360 preamp

[bassestkkm]

If I remember correctly I recall someone was selling pretty good 360 preamp pedals. Are those still around?

 

[Glunkus]

360+ Pro Preamp - viva Analog

Here! ^_^

 

[bongomania]

There's a few of them these days. The "original" and the one I am familiar with is by Viva Analog.

 

[bassestkkm]

Thanks guys!

 

[DirtyDuke]

I have the diComo one and it is fantastic!

I asked Dom to make it on/bypass.

 

[Snaxster]

If I remember correctly I recall someone was selling pretty good 360 preamp pedals. Are those still around?

Hello. I'm not sure, but note the following:

360+ Pro Preamp - viva Analog

Here! ^_^

Historically that's right, Glunkus. But I believe that several years ago JC Maillet ceased building circuits or pedals to sell.

There's a few of them these days. The "original" and the one I am familiar with is by Viva Analog.

Cyrus, I think that even after JC Maillet stopped building, he sold and/or licensed the his 360+ circuit to other builders.

For use with any pedal made after JC Maillet's own, but that features his viva Analog circuit, attached to this post is the operation manual for the viva Analog 360+ ProEdition 2008-2013.

I have the diComo one and it is fantastic!

I asked Dom to make it on/bypass.

Duke, my DiCosimo Audio version (note the correct spelling here, folks!) is really good, too. It has the original on/"mute" switch.




Op-amps

What's not original about my 360+ pedal is the Burr Brown OPA2134PA op-amps I swapped into it, replacing the stock TL027CP chips. To my hearing, this modification significantly improves the pedal's audio quality without diminishing its flavor. There are applications for the classic, gnarly TL027 sound, but in my opinion this is not one. Go for the purpose built audio op-amp to unleash this circuit's potential.

If Dom is still building these pedals, I suggest that anyone ordering a new build from him ask that it be made with OPA2134PA op-amps. For 10 or 20 bucks more in the cost of the parts, it is well worth it.

Caveat: When I searched for the Burr Brown version of these chips just now, I found either mostly Chinese fakes or the newer Texas Instruments version. I can't vouch for or discredit the TI version; but you may have to try them since the original BB version is scarce. Alternatively you can try Burr Brown OPA2277PA, also scarce. Though originally designed for high-precision industrial farming applications, I like their sound with bass guitar. ​

A note about re-assembly

Today, over two years after I did the swap in my 360+ pedal, finally I corrected my one mistake when I re-assembled the pedal back then: I re-installed the "stop washer" in the "variamp" rotary pot. (That pot has 12 positions, so the stop washer is needed to constrain its range to the 5 positions this circuit uses.)

The mistake I made today was not confirming that there is a second op-amp on the main PCB. The first op-amp is on the little output daughter board, which you will see as you open the case:



But I distinctly remember swapping in two op-amps. So for now I will say that there is one on the main PCB, too.


Sound design and The sound

Anyway...

With its new op-amps, my DiCosimo Audio pedal, based on the JC Miallet kit 360+ bass preamp with DI, sounds quite good. Though I appreciate its fuzz voice, at least when using the very effective combination of the "gain" and "blend" controls, it is not a style of fuzz that I am liking to play these days.

Its preamp section is another story.

Subtraction and/or slight addition are this preamp's strong suits. For example, attenuate treble and bass, then work the midrange to really craft the timbre. An exception to this can be the last bit of range in the "effect" control. There is a point near and up until that control's maximum where it suddenly boosts the chosen midrange frequency range, and it has a nice resonance. That can be overkill; or it can be just the thing, especially with the right "bass" control setting. Check it out.


Plan B

An alternative to the 360+ ProEdition pedal, if you can't get one, could be the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. It emulates an old solid state Traynor amp rather than an old Acoustic amp, so its voice is different. But its rationale and functionality is similar. Even the Rusty Box's 24v power supply and ability to properly drive a power amp is like the 360+ pedal, suggesting to me that the viva Analog circuit was an inspiration for the Tronographic design. Oh, and the Rusty Box also sounds great.

 

[Snaxster]

The mistake I made today was not confirming that there is a second op-amp on the main PCB. The first op-amp is on the little output daughter board, which you will see as you open the case:

But I distinctly remember swapping in two op-amps. So for now I will say that there is one on the main PCB, too.

Six months on:

Today I found my old photos confirming that there are two op-amps on the main PCB and one on the DI daughterboard (in the DiCosimo pedal based on the JC Maillet 360+ bass preamp kit, with an added DI):