Lightning Boy Audio Thread

[BunchyMutt]

Here is a very quick take with and without the LBA 2020S. The only difference between them is with the 2020S in and out of the chain. And my fingers playing, of course. I'll let you guess which one has the 2020S.
Signal chain: Passive P with Lolar pickup and TI Jazz Flats -> Doc Lloyd PDR -> [LBA 2020S] -> NuX NBP-5

Have you tried it first in chain?

 

[jacoby75]

You guys with the 2020S are making me want to try one.

If you liked the "colour" switch of the Empress Bass Compressor, I think you'd like the 2020S at the front of your chain. It's similar in the hair that it adds, but is more subtle. To me, the Empress adds just a little too much hair for my liking, though I like the EQ curve. The 2020S up front with my passive jazz is awesome.

 

[BunchyMutt]

If you liked the "colour" switch of the Empress Bass Compressor, I think you'd like the 2020S at the front of your chain. It's similar in the hair that it adds, but is more subtle. To me, the Empress adds just a little too much hair for my liking, though I like the EQ curve. The 2020S up front with my passive jazz is awesome.

I wonder what two up front would do

 

[Lowendtech]

If you liked the "colour" switch of the Empress Bass Compressor, I think you'd like the 2020S at the front of your chain. It's similar in the hair that it adds, but is more subtle. To me, the Empress adds just a little too much hair for my liking, though I like the EQ curve. The 2020S up front with my passive jazz is awesome.

I do. I would. I’m just waiting on the mail. There’s a slight DElay because deLAY is real thing these days.

 

[Roxbororob]

I do. I would. I’m just waiting on the mail. There’s a slight DElay because deLAY is real thing these days.

I'm wating on mine too, tracking often goes into limbo these days (just another third world problem eh).

 

[JKos]

Have you tried it first in chain?

I did and didn't hear anything happening.
But, that was going into the PDR which is spec'd as 2 MΩ+ input impedance. I'll try it going into other pedals.

 

[Kendescending]

I received serial number 001 yesterday and gave it a quick try before all of my other pedals through an Xotic X-Blender pedal. I was very happy with the results. Quite a bit of heftiness added and a little bit of high end roll off. The ability to add gain, bass and treble with the XBlender takes the 2020S to a whole new level, but it also sounds great how it is!

 

[JKos]

I remembered something today, my Line 6 POD HD500X has a selectable input impedance of 22k, 32k, 70k, 90k, 136k, 230k, 1M, or 3.5M. Perhaps I'll do a recording walking through the selections with the 2020S between the bass and POD.

 

[BunchyMutt]

I remembered something today, my Line 6 POD HD500X has a selectable input impedance of 22k, 32k, 70k, 90k, 136k, 230k, 1M, or 3.5M. Perhaps I'll do a recording walking through the selections with the 2020S between the bass and POD.

oooooo

 

[jacoby75]

I remembered something today, my Line 6 POD HD500X has a selectable input impedance of 22k, 32k, 70k, 90k, 136k, 230k, 1M, or 3.5M. Perhaps I'll do a recording walking through the selections with the 2020S between the bass and POD.

Do tell. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[lightningboy]

I decided to make a couple changes to the design based on my own experiences and feedback from TB member, "Extreme." He's the only one so far to report any sort of noise. I even sent another one to him and he said it too had the same noise, which he didn't experience with the original version. I can't replicate that noise, so to be safe I'll be encapsulating the transformers in mumetal shielding cans, as is done with the original 2020. This will unfortunately raise the price a little. Also, we both noticed when running the 2020S after a NuVision pedal there is a huge low frequency cut. I don't know if this will happen with any other pedal and have not noticed it, but I have to assume it probably will with some. The original version did not have this issue. Its basically an impedance thing. A larger core would work, but it wouldn't fit in the enclosure and a larger shielding can would add a lot to the price - defeating the purpose of this design. My solution is to add 17.3% nickel to what was a 100% steel core. Doing this eliminated the bass cut issue. For reference, the original 2020 has an 80% nickel core.

These two alterations, a small percentage of nickel and a shielding can, will be the official release and it will bump it up to $95. If you like your preorder and aren't experiencing any noise issues, you'll have a bit of a rare object if you decide to not send it in for the update. If you would like it updated, you pay shipping to me, I'll update it for free and I'll pay to ship the finished product back to you. You should know the core modification does reduce the overall sonic coloration of the 2020S by some degree, but it is still more colorful sounding than than the original. It also improves the overall low frequency response of the 2020S. To my ears the sound/color of the updated version is smack dab between the original 2020 and the pre-release. To arrange for an update email [email protected]

 

[Valveman]

@lightningboy, I too am having noise issues with my new LBA2020S. There is noise in the signal and I'm also getting buzz as I turn the volume pot on my Lakland bass that was not there previously. I will contact you about the update. For reference I have (3) LBA2020 which are great. My concept is transformers after boost.

Pic for reference:

The other one is at church:

 

[jacoby75]

I decided to make a couple changes to the design based on my own experiences and feedback from TB member, "Extreme." He's the only one so far to report any sort of noise. I even sent another one to him and he said it too had the same noise, which he didn't experience with the original version. I can't replicate that noise, so to be safe I'll be encapsulating the transformers in mumetal shielding cans, as is done with the original 2020. This will unfortunately raise the price a little. Also, we both noticed when running the 2020S after a NuVision pedal there is a huge low frequency cut. I don't know if this will happen with any other pedal and have not noticed it, but I have to assume it probably will with some. The original version did not have this issue. Its basically an impedance thing. A larger core would work, but it wouldn't fit in the enclosure and a larger shielding can would add a lot to the price - defeating the purpose of this design. My solution is to add 17.3% nickel to what was a 100% steel core. Doing this eliminated the bass cut issue. For reference, the original 2020 has an 80% nickel core.

These two alterations, a small percentage of nickel and a shielding can, will be the official release and it will bump it up to $95. If you like your preorder and aren't experiencing any noise issues, you'll have a bit of a rare object if you decide to not send it in for the update. If you would like it updated, you pay shipping to me, I'll update it for free and I'll pay to ship the finished product back to you. You should know the core modification does reduce the overall sonic coloration of the 2020S by some degree, but it is still more colorful sounding than than the original. It also improves the overall low frequency response of the 2020S. To my ears the sound/color of the updated version is smack dab between the original 2020 and the pre-release. To arrange for an update email [email protected]

Thank you, Mike. I appreciate you making the upgrade available to us pre-order folks. I sent this via email, but for the sake of Talkbass posterity . . . I enjoy the sound of mine so far, but I would say there is a little bit of low end cut, though not dramatic, and it does introduce a little noise to my pedalboard chain. Neither of which are terribly offensive. But I'm looking forward to the upgrade.

 

[jacoby75]

Re: the 2020S, I know you've already diagnosed the issue and have a fix in place, but since I just had a little more time to dedicate to auditioning the 2020S through my headphone amp setup specifically looking for the issues you've noted (noise and low-end loss), I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in . . . for what it's worth . . . which is about 2 cents . . . before taxes.

Since getting the 2020S, I have most enjoyed using it thusly: Passive J5 > Boost > Compressor > Preamp > 2020S > Preamp/HPF/LPF/Headphone amp. In that position, it adds great warmth and fatness. There is a slight reduction in the lows, but I can compensate by boosting lows with other things in the chain, so it didn't bother me that much. If I were to judge the 2020S by the quality of my low end tone, I thought my chain sounded better without it. And yet in terms of warmth and fatness, I thought my chain sounded better with it, even with the slight low-end loss.

But when I slipped it up front, first in line, the results were quite different. So when it's: Passive J5 > 2020S > Boost > Compressor > Preamp > Preamp/HPF/LPF/Headphone amp, it still adds some warmth, and the harmonic coloration is more noticeable than when it comes later in the chain, but the low-end loss is waaaay more pronounced and more difficult to compensate for by boosting lows elsewhere.

In either position, the addition of noise was incredibly negligible. Like, if I turned my preamp up way higher than I would use it in real-world applications, I could hear it. But it's definitely not the kind of thing you would notice live. In studio use, you probably would.

I'm looking forward to the 2020S 2.0. I think/hope it will be the best of both worlds. Thanks.

 

[Chris Hass]

I decided to make a couple changes to the design based on my own experiences and feedback from TB member, "Extreme." He's the only one so far to report any sort of noise. I even sent another one to him and he said it too had the same noise, which he didn't experience with the original version. I can't replicate that noise, so to be safe I'll be encapsulating the transformers in mumetal shielding cans, as is done with the original 2020. This will unfortunately raise the price a little. Also, we both noticed when running the 2020S after a NuVision pedal there is a huge low frequency cut. I don't know if this will happen with any other pedal and have not noticed it, but I have to assume it probably will with some. The original version did not have this issue. Its basically an impedance thing. A larger core would work, but it wouldn't fit in the enclosure and a larger shielding can would add a lot to the price - defeating the purpose of this design. My solution is to add 17.3% nickel to what was a 100% steel core. Doing this eliminated the bass cut issue. For reference, the original 2020 has an 80% nickel core.

These two alterations, a small percentage of nickel and a shielding can, will be the official release and it will bump it up to $95. If you like your preorder and aren't experiencing any noise issues, you'll have a bit of a rare object if you decide to not send it in for the update. If you would like it updated, you pay shipping to me, I'll update it for free and I'll pay to ship the finished product back to you. You should know the core modification does reduce the overall sonic coloration of the 2020S by some degree, but it is still more colorful sounding than than the original. It also improves the overall low frequency response of the 2020S. To my ears the sound/color of the updated version is smack dab between the original 2020 and the pre-release. To arrange for an update email [email protected]

I bought what appears to be the final pre-order yesterday, for the listed $95 amount. Am I to assume this is the updated version that has been shipped out then?

 

[Roxbororob]

I was just checking Canada Post tracking (not expecting to see movement) and my I see "delivered". Yay!

I sent an email to Mike for update info but Ill have to try for myself at lunch (working from home these day sometimes works out).

 

[lightningboy]

I bought what appears to be the final pre-order yesterday, for the listed $95 amount. Am I to assume this is the updated version that has been shipped out then?

Thank you for the order. Yes, it is the updated version.

 

[Chris Hass]

Thank you for the order. Yes, it is the updated version.

You rock!

 

[BunchyMutt]

Given so many people like running two 2020s in their chain, has anyone tried two 2020sesis'sess

 

[lightningboy]

Given so many people like running two 2020s in their chain, has anyone tried two 2020sesis'sess

lol. I’m going to do it in the upcoming demo/release vid.