Just get 15 or 20 sounds from it that you think are cool and record 'em. No need to go overboard.
+2
clips please!!
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Sweet mother mary... EBS Valvedrive is phenomenal!!!
- Thread starter stflbn
- Start date
+2
clips please!!
As promised...
The EBS Valvedrive demo clip added to the original post at top with explanation of settings of each sequence of the clip.
Enjoy.
.
The EBS Valvedrive demo clip added to the original post at top with explanation of settings of each sequence of the clip.
Enjoy.
.
I am basically an EBS fanboy. But for what they want for this, why not just invest in an amp with a good tube pre? It's pricey and huge, and while I'm sure it sounds good, I don't see the advantage of having a tube pre in pedal form unless you use it to tubeify your tone when using a range of really un-tubey amps - which is kinda silly IMO.
I like versatility of sounds and this adds a lot of that to my current rig. I'd rather spend the money I did on a used Valvedrive to add to my current rig that I'm happy with than I would spend a ton more money on an entirely new head and start over chasing tone.
1. I want to keep a small light head.
2. I prefer running 2 4ohm 210's at 2ohm.
3. I already own and am happy with everything that I need head/cab-wise.
The addition of the valvedrive was a very affordable solution to my needs.
1. I want to keep a small light head.
2. I prefer running 2 4ohm 210's at 2ohm.
3. I already own and am happy with everything that I need head/cab-wise.
The addition of the valvedrive was a very affordable solution to my needs.
hey, it's your choice. if you want a light head and a huge pedal pre, go for it.
I'm not knocking the sound of the Valvedrive, just questioning its practicality. It does seem to be working for you, but then again, your preference for the valvedrive sound is not a great vote of confidence for the tube pre in your neopak (if that's what you're using).
I keep reading that most (if not all) of these tube pedals aren't running the tubes to their full potential (i.e. they don't have the plate voltage to get that true compressed, overdriven sound).
The Valvedrive is not much larger than a VT-bass pedal. It weighs a bit more, but it's not HUGE by any means.
And I don't care for the sound of my neopak tube pre driven to the point of breaking up. I prefer to have my amp sound clean and representative of the sound coming off of my bass, which allows me to reliably recreate those same tones whether i'm running into my amp, someone elses amp, or into a recording device, or a recording console.
I've no clue why you're taking such offense to my preferences, especially since you're such an effects fan and I'm positive that your choices for pedals vastly out-price everything I have on my pedaltrain mini.
Either way, it doesn't effect me at all. I'm very happy with what I'm using.
.
Yeah I champion pricey pedals like the BBM
My board right now: pitchblack, hematoma, BBM, another fuzz I'm not going to name because I plan a "mystery fuzz" clip thread, stereo polyphase, bassiq, EBS tremolo (the one I paid the most for - 140). I like good sounding effects, but I am one of the penny pinchinest folks you're likely to encounter. I'm even worse than ftp! Also, my use of effects has been scaled back significantly in recent months. I favor subtle uses most of the time, and use a synthesizer when I want to do freaky stuff.I don't mean to come off like I'm attacking you. Like I said, if it's working for it, go for it. Some of the best ideas have come from experimentation and logic that others found counterintuitive.
I'm just questioning the practicality of this approach in general. It shouldn't be necessary to run a tube OD into a tube pre. I could understand wanting a tube OD in front of a completely SS rig, if someone wants to be the dimebag darrel of the low end. But a decent tube pre should be able to do subtle OD of the valvedrive sort with a boost alone (or by itself). Adding another tube device to the equation just shouldn't be necessary - at least not on paper.
Again, if it sounds good, stick with it. What I'm saying is, someone who is still building a rig should probably think about their amp pre before they plan on getting a tube OD pedal for the kind of breakup that a GOOD tube pre should make possible. (note: I have not used a G-B neopak. The pre on the G-B shuttles I've tried has been decent, but unexceptional). *DISCLAIMER: I generally favor all-tube amps
Maybe so, but it may also be that they are designed to be friendly with a variety of preamps. In the case of EBS, they kinda expect you to think about using the valvedrive with a multicomp. Couldn't a high voltage tube pedal introduce undesirable noise as well as tube compression and extreme OD?
I don't know about potential undesirable noise. I'd think with good power filtering that wouldn't be an issue. With the recent increase in switching power supplies, I'd think you'd be able to build a high voltage tube pedal without a big transformer.
well at that point we're dealing with hypotheticals. I'm ultimately unconvinced by tube pedals. My personal preference would always be for a well-designed, multi-stage integrated tube pre, with judicious use of boost/OD where necessary (for which i really see very little point in messing with tubes)
bongomania
Commercial User
While it's true that a huge majority of tube pedals run at low voltage, IME it's not true that high voltage is the only way to get good results. I'd say it seems like it's easier to design a tube pedal to sound really good if it's high voltage, and it's much cheaper to design one for low voltage, and it is neither cheap nor easy to design a low voltage one that sounds really good. But just because it isn't cheap or easy doesn't mean it can't be done.
Mmmm definitely, it just sounds like an under powered tube, like 9 volts through a 12AX7 or something. Not quite my cup of tea. Go for a BigMuff instead...
Yeah, have a look at this design..
http://diyaudioprojects.com/Tubes/12AX7_Preamp/index.htm
a lot of people would be a little :S that he is using a small switchmode power supply, but you'll see that the output is a dead flat 260V with no ripples at all, making it a very cooool circuit. I really like this little setup, it sounds great, very warm, with the high ends, and even with a bass through it. I'll be building one of these into the bass im building at the moment as an onboard pre.
good luck mate
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
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Well... that's only one use! The Valve Drive also makes a great stand-alone overdrive. Actually, it's a superlative stand-alone overdrive!
I also use my Valve Drive for studio recording. It's a great, warm sounding pre w/ the added plus of very natural overdrive capability. Having it on my pedalboard allows me to bring my 'board to a session & I can count on an awesome tone even without an amp or if there isn't a great channel strip available.
The Valve Drive sounds great direct through a pa. Even though I virtually always have some sort of amp on stage, 90% of professional foh engineers prefer a pre-amplifier DI signal. With the Valve Drive before the DI, I can send a tone with a little more 'character' that also makes other effects sound more natural through the sterile pa...
-Why not invest in an amp with a good tube pre?
Who says we haven't? For me anyway, I don't always have the luxury of using my own backline. Having the Valve Drive with me when I travel gives me some reassurance that I can make a crappy rental rig sound a lot better! And, to be honest, the eq and inherent tone of the Valve Drive can really make a great amp sound even better (depending on your tastes, obviously).
It sounds like you prefer the 'booster-into-tube amp' method of od, RC. I'm a big proponent of this method as well, but it has it's own share of caveats.
Bottom line is that there's more than one way to "skin a cat". Using a tube pre/od isn't "silly" - I just don't think you've given it a fair shot yet!
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
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I read a lot of this as well...
The weird thing is, IME, the high-voltage tube gear sounds a lot cleaner with more headroom than the lower plate voltage gear.
Well... that's only one use! The Valve Drive also makes a great stand-alone overdrive. Actually, it's a superlative stand-alone overdrive!
I also use my Valve Drive for studio recording. It's a great, warm sounding pre w/ the added plus of very natural overdrive capability. Having it on my pedalboard allows me to bring my 'board to a session & I can count on an awesome tone even without an amp or if there isn't a great channel strip available.
The Valve Drive sounds great direct through a pa. Even though I virtually always have some sort of amp on stage, 90% of professional foh engineers prefer a pre-amplifier DI signal. With the Valve Drive before the DI, I can send a tone with a little more 'character' that also makes other effects sound more natural through the sterile pa...
-Why not invest in an amp with a good tube pre?
Who says we haven't? For me anyway, I don't always have the luxury of using my own backline. Having the Valve Drive with me when I travel gives me some reassurance that I can make a crappy rental rig sound a lot better! And, to be honest, the eq and inherent tone of the Valve Drive can really make a great amp sound even better (depending on your tastes, obviously).
It sounds like you prefer the 'booster-into-tube amp' method of od, RC. I'm a big proponent of this method as well, but it has it's own share of caveats.
Bottom line is that there's more than one way to "skin a cat". Using a tube pre/od isn't "silly" - I just don't think you've given it a fair shot yet!
in those contexts I can see the valvedrive being a handy accessory (for recording, coloring DI signal, etc).
I need to mention this, since some of you guys are getting serious here, I run my Valve Drive in front of either an all tube amp, or one of two hybrids, both with very tubey preamps. The tones and textures provided by the EBS are glorious. Warming up a sterile SS amp is not a problem for me, but either way, the Valve Drive is an awesome tool. And, for me at least, I tried and bought several other very popular bass drives before settling down with the Valve Drive. It's just got it's own voice, and some people really dig it. Easy as that.
bongomania
Commercial User
The weird thing is, IME, the high-voltage tube gear sounds a lot cleaner with more headroom than the lower plate voltage gear.
True! And not weird at all, actually. Tube circuits can be designed to utilize voltage in a variety of ways, and one of the common ways of using higher voltage is to increase headroom.
I run my valvedrive into a hybrid amp (DB750), and while the 750 sounds tubey and warm on its own, the VD adds a nice amount of grit, not to mention gives me a few more EQ options.
Nice clips Sftlbn, i like how you're using the Lakland 'Fingerfunk' groove, haha.
Nice clips Sftlbn, i like how you're using the Lakland 'Fingerfunk' groove, haha.
