NPD : DSM NoiseMaker Loopster - Blender / looper pedal

[XLunacy]

Interesting new blender pedal !

I think it solves several problems at once :
- it's a looper pedal, so you can engage several pedals with one switch
- it's a blender, so it enables you to add a virtual blend knob to any pedal
- it's a gain booster
- it's a phase inverter

Having 2 blending settings, and one with both pre and post-gain is such a great idea ! A basic scenario that I can totally see myself apply would be :
- clean signal
- mostly clean blend with a bit of dirt added (think 70%-30%)
- full on distortion with pre-gain cranked up to hit the fx-loop with more juice

A few questions for @Dsmnoisemaker (yes I like lists) :
- What are the dimensions of the unit ?
- Is there a manual somewhere ?
- Does the "boost" switch remains enabled when the "engage" switch is switched off, meaning the pedal will go back to the "engage" + "boost" state when engaging it ? If not, is there an easy way to tell if the "boost" switch is engaged, regardless of the state of the "engage" switch ? (this was way more complicated to express than it should have been )
- Are the gain knobs boost / cut or just boost ?

Feel free to share your thoughts

Edited : here are the answers

- dimensions: same as the drive maker..its an 1590N1 size. I don't have the exact measurements right now.

That would be roughly about 120 x 75 mm including the top mounted jacks (4.7" x 2.95" in outdated units )

- I'm working on the manual. Most of it is the description, but I'll add many different application diagrams.
- yes, the boost "channel" will be active (but bypassed) if you press the engage switch..you will be able to tell since the selected channel knobs will have a backlight on ( it looks awesome btw)
- the gain knobs are just boost.

 

[monsterthompson]

Following this.

 

[BunchyMutt]

subbed. Always a fan of things that make parallel effects easier and nothing else is capable of doing boost before and after

 

[Dsmnoisemaker]

A few questions for @Dsmnoisemaker (yes I like lists) :
- What are the dimensions of the unit ?
- Is there a manual somewhere ?
- Does the "boost" switch remains enabled when the "engage" switch is switched off, meaning the pedal will go back to the "engage" + "boost" state when engaging it ? If not, is there an easy way to tell if the "boost" switch is engaged, regardless of the state of the "engage" switch ? (this was way more complicated to express than it should have been )
- Are the gain knobs boost / cut or just boost ?

Good questions!!
- dimensions: same as the drive maker..its an 1590N1 size. I don't have the exact measurements right now.
- I'm working on the manual. Most of it is the description, but I'll add many different application diagrams.
- yes, the boost "channel" will be active (but bypassed) if you press the engage switch..you will be able to tell since the selected channel knobs will have a backlight on ( it looks awesome btw)
- the gain knobs are just boost.

Any other questions please feel free to let me know..

 

[XLunacy]

Good questions!!
- dimensions: same as the drive maker..its an 1590N1 size. I don't have the exact measurements right now.
- I'm working on the manual. Most of it is the description, but I'll add many different application diagrams.
- yes, the boost "channel" will be active (but bypassed) if you press the engage switch..you will be able to tell since the selected channel knobs will have a backlight on ( it looks awesome btw)
- the gain knobs are just boost.

Any other questions please feel free to let me know..

Thanks, I added your answers to the original message !

 

[DarkArchitect]

I think I will just leave this here and go to smoke...

Actually not I will ask a question, an important one, which I think maybe helpful to others as well...

Daniel, thank you for the pedal, it finally arrived, your extra work for the signature is greatly appreciated, this time it took longer than DSM OCSD or Drive Maker, sometimes it happens Also nice that the packaging and the pedal shows improvements, the stickers and the better box are definitely pluses.

The question I have is, is it possible to make 2 blends with Loopster for @Darkglass Alpha Omega or Alpha Omega Ultra, namely between Alpha and Omega settings? This is the reason which I bought the Loopster so fast as it went out as I think it will be really nice if it can do that, just be able to switch between different channels available on AO or AOU. If it can't still not a big issue, but will be good if it can @Dsmnoisemaker .

 

[Dsmnoisemaker]

View attachment 2907254

I think I will just leave this here and go to smoke...

Actually not I will ask a question, an important one, which I think maybe helpful to others as well...

Daniel, thank you for the pedal, it finally arrived, your extra work for the signature is greatly appreciated, this time it took longer than DSM OCSD or Drive Maker, sometimes it happens Also nice that the packaging and the pedal shows improvements, the stickers and the better box are definitely pluses.

The question I have is, is it possible to make 2 blends with Loobster for @Darkglass Alpha Omega or Alpha Omega Ultra, namely between Alpha and Omega settings? This is the reason which I bought the Loopster so fast as it went out as I think it will be really nice if it can do that, just be able to switch between different channels available on AO or AOU. If it can't still not a big issue, but will be good if it can @Dsmnoisemaker .

Hey Serdar!! i´m glad you got it!!!!

About changing the channels on a DG AO ..I can´t see how that would be possible, as the alpha and omega are internal circuits blended by a pot, and they don´t provide any external control for that.

Set your A/O on a setting that you would consider your base tone, and then try boosting the front end and the mid boost with the loopster, you will have 2 different sounds at different blend levels at the tip of your feet.

 

[Dsmnoisemaker]

Check out all the different things you can do with it:

 

[DarkArchitect]

Hey Serdar!! i´m glad you got it!!!!

About changing the channels on a DG AO ..I can´t see how that would be possible, as the alpha and omega are internal circuits blended by a pot, and they don´t provide any external control for that.

Set your A/O on a setting that you would consider your base tone, and then try boosting the front end and the mid boost with the loopster, you will have 2 different sounds at different blend levels at the tip of your feet.

eh. my bad, once an architect, always an architect
Not a big problem really, can I also ask what you exactly mean by the word front end ?

 

[DarkArchitect]

eh. my bad, once an architect, always an architect
Not a big problem really, can I also ask what you exactly mean by the word front end ?

@Dsmnoisemaker now much more clear, thanks Daniel! You rock!

 

[Dsmnoisemaker]

eh. my bad, once an architect, always an architect
Not a big problem really, can I also ask what you exactly mean by the word front end ?

By front end i mean boosting the signal BEFORE the AO (pre gain knob on the loopster). That will give you more distortion.

Usually i see musicians complaining that their boosters either give them a gain boost or a volume boost. That´s because boosting the front end (or input) of a gain pedal, or boosting the output, yields to very different results.
That´s why i designed it with a novel "pre and post boost"..so the user can have more Gain AND Volume when they boost their gear..its the ultimate solution for solos.

 

[XLunacy]

Just a little thought I had a few moments ago : I use a Darkglass b7K, which has a blend control already.
However, the EQ on the pedal is post-blend, meaning the clean signal that is blended is affected by the EQ, which is not necessarily desired, and fixed with this pedal ! Pretty cool

 

[BunchyMutt]

Just a little thought I had a few moments ago : I use a Darkglass b7K, which has a blend control already.
However, the EQ on the pedal is post-blend, meaning the clean signal that is blended is affected by the EQ, which is not necessarily desired, and fixed with this pedal ! Pretty cool

Maybe I'm missing something...you're just talking about parallel signal mixing right? How is this different from using an LS-2, Xotic Xblender, One Control Mosquite blender, etc.?

 

[XLunacy]

Maybe I'm missing something...you're just talking about parallel signal mixing right? How is this different from using an LS-2, Xotic Xblender, One Control Mosquite blender, etc.?

It's not ! I was just thinking to myself "Hmmm I don't need it that much, my b7K already has all the blending I need" but then I remembered that post-blend EQ thing.
I'm only saying that a blend pedal can still be relevant, even if your drive pedal already has some blending capacity

 

[BunchyMutt]

It's not ! I was just thinking to myself "Hmmm I don't need it that much, my b7K already has all the blending I need" but then I remembered that post-blend EQ thing.
I'm only saying that a blend pedal can still be relevant, even if your drive pedal already has some blending capacity

Ah, gotcha. And truth

 

[Dsmnoisemaker]

It's not ! I was just thinking to myself "Hmmm I don't need it that much, my b7K already has all the blending I need" but then I remembered that post-blend EQ thing.
I'm only saying that a blend pedal can still be relevant, even if your drive pedal already has some blending capacity

That´s right. I would leave the B7K at 100% wet and use the Loopster to get 2 blend settings out of it. It differentiates from the ls2 and xblender by having a pre-boost function..

 

[monkeyfinger]

@Dsmnoisemaker, I looked at the block diagram for this pedal. I have a few assumptions that I would like you to confirm.

1. The jack marked 'return' on the lower right of the picture should be labeled 'out'.
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, then it looks like the engage switch, which is designed to engage/disengage the loop, cuts the return signal from the effects loop. If this is true, then trails from reverbs and delays would be cut off.
3. When the pedal is disengaged, there is no input buffer. It is a 'straight wire' connection from input to output.
4. Pre-boost and post-boost only apply to the send and return signals respectively.
5. The pre and post boost does not boost the dry signal.

 

[Dsmnoisemaker]

@Dsmnoisemaker, I looked at the block diagram for this pedal. I have a few assumptions that I would like you to confirm.

1. The jack marked 'return' on the lower right of the picture should be labeled 'out'.
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, then it looks like the engage switch, which is designed to engage/disengage the loop, cuts the return signal from the effects loop. If this is true, then trails from reverbs and delays would be cut off.
3. When the pedal is disengaged, there is no input buffer. It is a 'straight wire' connection from input to output.
4. Pre-boost and post-boost only apply to the send and return signals respectively.
5. The pre and post boost does not boost the dry signal.

View attachment 2950725

1.- OH your right!!!!!! my mistake
2.- Yes, that was intended and unavoidable.. for trails you need to leave the return always connected and just cut the send.. but if you use it with distortion, compression, or any other effect that has noise, it will bleed into the clean signal..
3.- Yes..Hardwire bypass..nothing wrong with it..
4.- Yes, but the post boost affects the output (the final mix)..
5.- The pre boost does not boost the dry signal (that´s why there´s a different blend) and the post boosts the final mix (clean and wet)

Check out the video from Chris Kollias!

 

[monkeyfinger]

Thanks for clarifying that.

 

[DrakeWeiss]

I'll be ordering the loopster in the near future. I am just wondering which transistors it has... fet, jfet, mosfet? I'm guessing that all the DSM pedals are made with fet transistors.