Kurt Cobain's Delay Pedal | Boss DM-2 | Nirvana Pedal History Episode 2
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Taking an extensive look at Kurt Cobain's Pre-Bleach delay pedal, his Boss DM-2. Also discussing his little known wah-wah pedal, which was often used together with the DM-2.
Discussing every currently known recorded use of it, and recreating exactly how he used it.
0:00 - Introduction
1:25 - How do we know it's the Boss DM-2?
2:18 - May 1987 KAOS radio show performance
2:52 - Boss DM-2w overview
3:34 - My Pre-Bleach/Dale Demo tone set up
4:16 - Which songs the DM-2 was used on
5:05 - The mystery of Kurt's wah-wah pedal
5:24 - If You Must
7:19 - Every currently known recorded instance of Kurt using the DM-2
9:31 - Love Buzz
11:30 - What if Kurt kept the DM-2 long term?
Like what I do? Buy me a coffee so I can stay awake while I mix audio and edit videos 😴
www.buymeacoffee.com/nirvanag...
Lomic Guitars - Where I got my custom Skystang I & Jag-Stang Prototype Pickguards:
ebay.us/4Luq0j
Buy gear & parts that Kurt used:
www.amazon.com/shop/nirvanagu...
Vandalism Strat Stickers - use coupon code "nirvanaguitars" to get 2 for the price of 1:
khristore.com/product/kurt-co...
Follow me on instagram at @nirvanaguitars
Check out my progressive punk band at ithomiid.com
Check out my acoustic project at atlasmn 
Видеоклипы
"If You Must" add this pedal to your board, you can get it here 😉 www.amazon.com/shop/nirvanaguitars
Fun fact! Dave also used this pedal in Foo Fighters! Also the “double track” setting on the polychorus is basically just slap back delay, so Kurt actually did use delay on Scentless Apprentice!
I think that the Polychorus' double-track effect was more widely used during the In Utero recordings than people realize. It's a very distinct sounding effect once you become familiar with its tonal characteristics. I swear that I can hear the double-track all over that record, sitting in the background of the mix on songs where there's more than one guitar part (basically the entire album.) With short delay times and relatively low feedback, it creates a distinct type of "room sound" - this is exactly the type of sound I can hear all over this record.
You can pretty easily turn a carbon copy or similar analog delay into the Scentless Apprentice slapback sound
@@TinkerToneworks I use a DD-3 for replicating the double track sound, and it does the job!
This’ll be interesting, I suspect it’ll piss some people off as well. I appreciate the time and effort you put into these historical videos, there isn’t a better source as far as I’m concerned
I've gotten comments on my DOD Grunge video like "Kurt never used a poser pedal like this", even though in the video I show both audio and video clips of him using AND the thumbnail is 2 pics of him literally using it. I fully expect to get similar comments here, even when the video itself shows clips of him using the DM-2 😂 Thank you so much for the kind words! 🙏
@@NirvanaGuitars
Could you do some Buddy Holly videos and speaking of Buddy Holly if you really want to know that used flatwound strings by highly recommend Thomastik flatwound strings they're made like the vintage ones from the 50s pure nickel I play country rockabilly and bluegrass and blues and jazz also howdy from North Carolina
@@NirvanaGuitars As it's said... Empty cans make the most noise. Maybe they should fill up, because their tank's empty.
Why the piss would he do buddy holly videos? @@southernpride2003
@@Ukraineaissance2014 because in one of his videos he showed a Buddy Holly tribute strat he made because the guy who runs Nirvanaguitars is also a fan of Buddy Holly
4:41 the sound there isn’t using a wah, I know it well. It’s what I call the “Graham Coxon flick”. You run the DM-2 by itself into full oscillation with the delay time + intensity maxed, and flick the time back to a lower speed. The pitch drops EXACTLY like the radio sound. You can hear the same effect in the intro to Blur’s ‘Cowboy Song’ (and a bunch of other songs, but “Cowboy” has it front and center in the mix). Brilliant video! I really appreciate seeing such a deep dive on that stuff.
1:52 you can see him flicking the time knob on stage.
Wow thank you so much for that insight and heads up!! My mind went straight to that shift being caused by a wah. When I was able to get close to those sounds using my wah, I kinda considered it "case shut" and then moved on. I really wish I had known about the flick you are describing so I could have presented that as well. I will find a way to present this in a follow up video of some sorts, and will credit you!
@@NirvanaGuitars Really glad you enjoy! I just got one of the DM-2Ws for my Graham Coxon ‘cosplay’ board (aka your Nirvana project for a different artist). The cool thing about the DM-2W is that if you plug in an expression pedal, you can do the flick hands-free by varying time with your foot.
@@NirvanaGuitarsyep adjust the knobs manually. I do this with my MXR Carbon Copy and it works with most analog delays.
Agreed on the DM2 rate affecting the sound, not the wah. But I actually think the post-delay wah “alien” sounds is pretty cool and something I hadn’t heard before! So I chalk it up as a Bob Ross “happy accident”.
HE NEVER MISSES!!! Also never knew he even HAD a delay nor wah, thank you very much for the information as always
Of course! Thank YOU for watching and for the support 🙂
For the sound At 4:32 Kurt is most likely on the ground turning the repeat time knob on the DM-2 to get the oscillating noises. As apposed to using the wah
I commented this too, manipulating the delay to get this effect is a very distinct sound. Definitely not a wah wah pedal
Man I love your work your actually one of the reasons i started to play guitar
That's an honor 🙏 Thank you for the support!
@@NirvanaGuitarsYou’re basically the reason I’m into nirvana at all so thanks for the introduction to all Kurt’s interesting history
When recording Radio Kaos in 1987, Kurt Cobain used a 70s Univox Super Fuzz and an original DM2 with a BBD or Bucket Brigade chip. This chip allows for self-oscillation (instability in pitch, etc., and feedback). Kurt simply moves the knob (or perhaps two knobs) so that the delay significantly distorts the pitch, as well as creates feedback. But I'm not sure about the presence of this chip in the new revisions from WAZA
Wow interesting! Is there any confirmation or source saying he still had the Super Fuzz at that time? What I’ve seen is that it was stolen shortly after Fecal Matter ended. I’ve always thought 87 KAOS’s overly bitty tone was his DS-1 with the tone knob cranked possibly all the way, but it would make more sense if the Super Fuzz was still in the picture at that time.
Im just amazed how you keep finding such interesting information about Kurts gear. Excellent work as allways.
Thank you very much! It’s always fun researching Nirvana gear, but the chase is even more thrilling when it’s obscure/more unknown pieces of gear
Im planning on starting a collection of Kurts guitars like yours and your videos are going to be great for guidance.
The fact you can find out what pedal KC used, just by the color on a low res picture from the 87 shows just how amazing boss's branding is
Yeah makes them really stand out, pretty smart on boss's end
imagine if 1988 kurt cobain had a strymon timeline or any other multi effect pedal. he’d go crazy lol
Always fun to see other gear kurt used other than what is generally known. Loved the lat part!
As always, great job! I am really looking forward to the pedal series.
Great video! I'm loving these pedal history videos, keep up the good work!
I really appreciate the effort put into these videos, your one of the main sources to get real information on kurts gear and i thank you for that.
Keep up the hard work Eric we appreciate it!
I love these videos you I about pedals! Please carry on, so excited to see this video 😊
Wow, man. I’ve been a huge Kurt/Nirvana fan since the ‘90s, and a guitarist, and I just learned something new. I’ve also had a vintage DM-2 on my board for years cause it’s my favourite.
This is going to be fun. Thank you.
i love this channel so much, thank you so much for the content, i dont have money to even buy a acoustic but i love seeing your channel lol, please keep it up and dont stop doing this
Wow, it's really cool to see these videos on the older "pre-Bleach" era of Nirvana, I have always heard this effect on If You Must but I had no idea what it was.. One thing I love about your videos is I almost always learn something new from them!
I think it would have been really interesting to hear how else he could've used this pedal, he really had a creative mind with the feedback stuff.. it sounded really cool when you used the delay on the Big Cheese solo.
These pedal history videos are really cool btw, funny seeing people try to argue with you about if he used the grunge pedal lol. i hope to see more!
Never in my wildest dreams I would have thought that Kurt owned a Delay-Pedal! All your videos are just so amazing. And I got to say: "all apologies" would have sounded cool with a bit of delay.
Thank you so much! I feel in a time machine back in 87'-88' cause of you! Great vidéo as usual! Cheers from France
I love your videos man!!! oure tones are so accurate 🤘🤘🖤💛
Dang never been a fan of delay or delay pedals before but really dig the way Kurt used it. Also never knew Kurt owned one before as well as the wah pedal. Definitely will try these out with my multi-effects.
Great work as always. Thank you 👍🏼
Regarding the Polychorus alternative I recommend the sea machine by earthquaker devices, I can provide settings for HSB, RFUS, and Scentless apprentice on that pedal
Will have to look that pedal up, thanks for the recommendation!
@@NirvanaGuitarsYou can also replicate it closely with a boss flanger, small clone, and some kind of analog delay helps. There’s a video on YT of a guy doing that and I use that for my Nirvana tribute band.
Great new series!!
Great video!! Really cool to see a rare relic of Nirvana history be looked into so deeply. You should definitely do covers of some more obscure Nirvana songs (Ain’t It a Shame, Mrs. Butterworth, unknown #3/Weirdo, They Hung Him on a Cross, etc.).
Didn’t really nail the tone on Incesticide but you nailed how Kurt used the Boss DM-2 and Wah Wah, thank you
That tone is a work in progress haha threw that in there to see if anyone would offer feedback on it!
i'm truly amaze with your research and dedication sir..
Hell yea this is gonna blow lid off a lot of stuff. Been researching this for a while
While we're on the subject of obscure KC pedals, I've always wanted to know how different he sounded using the univox superfuzz, big muff, rat, compared to his usual distortion pedals. Maybe that could be an idea for a new video. Great content as usual Eric.
He never used the superfuzz on any recordings, so I'm not sure we could ever get an idea of what his tone was like with that, but the rat and muff were used on Nevermind, so I wonder if there's a way to find the guitar tracks and see if the different pedals can be pinpointed?
We can moreorless confidentially guess that he used the superfuzz on the Fecal Matter tape. I don't like to make definitive statements without something concrete/verified to back it up, but everything we have available points to him using his superfuzz on that tape ruclips.net/video/EI_xtil3pW0/видео.html
Love the videos keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for watching!
No, Thank you! I love hearing from another Nirvana gearhead🫶 I’m hoping for an IN BLOOM tone video. Keep it up man! I love watching the Nevermind tone videos🫶🫶
8:00 I never put together that this show was the same day they recorded the demo. That's pretty wild, especially since they were Ted Ed Fred at that point. Thanks again for all you put into these videos!
Very excited for this, I’ve been curious about this pedal since I first found out he used it a while back, I know he used it on If You Must, I have a feeling it could’ve been used on Love Buzz and the Sifting instrumental demo maybe? I’ll find out tomorrow when the video drops!
Most definitely used on that love buzz instrumental
I’m so exited!
I bought an Electro harmonix memory man years ago and I’ve not heard a better delay since. It’s a big one like the polychorus but you can get smaller versions now. Always wondered about those weird sounds in Love Buzz. Great work.
I think that possibly the reason why he stopped using the Dm2 could possibly be because it was broken or stolen or he preferred to stop using it.
Very exited I might get one for the sake of that tone!
In the "what if" something tells me the pedal would have been more likely used to get funky sounds during solo/noise sections than as an always on kinda thing in the same way the echoflanger and polychorus were
Please do more videos of Kurt cobains more obscure pedals/gear!! They’re so interesting to learn about
Love this channel
That was pretty cool, I love if you must, but never imagined that section of it was made with a delay :-o
Absolutely loving your pedal history series! Maybe one on the rat would be awesome, due to the many misconceptions about its use.
I never knew he used one. But it makes sense
Definitely one of the most obscure Kurt pedals!
Yeah it's pretty interesting. And I thought I knew almost everything!
Is it true that Kurt used this pedal and some unknown wah-wah pedal on Love Buzz?
@@TheDisturbance-ez8mf you've got a point there
Always cool learning more about Kurt’s gear but I never knew he used a delay so that was also interesting, I could hear the wah on the studio version of Love Buzz and some kind of slapback-ish sound so cool hearing what it actually was. I also went down to my local guitar store on New Year’s Eve when they had their Boxing Week sale going on and actually had an old DM-2 on display and one of the employees said that it was from the late 1980s/early 90s, I had never seen one of those pedals before that so it was definitely awesome seeing one that was potentially from the same era as Kurt’s
Please make that telecaster or a vid on it !! 0:01
I recently got an earthquaker devices rainbow machine and I was happy to find out that that can do that oscillating delay in if you must fairly well when I tried it!
Just got a DS-1W for Christmas. Now looking for a Small Clone.
Because of your influence, I'll start eying this as well! 😉
i bought this pedal for my birthday and i love the crazy sounds i can get with it
this video is so rad, I just bought a wah and delay
I learn more from you than in school😅
I LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE these pedal videos!!!!
🥹🙏🏻
You should do a video on what you think Kurt would have used each decade if he was still alive.
I mean in the ‘93 mtv interview he said they used to use a lot more effects pedals and we’re more new wave sounding so it makes sense that there’s pedals we didn’t even know about!
I bought a vintage DM-2 years ago. It's a simple, but great pedal. I used to use it all the time, but haven't used it as much recently.
wtfff heart shaped box with the dm-2 is actually beautiful
please make a cover of it, it legit sounds beautiful
Hello! i love these types of deep dives on niche topics, i think what Kurt was using to make that feedback oscillation during that love buzz break is not a wah but just messing with the delay speed nob, it sounded exactly like what i do with my delay pedal, thanks for the great video!
I’m sure it’s that, I don’t own one but saw that’s how Radiohead did it for karma police
It's both in the studio version.
@@davidjameschamberlain yeah you can hear how it muffles and unmuffles
You can also hear him messing with the delay in Raunchola on the with the light out box set.
great thankyou for this detailed reproduction. I record nirvana covers and do NOT try to reproduce the studio sound as i record live into streaming software using filters, without any post productioin.
That’s kind of cool, I have the same delay but it’s the Waza version, didn’t know he used this
hey, big fan of your channel! i had an idea of you making some nirvana song tutorials for some more obscure songs, it would be like a little series.
Sounds awesome
Getting close to 40k subscribers - yay!
I believe a very early use of the wah pedal was on his track "Reverb Experiment" off of his home demo tape montage of heck. A clear heavy, distorted guitar can be heard with a thick wah sound on.
i thought i needed a delay, so i got one. honestly most of the time i just made noise with it by racking the time knob and shit, get that spaceship stuff going on. they are fun though... this is cool, i never really thought of what he was doing for those noise parts in love buzz or if you must....
AWESOME
I never knew he had one!
kurt has always said he likes sonic effects, and I think psychedelia too.
On the last tours, his board was the biggest it'd ever been with the addition of polychorus. Would've been so cool to see what he would've done next pedal wise, I bet he would've gotten even more experimental
before I got to know your channel I had never explored its effects in depth, thank you for what you give. nirvana was the trigger for my real passion, practice and musical culture, which has grown since then, they have been on my path at the right time, it's been 40 years. thanks again.@@NirvanaGuitars
I'm actually surprised that Kurt didn't used more delay later on his carreer since it's a very useful tool in the creation of noise textures.
Would love to see a vid about the wah peda you mentioned that he used. Know he did during the solo part of Blew but would like to hear/learn more
I just wanted to mention that another, much later, use of wah in a Nirvana song is the obscure demo from the In Utero era called E-Coli (fan-given name I think) and it adds well to the almost scary chaos of the whole song
The Delay/Wah sounded great
My kurt pedalboard only has a DS 1 and small clone. It is has to grow 😂
help now i want (NEED) this pedal😭
How do you play like Kurt? fingers and such?
Arms and hands
@@NirvanaGuitars I just got dumped hahah
@@LazinPoweredforem
Power cords
@@southernpride2003 i know
Did you see the EGC Kurt inspired guitars? They used the Polaroid photo mock up guitar Kurt made in his journal and made that guitar
11:27 This is also 100% the Graham Coxon flick, with the intensity turned down. I’d know that note anywhere. You’re spot on with the DM-2 there.
excellent use of the waza D
Seed? In my over 20 years of Nirvana fandom, I've never heard that before. I know it as "Don't Want It All" from the WTLO box set. I've had that for 20 years now.
Helloo I love ur vids!! Just to know, can you please tell me what speakers do you have on your amp?? I really love your content you are one of my favorites content creator here on YT, keep it up!!
Cool video
I think the sound at the end of love buzz would be Kurt on the ground messing around with the speed of the delay
If you make it go fast or slow it sounds really glitchy
There’s also a similar sound on the foo fighters cover of drive me wild
Saw this and thought the free play part of love buzz where he oscillates the hell out of the delay pedal and pairs it with the wah
I knew he had used a wah pretty early on and in the recording of Love Buzz. I didnt know what kind and after trying some i thought it was a broken wah that would oscilate itself. Had no idea he used a delay, which is a type of pedal id like to think i know alot about because i got like almost a dozen and i use them all them time. Its pretty surprising to say the least. I actually doubted you quite a bit when i first saw the thumbnail, but it makes alot of sense that hed make use of the self oscilliation and turn it into something. He did love some feedback.
I love me a decent analog delay pedal, I have the joyo and I really like it!
Please do live at the paramount. It’s my fav Nirvana live show & my fav live released album
I put off watching this for 2 weeks.
Yo that delay sounded really cool on Lithium and About A Girl
You should check out Kurt Cobain’s MXR M104 Distortion Plus Pedal. He used at the Astoria Theatre, London, UK on December 3, 1989.
The feedback reminds me that of the Something in the Way electric version he did Live at the BBC
Next deep dive: Big Long Now. That song sounds unlike any other Nirvana song.
Kurt also used the wah on some demo called "Reverb Experiment" it's pretty much just him playing with a wah
So, I'm pretty sure that Kurt didn't use a wah wah to get that sound. That sounds like he was throwing the intensity up all the way on the dm-2 to send it into feedback and then he adjusted the repeat time to control the pitch, it's an old analog delay trick. Jimmy Page basically did the same thing in the middle of Whole Lotta Love using a tape delay. That's probably what Kurt was trying to do, especially since they were covering Led Zeppelin songs around that time period.
Wow, this is completely new to me and I was a huge Nirvana guitar nerd back in early 00's (I wrote tabs for ALL songs back then).
On the KAOS radio Love Buzz "summoning aliens" part Kurt was probably adjusting the delay time to make the sound go up and down, not a wah?
12:53 Danm that sounds really cool that sounds like the 80s
Yes dude
FINALLY 40K SUBSCRIBERS🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I can’t believe it!!! Thank you so much 🥹🙏🏻
I would appreciate a breakdown of smells like teen spirit and solo. Cheers
Man i luv this sht 🔥
Hi i have a sugestion for another tone video, I would like that you do the Rio de Janeiro at 1993 tone or the show at Argentina.
thanks for your videos i like them very much.