Gear Reviews

E-H ravish Sitar/ keys easily and quickly. This feature talking machine really adds to the pedal’s convincing Price: $319 (Ravish Sitar); $294 (Stereo sound and it’s hard to avoid getting Talking Machine) addicted to its eastern charms. Info: ehx.com The Stereo Talking Machine, meanwhile, is a vocal-format filter, and 9-volt power adapters. We tested similar to an envelope filter or auto- both pedals with a G&L Legacy wah, but with multiple filter choices loaded with single coils and a Vox designed to emulate human voice AC15 1x12 combo. vowel sounds. Connections on the 1 Unlike sitar-emulating instru- STM include a /4" mono input, dual 1 ments of the past, such the Danelec- /4" stereo outputs, a pair of send and tro Coral Sitar electric guitar, the return effects loop jacks, as well as Ravish Sitar pedal offers a realistic an expression pedal TRS jack. digital emulation. A genuine, The STM features nine voices acoustic Indian sitar has lead strings (seven vowels and two wah wah), that are picked or plucked like on nine pre-sets, a blend control, a standard guitar, as well as several and controls for attack, decay and “sympathetic” stings within the sensitivity. A preset dial, as well as body tuned to a specific key that a footswitch. allow the user to toggle resonate (i.e., without being picked), through presets that can be user which gave you that familiar exotic modified and saved. The sensitiv- drone. While the Coral Sitar offered ity control not only controls the a very cool sound with its “buzz” sensitivity of the envelope filter, but bridge, the 10-string sympathetic also the direction the filter travels, harp had a somewhat limited use, clockwise from center for a low to having to be re-tuned for different high sweep (i.e. ow to ee sounds), keys and strummed to get the full and counterclockwise for a high to effect. low sweep (i.e. ee to ow sounds). Now, on to the pedal. The Ravish The preset footswitch, as well as the Sitar’s controls include levels for the five control knobs, do double duty Dry, Lead and Sympathetic strings; – with the preset switch held down Lead and Sympathetic string Timbre the user has access to built-in fuzz (the amount of buzz); a Mode/Pre- and modulation via the five control set knob for changing presets and knobs, consisting of volume, fuzz scrolling through the modes; a dual tone, fuzz gain, LFO modulation LED display for Preset and Mode; rate and LFO modulation depth/ and stomp switches for Bypass and shape. Presets. The modes include the key The factory presets offer a wide mode for changing the key of the variety of sounds, from classic auto- sympathetic strings from major to wah sounds, to modulated synth minor to exotic, as well as custom sounds and classic talk-box effects. scales; decay mode for changing the The presets proved to be a good jump- decay of Lead notes; and Modula- ing off point for creating new sounds, tion Mode for adding modulation and the well-thought out control to sympathetic strings, which helps layout was easy to manipulate to our emulate the sound of a stringed In- individual playing style. The built-in dian tanpura (or tambora). There’s fuzz circuit is fairly tame, offering a also the hip Freeze mode for freez- soft fuzzy effect, while the modula- ing or sustaining the Sympathetic tion circuit offers a fairly thick swirl string indefinitely via the preset from smooth to choppy. Both of the footswitch. fuzz and modulation effects add a lot Even with the large array of to the pedal’s sound palate, though Exotic controls and options on the Ravish we do wish the controls were labeled Sitar pedal, we were able to dial for both their primary as well as their in a realistic sound with the G&L secondary functions. The ability quickly. The controls are laid out for the sensitivity control to sweep Boxes in a user-friendly manner that we forwards and backwards proved to were able to manipulate easily. Just be the “go to” control on the STM for pick a key, adjust the dry, lead and dialing in a sound and adding a whole The Electro-Harmonix Talking sympathetic levels, and dial in some new dimension to classic auto-wah timbre, and you are transformed sounds with a reverse swell. Machine and Ravish Sitar into Ravi Shankar or, well, a reason- Both the Ravish Sitar and the able facsimile. The pedal tracks very Stereo Talking Machine feature well and the timbre control emulates Electro-Harmonix’s bullet-proof Electro Harmonix’s two newest to transform your guitar into some- the “buzz” sound well. It’s not quite construction, great quality sounds, pedals are a bit of a departure from thing else – here, a way-out Indian as touch sensitive as the Dano Coral and user-friendly controls that offer the classic pedals they’re known sitar and something that evokes the sitar, but is very convincing anyway. lots of instant gratification. Most for. Instead of adding color to your human voice. Both pedals share the The real magic is in the Ravish importantly, each pedal is a blast existing tone, the Ravish Sitar and same heavy-duty chassis, dual stomp Sitar’s droning sympathetic string to use and will fuel your creativity. the Stereo Talking Machine intend switches, chassis mounted controls, emulation and the ability to change – Phil Feser

Vintage Guitar March 2012 VintageGuitar.com