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Clean Boost/Buffers

#21
scotch said:
Not my experience at all! Are you quite sure you weren't simply driving something else into clipping downstream?
Click to expand...

I will second that as well. If I run Bass > LPB-1 > PJB Combo Amp, nothing but clean volume. It's a powerful boost though so you can definitely send stuff into clipping/distortion.

Some clean boosts don't give you much boots even with the knob all the way up so the LPB-1 can feel like it does not stay clean when in fact it is just giving you a LOT of clean boost. You would get very similar results with high gain clean boosts like the SFX or Lizard Leg boosts.

Now is the LPB-1 as good as the SFX or Lizard leg? No. Is it as good as a lot of other higher priced clean boost pedals, yes.
 
#23
whenever I need a clean boost, I usually just make one since it's a simple circuit. IME, I haven't found the LPB-1 to actually be all that transparent. also keep in mind that it also does reverse your phase.

I prefer the xotic EP booster or the Madbean Fatpants by a large margin (and both of those don't flip the phase).
 
#24
Wow, look at all the opinions! Got a lot of stuff to investigate tonight. Thank you all very much...never owned a booster and never felt I needed it before, but now I do.

Jeff, love the Linden, but it's already in service as an EQ for my upright.
 
#26
bassie12 said:
I have a couple early Fodera model 2000 Preamps, the ones with just the "battery check" LED. Found them cheap. They do a wonderful job of buffering the pickups letting you hear 'more" of the instrument ...and allow last minute tweaking without messing up your main amp settings. Found them cheap, nothing has beat them yet.
Click to expand...

Problem with the Fodera 2000 is that you will never want to turn it off, so you would need 2 which would make it expensive for this application. The W&C Phat Phuk also sounds great on, although it does alter the tone, it is a nice change which although adjustable, also makes for a spendy tone boost.
 
#27
Hmmm...maybe that new Micro Amp + is an answer to the "What do we do now that the Barber Linden is discontinued" question? Overkill for this specific need of mine, at least as long as the Linden still works, but does look cool.

BTW, should mention that I would like it to be a buffer, too. I just picked up on a little bit of tone suck with my pedals unless I use a buffered pedal in there.
 
#30
johnk_10 said:
when pedals are engaged they're basically all buffered, but are you saying that you want its bypass to be buffered too?
Click to expand...

+1

If you are experiencing tone suck with an already buffered or always-on pedal, an additional buffer probably wont help much.

If what you want is abdedicated buffer for when your pedals are all bypassed, then it makes total sense!

I was under the impression you always used a wireless, Jimmy? The output of your reciever is a buffered, low impedance signal already I would think.
 
#33
JimmyM said:
BTW, should mention that I would like it to be a buffer, too. I just picked up on a little bit of tone suck with my pedals unless I use a buffered pedal in there.
Click to expand...

Radial Big Shot PB-1 booster/buffer or Empress Effects Buffer Plus.

Both do clean boost and variable load correction buffering.
 
#34
andrew said:
Radial Big Shot PB-1 booster/buffer or Empress Effects Buffer Plus.

Both do clean boost and variable load correction buffering.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was forgetting the Empress Buffer+. That one is also a very good choice. However, it could be slightly awkward to move around in your signal chain.

The SFX Micro Boost also acts as a buffer.
 
#35
Looking at the MXR Micro schematic, I found that the input impedance is 6.8MΩ. This has to be the best bang for the buck booster on the market. OTH, I've seen more of the EP Boost on pro players boards than any other, EVER. I have a feeling that the MXR is a more transparent pedal though. All the guys I talk to about the EP Boost dig the way it colors the sound. 1Meg input. What it is, is a repro of the input pre on the old Maestro Echoplex, it colors the sound in a very subtle and desirable way for lots of folks.

http://www.electrosmash.com/mxr-microamp

I use an old TC Booster, great transparent, quiet pedal, and very rare these days. Runs on 9-27v power. 4meg input. I think I'd go to the MXR MIcro Amp if I was pressed to make a replacement, based on the input impedance and $$$.
 
#36
MR PC said:
All the guys I talk to about the EP Boost dig the way it colors the sound. 1Meg input. What it is, is a repro of the input pre on the old Maestro Echoplex, it colors the sound in a very subtle and desirable way for lots of folks.
Click to expand...

it's actually not the same circuit as an echoplex at all, but I assume that it's xotic's interpretation of an echplex's preamp tone. and it doesn't color it you tone much, if at all unless you use the internal bass and bright boost switches, how ever it does seems to make my basses sound more punchy.

and FWIW, the Clinch Effects EP3 is an exact clone of the Echoplex preamp and although it's pretty nice, it really didn't do much for me and it only has a tiny bit of boost.
 
#37
scotch said:
+1

If you are experiencing tone suck with an already buffered or always-on pedal, an additional buffer probably wont help much.

If what you want is abdedicated buffer for when your pedals are all bypassed, then it makes total sense!

I was under the impression you always used a wireless, Jimmy? The output of your reciever is a buffered, low impedance signal already I would think.
Click to expand...
DOH! Why didn't I think of that??? I don't always use a wireless, but I do use one on 95% of my gigs, so I guess I'm covered for buffering when bypassed.

So I guess I just need a boost, which puts the LPB-1 back in the realm of possibility, although I may just go for the Micro Amp because of the buffering capability. Those I'm pretty sure I can try out at Sam Ash. Hopefully (since it's cheap and so am I) the LPB-1 won't screw with the sound. Wouldn't think it would since I just need a little boost to get the PJ sound to the level of the P sound.
 
#38
for what its worth, the simple mosfet booster from amz is a REALLLLLLLY clean and powerful booster. costs maybe... ten bucks to build one if youre resourceful?

don't know how into DIY you are...


not a fan of the lpb-1
 
#39
I agree with Lebowsky, the Zvex Superhardon is the cleanest boost out there, but just ridiculously expensive. The Xotic EP boost colors your tone quite a bit for a clean boost, and I found I needed to run it at 18V to not have it turn in sometimes unpleasant, but still very mild distortion. At 18V it's pretty fat! The cleanest one I felt comfortable paying for is the MXR Micro Amp, which is also very reasonably priced. It has a very mild coloration to the tone. The clean boost in the MS-60B is pretty good too, and that pedal provides so much more like decent (but by no means stellar) chorus, flanger, delay, and reverb, and some pretty cool filter and synth patches too.
 

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