Hank Scorpio Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Anyone else using one of these? Received mine last month and wow, may be my favourite ever drive pedal. I'm a Rat guy, and this is built on that circuit, apparently modelled on Voivoid's bass sound. The gain control on this is useable in every position. From light hair to super distorted grind, there's nothing that doesn't sound good. Combined with the bass & treble knobs, I've had no issue dialling in great tones. It's kicked the Rat Tail off my board for the first time in over 2 years. Plays very well in front of my BDPG, too. Downsides - the volume control being at the top of the enclosure may be weird to some people. That's really all I can think of. It may well be the best looking pedal I've owned, too. Absolute bargain at around £100 including shipping & custom charges. I'm struggling to upload a photo from my phone, will add one when I get home. Here's a stock photo: [Url]http://idiotboxeffects.bigcartel.com/product/blower-box-bass-distortion[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 (edited) I've got one too. I like it with the gain below 10-11 o'clock - it needs a blend at high gain to stop it turning to mush IMHO. Bags of low end though, and sounds great with a pick! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbIFevxp-1Q The low gain tones can be heard at 1:40 and 6:37. Edited May 16, 2014 by dannybuoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Matt makes some great effects! I've not tried the Blower Box, but I have a Death Ray Mangler and a Dimension X, both of which I love Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerster135 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Seriously tempted by this, I love a good rat clone! Any of you guys know or reckon that I could get close to a Human Gear Animato sound with the Blower Box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plunkrock Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Just found out about this pedal today and very interested! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Nice clip of some of the low gain settings! https://soundcloud.com/johnk_10/blowerbox-001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am not excane Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1400260875' post='2452454'] I've got one too. I like it with the gain below 10-11 o'clock - it needs a blend at high gain to stop it turning to mush IMHO. Bags of low end though, and sounds great with a pick! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbIFevxp-1Q[/media] The low gain tones can be heard at 1:40 and 6:37. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 thought i'd dig up this old thread instead of starting a new one... i quite fancy a nasty distortion, and the clips i have heard of the blower box sound fantastic. has anyone tried the blower box AND the COG TK421? If so, does the COG have the ability to get as subbey or bassey as the idiotbox seems to?? cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 I've got the Blower Box, never tried the COG. But the Blower Box is capable of insane low end boost. It looks like the TK421 just has a low pass filter tone control, so probably has decent, but not boosted, low end. The TK421X though lets you blend in clean lowpassed low end so you can in effect boost the bass that way. What I really like about the Blower Box is that it when played with a pick to really bring out the snarling top end, you can still have gobs of thunderous low end underneath it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 cheers squire, exactly what i wanted to hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 I recently got a Blower Box, and I love it. I also have a TK-421-X (with added HPF mod) on order so I'll be able to a/b them. That'll be a few weeks away though but watch this space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 [quote name='bakerster135' timestamp='1400509497' post='2454450'] Seriously tempted by this, I love a good rat clone! Any of you guys know or reckon that I could get close to a Human Gear Animato sound with the Blower Box? [/quote] I wouldn't imagine so - the Blower Box is based on the Proco RAT which uses a feedback loop on an OPAMP for its dirt - the Human Gear is a Big Muff derivative, which uses stacked transistor gain stages to make the dirt. The Blower Box IS a helluva unit though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerster135 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 [quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1413658640' post='2580691'] I wouldn't imagine so - the Blower Box is based on the Proco RAT which uses a feedback loop on an OPAMP for its dirt - the Human Gear is a Big Muff derivative, which uses stacked transistor gain stages to make the dirt. The Blower Box IS a helluva unit though! [/quote] Thanks Paul. I've had a Blower Box now and got rid of it before any details of the Animator schematic were available (I.e. Before anyone even speculated that it was a Big Muff derivative!), so question already answered! ;-)... I say that there's no better sound than TK-421-X with filtered clean slightly blended in, and asymmetric LEDs. Gain just over a quarter so the clank's there when you dig in. Amazing sound. Blower Box is just silicon diodes, which gave a bit too much of a compressed sound for me. I also found it really hard to get unity volume on low gain settings without boosting the eq, which made it a bit too flabby!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 well, blower box ordered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Nice one Gaz. I can tell you now you won't be complaining about loss of low end!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 yeah, really looking forward to getting my hands on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 So, only 9 days later and it's here!!! Even though it was property marked up by Idiotbox with the full product value, it totally bypassed UK customs, what a bonus!! looking forward to trying this out tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Mine escaped charges too, guess we both got lucky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 (edited) ok, so liking the blower box i run a BB preamp (with the bass boosted a little) and a tall font russian, so both give a little bass boost... all the other distortions i've tried sound a little thin by comparison, even when they aren't in fact cutting any bass at all... but the blower sits really nicely between the two pedals, and sounds soooo aggressive, so pretty chuffed with it for £90 edit - this thing KILLS after an analog octave pedal Edited November 1, 2014 by GazWills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 [quote name='GazWills' timestamp='1414701966' post='2592521'] this thing KILLS after an analog octave pedal [/quote] Isn't that the truth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBass3901 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I am really tempted to get one of these but all my current dirt boxes (Fuzzrocious GS+, Way Huge Pork Loin, Ashdown Drive Plus, Ashdown Hyperdrive and MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe) aren't getting enough love as it is... None of those cover the ground that this little beasty does though. Does pop-punk warrant really grindy distortion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Yes, in fact at low gain would say this pedal suits that style more than all those others you listed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 i'm finding myself using mine with gain at around 10 or 11 o'clock, it's a great tone-shaping pedal, i've never got such a nasty, grindy tone out of my p-bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBass3901 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1415039982' post='2596013'] Yes, in fact at low gain would say this pedal suits that style more than all those others you listed! [/quote] My wallet hates you right now!! Does anybody know what the deal is with orduring these at the moment? Still only the limited edition one available? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 i guess - i ordered the limit edition one, it's screen printed, not a sticker, and looks better than the picture on the website would have you believe. other than that, it's a case of waiting til he builds another batch (if you are waiting for etched) and then being quick!! i couldn't wait so went with the screen printed one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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