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My preamp bender: A Journal.
- Thread starter el murdoque
- Start date
And here it is.
The LA-1A was bought off reverb, from France. Apparently the guy who owned it first worked with/for Effectrode and had it modified with different knobs and an added on/off switch.
Also, the base plate is raw aluminum colored.
It runs a matched pair of EHX tubes and a NOS Phillips tube in the 12AT7 position.
The LA-1A was bought off reverb, from France. Apparently the guy who owned it first worked with/for Effectrode and had it modified with different knobs and an added on/off switch.
Also, the base plate is raw aluminum colored.
It runs a matched pair of EHX tubes and a NOS Phillips tube in the 12AT7 position.
Is it that good? I remember playing through an original Echolette a while back and not really liking it.
I love it. Just a little old school hair in the throat.
A brief word on the Audio Kitchen The Small Trees:
Compared to the LA-1A, it feels like a transparent boost pedal.
I got noise issues (50 cycle hum down low and hiss up top) first, and when I had that sorted, I could not really tell what the pedal does. There are subtle changes in sound, but I have the impression that while there is a change, it's not elevating the signal to a higher level of goodness.
When playing for a while and then switching it off, the sound does change, but it's not that it's losing something. It's just subtly different. On or off, I could not really make out better/worse.
Flipping back to LA-1A, the operation was dead silent again and kicking that pedal in felt like there is a bit more heft and the highs are subtly changed - I want to say (again) that they are rounded off in a warm and muscial way, by no means does it sound dulled. Switching that off after a minute of playing gets me the impression that now something is missing, switching it back on brings that back. You don't want to switch it off, it gets worse when you do.
I only tested the 1/4" outputs of both pedals, running them into an external DI, not the transformer coupled balanced outputs - that's up next.
Compared to the LA-1A, it feels like a transparent boost pedal.
I got noise issues (50 cycle hum down low and hiss up top) first, and when I had that sorted, I could not really tell what the pedal does. There are subtle changes in sound, but I have the impression that while there is a change, it's not elevating the signal to a higher level of goodness.
When playing for a while and then switching it off, the sound does change, but it's not that it's losing something. It's just subtly different. On or off, I could not really make out better/worse.
Flipping back to LA-1A, the operation was dead silent again and kicking that pedal in felt like there is a bit more heft and the highs are subtly changed - I want to say (again) that they are rounded off in a warm and muscial way, by no means does it sound dulled. Switching that off after a minute of playing gets me the impression that now something is missing, switching it back on brings that back. You don't want to switch it off, it gets worse when you do.
I only tested the 1/4" outputs of both pedals, running them into an external DI, not the transformer coupled balanced outputs - that's up next.
Tidied up a bit, all powered from the Cioks now (had to add a 4 to the DC-7), added a tuner pedal and reverb to get an idea how a final layout could look like.
On the LA-1A I really like the balanced output. It adds a dusting of tasteful transformer character and lets you use the gain pad (+6dB, +12dB and +18dB) to match the pedal with any line- or instrument-level gear. When I use the LA-1A mainly as a preamp going directly into a power amp, I like to crank it to the +18dB level.
In fact, the LA-1A reacts really well when you push it, kind of like some motorcycles are the most fun when you red-line the engine.
Come to think of it, the LA-1A is such a versatile device. It can be a killer compressor, a killer preamp, a killer overdrive pedal, or all of the above.
Lately I have been using a Milkman Pop Top op-amp in the signal chain just before the LA-1A, and it takes 9v of power and converts it to 36v of internal headroom to crank up to +30dB of signal. Sending this hot signal to the tube preamp opens up the sound of the LA-1A and, depending on the amount of boost, can cause it to overdrive. This delivers a beautiful overdriven/compressed tube sound, controlling the signal level from LA-1A 1/4” output using the Gain knob. So, basically this drops the hot signal down to a more acceptable level to go into the Noble.
My minimal pedalboard at the moment is Milkman >> LA-1A >> Noble (even though LA-1A and Noble have large footprints).
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Nice tips here; I never thought to slam it so hard although I have a fairly strong signal going in. Do you also do the “overload” along with the balanced output? I know there’s only 3 level settings but curious how that turned out.
I have used the LA-1A balanced output when using the pedal as a compressor and/or preamp, but I have only used the 1/4” output when using the LA-1A as an overdrive pedal. The Gain knob lets you adjust the output level as you fiddle with the amount of overdrive that sounds best.
EDIT: I just did some playing with the setup using the balanced out from the LA-1A into the Noble, and I like the sound even MORE than using the 1/4" output. The balanced out bypasses the Gain knob, and so I just use the +6dB switch for the output to the Noble, and then the Noble Volume knob controls the level going to the power amp, DAW, or whatever's downstream. @Charlie Tuna, thanks for that suggestion!
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I will have to try the LA-1A into Noble thing with the LA-1A as a drive pedal.
....but as quickly as the 'new chapter' was opened, it's already come to a conclusion, too.
Para EQ Deluxe into Equinox into LA-1A is the "preamp" I will use on the small board. It's great. I can get a serious bass, rich in harmonics but free of distortion, and the tone sits very well in the mix.
It can tame the Music Man bite, and the bass is super responsive to playing technique.
In a weird way, I use a bunch of expensive pedals so the tone is in the fingers again.
It's a nice one: I conceived this (maybe @Charlie Tuna had a hand by planting the seed in my head) signal chain without having played the Equinox or Para deluxe, found the pedals, plugged it all in when it arrived, set them to what I imagined would be a good starting point and it all worked out exactly as planned.
I love it when a plan comes together.
....but as quickly as the 'new chapter' was opened, it's already come to a conclusion, too.
Para EQ Deluxe into Equinox into LA-1A is the "preamp" I will use on the small board. It's great. I can get a serious bass, rich in harmonics but free of distortion, and the tone sits very well in the mix.
It can tame the Music Man bite, and the bass is super responsive to playing technique.
In a weird way, I use a bunch of expensive pedals so the tone is in the fingers again.
It's a nice one: I conceived this (maybe @Charlie Tuna had a hand by planting the seed in my head) signal chain without having played the Equinox or Para deluxe, found the pedals, plugged it all in when it arrived, set them to what I imagined would be a good starting point and it all worked out exactly as planned.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Just curious, what EQ settings on the Para EQ? Do you have a default starting point you could share?
@el murdoque, yes, it sounds like you have a great plan that has come together!
I'm fully on board using EQ into LA-1A as a preamp. I do the same with the simple Barber Linden into the LA-1A. You may have explained previously, but what is the reason for using not 1 but 2 highly customizable EQ pedals together (Para EQ Deluxe + Equinox) into the LA-1A? What is it that each provides that the other doesn't? Seems like driving to the grocery store in a jumbo jet... but I am probably missing something.
With my big board, and on the preamp journey I discovered that I like to run boosted shelving lows and highs into HPF/LPF. So I did that on the Para, with the bottom row of little knobs.
For the three parametric bands I used a narrow Q centered at 240 Hz to apply just a little cut for the bass frequencies, to combat muddy upper bass sounds.
The middle one applies a slight boost with a wider Q at just before 600Hz and the treble band gives a slight boost at around 1,3k for note definition.
HPF and LPF are set by ear. This got me in the ballpark of what I wanted, and I tweaked a bit on the bass frequencies until I had it right. I sent the Para's signal into the Equinox that is set to a bass boost, so I backed off a bit on the shelving lows of the Para.
To add to @el murdoque 's reply (I was already typing while he replied, good timing): The Spaceman Equinox is a great MOAR pedal modeled after the famous Pultec studio EQ, with some modified EQ points, such as added 150Hz and 1kHz. Even still, fine tuning the mids could be better so the Empress Para EQ Dlx II takes care of all of that and then some. I'm not sure if the Para can completely take the Equinox out of the equation since I don't have the Para.
I'd say I'm driving to the grocery store in an 18 wheeler and not a 747 ;-)
The Equinox has a limited range of what it can do. It takes a good sound and makes it gooder.
However, when you use it on bass, you can apply the 'Pulltec trick' where you use bass cut and boost at the same time, getting a sexy EQ curve down there. For me, that's centered around 60Hz and reaches up to a bit over 150, I think. The next frequency band you can alter using the Equinox is 1kHz. It is unable to touch the entire midrange and therefore, you need to use another device if you want to mess around with that area.
On my setup with the Noble, I use the Broughton RFE for boosting 550Hz for just a few dB. It's subtle but makes all the difference in a mix.
I just read your post and I can say that I totally agree that both Noble and LA-1A give those complex texture rich 3D sound quality that I only ever experienced with top shelf tube equipment. Of everything I tried so far, the LA-1A is the cheapest ticket to that sound. It's big and unwieldy, requires a lot of juice (and 12V center positive) and has that stupid 1/4" balanced out instead of XLR, but you can regularly find them for about a third of what a Noble costs and they give you that pristine, crystal clear tube sound with zero noise.
I have not A/B tested those setups yet, but I'm fairly sure I'll make the same experience.
This is something worth exploring - once the two pedals work perfectly together to craft the sound that is 'me',
I should try and take the Equinox out and compensate with the huge amount of knobs the Para offers.
If you use the shelving lows and the HPF and the parametric bass knobs, you might be able to recreate, or at least approach, a Pulltec EQ curve.
In that regard, I am made of simpler stuff, though: I toss it on the board, switch it on and if I get a sound that's better than before, I like it.
@el murdoque and @Charlie Tuna, Thank you for explaining your process. I am so impressed with your dedication to complex/precise signal equalization. I could never do what you are doing. I come from the “keep it simple” camp. The best bass tone I ever achieved in a recording studio was with the house bass (an old precision with pickup wired directly to the input jack) plugged into the house amp (a vintage Sunn head with a broken volume knob). I have been chasing that tone ever since.
This is me…
… and this is you…
I mean this with respect, my sonic brothers! Keep pushing the boundaries towards the *perfect tone* !! And keep sharing your discoveries!!
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Haha, yeah! This sums it up pretty perfectly and you made my day - thank you!
One thing that is quite important to understand, yet often failed to be grasped is this:
Tone Hunting is a hobby in its own right.
It rides piggyback on the whole bass playing thing, but is a separate entity.
Which means you're never done. You have that tone in your head, and then you find the means of making it happen. Then you get a new tone in your head or think about ways to improve the tone you have and simply keep tinkering.
You get to the point of diminishing returns quite quickly.
There is a world of obscure boutique pedals, and also that one batch of pedals made between April and June 2004 where they could not source the XY transformers
and had to use ZZ ones, which turn out to be the perfect fit when you use the pedal between that one booster that has been out of production for three decades and that
overdrive from that limited run of 200 with those NOS clipping diodes, taking you years of search and a small fortune to track down and buy.
But the alternative is to just bring your Sansamp and be done with it - and where's the fun in that?
P.S.
do you happen to know where that second picture is from? I might have a professional use for it ...
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A word on the Audio Kitchen The Small Trees DI:
This device was lent to me by @Charlie Tuna twice now.
First time around, it was loaded with the stock tube, and felt to me like there was not enough gain on tap, and I put it to the side since I felt it could not really do anything for me.
Mr. Tuna did some tube rolling and found the unit dramatically improved with that - so much that he sent it back over for me to test again.
So what do we have here?
Audio Kitchen describes the device as a class A, all valve, clean gain boost and line driver with a silky, Sowter powered DI output.
It's a box that has a 1/4" input, a 1/4" output, a DI out via XLR, a single knob, a single LED and a single foot switch.
The inside is full to the brim. With fancy stuff.
(this is a pic I pulled from the Internet of the TST, not the DI version - but you get the idea)
So basically you get a tube driven clean boost with transformer coupled DI out, and all you have to do is spend nearly 600 pound sterling.
What does it do, now? It's hard, at this point, not to slide into audiophile male-cow-excrement terms, so I think I will simply go ahead and rely heavily on those.
Those of you that have experience with several tube driven devices ranking from the cheapest to the most expensive will hopefully understand what I mean while those who do not will go "Aaaah, that's what he meant" once they do.
The pedal's DI out works both with the pedal off and on, and I must admit that I don't have the faintest Idea what exactly is switched here. What I can say is that a little floor noise happens once you step on the switch, and the knob controls the output volume now.
The low tier tube pedals that are around - the first that comes to mind is the Eden Glowplug that was sold a while ago for around 50 bucks, are, in my opinion, first and foremost good for introducing tube noise into your signal chain.
There is a reason why things like the Noble or the REDDI
A) cost more than a grand and
B) are very popular.
Tube drive, in this regard, is a lot easier because you can get away with added noise.
People that plug into a high quality tube device for the first time report that the sound becomes "More" and feels more three dimensional. TST absolutely does that. The emphasis of the "effect" feels like it is centered a bit more towards the higher end of the signal.
What it also does is forming a better connection between your fingers and your ears. You switch on the pedal and it feels like what you do on the fretboard gives you a more pronounced feedback - as if there is an additional cable that now connects your fingertips to your ears, but provides a better signal than the usual system of nerves and brain and all that squiggly stuff do.
You go from a good tone (if that's where you start) to a slightly better one, but part of that better sound is that you have a better feeling for your notes through your fingers, which leads, or can lead, to better playing.
For a single knob boost pedal with DI output, six hundred bucks is a lot.
For a high quality tube magic sound provider, six hundred bucks is just past entry level.
To get to the one down side:
The unit I used had a little bit of floor noise. It's just a little hiss, and nothing dramatic. However, the two units I compared it against are the Noble and the Effectrode LA-1A. Both of these are dead silent, and in direct comparison TSTDI is noisy. Compared to less elite pedals, I'd describe the noise level as normal - or simply ignore it completely - but north of five hundred eurodollars, I get picky.
I have not formed a final opinion on that thing yet, but I must admit that playing through it is fun.
This device was lent to me by @Charlie Tuna twice now.
First time around, it was loaded with the stock tube, and felt to me like there was not enough gain on tap, and I put it to the side since I felt it could not really do anything for me.
Mr. Tuna did some tube rolling and found the unit dramatically improved with that - so much that he sent it back over for me to test again.
So what do we have here?
Audio Kitchen describes the device as a class A, all valve, clean gain boost and line driver with a silky, Sowter powered DI output.
It's a box that has a 1/4" input, a 1/4" output, a DI out via XLR, a single knob, a single LED and a single foot switch.
The inside is full to the brim. With fancy stuff.
(this is a pic I pulled from the Internet of the TST, not the DI version - but you get the idea)
So basically you get a tube driven clean boost with transformer coupled DI out, and all you have to do is spend nearly 600 pound sterling.
What does it do, now? It's hard, at this point, not to slide into audiophile male-cow-excrement terms, so I think I will simply go ahead and rely heavily on those.
Those of you that have experience with several tube driven devices ranking from the cheapest to the most expensive will hopefully understand what I mean while those who do not will go "Aaaah, that's what he meant" once they do.
The pedal's DI out works both with the pedal off and on, and I must admit that I don't have the faintest Idea what exactly is switched here. What I can say is that a little floor noise happens once you step on the switch, and the knob controls the output volume now.
The low tier tube pedals that are around - the first that comes to mind is the Eden Glowplug that was sold a while ago for around 50 bucks, are, in my opinion, first and foremost good for introducing tube noise into your signal chain.
There is a reason why things like the Noble or the REDDI
A) cost more than a grand and
B) are very popular.
Tube drive, in this regard, is a lot easier because you can get away with added noise.
People that plug into a high quality tube device for the first time report that the sound becomes "More" and feels more three dimensional. TST absolutely does that. The emphasis of the "effect" feels like it is centered a bit more towards the higher end of the signal.
What it also does is forming a better connection between your fingers and your ears. You switch on the pedal and it feels like what you do on the fretboard gives you a more pronounced feedback - as if there is an additional cable that now connects your fingertips to your ears, but provides a better signal than the usual system of nerves and brain and all that squiggly stuff do.
You go from a good tone (if that's where you start) to a slightly better one, but part of that better sound is that you have a better feeling for your notes through your fingers, which leads, or can lead, to better playing.
For a single knob boost pedal with DI output, six hundred bucks is a lot.
For a high quality tube magic sound provider, six hundred bucks is just past entry level.
To get to the one down side:
The unit I used had a little bit of floor noise. It's just a little hiss, and nothing dramatic. However, the two units I compared it against are the Noble and the Effectrode LA-1A. Both of these are dead silent, and in direct comparison TSTDI is noisy. Compared to less elite pedals, I'd describe the noise level as normal - or simply ignore it completely - but north of five hundred eurodollars, I get picky.
I have not formed a final opinion on that thing yet, but I must admit that playing through it is fun.
