Broughton Messenger vs 2notes vs ...

[thumbslapper]

I know the Broughton Messengers are pretty rare - i'm waiting for them to go on sale again, but for folks that have one, how does it compare to others you've played?

There are quite a few high end pre's out there now. I had a API which I loved the transformer tone and the eq on, but not the compressor or DI output. I play thru a alembic F1X which sounds awesome, but I'm trying to get away from racks.

I'd like one withe a useful/flexible EQ section. I have 3 dist pedals so don't really need more, but its not a deal breaker. A clean DI (that can output line or mic level), a great EQ, maybe even a switchable FX chain would be awesome. I'd love to have a big iron transformer output as well.

I have a hifi sound and play dub, funk, jazz, rock, metal, and would be plugging my EUB NXT5a into it as well.

thx for any suggestions/reviews of the broughton! I'd ask in the broughton thread but it seems to be a weird circle jerk of inside jokes going on... <ducks>

-carl

 

[Jonny5bass]

I'd ask in the broughton thread but it seems to be a weird circle jerk of inside jokes going on...

 

[Krisfield]

The Messenger sorta looks like a Neve Channel Strip. I'm really interested. They become avaliable again 30th Nov.

 

[smeet]

I recently got a Messenger,.... and it crushed my dreams!!!

Just kidding. It’s very very clean. A very nice sounding and flexible eq. It doesn’t have any magic tubey buttery feel like the F1X. But you can sculpt your tone with it in a way the alembic couldn’t dream of. High and low shelving is good. Sweepable low and high mids are really good, and their ranges have a lot of overlap, which is very nice. No Q control, but that’s ok. On top of all that, it has sweepable HPF and LPF, which are great for quick room adjustments, or for getting some really interesting band-limited sounds.

There is also a separately switchable boost. The input gain and output level are always in the circuit, which I find a bit weird but it Maks sens if you consider it’s a preamp and DI, not just an eq.

All in all, it seems like a great tool for putting at the end of your effects chain, to do final tweaking on your already fattened, distorted, compressed tone.

I think it strikes a good balance between lots of control and quick on the gig tweakability.

 

[thumbslapper]

Smeet -

thx! I'd guess that the eq was great given the good reputation of the parametric eq pedal they sell, and a good set of HPF and LPF can do wonders. seems pretty well setup to be that final pedal in your chain.

also looking at radial preamps - their DI's are top notch and they are built like tanks, but the eq on them is not as near as useful as the ones here.

Lets hope i get lucky Nov 30th...

-carl

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

I can't say I know one option that covers everything for me I use multiple pedals. The verrellen meatsmoke paired with a good compressor and cab sim/ impulse loader covers everything but the uber clean hifi tones and upright tones tho atleast for my needs. Maybe if I added a a/b switch a paremetric eq pedal and a radial jdi or other uber clean di with apropriate settings for upright it would cop everything.

 

[Mosfed]

The messenger is the ultimate end of chain utility pedal. It doesn’t really impart any sound of its own, the EQ is powerful and logical and sounds good, the HPF/LPF is brilliant, separate DI and line levels, separate boost which sounds great.

Like the Broughton Apex comp it’s no magic toanz box but super useful and a perfect live end of chain utility tool.

 

[thumbslapper]

Thx Mosfed. If you look at specs its alot like the Tech 21 QStrip pedal, but despite the similiar price i'm thinking it might be a little higher quality, but not having heard them I can't really say.

I know the DI has a transformer, anyone know what kind it is? i'm guessing its not a "tone" transformer like a neve or lundahl...

-carl

 

[soong]

Can anyone comment on the noise floor of the Messenger? Is it dead quiet when boosting EQs? I'm after a super clean straight-to-FOH DI and cab sim.

 

[Zbysek]

Lets hope i get lucky Nov 30th...

Have you?

It's available now...

 

[Mushroo]

Can anyone comment on the noise floor of the Messenger? Is it dead quiet when boosting EQs? I'm after a super clean straight-to-FOH DI and cab sim.

Super clean and dead quiet. The Messenger is studio-grade gear in my opinion/experience.

If you push it too hard (which is very difficult to do by accident, but certainly possible, with all the powerful gain, boost, and EQ options) it goes into hard clipping which sounds harsh and unmusical. The Messenger is not designed to be a "tube-like overdrive that colors your tone as you push it into saturation" type of preamp. It is clean and transparent until you abruptly hit the wall. (And it is easy to avoid hitting that wall; it won't clip unless you are really maxxing out the gain and boost settings.)

 

[thumbslapper]

Mushroo and smeet and dead-on - i've had the Messenger for a few months now - super clean, dead quiet, transparent. I've ended up using the EQ more for room correction then overall sound, but it will do that as well - the HPF and LPF are awesome.

This line from smeet says it all:

"All in all, it seems like a great tool for putting at the end of your effects chain, to do final tweaking on your already fattened, distorted, compressed tone"

-carl