Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

We recently had the chance to hang out with guitarists Jeremy Schon and Greg Ormont from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong before the final show of their killer three-night run at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Jeremy and Greg were generous enough to take some time to talk with us about their rigs and how they use Source Audio pedals to shape their live sound. Even better, we were rolling the whole time. Both videos dive straight into the tones powering their set.

If you’re new to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, now’s the time to get familiar. The band formed in Baltimore back in 2009 as a college outfit playing dorms and party houses around the University of Maryland. Before long, Greg Ormont (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Schon (guitar/vocals), Ben Carrey (bass/vocals), and Alex “Gator” Petropulos (drums/vocals) hit the road and carved out a place in the jam scene with their energetic blend of funk, psychedelia, and classic rock.

The night we caught them, they were performing an early Halloween show they billed as “Dead Zeppelin.” It was an absolute blast, plenty of PPPP originals mixed with riffs and deep-cuts from Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead. True to form, the band stretched out the jams and let the music go wherever it wanted. The crowd got treated to soaring takes on “Eyes of the World,” “No Quarter,” and more. PPPP knows how to have a good time, and they pull the audience along every step of the way.

Our relationship with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong goes way back. Every member of the band not sitting behind a drum kit is running Source Audio pedals. Jeremy Schon keeps a C4 Synth and Collider Delay+Reverb on his board. The C4 handles his envelope filter sounds (using what we believe is a Mu-Tron–style preset available in the Neuro 3 app). The Collider is a go-to as well: his most-used setup is a big Hall reverb “to get some space around my notes.” He also leans on two Analog Delay engines, one dialed tight for slapback, the other set longer with extended feedback for roomy, expressive leads.

Jeremy Schon's Pedalboard

Greg Ormont also runs a C4 Synth, and it quickly became one of his favorite tools. “I used to have a Q-Tron for years,” he told us, “but after trying the C4, it instantly replaced my envelope filter.” He now uses it for multiple envelope tones, a horn simulator, and a couple of swirling effects “that have no business coming out of a guitar.” As Greg put it, “If I were in the crowd, I’d have no idea how those sounds were being made—which makes it even more fun.”

Greg also relies heavily on the Nemesis Delay ADT. He finds inspiration in several of its delay engines—including Tape (inspired by the Echoplex). “We don’t have a keyboardist, so I like to fill up space by chugging through with the Nemesis.” Other Nemesis engines like Diffuse, Shifter, and Sweeper are also in regular rotation, depending on the moment.

And when Greg gets the itch for something new, he dives into the Neuro 3 app. “The great thing about Source Audio is that the deeper you dig into their effects, the more you uncover. Instead of buying a new pedal every time I want something fresh, I just dig further into the ones I already have. I love my Source Audio pedals - they're robust, compact and tour-ready.”

Greg Ormont's Pedalboard

Ben Carrey, the Pigeons’ bassist, also relies on a couple of key Source Audio pedals (Sorry, no board photo yet). He rocks the Spectrum Intelligent Filter and the EQ2 Programmable Equalizer. “I love my Source Audio pedals!” Ben says. “The Spectrum gives me a huge palette of envelope-driven sounds that add real depth and character to my tone—all in one compact, powerful box. And the EQ2 lets me dial in my sound with surgical precision, whether I’m tweaking frequencies on the pedal or fine-tuning everything on my computer.”

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong are touring through the end of December and deep into 2026 in support of their latest album, Feed the Fire (2025, No Coincidence Records). The band pushed their sound further than ever on this one, adding intricate guitar interplay and even some horn arrangements. It’s a fantastic record that captures their explosive live energy while exploring new textures and songwriting directions.

Check their website to see when they’re hitting your town next. PPPP live on the road, so chances are you won’t have to wait long. 

But if you can't wait, here is excellent video of PPPP at Red Rocks in May 2022.