Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Empty Head Effects' Falling Man Deforming / Yawing PT2399 Modulated Delay is a great blend of versatility and unusual quirky cool!
At its core this is a PT2399 modulated delay - which is operating well beyond its core abilities - and thus delivering those cool quirky flavours at the edges of its normal output. Empty Head’s Nic has really pushed the envelope here to create a unique character delay with a deformed downward pitch effect - which sounds like you’ve been gripped by gravity - for that falling feeling.
Nic has described tis pedal as "A study in using the dynamics of your input / pick attack to self modulate the output."
This is a non-linear effect with a sort of off-kilter curve to the modulation - it really can go quite extreme. And I feel this would appeal somewhat more to the more experienced and adventurous player - who has tried most everything else out there - and is now looking for something a little more unusual. I also feel it takes a certain skill and aptitude to get fully usable musical tones out of both halves of this pedal - particularly on the Trip Mode. So I would recommend this pedal for the more experienced player - that is used to adapting their playing style for the sake of getting the most out of such a device. I certainly needed to adjust my playing - and get a feel for the unique rhythms and pattern of this delay - particularly on the ’Trip’ mode!
There are two main playback modes via that central toggle-switch - Stumble and Trip - where the former is relatively normal and milder - while switching that toggle down to ’Trip’ delivers quite a heavily ’deformed’ output.
This is acually a really smart delay line manipulator which has been pushed into operating ar a fairly extreme level. You can though dial down the ’yawing’ intensity and get a very musical unencumbered delay with the ’Fall’ dialled down.
Controls - Stride (Delay Time : sort of up to 2.x seconds), Pace is Repeats, and Fall is intensity / degree of ’Fall’ deformity - you can easily dial it out on the Stumble Mode. Where the Stumble / Trip switch delivers milder deviations in the UP position, and more accentuated and exaggerated in the DOWN position.
At one stage I was going to say that this was much more of a character delay than an always-on musical accompaniment - but it can be that with its excesses dialled down!
When used to its extremes though it can be quite the quirky animal - and you need to rely on the rhythm of the delay patterns to make it musical - it typically involves fairly minimising the ’Fall’ impact too.
One of Nic’s favourite effects for this pedal - is on the Stumble Mode - with everything dialled right back - I think around 7:30 to 08:00 o’c sounds about right - you’re best off dialling the last bit in by ear - and what you should get is a pretty bright and sparkly eminently usable chorus!
At the other end of the scale I also like to play this with the exaggerated Trip Mode on, Stride on Max, Pace @ 3 o’c, and Fall at 9 o’c.
You typically need to have the Fall anchored in its left-hemisphere - at no more than noon at the absolute max. The higher up the Fall control you go - the more deformed the output.
I’ve referenced this as a sort of of Sheperd style of effect - and it can sound similar on occasion - while the full throw and yaw of the gravity delay is not infinitely downward spiralling - it’s much more of a yawing movement - as typefied by the side-to-side sway / movement of an early era ocean-liner. It can be long and accentuated - but in truth it’s not a proper Sheperd style barber pole effect it’s more of a defined ’skew’!
Note that the higher strings on your fretboard result in a more exaggerated and livelier output - seemingly those have further to fall! At least that's what it very much feels like.
Also the repeats run on beyond the Bypass - so you do have proper trails there, but seeming no way to supress those or have further control over them.
There is a single internal Trim-Pot - which allows you to control and temper the Delay Level - otherwise it's all about the 4 controls on the facia. The delay level sounded wholly right for me from the start - and I never felt the need to go near that tirmmer.
This is kind of a delay of two halves really - one more controlled, and the other more unruly. Where the former can be made to sound fairly standard and normal, but the Trip mode will always sound somewhat exaggerated and extreme. You can temper it a little with the 'Fall' dial - but it still has that very obvious skew and yaw to its modulation.
It's a really interesting delay take for sure - which was kind of arrived at somewhat serendipitously. I'm still not entirely sure who is the exact intended audience for this. By nature Nic has made this into quite a quirky delay - but it can be drilled back on the Stumble Mode to sound pretty vanilla too - and with that beautiful sparkly chorus - which is not the strongest flavour necessarily, but still very distinct and usable.
I had an idea of how the Falling Man Delay worked in advance - and on subsequent plays - I realised it wasn't really that. For sure some may run it relatively vanilla - but I really don't see the point of that. The unique thing about this delay is that signature mournful yawing pitch down and extremely dynamic and reactive modulation effect. I'm not sure someone would necessarily buy this as their one always-on delay - while it can sort of be that for sure.
But surely the key intended audience here is for those seeking more unusual sounds - mostly for accents, but also for a quirky deconstruction or two.
For the more flavourful effects - you certainly need a matching advanced playback technique - otherwise it can fast become somewhat unmusical - it's all about he pattern of the rhythm - and contollowing the Fall impact enough to make the output fully musically usable.
This is for that one unusual song at either the start or end of the album. I would be very surprised if someone used the Falling Man as their main always-on delay. I'm not sure it was really intended for that.
I really like the Falling Man in all its guises - while as a core stock and trade unit - I generally prefer something in the area of Multi-Head Tape Echo - which I normally favour. Interestingly the Falling Man was sharing its slot on my board his month with the PastFX Echo 600 - which is a very classic and classy delay and modulator - based on the EHX Deluxe Memory Man.
For the King Alexander II - I kind of knew where it's ballpark sat - while the Falling Man is a little more open-ended. You need to decide for yourself whether you throw caution to the wind and go full out - on the Trip / 'Fall' side.
I feel these kinds of devices are the ones that eventually and somewhat magically / serendipitoulsy yield very unusual but iconic tones - sort of in a similar fashion to the David Gilmour reverse-wah 'Seagull' effect - which later kind of becomes a mini trend - and everyone tries to copy your specific flavour / texture from that somewhat lo-fi pedal!
The PT2399 chip delivers some wonderful delay flavours - particularly in the LoFi and Modulated Delay category. Nic has deliberately shaped that chip to skew and deform its output.
I would imagine this will continue to live mostly on the fringes - until someone like Mk.gee figures out a killer formula for one of those more unusual tones.
The Fallin Man delay is at €235 and equivalent on the Empty Head Webstore ($272 / £206) - and comes in that very unusual textured enclosure with Nic's own very unique 3D-printed knobs.
Nic is obviously a flair builder - and all of his effect are somewhat unique and unusual in most every way. Some really smart colour selections there too!
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