miss the ability to select chorus),
6. Lower manual drawbar settings (you cannot have a different drawbar setting for lower and higher registers like a dual manual tonewheel organ, as demonstrated by the walking bassline figure in the video. The bassline had to be the same drawbar setting as the comping).
Probably a useful pedal for a band wanting to approximate an organ sound for a couple of spots in a live set or someone who wants some colorful textures and isn't concerned with actually sounding authentic.
ahahah! che storia!
Dude... Boner City!
I would buy it just for the Cathedral mod!
If EHX ever sells it for under $100 let me know.
Should have worn his Bro
Is that weird al yankovic?
Play some rhythm
Sorry, not even close. Fail.
So what you're saying is YOU failed to like this pedal?
leo moon
Yes, I failed to like this pedal. Maybe it's fun for some people to dick around with, but the only serious use I can find that would be musical (not annoying) is the layering capabilities (placed quietly behind various guitar sounds). The solo emulations are, as I said, not even close; it sounds like they were tweaked by an engineer with an oscilloscope, rather than a musician with ears.
@@OnlyPartiallyHere I’ve used it on a few minor sessions successfully and the producer has been quite happy lol
Everyone’s an expert in their own head- especially idiot guitarists-they are a special breed