My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

[el murdoque]

Back to pedals:
Back when I compared my OG BBBOD (made by Björn himself) and the Bearfoot FX version, I said it's not even close.
What the Bearfoot (which I snobbishly dubbed the Fakeberry) was, was a decent bass overdrive. What the BJFe Pedal is, is just shy of magical.
Back then, I had the Fakeberry on loan from @Charlie Tuna and now I returned the favor and sent him my BJFe Blueberry.
I am glad that from the get-go, his observations matched mine. Maybe Mr. Tuna might want to chime in and drop a line or two about that pedal.
He's not a dirt gourmand, but has a keen ear nonetheless and I always valued his input so far.




I spent a little more time with the RAT. Man, that's a mean beast. It's kinda rabid, no matter where you set it.
It somehow feels a bit like when you're operating the "Gain" knob, which is labeled "Distortion", that you're actually twisting a knob that does half of what a gain knob does and half of what a dry/wet blend does. With low settings, there is that gnarly, rabid rodent gnawing at your tone integrity in the background and some clean'ish sound in the foreground and the more you turn it up, the bigger the rat gets and your clean sound steps further in the background.

When running the gain high, I want to say that the note decay is something special - I imagine to hear the following:
The LM308 chip (or rather the identical replacement in mine) is feeding an already distorted signal into the clipping diode. On the decay of the note, one of the two drops out of the equation because the decreasing voltage is not strong enough to cause distortion in both devices. One of them seems to have a digital status (either it's distorted or it's not) while the other goes gradually. So there is some spluttering while the device with the on/off nature toggles forth and back while the signal strength is at the threshold.
Might be total bogus, but this is an attempt to put in words what my ears feed me.

There is no or not too much low end loss that I can attest to, by the way.

 

[Charlie Tuna]

When you are summoned by the Jounalist you have no choice but to appear before the court. In this case I showed up but did not solemnly swear to tell the truth. The OG BBBOD is no good. It is so widely available and non-cork sniffer I do not see how anyone would want it. It does not sit your bass in the mix with authority. The Fakeberry is just as good so buy that one and I will be kind enough to pick up the OG BBBOD as a self-sacrifice so you do not have to make the mistake.

-------
Truth telling now: I wasn't much of a fan when I solo'd it, TBH. In the mix however it took on a different life. Clark Kent becomes Superman. I play a P with flats and I do with it had a bit more top end but I've been countering it by using a Klone in front. I still have to give the pedal some time but I am enjoying what I'm hearing and feel like it does draw some similarities with the Fake Plastic Trees as far as having a unique feel and working well in the mix. It's a different flavor of goodness is what I'm saying. But I am also telling you not to buy one if it appears for a non-gouging price.

 

[OldShark]

A BX.

You know, that model about which everyone says ‘Hey, I/my parents/my neighbours used to drive one’, but which nevertheless has almost totally disappeared from the roads here in Europe.

A DS would have been on topic, sniffing speaking cork.

A DAF car would have been on topic, too, I guess, "regional delicacies"...

 

[el murdoque]

From cars to drive pedals:
I have bad news for the Source Audio fans that follow the Jounal: My patience on the Aftershock wore out and I did give up on it.
I've taken it to band rehearsal twice, both times loaded with presets from the library. I even brought pen and paper, expecting to jot down some quick notes on what I could do to improve the sounds to sit them better in the mix - but both times I only need to take one single note: Wipe the device and start new.
I've never been the greatest fan of the Neuro software. If only there was one preset that's nearly perfect, something that worked well enough on it's own but had me getting ideas on how to improve it, it could have given me enough momentum to carry me up the learning curve past the initial stages, but I found nothing that inspired - even though I gave it more time than other pedals got if they failed to make a good first impression.

The pedal got pushed to the side on the test bench, then it got pushed off the bench onto the shelf, and then back into the box.

 

[warptheory]

From cars to drive pedals:
I have bad news for the Source Audio fans that follow the Jounal: My patience on the Aftershock wore out and I did give up on it.
I've taken it to band rehearsal twice, both times loaded with presets from the library. I even brought pen and paper, expecting to jot down some quick notes on what I could do to improve the sounds to sit them better in the mix - but both times I only need to take one single note: Wipe the device and start new.
I've never been the greatest fan of the Neuro software. If only there was one preset that's nearly perfect, something that worked well enough on it's own but had me getting ideas on how to improve it, it could have given me enough momentum to carry me up the learning curve past the initial stages, but I found nothing that inspired - even though I gave it more time than other pedals got if they failed to make a good first impression.

The pedal got pushed to the side on the test bench, then it got pushed off the bench onto the shelf, and then back into the box.

Did you use the new Neuro 3 software? I haven't had a Source Audio device since that came out and it does look easier. Still I wasn't excited about being tied to a computer to tweak.

 

[el murdoque]

Did you use the new Neuro 3 software? I haven't had a Source Audio device since that came out and it does look easier. Still I wasn't excited about being tied to a computer to tweak.

Yes, I did. I have some experience with the Neuro software since I've been using a C4 for a long time, but for some reason, I found the Aftershock version to be even more confusing than the C4.

 

[el murdoque]

Holidays are over - the singer of the metal band is back and we rehearsed yesterday.
My dirt options were the Green Rhino and Sloppy Phil's own A Farewell To Cleans.
In a way, one could say two twice removed cousins of the Tube Screamer, although I think I mentioned that the Farewell To Cleans is based on the SD-1.
However, the band room was not set up the way I'm used to and since the drummer had to build up the drum kit, everyone was itching to play long story short, my amp sat in a bad place and the acoustics were less than optimal. I had to turn up further than I'm used to and still had some trouble properly hearing myself in a well articulated manner.

This is what I experienced: The Farewell To Cleans managed to get more bite than the Green Rhino did. I run the Rhino with all the knobs (except for level) maxed out. With the Farewell To Cleans, I ran the gain at 8/10 and the tone at 7/10, but still got a more aggressive top end and the tone had enough bottom, but up top there was that bite. Not the Darkglass variety, and not like the DCX does. A bit less metal on metal in quality, more like something hard but organic. I said the DCX sounds like whipping sheet metal with a frayed elevator cable. The Fairwell To Cleans sounds like whipping an enamel covered metal sheet with a whip that is barbed with canine teeth.
I had the feeling that it reached at least the same density the Rhino can get, and that the 100Hz boost on the Rhino was not really adding something in direct comparison. I know I want to repeat the test with my amp properly placed, but from this one session, I must admit that I liked it a lot more than I would have thought!

 

[el murdoque]

...if that should spike your GAS, you need to contact @sloppy_phil to place your orders ;-)

 

[sloppy_phil]

Holidays are over - the singer of the metal band is back and we rehearsed yesterday.
My dirt options were the Green Rhino and Sloppy Phil's own A Farewell To Cleans.
In a way, one could say two twice removed cousins of the Tube Screamer, although I think I mentioned that the Farewell To Cleans is based on the SD-1.
However, the band room was not set up the way I'm used to and since the drummer had to build up the drum kit, everyone was itching to play long story short, my amp sat in a bad place and the acoustics were less than optimal. I had to turn up further than I'm used to and still had some trouble properly hearing myself in a well articulated manner.

This is what I experienced: The Farewell To Cleans managed to get more bite than the Green Rhino did. I run the Rhino with all the knobs (except for level) maxed out. With the Farewell To Cleans, I ran the gain at 8/10 and the tone at 7/10, but still got a more aggressive top end and the tone had enough bottom, but up top there was that bite. Not the Darkglass variety, and not like the DCX does. A bit less metal on metal in quality, more like something hard but organic. I said the DCX sounds like whipping sheet metal with a frayed elevator cable. The Fairwell To Cleans sounds like whipping an enamel covered metal sheet with a whip that is barbed with canine teeth.
I had the feeling that it reached at least the same density the Rhino can get, and that the 100Hz boost on the Rhino was not really adding something in direct comparison. I know I want to repeat the test with my amp properly placed, but from this one session, I must admit that I liked it a lot more than I would have thought!

Even though my DCX experience is still fairly limited, I'd have to agree with this metal sheet assessment. The DCX definitely has a brasher, more cutting top end, but their general area of emphasis can be similar when rolling up the tone on the AFTC. Perhaps this is why I've been loving the DCX so much; there are very few other dirt pedals I've tried that cut through in the same frequency spectrum/manner as the AFTC. I find it's very useful for getting the bass to poke forward in the mix with some extra snap and authority, but not so much that it gets on top of the instruments that need to be out front (horns, vocals etc).

Having learned now this is an SD-1 circuit variation rather than a TS, I'd be curious to try a regular SD-1 just to see if it has the same tonal character of overdrive. Presumably it would lose too much low end, but it could still be fun regardless!

 

[el murdoque]

Even though my DCX experience is still fairly limited, I'd have to agree with this metal sheet assessment. The DCX definitely has a brasher, more cutting top end, but their general area of emphasis can be similar when rolling up the tone on the AFTC. Perhaps this is why I've been loving the DCX so much; there are very few other dirt pedals I've tried that cut through in the same frequency spectrum/manner as the AFTC. I find it's very useful for getting the bass to poke forward in the mix with some extra snap and authority, but not so much that it gets on top of the instruments that need to be out front (horns, vocals etc).

Having learned now this is an SD-1 circuit variation rather than a TS, I'd be curious to try a regular SD-1 just to see if it has the same tonal character of overdrive. Presumably it would lose too much low end, but it could still be fun regardless!

Maybe ask the good people of Spicerack Electronics to give a regular SD-1 the once over and build another?

 

[sunbeast]

Even though my DCX experience is still fairly limited, I'd have to agree with this metal sheet assessment. The DCX definitely has a brasher, more cutting top end, but their general area of emphasis can be similar when rolling up the tone on the AFTC. Perhaps this is why I've been loving the DCX so much; there are very few other dirt pedals I've tried that cut through in the same frequency spectrum/manner as the AFTC. I find it's very useful for getting the bass to poke forward in the mix with some extra snap and authority, but not so much that it gets on top of the instruments that need to be out front (horns, vocals etc).

Having learned now this is an SD-1 circuit variation rather than a TS, I'd be curious to try a regular SD-1 just to see if it has the same tonal character of overdrive. Presumably it would lose too much low end, but it could still be fun regardless!

I have a stock SD-1 that I picked up in a Craigslist package deal with an OC-2 last year ($30 for the pair!) and can verify that it loses a good amount of low-end for bass use. Of course so do many pedals that bassists swear by (including many I have loved), so definitely worth a try for how cheap they can be found

 

[sloppy_phil]

Maybe ask the good people of Spicerack Electronics to give a regular SD-1 the once over and build another?

I am afraid that the only people at Spicerack Electronics are me, myself, and I... the jig is up; there is no company! The fella who ended up doing the mod/rehouse isn't around anymore, so this is likely to stay a one-off, unless another builder of pedals can be sourced to do something similar. I assume this isn't a difficult circuit to reproduce, if one finds either a Zakk Wylde or probably just an SD-1!

I have a stock SD-1 that I picked up in a Craigslist package deal with an OC-2 last year ($30 for the pair!) and can verify that it loses a good amount of low-end for bass use. Of course so do many pedals that bassists swear by (including many I have loved), so definitely worth a try for how cheap they can be found

That is a crazy good score! $30 for either of those would be an insane deal, but both?? Madness. Hope you bought a lottery ticket the day you came across that listing! LOL

 

[WilbursaurusRex]

Speaking of the SD1 I’ve wondered how the sampler triumph would sound with bass. It has a tube screamer setting and sd1 setting with 3 band eq

 

[el murdoque]

Speaking of the SD1 I’ve wondered how the sampler triumph would sound with bass. It has a tube screamer setting and sd1 setting with 3 band eq

Given Wampler's track record in this thread, I'd wager it works great.

 

[el murdoque]

I did give the combo of A Farewell To Cleans and the Green Rhino another chance to shine during band practice yesterday. This time the cabinets in the room were properly aligned and I could hear everyone well enough without needless volume wars. We only had the usual volume wars.

With the audio issues out of the way, I was able to run the pedals A/B against each other and this is what I experienced:

Imagine a green rhino fighting against a compact car sized robot.
The rhino has the advantage of thrice the weight, but it's made from flesh and bone, while the robot lacks in size and weight, but is made from a hard and durable alloy. A fight like this could easily go either way. When the rhino charges in blindly and the robot sticks out a pointy appendage while using its frame and other appendages to anchor itself to the ground, it could run the rhino through and strike the killing blow easily.
If the rhino goes in wary of such a maneuver, it could dodge and bring its mass to bear, striking low and toss the robot like a rag doll, only to follow up with a thorough trampling.
Back to pedals and audio. The Rhino has, as you might have gleamed from my description the more organic sound character while the AFTC has more of a metallic nature. The weird bit is that they don't sound that different when you're playing them at home - through the amp, through headphones or PA, you think "Both are modded Tubescreamers, I can clearly hear that". However, toss them in the mix with distorted guitars and they suddenly become entirely different beasts. I kept them in front of a compressor set to peak limiting, so there was no chance for any of the two getting louder than the other.
The Rhino has that 100Hz boost that turns my mid focused P bass into something Sir Mix-a-lot would enjoy. The AFTC gains some metallic clank in the upper mids or lower treble region that bites into the mix. Not in an eardrum piercing way and not after the dreaded Darkglass fashion, but in as gentle a way a vicious bite can be executed, like hitting a medieval bronze shield with a freshly forged, modern super steel claymore.
I must admit that I liked both more or less equally. The heavy, hairy balls of the Rhino and the lighter, but tighter rip of the AFTC.
The metallic nature of the drive on the AFTC has a clear advantage when the room sound gets troublesome. The Rhino sits in the mix, and when the mix goes bad, it's no help. The AFTC has certain elements to it that stick out, and when the mix turns sideways, those are the straws you can cling to.
OTOH does the added weight of the Rhine contribute a lot to the sound when the mix is right.

 

[sloppy_phil]

Imagine a green rhino fighting against a compact car sized robot.
The rhino has the advantage of thrice the weight, but it's made from flesh and bone, while the robot lacks in size and weight, but is made from a hard and durable alloy. A fight like this could easily go either way. When the rhino charges in blindly and the robot sticks out a pointy appendage while using its frame and other appendages to anchor itself to the ground, it could run the rhino through and strike the killing blow easily.
If the rhino goes in wary of such a maneuver, it could dodge and bring its mass to bear, striking low and toss the robot like a rag doll, only to follow up with a thorough trampling.

This is an episode of TV I would definitely pay to watch!

Kinda like we should be charging for entry to this Jounal. The prose is as beautiful as it is powerfully descriptive, mein freund.

Is there room on the mini board for both the Rhino AND the DCX (once it returns to your lair)? Because I feel like the AFTC/DCX offer one sort of flavour, the Rhino quite clearly another, and yet both seem incredibly well suited to what this band is doing sonically! This way one can have their dirt cake and eat it, too

 

[el murdoque]

This is an episode of TV I would definitely pay to watch!

Kinda like we should be charging for entry to this Jounal. The prose is as beautiful as it is powerfully descriptive, mein freund.

Is there room on the mini board for both the Rhino AND the DCX (once it returns to your lair)? Because I feel like the AFTC/DCX offer one sort of flavour, the Rhino quite clearly another, and yet both seem incredibly well suited to what this band is doing sonically! This way one can have their dirt cake and eat it, too

I could always toss off the useless garbage I'm carrying around. Like the tuner or the chorus.

After all, it's a metal band. You can start stuffing your board with modulation or utility once the dirt needs are met.

 

[el murdoque]

With the Farewell To Cleans thoroughly documented, I can look at the RAT now, and when that is done, the pipeline is empty yet again.

Here are some possible options for future purchases:

-Fuzzrocious Grey Stache in the standard config (four knobs no switches)
-Another go for the Barbershop
-Catalinbread SFT2
-Sonic Fields Fat Cat Overdrive
-Tone Charm Audio Bass Saturator

 

[Parzival]

I'm curious about the Taurus Bass Servo. Seems like a neat pedal that does a little of preamp, boost, compression, and dirt.

 

[Teryup]

Have you considered the TC Electronic spark booster? I haven't tried it but it matches the four knob setup you have mentioned liking and some people swear by it.