FEA fan club!

[Aidenn7]

I'm using a power supply from EBS, or battery.

what's your chain?

 

[Teijo K.]

The DB-CL and both Opti-FETs I have used had a hiss when turned on. It was almost not perceivable through an amp (very high frequency), but I play a lot direct with IEMs, and I couldn't deal with it. It also didn't seem to matter what the gain was set at - with the gain all the way off, it still hissed, and it didn't get louder even if you cranked the gain.

I play with headphones all the time too, but dont hear any hiss. But on the other hand I usually roll highs off in more than one point off my signal chain in addition in using flats so by the time my signal hits the DE-CL there probably is not any hissing frequencies left.

But I did use it on other instruments as well while I was recording lately, where I did had a lot off high frequencies on the signal but still got no hiss. Weird.

 

[JTonBass]

what's your chain?

Custom made bass from UNICORNbass, active/passive (a tiny tiny hiss when active, dead quiet when passive) - Lava Cable Ultramafic - DB-CL - Lava Cable Ultramafic - Jule Monique tube pre straight into either Apogee or Metric Halo interface.

 

[Aidenn7]

the ultramafic has practically no rolloff on highs.. and the comp makes your signal louder.. so if you have a little hiss it'll be amplified by the comp pedal.. i got lehle abt to solve stuff like that.. but my optifet doesn't cause noise.. now i use a high setting on my bass compactor as white noise source.. in my looper rig.. but had never had any noise from just the optifet

 

[JTonBass]

the ultramafic has practically no rolloff on highs.. and the comp makes your signal louder.. so if you have a little hiss it'll be amplified by the comp pedal.. i got lehle abt to solve stuff like that.. but my optifet doesn't cause noise.. now i use a high setting on my bass compactor as white noise source.. in my looper rig.. but had never had any noise from just the optifet

Just to clarify things. It's not a little hiss amplified, it's the pedal generating noise. No make up gain applied, nothing attached to the input. Pedal off = quite, Pedal on = waterfall.

 

[boomertech]

Hi guys,
even though I love the compression characteristics of the DB-CL, the self noise the pedal generates renders it unusable for me.
There's a loud hiss even when nothing is connected to the input.
Anyone else finding the DB-CL noisy?

Did the noise level increase? Or has it been the same since October 2013?

-Frank

 

[blindrabbit]

I've had and used an Opti-Fet and a DB-CL. I use them with pretty massive amounts of gain too...and never a single hint of a hiss. I have other pedals that definitely hiss, but not the FEAs IME.

 

[blastbass]

My db-cl is dead quiet, i really pump the low lows through it.

 

[blastbass]

....also in max cases i have found noise issues to be power or cable related, few cases it was a pedal.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Anyone got a Growler or Dual Band Distortion they'd like to sell?

 

[Deleted member 165050]

I've got a DB-CL, and it's dead quiet. Seems something might be wrong with yours?!

Cheers,
Kalle

I also have a DB-CL and it is very very quiet but I have yet to find any pedal that is totally silent through earphones, even if battery powered. With thermal noise is such a thing even possible?

 

[dannybuoy]

Now, if I could only lay my hands on a Growler...

Urban Dictionary: Growler

 

[boomertech]

The ground paths that are routed around the PCB have a big impact on the noise levels within the circuit. With the redesign of the Photon Fuzz II, I used a 4-layer PCB design that has a ground plane layer that eliminated the use of individual ground traces. Having a ground plane really quieted down the background hiss by A LOT.

Since the Photon Fuzz II redesign, I have been redesigning the Opti-FET with a 4-layer PCB. The PCB redesign is to have a ground plane for better noise performance and to accommodate approx 70-80% surface mount devices. Future DB-CL’s and DE-CL’s will also have 4-layer PCB’s for the same reasons.

-Frank

 

[nshuman]

The ground paths that are routed around the PCB have a big impact on the noise levels within the circuit. With the redesign of the Photon Fuzz II, I used a 4-layer PCB design that has a ground plane layer that eliminated the use of individual ground traces. Having a ground plane really quieted down the background hiss by A LOT.

Since the Photon Fuzz II redesign, I have been redesigning the Opti-FET with a 4-layer PCB. The PCB redesign is to have a ground plane for better noise performance and to accommodate approx 70-80% surface mount devices. Future DB-CL’s and DE-CL’s will also have 4-layer PCB’s for the same reasons.

-Frank

So, should I get back on those lists?

 

[boomertech]

So, should I get back on those lists?

Absolutely! You are one of our best customers!

-Frank

 

[nshuman]

Absolutely! You are one of our best customers!

-Frank

Well, you can never have enough compressors I guess

 

[bongomania]

Frank, will there be a way second-hand purchasers can identify which generation of circuit they are looking at?

 

[boomertech]

Frank, will there be a way second-hand purchasers can identify which generation of circuit they are looking at?

Yes. The serial number of the pedal has a version number in it. The format of the serial number has changed from model to model so it can be a little different to read.

For example a Photon Fuzz II serial number....

PF0816V3-079

First 2 digits PF = Photon Fuzz
Next 4 digits 0816 = month and year of manufacture = 08-2016
Next 3 digits V3-0 = version 3.0
Last 2 digits 79 = unit number in that months build = 79

A DE-CL serial number....

DECL05162V215

First 4 digits DECL = Dual Engine Compressor Limiter
Next 4 digits 0516 = month and year of manufacture = 05-2016
Next 3 digits 2V2 = version 2.2
Last 2 digits 15 = unit number in that months build = 15


Most pedals were initially released with higher version numbers than VER1.0. For example, the Growler was released to the public with VER6.4. All of the versions before 6.4 were in-house prototypes.

-Frank

 

[JTonBass]

Did the noise level increase? Or has it been the same since October 2013?

-Frank

I guess it's about the same. Been living in denial since I got the DB-CL...

 

[Teijo K.]

The ground paths that are routed around the PCB have a big impact on the noise levels within the circuit. With the redesign of the Photon Fuzz II, I used a 4-layer PCB design that has a ground plane layer that eliminated the use of individual ground traces. Having a ground plane really quieted down the background hiss by A LOT.

Since the Photon Fuzz II redesign, I have been redesigning the Opti-FET with a 4-layer PCB. The PCB redesign is to have a ground plane for better noise performance and to accommodate approx 70-80% surface mount devices. Future DB-CL’s and DE-CL’s will also have 4-layer PCB’s for the same reasons.

-Frank

Ok already. I'll start saving for the second DE-CL.

But a quick question concerning my current one. I am getting a new power source for my board, and none of the options are perfect for me. Is 18 v dangerous, or is it just overkill? If its dangerous I'll just leave the other 18v out empty, but go for the slightly more expensive power source with more 9v-12v outs. Its decision time.