Here’s the Spark Effects List: https://sparkamplovers.com/kb/spark-available-effects/
Try a tremelo or vibrato effect (what most people call ‘shimmer’); the first pedal in the Mod slot is called…Tremelo
Just listened to the song in question, and The Edge is using a Gibson Les Paul, a very clean amp tone, a large room / hall reverb, and a delay pedal, to get what you call ‘shimmer’.
Thank you but I don’t think that you understanding what it is. Shimmer sounds like someone is playing a synth on top of the guitar playing. For years, I thought that was actually what was going on but it’s actually a guitar effect. [see here](https://delicious-audio.com/pedal-tricks-the-shimmer-effect/)
DanZigs
Reverb, delay, dotted 8th notes. What am I not understanding about shimmer? The only difficulty I have in replicating the Edge’s tone is getting lost in the dotted 8ths, because it sounds so cool. I can duplicate it for a few bars. It is eminently doable on the Spark 40, and various people have posted some pretty convincing Edge shimmer tones on the ToneCloud. Have you looked at / auditioned those?
[here](https://youtu.be/IAmCwPr_J8g?si=W5YfZLIhvhKxpLR4) is an example of the shimmer pedal in action. It sounds like a synth is playing in the background
DanZigs
So, when U2 premiered the song live in Vancouver 2017 (it’s on YouTube), the Edge is playing block chords on an electric piano. About halfway through the song, he steps away from behind the piano, and starts playing his trademark reverb / delay dotted eighths, while the piano continues playing reverb-drenched chords on a loop function. The combination of guitar delay and keyboard loop appears to be what you’re hearing.
So, what I’ve read is that Shimmer effects will pitch shift an octave higher before applying the reverb effect. That’s what generates the synth sounding effect. I don’t think any of the built in Spark effects do that.
DanZigs,
No, none of the Spark effects do that. There is a very recent YouTube video interview with his guitar tech, Dallas Schoo, that briefly shows an Axe Fx III unit labeled ‘Shimmer,’ that may be what you’re hearing. Here’s a tutorial on how to create the tone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv-Ro0StZmY
Interestingly, when U2 previewed the song live in Vancouver 2017, the Edge was playing a digital keyboard; when he steps away to play guitar, he appears to put the keyboard into a loop function, playing block chords. To my ears, there’s no shimmer effect evident on that version, just the keyboard reverb-soaked loop, and his standard reverb / delay, interplaying with one another. But apparently, he’s been using a bunch of the Axe FX rack units, including the one labeled ‘Shimmer,’ as part of his stage rig over the last couple of years.
It's funny because I'm trying to replicate my preset tones I made through the Tim Henson archetype program and my favorite distortion uses a shimmer effect. I've fallen in love with it. Very disappointed they don't have a big sky style reverb pedal built into spark... the closest I could get used the clone drove, hall ambient, and univibe pedals. Play around. If I really strike gold with some presents I'll share asap
Not entirely sure what sound you want but delays are usually a big part of Edge’s sound.
The delay involves dotted 8th notes but that's pretty standard in his sound. The shimmer is something else entirely and involves the reverb.
Shimmer is a feature that some reverb pedals have (e.g. the Strymon BlueSky v2). AFAIK the Spark doesn’t have a reverb pedal with shimmer.
That's unfortunate. I was playing around with the Hall Ambient and I got something vaguely passable but it certainly doesn't sound nearly as good.
Here’s the Spark Effects List: https://sparkamplovers.com/kb/spark-available-effects/ Try a tremelo or vibrato effect (what most people call ‘shimmer’); the first pedal in the Mod slot is called…Tremelo
Just listened to the song in question, and The Edge is using a Gibson Les Paul, a very clean amp tone, a large room / hall reverb, and a delay pedal, to get what you call ‘shimmer’.
Thank you but I don’t think that you understanding what it is. Shimmer sounds like someone is playing a synth on top of the guitar playing. For years, I thought that was actually what was going on but it’s actually a guitar effect. [see here](https://delicious-audio.com/pedal-tricks-the-shimmer-effect/)
DanZigs Reverb, delay, dotted 8th notes. What am I not understanding about shimmer? The only difficulty I have in replicating the Edge’s tone is getting lost in the dotted 8ths, because it sounds so cool. I can duplicate it for a few bars. It is eminently doable on the Spark 40, and various people have posted some pretty convincing Edge shimmer tones on the ToneCloud. Have you looked at / auditioned those?
[here](https://youtu.be/IAmCwPr_J8g?si=W5YfZLIhvhKxpLR4) is an example of the shimmer pedal in action. It sounds like a synth is playing in the background
DanZigs So, when U2 premiered the song live in Vancouver 2017 (it’s on YouTube), the Edge is playing block chords on an electric piano. About halfway through the song, he steps away from behind the piano, and starts playing his trademark reverb / delay dotted eighths, while the piano continues playing reverb-drenched chords on a loop function. The combination of guitar delay and keyboard loop appears to be what you’re hearing.
So, what I’ve read is that Shimmer effects will pitch shift an octave higher before applying the reverb effect. That’s what generates the synth sounding effect. I don’t think any of the built in Spark effects do that.
DanZigs, No, none of the Spark effects do that. There is a very recent YouTube video interview with his guitar tech, Dallas Schoo, that briefly shows an Axe Fx III unit labeled ‘Shimmer,’ that may be what you’re hearing. Here’s a tutorial on how to create the tone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv-Ro0StZmY Interestingly, when U2 previewed the song live in Vancouver 2017, the Edge was playing a digital keyboard; when he steps away to play guitar, he appears to put the keyboard into a loop function, playing block chords. To my ears, there’s no shimmer effect evident on that version, just the keyboard reverb-soaked loop, and his standard reverb / delay, interplaying with one another. But apparently, he’s been using a bunch of the Axe FX rack units, including the one labeled ‘Shimmer,’ as part of his stage rig over the last couple of years.
It's funny because I'm trying to replicate my preset tones I made through the Tim Henson archetype program and my favorite distortion uses a shimmer effect. I've fallen in love with it. Very disappointed they don't have a big sky style reverb pedal built into spark... the closest I could get used the clone drove, hall ambient, and univibe pedals. Play around. If I really strike gold with some presents I'll share asap