TC Spark Booster settings

[BassAdder60]

Just added this to my rig in front of my ABM600 

 

Curious to what settings people are using for a slight overdrive tone ?

 

I tried mine like this in “ Clean” switch position 

 

Also trying not to push the amp input too much hence Level control is down giving nearly unity volume on or off 

 

 

 

 

[Lozz196]

Pretty much the same apart from I have mine on the Fat setting

[CliveT]

Does the Spark completely clean and transparent with the bass and treble at noon and gain at minimum?  How much headroom does the level have when the gain is a minimum?  

Just curious if I can use this as a fully clean boost and/or OD ?

[BassAdder60]

I would say definitely good as a clean boost ( select middle clean switch setting ) turn down gain but increase level

 

Just watch your amps input 

[CJPJ]

I've just picked up one of these and was planning to put it at the end of the effects pedal to give a clean boost to the overall level when we do some noisy choruses and the bass tends to get drowned out....will just need to remember to turn it off at the end of the chorus! Will put it on the board this weekend and have a play.

[Supernaut]

Just switched to the Xotic RC Bass Booster but am a big fan of the Spark. 
 

I ran it on the clean setting with gain at 1-1.30, vol at 10, bass at 1 and treble at noon. 

[Boodang]

When I use the spark I have the switch in the 'fat' position. However, I don't find the spark very transparent so mostly use the spectradrive where I prefer the flexibility of the 4 band eq, especially when it comes to fretless.

[krispn]

In clean mode the spark can be an effective 2 band EQ option as it’s voiced a bit higher in the bass frequency than most bass specific pedals (I think it’s in and around 80Hz-100Hz instead of the more

usual 40Hz) which in turn likely places it high than most folks amp Bass control. The treble can get bright but that can be set to taste/style. The mid setting in conjunction with the gain and level is a great place to push the very usable mid frequencies and begin to dirty things up especially in a mix with other instruments. Fat setting is at quite as pleasing to my ear but that will again depend on the bass/style etc. 
 

As ever it’s easier to try these things yourself depending on your bass, amp and how dirty you want things to sound. It might be a bit of a balancing act between your amps input and and how much you want to push it or how much you want coming from the Spark. The bass control

does a good job off adding back some  lows (without being too low so as to get flubby).

 

My settings are similar to Supernaut’s above but I mix it up. 

[BassAdder60]

Mine is off the board for now, will use my amps drive I think 

 

Instead I’m going to try the Ampeg Opto Compressor in front of the ABM600 

 

 

[BassAdder60]

Yep definitely good with compressor in front of amp 👍

[Supernaut]

Been playing around with the Spark Booster again has I missed having a little bit of grit in my sound - can see it back on the pedal board! 

[mcnach]

Another pedal that while being different still overlaps a lot with the Spark Booster, is the Valeton Tube Refiner. It has more gain on tap, but it is able to do very good low gain sounds as well. I got one 2-3 years ago out of curiosity and I liked it so much that I bought a second: I use both for two different settings. They replaced the Spark Booster on my board, although I still keep it.

[Supernaut]

13 hours ago, mcnach said:

Another pedal that while being different still overlaps a lot with the Spark Booster, is the Valeton Tube Refiner. It has more gain on tap, but it is able to do very good low gain sounds as well. I got one 2-3 years ago out of curiosity and I liked it so much that I bought a second: I use both for two different settings. They replaced the Spark Booster on my board, although I still keep it.

The EHX Hot Tubes is also a great pedal for that sort of sound. 

[CJPJ]

I've currently got mine at the end of the chain - would it be more effective as an overall boost to put it at the front (after the compressor) to drive the entire loop?