FS: TalkBass Edition MusicElectronix Gemini Drive (Twins)

[rustynuts]

Switched to bass about a year ago and I think I'm finally finding the tone/voice I'm looking for. Sadly, the Gemini Drive isn't part of it. It's a great sounding pedal with tonal options out the yingyang but now that I have over 60 pedals on the shelf I think it's time to move a few of them out of here.

It's pretty much brand new, played with maybe a total of an hour or so max. I like it, just not enough to keep it on the boards.

Let's go with $150 shipped in the US. Shipped the same day as payment is made or next morning at the latest. Here's a couple of pix. Note that BLUE LED!

[Valerus]

does this one have the problem that Os needs to fix?
something about popping

[rustynuts]

It has a pop, but all of my pedals with this type of switch have a little bit of a pop to them. This one is a little more noticeable than most but I don't think it's as bad as some of the other Geminis people are complaining about. I'll plug it back in tomorrow and check it against a couple of other pedals.

I'd already talked to Os about this specific one and while it is a bit annoying he didn't think it was as bad as the others. I'll try it again tomorrow. What's everyone else done with theirs? I've been a bit out of the loop for awhile now.

[Valerus]

Hmm alright. Cause I want to try one of these out.

[Joe Gress]

Yo rusty,

Did you see this thread:
The Electronix Thread - builder awol, owes folks money and/or pedals

And this:

Originally Posted by musicelectronix

Ok people. First of all, I recieved my first active bass today, Jackson Concert series C5MJ. I remembered playing 4 string version back in early 2000s and kinda liked the neck profile. Eventhough I purchased it strictly for testing GeminiDrive, I think I am gonna keep it. Electronics are a little below average compared to the build quality of the bass. If you replace the neck pickup and the preamp, you will have a real player's bass under $400. I did a quick search and I am VERY surprised how underrated these basses are.

Now, here is the problem with your GeminiDrives. It has too much gain available. I mean if you crank the overdrive volume, you will get approx. 20-30 times louder signal when other controls are set to give maximum gain. In other words, the pedal pops at -6.8 dBu when the noise floor is at -30 dBu when above condition occurs. This problem is much more appearant when it is used with an active bass.

For example, in gemini mod I set the volume less than 8 o'clock with drive is at max and tone is around 3, both mod switches down. This is still a little louder than the dry signal. that means, more than 4/5 of the volume pot travel is above the unity gain. Both when you lower the gain, the volume drops rather quickly. When both overdrive and tone controls are all the way down and volume at max, it should be exactly at the unity gain. But it isn't. That was my mistake. I amplified the sound too much (4 times for the overdrive channel) . Resulting sound is still around 2-3 times louder than the unity gain. What was I thinking? I don't know I guess I wanted it to be loud.

Anyway, I was still keeping Eddy's GeminiDrive (EduardoK) as well as the Joe's (which is completely another story). I will mod them accordingly (also with another slight change which again improves signal to noise ratio). Rest of you guys, please send your pedals back to me at my expense. But first e-mail to osman@musicelectronix.com with the subject "GeminiDrive <yourTBusername>" for instructions.

http://www.musicelectronix.com/temp/...parisonmp3.mp3

This file compares moded GeminiDrive to the limited run ones. First 7 seconds are before and the last 7 seconds are after the mods. The reason I didn't hear anything excesive before was I always set it to the unity gain. When you do that, you also won't hear the pops, even without the mods.

[rustynuts]

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

Yo rusty,

Did you see this thread:
The Electronix Thread - builder awol, owes folks money and/or pedals

And this:

Nope, I sure didn't. I've been absent for awhile, let me read up on those....

[rustynuts]

Ah, interesting. When I first got the GeminiDrive I had only actives and now I have two passives. When I last tried the Gemini a couple of months back I would have used one of my P basses (since that's all I've been playing with lately) so that explains why I thought I must have been imagining how bad the pop was.

I'll email Os and ask if the buyer of this pedal can send it in for the fix if anyone is interested in going that route.

[5stringwonder]

Let me know if you get a reply from Os. He doesn't seem to be receiving any of the emails that have been sent.

[rustynuts]

Nothing yet....

[B.C.]

Super tempted, hm, I just might have to...

[rustynuts]

Didn't get the chance to test the pedal today, had to come in to work early. Will try again tomorrow before heading to the music shop.
Sorry for the delay.

[AElfes]

Christmas G.A.S.

Two questions:

1. Willing to ship Down Under?
2. Can this beauty go from a slight grit to full blown crazy? I only ask because I've got a Polish Love running into a Supercollider, with the PL being a slight grit-adder and the Supercollider being full on fuzzy, and im thinking of replacing the PL. If this can cover one or both, that'd be great

Alex

[rustynuts]

Hell yeah, I can ship to Australia. Just stripped and shipped an SVT CL down there so a little pedal 'taint nothin'!



Re: Part 2. I haven't had a chance to check the pedal out yet, had a Christmas thing to tend to yesterday so before I answer let me plug it in this afternoon and get a definitive. It's been awhile since I did anything with the pedal, but I'm pretty sure it'll provide a great range.

[RCCollins]

did this get sold? because if not, i'd love to get my hands on one of these

[rustynuts]

Nope, still here. I just got a PM from Os yesterday telling me to pack it up and ship it back to him for the fix. If you're interested we can work something out I'm sure. Maybe I can send it to him, have him fix it and send it on to you.

[Valerus]

I'm trying to figure out if the 'needs-to-be-adjusted-by-Os' version is the same as the fixed ones

[rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Valerus

I'm trying to figure out if the 'needs-to-be-adjusted-by-Os' version is the same as the fixed ones

Probably not. I still need to send this one back, I just keep getting too busy and sidetracked. This is one of the original run "TB Editions".

[Valerus]

Payment sent.

[rustynuts]

Yep! Sold! I'm really glad someone is going to get some use out of this pedal. It's too nice a piece of gear to not be used.

[Valerus]

If it will do what I'd like for it to do, it will essentially take the spot of both my Bogdan and my Fulltone BassDrive.