What about the EBS vs. the BBE BMax-T? This contraption was recently brought to my attention as something else to think about, so I thought I would ask if any of you had used it and could offer a comparison of the sound quality.
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Anyone Used an EBS Valve Drive?
- Thread starter Tacopastorius
- Start date
The tube in the the Valve drive runs at st least 250v. I know this because I bought three defective Valvedrives and they all had open internal power (step up) transformers. The way it typically works in tube pedals like the Valvedrive is by using a 12 VAC wall wart this voltage is fed to the low side of a 12 or 10volt transformer with a 240volt high side. The 12VAC also is directly fed to the 12AX7 heaters.
I'm guessing some people mistakenly use their 9VDC wall wart and fried the internal transformers. The transformer itself looks a little wimpy but there's a more robust transformer available from Digikey that can be shoe-horned in.
I haven't seen the schematic, but after having these apart I can testify that the only "solid state " components are the 1n4001 diodes for the B+ supply and the stupid LED's to illuminate the tube.
I'm guessing some people mistakenly use their 9VDC wall wart and fried the internal transformers. The transformer itself looks a little wimpy but there's a more robust transformer available from Digikey that can be shoe-horned in.
I haven't seen the schematic, but after having these apart I can testify that the only "solid state " components are the 1n4001 diodes for the B+ supply and the stupid LED's to illuminate the tube.
Figured I'd just reply to this instead of starting a new thread.
I've had a lot of gear in my time playing bass. My all time favorite rig(s) was a Mesa Boogie Titan V12 and then later a Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ through a mesa 810. Back in those days I was gigging quite a bit and trying to make it big.
These days I'm just playing at church and with friends for fun. I'm very happy with my setup now. I run my GK combo flat and have loved the markbass compressore. After having a ton of gear (close to literally) in my old rig, it's nice to be able to walk in with my bass case on my back and my amp in my hand and be done with it. No more breaking a sweat moving gear up a flight of stairs.
However, I do miss the warmth my old rig had. I never used the all-out driven sounds those rigs were capable of. However, I did always turn up the gain enough so that I just got a little bit of warmth. When I really dug in it would get a little dirty but nothing too crazy.
I'm between this and the VT bass. I've had the Sansamp bass driver and was really unhappy with the sound, it sounded tinny and artificial. The VT has had rave reviews and is relatively cheaper than the valve drive. But I am familiar with the fender tone stack and love the way it can sound. I'd be lying if I said the valve drive having a tube didn't sway me a bit. I plan on using whatever I have as an always-on preamp. Reading this thread it seems quite a few people are happy with the pedal in that capacity. Given my experience with tube amps and hybrids, will this get me what I'm looking for?
Any other pedals/preamps I should consider? I live about 20 minutes away from bass central and I'm planning on going out there tomorrow to try both, but figure I'd ask here too.
I've had a lot of gear in my time playing bass. My all time favorite rig(s) was a Mesa Boogie Titan V12 and then later a Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ through a mesa 810. Back in those days I was gigging quite a bit and trying to make it big.
These days I'm just playing at church and with friends for fun. I'm very happy with my setup now. I run my GK combo flat and have loved the markbass compressore. After having a ton of gear (close to literally) in my old rig, it's nice to be able to walk in with my bass case on my back and my amp in my hand and be done with it. No more breaking a sweat moving gear up a flight of stairs.
However, I do miss the warmth my old rig had. I never used the all-out driven sounds those rigs were capable of. However, I did always turn up the gain enough so that I just got a little bit of warmth. When I really dug in it would get a little dirty but nothing too crazy.
I'm between this and the VT bass. I've had the Sansamp bass driver and was really unhappy with the sound, it sounded tinny and artificial. The VT has had rave reviews and is relatively cheaper than the valve drive. But I am familiar with the fender tone stack and love the way it can sound. I'd be lying if I said the valve drive having a tube didn't sway me a bit. I plan on using whatever I have as an always-on preamp. Reading this thread it seems quite a few people are happy with the pedal in that capacity. Given my experience with tube amps and hybrids, will this get me what I'm looking for?
Any other pedals/preamps I should consider? I live about 20 minutes away from bass central and I'm planning on going out there tomorrow to try both, but figure I'd ask here too.
I just bought a ebs valve drive and tried it last night and will be using it for recording. It kills all the sansamps ive tried and had. Can't comment on the vt bass though.
it's not on my board. It's part of my amp rig. To me, it's a preamp, not an effect. I have it on all the time.
I really like my valvedrive. I picked it up from a user here on TB. I use it as a preamp and have it sitting on top of my amp. I really like the vintage/modern toggle. I use the modern as a slight warmth, smooth tube effect. To get that nice motown jamerson sound. I use the vintage to add some serious grit and dirt to my sound. It adds some really great bottom end to my sound. I love it! But I got mine half off, I too struggled with the $300 price tag.
It gets voltage...just not much voltage.
What is it there for?
Marketing hype
Like I said, if you get one I'm sure you'll like it.. I did...it is an excellent pedal.
Let me run this by you though....a hyothetical.....Tech 21 designs the popular VT pedal but instead of what we know it as now, it is introduced with a tube getting minimal voltage and doing little if anything with everything else being the same. It would still be a popular and great sounding pedal....it would also cost more and people would swear it's the tube.
A 12AX7 is a great for tube distortion and when run full voltages as in a regular tube amp..it will add some warmth.
But in general, what we think of "tube warmth" comes from power tubes and/or a combo of pre/power tubes....it also comes from Germanium transistors, Mosfets and JFETS.
Starved for voltage 12AX7's are for distortion....not tube warmth.
The EBS will warm up your sound....so will many other less expensive tubeless pedals.
If I'm wrong, someone please educate me.
Hi all, I know this thread is long time ago, but because I took the chance to pick up a ValveDrive used for very good conditions, I was reading a bit about it and became curious, because in many shops its advertised as "clean, high-voltage tube preamp/overdrive pedal". This is contrary to what was written here.
So, I wanted to know finally, opened the tube compartment, and measured the anode voltage: it is exactly 395 volts (in words: threehundredninetyfive).
So its not really running on "starved voltage".
Apart from that voltage thing, its a really really great pedal. I have it just a few days now, but it has an unbelievable sound as a clean tube preamp, and also as an overdrive. I compared it against Hughes&Kettner Bassmaster, SWR Interstellar Overdrive and Warwick Quadruplet, all the three of them really great tube preamps. And I am not shure if the ValveDrive is not the best of all these !!! Of course it doesnt deliver that variety in sound like the big preamps, but if I dial in a great sound I found it difficult to get that sound with one of the others! I think that says something about its quality ....
Two things I miss actually: a balanced XLR out to use it as a DI-box, and it would be great if it had a second master and gain control, that you could switch by foot. The vintage / modern footswitch could also be done as a small fingerswitch. But with a switchable 2nd gain/master , you would have a switchable clean/overdrive combination!
Cheers
Two things I miss actually: a balanced XLR out to use it as a DI-box, and it would be great if it had a second master and gain control, that you could switch by foot. The vintage / modern footswitch could also be done as a small fingerswitch. But with a switchable 2nd gain/master , you would have a switchable clean/overdrive combination!
Cheers
