My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

[sloppy_phil]

@el murdoque Don't wanna start you down a tube rabbit hole, but maybe if the AT7's aren't doing it for you, a 5751 would be a better bet. It's about 70% of the gain factor of a 12AX7, whereas the 12AT7s only have 60% of the gain factor. My understanding is far from perfect, but as a general overview, I've heard that AT7 and lower gain tubes are best for clean, or generally clean tones. They don't always sound as musical when pushed. Whereas 5751s and AX7s are known for their more pleasant sounding breakup.

Perhaps the differences would be more subtle with the 5751 swapped in. FWIW, I did this with my Sushi Box pedals (12AX7 > 5751), and it really opened up that "edge of breakup" sweet spot from quite narrow, to incredibly wide. But it didn't change the character in any way, only how quickly it broke up.

 

[el murdoque]

@el murdoque Don't wanna start you down a tube rabbit hole, but maybe if the AT7's aren't doing it for you, a 5751 would be a better bet. It's about 70% of the gain factor of a 12AX7, whereas the 12AT7s only have 60% of the gain factor. My understanding is far from perfect, but as a general overview, I've heard that AT7 and lower gain tubes are best for clean, or generally clean tones. They don't always sound as musical when pushed. Whereas 5751s and AX7s are known for their more pleasant sounding breakup.

Perhaps the differences would be more subtle with the 5751 swapped in. FWIW, I did this with my Sushi Box pedals (12AX7 > 5751), and it really opened up that "edge of breakup" sweet spot from quite narrow, to incredibly wide. But it didn't change the character in any way, only how quickly it broke up.

Seems like I need to try another tube set at some point!

 

[el murdoque]

SFT:
I've played that pedal some more yesterday. It is a beefy pedal if you choose to use it as such, but it's not really able to drown you in heavy bass.
Reading up in the manual and on the internet yields that my initial confusion concerning the EQ position was justified. The SFT runs three gain stages and the EQ is positioned between the second and the third stage. At this point I'm nearly frightened by the keenness of my ear when listening to a dirt pedal through my Sennheisers.

I'd really like to upgrade from the HD650 to the HD800S at some point and see if that lets me probe even deeper.
I'm sure I could have made out the difference between the treble cut and boost with the better treble resolution of the 800

However, playing the pedal for a while yesterday, I want to add this to my first impressions:

In some ways, it reminds me of a Sansamp. The nature of the breakup sounds like a pushed amp where not only the preamp breaks up, but also the power section is breaking a sweat and the cardboard of the speakers is right on the edge of exploding against the inside of the grille.
While it sounds like that, it feels the opposite. An amp with every component pushed to the edge will fight tooth and nail to get back into safer territory, while the SFT pedal has a mostly neutral feeling to it, maybe even a slight tendency to push forward.

As I said, the bass knob will mostly act to push the lower frequencies into harder clipping, but there is a certain sweet spot between noon and 2 o'clock, where the bass gets bigger.

 

[el murdoque]

International connection:
A guy from the US who resides in the Czech Republic traded a pedal with someone from Belgium, but made the guy in Belgium send the traded pedal to Germany, so it can make a short stop here to gain entrance into the Jounal.


The pedal in question :

 

[el murdoque]

The avid reader of this Jounal should have gleamed by now that when it comes to bass pedals, and especially dirt pedals, I avoid digital sound processing like an audiophile that only listens to LPs because vinyl is the only true thing.
Nonetheless, as I just posted, a Strymon Riverside has found its somewhat winding way into my grubby hands and I'm excited about it.

Strymon is my brand of choice when it comes to reverb, and apart from using bigger reverbs for ambient parts, I often run a minimal plate reverb as a tone enhancer, especially for in ear monitoring. I have owned multiple, but still own a v1 BlueSky and a BigSky, mainly because these feature an analog dry path.

I've also owned and used the Strymon Mobius and to this day I think it is among the best chorus, phaser and flanger pedals for their lush and natural sound, albeit being 'only' digital recreations of analog pedals.

Looking at how the Riverside works and what makes it tick is quite interesting. There are three cascading gain stages, and the first one is an analog one, JFET driven. The second and third gain stages happen in the realm of 1 and 0, created by a DSP (Which could be an abbreviation of "despise" if you asked me).
Those three gain stages, or much rather their cascading, is cleverly done by staying on the sweet spots through the entire travel of the Drive knob, so Strymon claims.
The layout of the pedal is somewhat straightforward:
You get your Drive and Volume, and a three band EQ. The EQ sits post drive. Furthermore, you get some switches. The Push switch will push mids just after the analog JFET gain stage. The Presence switch (on the rear) can boost or cut the uppermost registers.
There is one more switch on the front of the pedal, which sets the gain mode - low or high.
I did read the manual front to back because your average Strymon pedal has at least a few hidden functions and some knobs have layers. What I did find was that there is also a noise gate and a boost hidden in there - both functions that I'm not really interested in as a bassist.
However, reading up on the other knobs' functions is interesting. The treble knob is described as a shelving control with wide Q. The mids knob is described as parametric mids control and the bass knob as "Active shelving/parametric low frequency control". However, no amount of reading in the manual yields any secondary layers or options that let the user access the parametric options on the mids and bass knobs, so I do assume that this happens digital and automatic without any possibilities to manipulate the baked-in programmed nature.
Apart from the Mono in and Mono out jacks, there are two TRS jacks that can be used for a number of functions, among them MIDI and expression pedal to manipulate basically everything as you desire.
Noteworthy is, that when using a MIDI controller, you can save and recall a whopping 300 different presets - if your cover band has an extensive catalog, that might be useful.
As a standalone, you have the favorite switch, which allows to save a single preset and then toggle between the preset and the actual live settings, so you get two pedals in one.


If you've never touched a Strymon pedal, let me tell you they feel nice. The form factor is a bit unusual, but they fit a pedalboard well, with all connections being top mounted and the foot switches spaced apart far enough to not step on the wrong one by accident. The quality is all there and the matte aluminum surface looks expensive. They are not exactly cheap, but in case of those pedals I have owned and used, I want to say they were well worth the asking price.
That's a lot of pre-text and I've not even plugged in the Riverside yet.

 

[sunbeast]

The avid reader of this Jounal should have gleamed by now that when it comes to bass pedals, and especially dirt pedals, I avoid digital sound processing like an audiophile that only listens to LPs because vinyl is the only true thing.
Nonetheless, as I just posted, a Strymon Riverside has found its somewhat winding way into my grubby hands and I'm excited about it.

Strymon is my brand of choice when it comes to reverb, and apart from using bigger reverbs for ambient parts, I often run a minimal plate reverb as a tone enhancer, especially for in ear monitoring. I have owned multiple, but still own a v1 BlueSky and a BigSky, mainly because these feature an analog dry path.

I've also owned and used the Strymon Mobius and to this day I think it is among the best chorus, phaser and flanger pedals for their lush and natural sound, albeit being 'only' digital recreations of analog pedals.

Looking at how the Riverside works and what makes it tick is quite interesting. There are three cascading gain stages, and the first one is an analog one, JFET driven. The second and third gain stages happen in the realm of 1 and 0, created by a DSP (Which could be an abbreviation of "despise" if you asked me).
Those three gain stages, or much rather their cascading, is cleverly done by staying on the sweet spots through the entire travel of the Drive knob, so Strymon claims.
The layout of the pedal is somewhat straightforward:
You get your Drive and Volume, and a three band EQ. The EQ sits post drive. Furthermore, you get some switches. The Push switch will push mids just after the analog JFET gain stage. The Presence switch (on the rear) can boost or cut the uppermost registers.
There is one more switch on the front of the pedal, which sets the gain mode - low or high.
I did read the manual front to back because your average Strymon pedal has at least a few hidden functions and some knobs have layers. What I did find was that there is also a noise gate and a boost hidden in there - both functions that I'm not really interested in as a bassist.
However, reading up on the other knobs' functions is interesting. The treble knob is described as a shelving control with wide Q. The mids knob is described as parametric mids control and the bass knob as "Active shelving/parametric low frequency control". However, no amount of reading in the manual yields any secondary layers or options that let the user access the parametric options on the mids and bass knobs, so I do assume that this happens digital and automatic without any possibilities to manipulate the baked-in programmed nature.
Apart from the Mono in and Mono out jacks, there are two TRS jacks that can be used for a number of functions, among them MIDI and expression pedal to manipulate basically everything as you desire.
Noteworthy is, that when using a MIDI controller, you can save and recall a whopping 300 different presets - if your cover band has an extensive catalog, that might be useful.
As a standalone, you have the favorite switch, which allows to save a single preset and then toggle between the preset and the actual live settings, so you get two pedals in one.


If you've never touched a Strymon pedal, let me tell you they feel nice. The form factor is a bit unusual, but they fit a pedalboard well, with all connections being top mounted and the foot switches spaced apart far enough to not step on the wrong one by accident. The quality is all there and the matte aluminum surface looks expensive. They are not exactly cheap, but in case of those pedals I have owned and used, I want to say they were well worth the asking price.
That's a lot of pre-text and I've not even plugged in the Riverside yet.

I don’t understand why they use “parametric” to describe the midrange and bass EQ controls if you have no access to Q or frequency control. Without those controls the Bass and Mid are simply shelving and peaking EQ respectively, no need for the added buzz word. I also don’t understand why they don’t give you the EQ points of the three controls.

That said, I also love Strymon- despite their relative age, I still use an El Capistan all the time and a Timeline on larger boards and have felt little motivation to replace them with any of the hoards of newer tape/multi-mode delay devices. They just do the thing really, really well (in fact those are some of the longest-used pedals I own apart from my first OC-2).

 

[el murdoque]

I don’t understand why they use “parametric” to describe the midrange and bass EQ controls if you have no access to Q or frequency control. Without those controls the Bass and Mid are simply shelving and peaking EQ respectively, no need for the added buzz word. I also don’t understand why they don’t give you the EQ points of the three controls.

That said, I also love Strymon- despite their relative age, I still use an El Capistan all the time and a Timeline on larger boards and have felt little motivation to replace them with any of the hoards of newer tape/multi-mode delay devices. They just do the thing really, really well (in fact those are some of the longest-used pedals I own apart from my first OC-2).

I think, apart from a Pitchblack Tuner, the BlueSky is the pedal I have owned longest.

My personal try at an explanation is that the parameters of the EQ move around with the knob, so it defies any straight explanation.

 

[triviani]

Sooo, how much different / better the Fake Plastic Trees is compared to the DCX? I tried a capture of the FPT and it was really something..

 

[el murdoque]

Sooo, how much different / better the Fake Plastic Trees is compared to the DCX? I tried a capture of the FPT and it was really something..

Listening to this video, I immediately have two thoughts:
1. I can replicate these tones with ease.
2. Why is that guy shifting to higher gain settings so quickly? There is SO much magic to be had with the gain between 9 o'clock and noon!



However, it is a good representation of what the FPT can do, but it can do more. The interaction between the two band and the gain knob really is something, and the feeling you get when you play the FPT is ... unique. Okay, the feeling of stepping into a bear trap is probably unique, too. But the feeling of playing the FPT is great.
It's really hard to compare these two. Both are English. Both have their own magic going.

 

[Charlie Tuna]

Sooo, how much different / better the Fake Plastic Trees is compared to the DCX? I tried a capture of the FPT and it was really something..

To add to The Jounalist’s message I will add my one-word review of the FPT: Addictive.

 

[el murdoque]

Strymon Riverside:
I think I need to revise the term "White Collar Dirt".
The Riverside easily takes that bar and raises it by more than just a notch or two.

The tone controls are subtle. The treble knob especially, when you're working with low gain. The bass knob gives the whole thing more oomph, and takes away the foundation when you dial it back. The mids knob works in a similar fashion - rather subtle and don't be afraid to turn it all the way.
The Drive knob will pass signal at fully CCW, and indeed it does not affect the output volume at all, no matter where you set it, the output volume solely depends on the setting of the Volume knob.

That mid boost switch has a heavier impact on the drive than the lo/hi gain switch. Activate it and the Riverside is going to town!

What it can do that has not been experienced by my ears before is the lightest touch of a drive so gentle, my weirdly wired brain does not jump into a scene where the torture of a feral beast is the central topic. I'm thinking of a little princess, in a white dress made of the finest silk. Skin as porcelain, hair so blond it seems white when the sun hits it and large clear eyes, playing with her toys on her four poster princess bed in her chambers. A scene so innocent and clean, you have trouble bringing it in context with any kind of dirt at all.

 

[el murdoque]

To add to The Jounalist’s message I will add my one-word review of the FPT: Addictive.

That sums it up pretty well.

 

[dedpool1052]

What's a bit of a novel concept is how the EQ works in the DCX. Both are active, boost and cut with center flat. The LF control boosts post drive and cuts pre drive while the HF control does the opposite.

@Origin_Effects
Can you confirm this?

 

[GrowlerBox]

Strymon Riverside:
I think I need to revise the term "White Collar Dirt".
The Riverside easily takes that bar and raises it by more than just a notch or two.

The tone controls are subtle. The treble knob especially, when you're working with low gain. The bass knob gives the whole thing more oomph, and takes away the foundation when you dial it back. The mids knob works in a similar fashion - rather subtle and don't be afraid to turn it all the way.
The Drive knob will pass signal at fully CCW, and indeed it does not affect the output volume at all, no matter where you set it, the output volume solely depends on the setting of the Volume knob.

That mid boost switch has a heavier impact on the drive than the lo/hi gain switch. Activate it and the Riverside is going to town!

What it can do that has not been experienced by my ears before is the lightest touch of a drive so gentle, my weirdly wired brain does not jump into a scene where the torture of a feral beast is the central topic. I'm thinking of a little princess, in a white dress made of the finest silk. Skin as porcelain, hair so blond it seems white when the sun hits it and large clear eyes, playing with her toys on her four poster princess bed in her chambers. A scene so innocent and clean, you have trouble bringing it in context with any kind of dirt at all.

That’s a helluva jump from “White Collar” to “High Medieval Aristocracy”.

 

[sloppy_phil]

That’s a helluva jump from “White Collar” to “High Medieval Aristocracy”.

Hard to tell if that description was truly getting into the home life of Medieval aristocracy, or if it was merely the opening scenes in a truly grisly horror film. Y'know, the bit before all the creepy stuff starts filtering in, and everybody thinks there's nothing to be worried about...

 

[dedpool1052]

Got my DCX Bass today,

This is different.
The "feel" of this is so unique, compared to so many other pedals that I've tried.

 

[el murdoque]

Got my DCX Bass today,
View attachment 7289670
This is different.
The "feel" of this is so unique, compared to so many other pedals that I've tried.

If you're done enjoying the pictured settings, flick the upper switch to OD, the lower switch to FLAT and turn the gain past 1 o'clock, then try that in a mix

 

[triviani]

Listening to this video, I immediately have two thoughts:
1. I can replicate these tones with ease.
2. Why is that guy shifting to higher gain settings so quickly? There is SO much magic to be had with the gain between 9 o'clock and noon!



However, it is a good representation of what the FPT can do, but it can do more. The interaction between the two band and the gain knob really is something, and the feeling you get when you play the FPT is ... unique. Okay, the feeling of stepping into a bear trap is probably unique, too. But the feeling of playing the FPT is great.
It's really hard to compare these two. Both are English. Both have their own magic going.

To add to The Jounalist’s message I will add my one-word review of the FPT: Addictive.

Thanks for the comments. I found one for a reasonable price, it should arrive in a couple of days. Lots of expectations though, after all of the good comments I read about it. I'll be comparing it to the DCX and Beta V I'm currently using. Can't wait!

 

[el murdoque]

Thanks for the comments. I found one for a reasonable price, it should arrive in a couple of days. Lots of expectations though, after all of the good comments I read about it. I'll be comparing it to the DCX and Beta V I'm currently using. Can't wait!

Curious to hear whether or not the Beta's days are numbered now.

 

[gillento]

Thanks for the comments. I found one for a reasonable price, it should arrive in a couple of days. Lots of expectations though, after all of the good comments I read about it. I'll be comparing it to the DCX and Beta V I'm currently using. Can't wait!

I am looking forward to the comparison.