Graphic EQ for MatchBro effect

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 11 Apr 2001 2:10 pm

About two years ago, John Lemay posted settings to use a graphic EQ to get the MatchBro dobro effect. Has anyone actually tried it??

I've heard several of the Profex II programs for that and they have some of the sound but still have a ways to go to sound like my MatchBro.

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 11 Apr 2001 9:15 pm

Jack, something has always bothered me about simply getting a dobro effect from a graphic EQ. A real dobro has a resonator, which is a whole different ball game than a graphic EQ. Mike Brown just e-mailed me the settings on a ProFex II, and a TransTube Fex. I have not tried them yet. I will be happy to make a copy and mail the settings to you. Jack, a resonator in a instrument, without a pickup, makes the instrument ring naturally. How could you get a true dobro sound without trying to address what is happening with the resonator? Anyway that is the way I see it. I value your opinion. Let me know what you think about this subject?

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 12 Apr 2001 1:44 am

Hi Keith....

I would appreicate it if you could e-mail me the "profex II" settings for the dobro that Mike Brown sent you,I would like to A/B it with the one or two that I have installed. The ones I have are(at times)thin and often don't really sound true.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Apr 2001 3:54 am

I have the Jeff Newman dobro simulator programs and what a friend came up with. None of them even come close to the MatchBro. It would be interesting to see if what Mike has is any different or if it's the same Jeff Newman programs.

I've seen a Peavey cache card that a friend ordered from the factory (ordered through a dealer) specifically for his Transtube Fex and all Peavey loaded on there was the stock Jeff Newman Profex II programs, not programs for the newer units. The cache card had a label on it "TubeFex/Transtube Fex" not "Profex II". He had the dealer check with the factory an he was told those were the Transtube Fex programs. He didn't pursue the issue and further, instead came over and I loaded my Transtube Fex programs on it for him and he was happy.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 12 Apr 2001 5:33 am

The Profex II "Steelbro" preset on the Jeff Newman card is the preset that one of our former product managers and myself came up with one night. We both sat down with my Emmons LaGrande II, my Dobro, a Peavey EQ31 graphic equalizer and a Matchbro and created the Steelbro preset.

This was a close simuation without a resonator.

Kenny Forbess · Post by **Kenny Forbess** » 12 Apr 2001 6:46 am

Mike the "steelbro" preset is not on my card,
is there different Newman pre-sets on some cards ?

Can some one post this steelbro patch?please.
Thanks,
Kenny

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 12 Apr 2001 6:28 pm

Bill, I will be happy to make you a copy of these settings, and mail them to you. It would take me a whole day to copy the stuff, and I don't think my keyboard has some of the symbols used. Mike Brown is set up to e-mail this information to you, if you will only request it from him. Let me know? Does the Matchbro have a resonator inside it? This next question is for Mike Brown. Seems to me a resonator is a "form" of a reverb. As I see it,a reverb is many delays put together. Since the Peavey Effect Units have many types of reverbs, and many types of delays, Mike,how much time did you spend on getting the "ring" a resonator produces, using delays and reverbs? Just EQ-ing to where you creat a "band pass filter" and using a plastic bar to kill sustain does not get the resonator sound of a dobro. If I were building a dobro effect, I would work backwards. I would first get the ringing sound of a resonator. Then I would create a "band pass filter" then I would use a plastic bar to lessen the sustain.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 13 Apr 2001 7:47 am

Bill.
Check your mail. I sent you my Dobro settings.
Don

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 17 Apr 2001 10:16 am

From what I can gather, the matchbro effect has more to do with phase shift than Eq.Sort of like a phase shifter without the oscillation. That's why when you switch in the matchbro the level drops, because a lot of signal is cancelled in the process. I am going to build one of these myself soon because I can't afford a real one, and I will share the plan with everybody.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 17 Apr 2001 2:38 pm

Glenn, the MatchBro is more a "notch filter" than anything. I have a MatchBro and adjusting it, it seems to be notch type device.

I'm not sure what you are referring to about drop in signal. My MatchBro does not drop the signal when it's activated.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 18 Apr 2001 6:25 am

The closest other than a Match-Bro I've found is using an old Vox wah-wah pedal partially open -- if you find the right spot it's pretty close. If you add a touch of flange with very slow (or no) modulation it gets a bit closer. Not as good or reliable (or convenient) as the Match-Bro. Much cheaper though (esp if you have a wah-wah pedal lying around gathering dust).

LTB

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 18 Apr 2001 10:54 am

Jack, do you think there is anything else inside, other than a notch filter? It would seem the plastic bar is used to kill the sustain a steel has. Jack,what if you didn't have to use a different bar?

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 18 Apr 2001 11:47 am

The Dobro simulator I tried dropped in level considerably when you switched it in. I don't remember which model it was, but it was a Goodrich. I'm convinced that there is more involved than just notch filtering. I've never seen inside one, but will theorize that some sort of phase shift is going in there.Also why would a notch filter cost that much.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 18 Apr 2001 3:23 pm

I've looked inside my MatchBro, but Goodrich has obliterated the numbers on the Op Amps, but a least one of the op-amps is probably the input line buffer and output line buffer amp. There is a row of transistors with what appears to be similar components connected to each transistor which, guessing, could be some kind of filter if the transistors are FET's. I haven't tried to draw a schematic from the unit and it would be a waste of time without knowing what all the components are. I say it's basically a notch filter as that's what I was told years ago. It has other circuitry in it but the person that told me about the notch filter was working on his own electronic dobro simulator at the time. He finally came up with something but it wasn't viable considering how well the Goodrich MatchBro unit worked.

It's not a hassle changing bars, and sometimes I'll even use my regular BJS bar for a different effect. I don't think I'd want one that didn't require the special bar just for that reason.

In ref to Glen, who's MatchBro changes the volume level. You must have one of the newer ones. The newer ones completely bypass the MatchBro unit when it is switched off. Apparently the output from your pickups is hotter than the output of the MatchBro, if there's not a problem with your unit (has the batteries been changed lately?)

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 18 Apr 2001 4:30 pm

Glenn, I don't think you can get the analog chips to do phase shift anymore. I am certain it is not digital. The bucket brigade chips got phase shift, flange, delay, reverb and a lot of other things. No one makes them anymore. That's why I don't think phase shift is going on.