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FEA fan club!

#81
I managed to snag a DBD for a good price. My All-FEA board is coming into shape. Just one power connector left, reserved for a compressor.

All-FEA-Board.jpg
 
#83
I just stumbled upon this thread.

I don't own a FEA product (yet!) but I have exchanged several emails with Glen Appleton requesting info about their compressors and he has always replied back quickly with all the information I needed to be a future client.:)

Now I'm just waiting for the Opti-FET or the new Dual Engine Compressor to be available. :hyper:
 
#84
caeman said:
I discovered something very interesting in my experiments with the Growler + 2 CH Mixer: layering.

On the Growler, the DRY out is connected to the input, no processing. The WET out is the processed signal of clean+harmonic. There is a small delay introduced to the signal, it seems, such that when I have both the WET and DRY active through the mixer -- harmonics off -- I get a noticeably thicker sound to my bass. What an interesting find! :bassist:

My setup has not gotten very complex if I want it to be, in the space of just two pedals, with numerous combinations of the Growler's two channels and the mixer. I can go from pristine clean that is just my MXR EQ, through various levels of layering to all-out growl.
Click to expand...

Soundclips?
 
#85
Fran Diaz said:
I just stumbled upon this thread.

I don't own a FEA product (yet!) but I have exchanged several emails with Glen Appleton requesting info about their compressors and he has always replied back quickly with all the information I needed to be a future client.:)

Now I'm just waiting for the Opti-FET or the new Dual Engine Compressor to be available. :hyper:
Click to expand...

Hey Fran, welcome to this club!
I'v owned the Opti-FET for a few months now and it's a fantastic unit. It operates silently and provides smooth sound. Doesn't smash your tone like other compressors. Great powerful controls and it adds a bit warmth to your tone. Very musical, I use it on stage all the time now. You'll love it.
 
#86
Ronen said:
Hey Fran, welcome to this club!
I'v owned the Opti-FET for a few months now and it's a fantastic unit. It operates silently and provides smooth sound. Doesn't smash your tone like other compressors. Great powerful controls and it adds a bit warmth to your tone. Very musical, I use it on stage all the time now. You'll love it.
Click to expand...

Hey Ronen, thanks for the input! With all the research I've done I've come to the conclussion that it's going to be exactly what I need.

Can't wait to get it. Where did you buy it from? PM me if you want to share the details.
 
#88
Fran, just like you I went into the waiting list and bought it directly from FEA Labs.
I'm glad I didn't have to choose between the Opti-FET and the new upcoming DE-CL... tough choice.
The side chain EQ on the Opti-FET is very useful for different styles of music. You can really hear the compression effect on different frequencies.
 
#89
Ronen said:
Fran, just like you I went into the waiting list and bought it directly from FEA Labs.
I'm glad I didn't have to choose between the Opti-FET and the new upcoming DE-CL... tough choice.
The side chain EQ on the Opti-FET is very useful for different styles of music. You can really hear the compression effect on different frequencies.
Click to expand...

I might end up needing to flip a coin to choose which one I buy. From the clip I've seen on YT, the side chain eq might be very useful for me, while that Warmth knob on the new unit...how can anyone not want to have a "Warmth" knob :D
 
#93
bongomania said:
Agreed. :) But FWIW, the Opti-FET has interior dip switches that engage a similar amount/type of warmth. I'll provide a direct A/B comparison when the new one becomes available.
Click to expand...

Thanks!, I'll be looking forward to reading your comparison.

Regarding the "warmth" on both units, this is what Glen told me:
"The warmth control on the new compressor is similar to the internal switch on the Opti-FET in function, but the application is slightly different. With the warmth control on the new compressor turned all the way down, it will provide less warmth than the Opti-FET with its switches off (essentially no warmth). With the warmth control on the new compressor turned all the way up, it will provide more warmth than the Opti-FET can achieve."
 
#95
Smallequestrian said:
I really hope people are taking a look at the Photon Fuzz. It is definitely my favorite fuzz right now...I can't praise it enough.
Click to expand...

It was a competition to see which pedal I could find first: the Fuzz or the DBD. I have never used a compressor and don't know if it would help since I tend to leave the growler on.

If I can find a Photon Fuzz on trade, I will definitely hit it.
 
#96
Hey guys, thanks for the kind words!

Fran Diaz said:
Thanks!, I'll be looking forward to reading your comparison.

Regarding the "warmth" on both units, this is what Glen told me:
"The warmth control on the new compressor is similar to the internal switch on the Opti-FET in function, but the application is slightly different. With the warmth control on the new compressor turned all the way down, it will provide less warmth than the Opti-FET with its switches off (essentially no warmth). With the warmth control on the new compressor turned all the way up, it will provide more warmth than the Opti-FET can achieve."
Click to expand...

Although what Glen has said is technically 100% correct, I think most people will have a hard time hearing the differences between the clean/transparent modes of both compressors. The difference is like a change in temperature of less than 1 degree… most people can not sense that small of a change. If anyone can hear a difference then Bongo will. I know that sometimes he hears minute things where you need test equipment to detect it. Hyper sensitive hearing can be both a blessing and a curse.;)

-Frank
 
#97
Hey Frank,

Thanks a lot for the additional info. That might make it easier for me. :)

boomertech said:
Hey guys, thanks for the kind words!



Although what Glen has said is technically 100% correct, I think most people will have a hard time hearing the differences between the clean/transparent modes of both compressors. The difference is like a change in temperature of less than 1 degree… most people can not sense that small of a change. If anyone can hear a difference then Bongo will. I know that sometimes he hears minute things where you need test equipment to detect it. Hyper sensitive hearing can be both a blessing and a curse.;)

-Frank
Click to expand...
 
#98
caeman said:
I managed to snag a DBD for a good price. My All-FEA board is coming into shape. Just one power connector left, reserved for a compressor.
Click to expand...


Hey Chad… nice board! The plug for the direct out of the Growler needs to be pushed in.:)

Fran Diaz said:
Hey Frank,

Thanks a lot for the additional info. That might make it easier for me. :)
Click to expand...

I just thought of something else that you may need to consider. The new DE comp has either an automatic or a fixed fast release (selected by the internal DIP switch). So, if you are looking for compression as an effect, then the lack of a release control may not be what you want.

-Frank
 
#100
Sound sample as requested:
SoundClick artist: Sonic Experiments - page with MP3 music downloads

I start out clean. The 2 CH Mixer is always on for channel 1, so you are hearing the FET amp, gain at noon.

Next section, I turn on the Growler (Channel 2), which layers the dry signal with the Growled signal which itself is a blending of the dry and harmonic. Asymmetric clipping on.

The third section is the DBD.

The fourth section is the DBD and Growler. The DBD's distortion kinda gets lost in the Growler and gets all gnarly and wicked sounding.
 

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