I did a review of the Boss OC-3 a little while back and since I don't have a video camera to do "real" reviews I figure I'll just do another written one. Right now I have a total of 14 pedals on my board so if people would prefer I can keep doing more reviews like this, even though they're not the best way. Anywho...
If you haven't figured it out yet, this time around I'll be sharing my thoughts on the Electro Harmonix Linear Power Booster 1, or LPB-1 for short. Very simple pedal to use considering it has one knob labeled "boost." I paid $39 new and at that price I'd say it's worth it. The pedal is part of the nano series making it quite easy to sneak in on a cramped board. The power supply is the standard boss style so it won't require it's own wall wart and to top it all off it's true bypass.
I don't actually use this pedal for its intended purpose which is a clean boost in volume, but if you need a jump in volume this little box can easily provide it. I don't know the exact db increase that it can do but it's very powerful no doubt. The tone itself is almost a clean boost, but I'll say more about that later.
Here's where it starts to get a little complicated. Many people will say that this pedal is a clean boost, and it is advertised as such. However, EHX claims that the circuit was designed in 1968 where an abundance of active basses was not. And considering that I'm running a Stingray 4HH (without a doubt active) I feel like the boost is no longer clean because the pedal itself isn't designed for such an input. I don't know this or claim to be sure about this but I do know that when I kick this pedal on my tone is very slightly overdriven. BUT, the overdrive is extremely transparent and it sounds awesome. And when I use it in line with my BDDI I reach overdrive bliss. It's all my tone and just a little grit on the edges and this is where I think it really shines. I set the pedal at unity and it provides what I like to hear.
It's not a complicated beast, and you won't get your bass to sound like a trumpet when you plug it in, but the LPB-1 is a great little drive unit when run with other dirt pedals and even on its own. I don't own a passive bass so I can't comment on how it reacts to a less hot signal but either way I find it worth the small price.
Features: 5
Convenience: 9
Best sound: 7.5
Overall: 8
EHX's little booster box 
