[sfx] Micro Thumpinator

[caeman]

New Pedal Day!

This arrived in the mail today...

Ooooh! Red and Black!

It's so pretty!

Come Sunday, I will see what result the mThump has with my GK Backline 210. Sometimes it blats.

 

[bassbrad]

Very nice, how'd you get so lucky?

 

[Josh Pelican]

Chad, I like your small package.

I hope to get a Micro Thumpinator soon, myself.

 

[caeman]

Shipped on 10-6, arrived on 10-12. Customs must not have been busy.

My boys love empty boxes, so that will be the last time that box is ever seen by the world.

 

[CopperheadLXXIX]

Chad, I like your small package.

 

[caeman]

I will take the compliments where I can.

 

[CopperheadLXXIX]

Let me know how it works out for you. I'm thinking about getting one in the future as I am now almost constantly using my Aguilar Octamizer and SA BEF Pro, so I'm thinking the Thumpinator might be useful for protecting my Hydrive 1x12 and maybe tightening up that low end a tad.

 

[caeman]

I was mistaken, Saturday night will be the mThump's first test. I play direct into the PA system there, so I am not sure what result it will have, but I will try and listen for any differences.

I understand that the mThump is a subtle pedal. The job it does not obvious, but potentially important to one's amp. Maybe it will help the crappy PA system to make me sound better?

 

[KJung]

Very cool. If I understand correctly that this is basically a fixed hi pass filter device, it should be very nice for use with a PA with subs to make sure you aren't sending big subharmonics or whatever through the PA. With your little GK rig, I would doubt you would hear any difference, but I guess depending on the hi passing of the head, you might.

Cool little device. I assume that would be great for DB players, and for rigs like the old SWR400 or possible the Acme cabs where lots of stuff is going on below 40hz.

Post up when you've used it a bit. Subscribed.

 

[caeman]

Can do.

 

[Bob C]

Does the Micro have a balanced out, like the regular Thumpinator? Also, what does it cost in U.S. funds?

 

[stflbn]

Several of their pedals have been ongoing sources of gas for me. Wish there was a U.S. resource rather than ordering from overseas.

 

[caeman]

Does the Micro have a balanced out, like the regular Thumpinator? Also, what does it cost in U.S. funds?

No the balanced out. Roughly $160 USD with today's conversion rate.

Several of their pedals have been ongoing sources of gas for me. Wish there was a U.S. resource rather than ordering from overseas.

My pedal, once shipped, arrived in 7 days.

 

[Bob C]

Thanks. Good to know.

 

[bassbrad]

Below are my observations about the microThumpinator from the [sfx] appreciation thread.

Just got my microThumpinator today, another bit of beautiful work from Max, looking forward to putting it thru the paces this week. First impression it works very nicely as a line buffer and don't hear a difference in volume or tone but my headphones and studio monitors don't have that flabby fluttery thing any more.


I have had my MicroThumpinator for a week or so and really appreciated the transparency, the nice buffer stage for the pedal board and the kindness to my old speakers. Have played 2 gigs with the trusty old Polytone MBIII and didn't have any of the subsonic blatting of old and the amp seemed to run a bit cooler.

I also used it in a studio with really large monitors (15” JBL woofers) that usually bump and grind if we don't have the HPF engaged, the MicroThumpinator did the trick even better than the studios White Instruments EQs HPF which is 12db at 30Hz. For those who aren’t familiar White Instruments make some of the best equalizers in the business, the standard for many years. .

 

[newbold]

I wonder if a thumpinator would be small enough to wire into a jazz bass control plate.

While expensive if only a unity gain buffer pre, something tells me that it would be a welcome option to some.

I know I want one for my pedalboard.

 

[caeman]

I wonder if a thumpinator would be small enough to wire into a jazz bass control plate.

While expensive if only a unity gain buffer pre, something tells me that it would be a welcome option to some.

I know I want one for my pedalboard.

It probably is small enough, yes.

 

[caeman]

Saturday via PA system

Sound guy was having a bad day. I had so many problems hearing myself in the mix that I am going to need another attempt to try and discern anything. I was a trooper and managed my way through.

Sunday via GK Backline 210

Maybe it was different music, but I noticed less clipping occurring at the amp -- clip light blinking. Since I began using the Growler through the FX loop, I've noticed the clipping light proving that it exists. I noticed it coming on less often. Maybe with with the sub-harmonics squashed before reaching the Growler, thus not having to generate a harmonic of those tones, maybe that helped?

This is a long-term purchase so a fuller amount of time will tell as I get the chance to hear it more through the PA at the synagogue and the amp at church.

 

[Silent Fly]

(...) I assume that would be great for DB players, and for rigs like the old SWR400 or possible the Acme cabs where lots of stuff is going on below 40hz.(...)

The Thumpinator filtering idea started as a solution for limiting the subsonic amplification on the SWR SM400. I later ended up designing the Thumpinator as a wider application product but this where everything started.

I used to have a SWR SM400 and I had massive "thump problems". I had to keep the bass control down because the power stage clipped every time I touched the B string. It is a shame that I sold it before designing the Thumpinator.

 

[Silent Fly]

I wonder if a thumpinator would be small enough to wire into a jazz bass control plate.

Size wise, with a substantial circuit board re-design, it might fit but the battery would last a relatively short period of time. The micro-Thumpinator is designed for high performace not for low current usage.