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Is it me...Or is this a realistic price?

#22
edencab said:
o_O oh am I an ID-iot?......"why no reverb"....OMG hahahahah:roflmao:

.ok.....but what does the dial do?...and what good is it a 0 and still my question of the higher values remains......DI newb (obviously)
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It's an attenuator if you want to use it in line with an amp or something and that signal is too hot you can turn it down with the dial. In standard mode the dial isn't used.
 
#31
nshuman said:
Well, if the tone is nothing to write home about for you, then it's not a product for you. But, considering that the console in question is what they used for most of the instruments, it's probably a very cool box that people would want to own, even if it is just for studio use.

As for the 60-70$ EHX pedal thing, I find it doubtful that EHX could have a custom transformer built and put out the type of studio gear for that price point. The component cost alone in that thing is probably a lot higher.
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A USA magnetics shop could manufacture that type of transformer and sell it at a profit for about $20 if the quantities were in the 300 piece range, a bit less if you hit the 500 piece range. I currently purchase several magnetics (transformers and coils) that have much more labor and material in them. An impedance matching transformer does not have a high VA rating, so there's not a lot of copper or iron (nickel) in them. Once it's designed, the cost is some what proportional to its weight.
 
#33
Jloch86 said:
I see what you're saying, but let's be honest, his tone was nothing to write home about and if you're asking me to spend $400 to get it, I'll pass. It might be a nice novelty effect pedal that EHX could put out for $60-$70 but a $400 DI box is ridiculous.
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I thought the same thing. I could think of several pieces of gear I could pick up for $400. I could get 2 L.R. Baggs Para DI with that money as an example. Also, his tone is a product of exactly what you posted earlier, a combination of everything. It is only popular because he was an awesome bass player. I liken this kind of thing to Jaco's tone. I don't like it but it does not take away that he was good. I like to call this "Hipster Pricing".
 
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#35
Fat Freddy said:
Well....Thanks for all the replies guys....

Still dubious about the price though....I can see that the components in the pedal are expensive but I'm not sure that the sounds that it's making are worth the money.....

Cheers!:thumbsup:
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If you are still interested in playing around with transformer saturation, at much lower prices, the Transboost circuit that @boomertech made and JohnK tuned is a great pedal. So is the Hudson Broadcast, although different. As @boomertech has alluded to, the iBuff would be cool to try as well, but I am not sure anybody is offering it as a product yet. Maybe @johnk_10 ?
 
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#36
Slevage said:
A USA magnetics shop could manufacture that type of transformer and sell it at a profit for about $20 if the quantities were in the 300 piece range, a bit less if you hit the 500 piece range. I currently purchase several magnetics (transformers and coils) that have much more labor and material in them. An impedance matching transformer does not have a high VA rating, so there's not a lot of copper or iron (nickel) in them. Once it's designed, the cost is some what proportional to its weight.
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they actually can't that's the issue. it has rare metals in it molybdenum (sorry about spelling) that were used in the originals and importing them now there are laws and such so the transformers are expensive and labor intensive. that rare metal is the secret behind the sound supposedly.
 
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#37
nshuman said:
If you are still interested in playing around with transformer saturation, at much lower prices, the Transboost circuit that @boomertech made and JohnK tuned is a great pedal. So is the Hudson Broadcast, although different. As @boomertech has alluded to, the iBuff would be cool to try as well, but I am not sure anybody is offering it as a product yet. Maybe @johnk_10 ?
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Looked at the Transboost online $329......I have no doubt that it's excellent....Just too much money for me to justify on a pedal....

Think I may have a quirk in my nature....I'll spend stupid money on a bass or an amp and cabs but I suddenly become a total cheapskate when it comes to pedals... :help:
 
#38
markjazzbassist said:
they actually can't that's the issue. it has rare metals in it molybdenum (sorry about spelling) that were used in the originals and importing them now there are laws and such so the transformers are expensive and labor intensive. that rare metal is the secret behind the sound supposedly.
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Molybdenum laminations are available from a magnetics supplier. Molybdenum is still used in motor windings. No secret to the metal---- it's just a matter of hitting the magnetic saturation of the device-- easy to copy.

Also, making a laminated transformer takes labor, but not a crazy amount of time if you make pieces in the hundreds. As I said, I purchase American made magnetics often.
 
#39
Slevage said:
Molybdenum laminations are available from a magnetics supplier. Molybdenum is still used in motor windings. No secret to the metal---- it's just a matter of hitting the magnetic saturation of the device-- easy to copy.

Also, making a laminated transformer takes labor, but not a crazy amount of time if you make pieces in the hundreds. As I said, I purchase American made magnetics often.
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well tell that to Acme Audio. They said they have them sourced from Triad directly to original spec and they are building them again so that's why they're so expensive. Surely it can't be the box and pot which are super cheap, so it's labor and transformer. or the paint is magical.
 
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#40
Slevage said:
Molybdenum laminations are available from a magnetics supplier. Molybdenum is still used in motor windings. No secret to the metal---- it's just a matter of hitting the magnetic saturation of the device-- easy to copy.

Also, making a laminated transformer takes labor, but not a crazy amount of time if you make pieces in the hundreds. As I said, I purchase American made magnetics often.
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If you can get 100 exact equivalent transformers for 20$/each, I'll gladly foot the bill and build 100$ equivalent DIs in Hammond boxes. :)
 
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