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Drolo Stamme[n] v4 meets Fairfield Hors d’Oeuvre?
I tried plugging a lot of different pedals into the Fairfield Hors d’Oeuvre? feedback looper. Of all, the one that gets the most added function is the Drolo Stamme[n] microlooper. I’d hate to say the Stamme[n] is missing a feedback knob since the pedal does just fine without it. But when you stick it in the effect loop of the Hors d’Oeuvre?, the Feed knob seems like it’s part of the Stamme[n], giving you so many ambient possibilities in the 4 delay or 4 reverb modes (when the left LED on).
What’s the Drolo Stamme[n] v4?
The Drolo Stamme[n] is a granular microlooper/hold pedal that also does glitches and time stretches. In the Record mode (left LED on) it becomes a delay/reverb. But there’s no feedback control so the delay is limited to a repeat or two depending on parameters. v4 is the current generation.
What’s the Fairfield Hors d’Oeuvre??
The Fairfield Circuitry Hors d’Oeuvre? is a parallel looper with a feedback knob. The tl:dr; version is that it can feed the Stamme[n]’s output back into its input. This turns the Stamme[n] into a real delay, escalating pitch shifter or cosmic dronemaker.
How the feedback works.
The feedback generated by the Hors d’Oeuvre? will manifest in different forms depending on what pedal is plugged into it and which parameters are used. The typical manifestations are squeal, resonance or repeats.
- Squeal is usually undesirable and caused by self-oscillation of a dry signal when its output level exceeds its input level. (It’s the same effect you get when you stick a microphone into a PA speaker and watch the sound guy cringe.) To avoid it: Just turn off the Dry knob on the Stamme[n] and turn up the Dry knob on the Hors d’Oeuvre?.
- Resonance is caused by a short delay, common in time-based effects like phasing, flanging and chorus that rely on a delay of 1 ms to 30 ms. Since Stamme[n] is granular, the resonance is thicker and more forgiving than regimented time-based pedals. This is demonstrated on the Pitch-Variable Feedback Drone recipe below.
- Repeats occurs when the delay is longer than about 30 ms. The delay created by the Stamme[n] can go down to about 200 ms and is mostly controlled by the Sample knob. At normal pitch it can extend to a gracefully-paced 3200 ms. With delay, the Feed knob on the Hors d’Oeuvre? yields repeats like a conventional delay (with a few caveats). Since the repeats are created by feeding the Stamme[n] back into itself, they deteriorate as with an analog chip or tape delay. The rate of deterioration is controlled by the Sample knob and will corrupt most quickly at 7a when the loop is most lo-fi.
Recipes for Hors d’Oeuvre? feedback with the Stamme[n] v4.
If you find the Stamme[n] not-so-ambient, hold onto your man-bun. (Or woman bun. Or gender-unassigned bun.) Things are about to get wild. The demos below were created with just a Beat Root Multiscale tongue drum and Stamme[n] in the Hors d’Oeuvre?’s feedback loop. (No further effects were harmed in the recording of this demo.) Each starts without feedback and then brings it into the mix.
Tape Delay
In the Tape Looper on the Mode selector and delay mode (both LEDs lit) Stamme[n] normally gives you a single repeat at from 800 ms sec to 3200 ms depending on the position of the Sample knob. When you turn the Hors d’Oeuvre?’s Feed knob up, you’ll get repeats like a conventional delay. Setting the Control knob on the Stamme[n] to 10a will give you a reverse delay. In the demo below it’s a forward delay to show how nicely the repeats degrade. The lower the Sample knob is set on the Stamme[n], the longer the delay and more lo-fi the repeats will be.
| Dry | Wet | Sample | Control | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7a | 5p | 12n | 1p | TL |
| Feed | Wet | Dry | Feed +/- | Wet +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10a | 10a | 2p | + | + |
Pitch-Stepped Delay
Similar to Montreal Assembly’s Count-to-5 Pedal, Mode 1 quantized delay, Stamme[n] can give you a delay with steps up or down. How far the repeats escalate or de-escalate will depend on where the Hors d’Oeuvre?’s Feed knob is set. The steps set by the Stamme[n]’s Control knob are fixed at a fifth or an octave, up or down, forward or reverse. The demo below gives you examples of forward-up tones. The octave up is exceedingly musical.
| Dry | Wet | Sample | Control | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7a | 5p | 12n | 3p | TL |
| Feed | Wet | Dry | Feed +/- | Wet +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10a | 10a | 2p | + | + |
Pitch-Variable Delay
Using either of the delay recipes above, just tweak the Sample knob on the Stamme[n] mid-delay. This has a similar effect as changing speed midstream on a normal delay. Right will cause the pitch to go up smoothly and left will cause the pitch to go down. Differing from a conventional delay the change will not self-correct after a few repeats.
| Dry | Wet | Sample | Control | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7a | 5p | Vary | 1p | TL |
| Feed | Wet | Dry | Feed +/- | Wet +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10a | 10a | 2p | + | + |
Pitched-Stepped Reverb
As with the delays, the Feed knob on the Hors d’Oeuvre? will feed Stamme[n] granular reverbs back into themselves. The Control knob on the Stamme[n] is fixed at 1 octave, 7 semitones or 5 semitones up or down, forward or reverse. These pitch shifts are not as drastic as the Pitch-Stepped Delay changes, but clearly noticeable. The speed of the changes is set by the Sample knob on the Stamme[n]. Always start with the Feed down.
| Dry | Wet | Sample | Control | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7a | 5p | 12n | 1-2p | PT |
| Feed | Wet | Dry | Feed +/- | Wet +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9a | 10a | 2p | + | + |
Pitch-Variable Feedback Drone.
This doesn’t require an input. It creates a drone by exchanging feedback between the two pedals. Slowly bring up the Feed knob on the Hors d’Oeuvre? As the drone gets established, you’ll need to back off on the Feed knob to keep it from self oscillating. The Sample knob of the Stamme[n] controls the pitch of the drone.
| Dry | Wet | Sample | Control | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7a | 5p | Vary | 12n | SW |
| Feed | Wet | Dry | Feed +/- | Wet +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-9a | 2p | 7a | + | + |
Pointers.
- The playback position of the Stamme[n] delay depends on position of the Control knob. You can get it exceptionally short by adjusting/re-adjusting. To start it at the default position: turn the Selector switch to GL and then back to TL.
- The volume of the dry signal can change based on Stamme[n]’s mode. I always work with Stamme[n]’s Dry volume down and set the Hors d’Oeuvre? Dry knob set to 2p.
- I usually start with the polarity switches on the Hors d’Oeuvre? set to + and individually try - to see it changes the signal for the better.
My take.
Would you find the Hors d’Oeuvre? practical enough to keep on your board? If you find the Stamme[n] practical enough to keep on your board, then yes. As if the Stamme[n] v4 didn’t have enough capability the Hors d’Oeuvre? can greatly extend it with repeats, pitch changes and feedback. Here I’ve worked with the 3 most practical modes of the Stamme[n] so you have 5 more modes to experiment with.
Need to add some warble to your Stamme[n] delay? Check out How to use the Stamme[n] with the Old Blood Expression Ramper
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