radiophonic Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 By 'clean', I mean not audibly distorted, but just pushing into extra compression with some softening and a bit of a mid-hump. I'm using a Way Huge Pork Loin to achieve this at the moment and it's basically what I want, but there are two issues I'd like to correct. 1. It's a big pedal for a clean boost and it does a lot of more gainy things that I don't really need, whilst not being gainy enough to get really ugly (it's not designed to, so this isn't a complaint). 2. The clean (British Channel) side clips with a Stingray. With blend above 50%, it's audible in low notes. I run it on 50% blend with the gain at 0. Tweaking the internal pots has no effect on the clipping. I'm assuming it's a straightforward overload. That said, I really like the way it softens the clank of the bass and adds some sustain as it boosts, especially when playing near the top of the neck and when sliding chords - and this is what I use it for. It seems to be pushing the mids without audibly rolling off the bass. What are my options? Small footprint is desirable. I already use a multiband compressor as an always in pedal. This is 'in addition'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 The MXR micro amp is small and just a pure boost that doesn't colour the sound in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 I'm not looking for something totally neutral. I think the EXH LPB-1 offers this too. I want an un-distorted but compressed boost with some mid hump and no bass shelving, in a small box. I wondered about the TC Spark, but there's no mid control - only bass and treble. As I said, the Pork Loin does do it, but it's a big box for just a boost. I did wonder about the MXR M80 but, I suspect it has too much clean headroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) Fairfield Barbershop or Accountant are tiny and when great for dirty boosts. Although if you need a mid control you should probably look elsewhere. Edited September 5, 2017 by dannybuoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1504603343' post='3365935'] Fairfield Barbershop or Accountant are tiny and when great for dirty boosts. Although if you need a mid control you should probably look elsewhere. [/quote] The fatter mids are definitely part of what is happening that I like - or at least what is working in this band's mix. I notice EHX do a couple of suitably eccentric pedals with EQ, gain, compression and dirt. Big footprint again though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 I use a TC spectracomp as a clean boost which subtly fattens and smoothes out the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 DOD BiFET Preamp is great for this. Has a tone control too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Fuzzrocious have just released the "Luna Reclipse" very much worth a look! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBiAjFsIKAU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 [quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1504606788' post='3365976'] I use a TC spectracomp as a clean boost which subtly fattens and smoothes out the sound. [/quote] Exactly my suggestion as not only can you boost certain frequency areas, the cool trick is using the multi band compression to have say the mid range start to compress when you push it hard, which almost feels a bit like a valve amp So, not specifically using it as a compressor in the traditional sense. So flexible, damn this pedal is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1504607437' post='3365983'] Exactly my suggestion as not only can you boost certain frequency areas, the cool trick is using the multi band compression to have say the mid range start to compress when you push it hard, which almost feels a bit like a valve amp So, not specifically using it as a compressor in the traditional sense. So flexible, damn this pedal is good. [/quote] Interestingly and slightly related, I learned a trick from session guitarist Keith More many years ago - wow, I must have been about 15 or something. I asked him how he managed to play ridiculous legato passages with very little distortion. He used to run his amps just on break up, rather than full bore distortion, but ran a rack compressor in the effects loop *after* the drive section. The usual compressing effect you'd get from using lots of gain was then taken up by a compressor itself and thus, the signal could be cleaned up for clarity but also to aid in his already nimble playing. It was soon after that I started toying with a dual signal path method myself (yup, even as a teen) which accidentally lead me to using what I now know as 'New York' style parallel compression. So, there ya go! /offtopic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) [quote name='dood' timestamp='1504608115' post='3365989'] ...It was soon after that I started toying with a dual signal path method myself (yup, even as a teen) which accidentally lead me to using what I now know as 'New York' style parallel compression. So, there ya go! [/quote] Works very well, but took me a bit longer to discover. NY Comp can be used on entire mixes too - with a bit of care. Edited September 5, 2017 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1504608657' post='3365995'] Works very well, but took me a bit longer to discover. NY Comp can be used on entire mixes too - with a bit of care. [/quote] Indeed yes - great for those Phil Collins drum sounds when micing up the kit! edit*autocorrect Edited September 5, 2017 by dood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 [quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1504606788' post='3365976'] I use a TC spectracomp as a clean boost which subtly fattens and smoothes out the sound. [/quote] Actually, that's not a bad suggestion. I saw an artist toneprint clip on the TC site that seemed to give effectively infinite sustain. I've even been considering buying a spectracomp as a potential replacement for my Boss BC1X (boring, idestructable, gets the job done) Off topic, but what would be really good is if TC really embraced the potential of the spectracomp and made a two button version with multiple toneprint slots. The ability to switch between pairs of user selected prints would make a fantastic product. Who know's what's in the pipeline after MASH though...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 [quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1504610314' post='3366009'] Off topic, but what would be really good is if TC really embraced the potential of the spectracomp and made a two button version with multiple toneprint slots. The ability to switch between pairs of user selected prints would make a fantastic product. Who know's what's in the pipeline after MASH though...? [/quote] For what they cost and with their small footprint you could just have 2 side by side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 6, 2017 Author Share Posted September 6, 2017 [quote name='Painy' timestamp='1504725820' post='3366942'] For what they cost and with their small footprint you could just have 2 side by side. [/quote] Only a single TP slot though. The three slot approach as per flashback/HoF is a big plus on those pedals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1504603343' post='3365935'] Fairfield Barbershop or Accountant are tiny and when great for dirty boosts. Although if you need a mid control you should probably look elsewhere. [/quote] I watched a demo of the Fairfield. Nice. I like the gritty mids thing it does. The ratio options are quite limited, but probably 3:1 and 6:1 are close to all I use anyway, since my amp has a limiter. This and the Spectracomp both look like realistic options. I'm falling a bit out of love with the BC1X anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 (edited) I've now discovered that the clipping is a known issue on the pork loin. It's a bass only problem too. On the upside, according to multiple confirmed firsthand reports on two well known forums, running at 18v fixes it. A simple headroom issue. Sound clips seem to confirm this too. I've got a Soul Food arriving tomorrow though, so my clean boost issues may be fixed. There's still room on the broom however... Edited September 20, 2017 by radiophonic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzbass Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Mooer Pure Boost is what you want, tiny footprint, boosts really well with no distortion and has eq controls too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DangerDan Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I've been thinking about getting a TC spark mini for a clean boost. Tiny and going for around £40 at the moment online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 The bigger version of the Spark has a gain control and is supposed to be a great subtle overdrive for bass too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted September 20, 2017 Author Share Posted September 20, 2017 (edited) I think the combination of the Bass Soul Food and the Pork Loin has me covered from clean boost through to quite gnarly. The really light break up and EQ hump of the BSF combined with the darkness of the Pork Loin and clean blends on both give a huge array of options - from clean boost, boosted mids through to stacked overdrive. I may still get something really nasty to put on the end of the gain chain - main contenders are the MXR Bass Distortion and the Fuzzrocious Cat Tail (pretty close relatives, slightly different options). Edit. I can confirm that unning at 18v totally fixes the headroom issue on the clean side. I think it has sightly raised on the gain side too, but I was only running at about 1 o'clock so I have plenty of spare. OTOH it may just be that now the clean side is no longer clipping nastily, the bottom end is cleaner. Edited September 20, 2017 by radiophonic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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