Tronographic Rusty Box Soundclips

silky smoove · #1 03-09-2011, 01:45 PM

I received my Tronographic Rusty Box last weekend and have really been digging it thus far. There seems to be a very small number of clips available of this wonderful preamp/OD pedal online, so I thought I'd take it upon myself to do some.

If anyone has any specific requests for settings on the Tronographic Rusty Box that you'd like to hear a soundclip of, please post it in this thread and I'll do my best to get it done when I do the rest of them.

My current plan is to record a series of licks in different styles on progressively higher gain settings, while simultaneously capturing a clean DI'd version of the same signal, then doing A/B comparisons of each. I'll be gain matching them in post.

Intended licks:
Steady fingerstyle with increasing dynamic
Stacatto fingerstyle
Walking fingerstyle
Chords fingerstyle
Heavy pick riff
Slap groove

Intended input gain:
9 o'clock (just on)
11 o'clock (my preferred setting)
Noon
1 o'clock
3 o'clock
On full
On full with boost

I'll likely leave the input gain switch on 'Hi' and keep the EQ set flat.

Again, let me know if I can include anything other than that for you guys and I'll try to get it done.

********** EDIT: Here they are! **********

Tronographic Rusty Box Soundclips

In the set you'll find the clips I described in the first post. The tracks labeled 'JDI' are going through a Radial JDI. The tracks labeled 'Rusty' are going through the Tronographic Rusty Box. All the tracks were normalized individually to even out the volume from track to track, setting to setting. Outside of the normalization there is no processing being done to these tracks in post. Be careful with the track labeled "steady" as it gets progressively louder as the track progresses.

The track labeled 'Gonzo' was done for TB'er Gonzo476. His request was for a track played with a pick, played near the bridge with the bass and mids boosted. The gain settings mimic the others in the set, but instead of having the EQ set to noon, it was bass at 3 o'clock, mids at 3 o'clock and treble at 11 o'clock. Sounds great for a really aggressive, throaty pick tone.

The bass used on these tracks is my Warmoth G4 (alder body, Status Graphite Jazz neck, Hammon Engineering Darkstar pickups set to 50/50 blend with the tone wide open). The strings were D'Addario XL's, nickel/steel, with about 4 hours of playing time on them.

Laurent · #2 03-09-2011, 01:52 PM

I think you've got it well covered.
Maybe a clean reference sample is always good to have.
I like the fact that you are doing a fair amount of fingerstyle and low gain samples.
I often see these elements missing in soundclips.

Many thanks for providing all these clips it's a lot of work but it's so nice to have this as a reference for a fairly unusual/rare stompbox.

silky smoove · #3 03-09-2011, 02:03 PM

A clean reference will be included. The signal path will be:
Bass -> Radial JDI -> JDI DI -> Apogee Duet Ch 1 -> MacBook
.........................-> JDI Parallel Out -> Rusty Box -> Apogee Duet Ch 2 -> MacBook

This way it will be the same input signal provided for both the DI'd and the affected clips. I'll gain match them based on the dynamically largest portion of the wave forms, then normalize the outputs equally. That should limit the differences in tone due to volume, and preserve the dynamic range of the input. I won't be compressing or EQ'ing the tracks at all.

It won't be too much work. I'm gearing up to do a large bass track recording run over the weekend (25 song 2-disc release!), so this will help me iron out all the kinks in using the Rusty Box as part of the signal chain.

Timi · #4 03-09-2011, 04:29 PM

Just finished making a record for a band where the bassist used a P Bass with my Rusty Box, AD200B and 8x10 with an RE20 into an API mic pre. Sounded awesome, will link to one of the tracks once they release it.

Personally don't find sound samples of drive pedals recorded direct to be useful, to me everything sounds almost the same because you can't hear the actual tone under the harsh and fizzy top end. That said, very cool of you to spend the time doing it because lots of people seem to find it useful.

silky smoove · #5 03-09-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timi

Just finished making a record for a band where the bassist used a P Bass with my Rusty Box, AD200B and 8x10 with an RE20 into an API mic pre.

Wow... That sounds like quite an intense setup for doing a recorded bass track. It's nice to know that people still go all-out to capture cool bass tones. Nice work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timi

Personally don't find sound samples of drive pedals recorded direct to be useful, to me everything sounds almost the same because you can't hear the actual tone under the harsh and fizzy top end.

For the most part I agree with you. A lot of the real depth to different types of drive pedals is lost even running through a good set of headphones or stereo speakers compared to an actual bass rig. That said, the Rusty Box feels a lot more like an amp being pushed to me than a lot of the distortion circuits found in pedals. I think this one will translate fairly well. It certainly won't be the same as plugging it into your bass rig, but it will paint somewhat of a picture of what it will do to your signal chain at varying levels of input gain. Worst case scenario is that it doesn't help anybody, but I'll still have done all of the leg work to see how it's going to react in the studio this weekend for my album work. For me it's a can't lose

Timi · #6 03-09-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silky smoove

Wow... That sounds like quite an intense setup for doing a recorded bass track. It's nice to know that people still go all-out to capture cool bass tones. Nice work.

Standard approach for me. Nearly all the bands I work with want the sound of a colored bass rig, makes sense to get the sound at the amp and mic it up.

sunbeast · #7 03-09-2011, 06:56 PM

I just got my Rusty Box last week and I'm very stoked on it. It definitely is a pedal with alot of inherent and unique character- it doesn't make all my basses sound the same like a few drive pedals I've had, but I could definitely pick it out of a "tone lineup". I love the clarity it adds without losing lows. Somehow it can make even icepicky high end sound attractive to my ears! + It can make my flatwound-wearing bass sound like its wearing stainless rounds.

HiFi · #8 03-09-2011, 07:05 PM

I'm excited to hear the gamut of clips. I've tended to stick with one or two settings on mine since I got it a few weeks ago, and it looks like it will replace my VT Deluxe, but I'm interested hearing more of it without having to tick off my neighbors.

silky smoove · #9 03-09-2011, 09:43 PM

Here they are!

Tronographic Rusty Box Soundclips

In the set you'll find the clips I described in the first post. The tracks labeled 'JDI' are going through a Radial JDI. The tracks labeled 'Rusty' are going through the Tronographic Rusty Box. All the tracks were normalized individually to even out the volume from track to track, setting to setting. Outside of the normalization there is no processing being done to these tracks in post. Be careful with the track labeled "steady" as it gets progressively louder as the track progresses.

The track labeled 'Gonzo' was done for TB'er Gonzo476. His request was for a track played with a pick, played near the bridge with the bass and mids boosted. The gain settings mimic the others in the set, but instead of having the EQ set to noon, it was bass at 3 o'clock, mids at 3 o'clock and treble at 11 o'clock. Sounds great for a really aggressive, throaty pick tone.

The bass used on these tracks is my Warmoth G4 (alder body, Status Graphite Jazz neck, Hammon Engineering Darkstar pickups set to 50/50 blend with the tone wide open). The strings were D'Addario XL's, nickel/steel, with about 4 hours of playing time on them.

Laurent · #10 03-09-2011, 10:32 PM

Very nicely done.
You have a nice tone and some serious chops, friend.

The clarity and brash character of this pedal reminds me of the MXR Blowtorch but the Rusty Box is more gravely and metalic sounding. It's unique sounding pedal.

silky smoove · #11 03-10-2011, 12:14 AM

Thanks Laurent!

Gonzo476 · #12 03-10-2011, 07:17 AM

Great clips! Thanks for recording one for me

Timi · #13 03-10-2011, 05:24 PM

Wow, was expecting the lower gain settings to sound much harsher recorded direct but they actually sound pretty good!

silky smoove · #14 03-10-2011, 05:37 PM

I was quite pleased with them as well.

My intention for this pedal is to serve as a low gain overdrive almost exclusively. For live stuff with my 80's hair metal/butt rock band it will narrow the wide voicing of my Tecamp Puma1000/LDS nEarful 15/6/1 and add a bit of breakup when I dig in. With my pop projects it will be blended in a loop at very low gain to add a bit of that Motown warmth from an amp being pushed. I've tried both at rehearsals and have been very pleased.

caeman · #15 04-07-2011, 08:44 PM

Thank you for taking the time to create these sound demos. These are exactly the kind of sound demos I was trying to find to get a sonic idea of the Rusty Box.

silky smoove · #16 04-07-2011, 09:01 PM

Glad they helped you out Chad!

Verminaard · #17 06-09-2011, 08:49 PM

Reviving this thread to see who is on the waiting list for one of these right now, as I am, and I'm quite looking forward to replacing my VT with one this month.

To be completely random, do you guys think I might be able to get this type of tone with the aid of this preamp?

(Godflesh Messiah Sungod content) YouTube - ‪Godflesh - Sungod‬&rlm;

I'm a die hard Godflesh fan and it is one of my albatross tones.

I was planning on getting a fender 300 pro or perhaps the 100T and using this as a

separate gain channel... Thoughts... Opinions...?

arbitrary · #18 06-09-2011, 09:11 PM

What's the price on these things?

silky smoove · #19 06-09-2011, 09:13 PM

Verminaarc:I replaced a VT with a Rusty Box, and have never looked back. The high end on the Rusty Box is so much more pleasant for what I do than the VT. Listening to the clip you posted, I think you'll be able to get somewhere close depending on the bass you're using. I doubt you'd get there with the Rusty Box and a P-Bass, but something more modern/active sounding, or possibly a Jazz setup would get real close through the Rusty Box.

arbitrary: I paid $135 USD for the Rusty Box and power supply.

Verminaard · #20 06-09-2011, 09:23 PM

I was quoted about $200 from Tronographic for this run. I'm really looking for the grindy midrange. I use the VT as a preamp on a low gain setting with character set low. I don't really like the trebly high gain settings at all.

I have a G&L Tribby 2500 through an Ampeg SVT 3PRO or a carvin DCM 2000 power amp at the moment. It works...