The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[Tassieviking]

BassBrad Said: I'm not jealous of everyone's new @Sushi Box FX versions, really I am not so must placate my feelings with something none y'all have.

That's a very nice little build, it does not look like a Sushi Box prototype since it has no relay switching.
Is that your own layout ? (a Brad-roll ?)

 

[Sushi Box FX]

That's a very nice little build, it does not look like a Sushi Box prototype since it has no relay switching.
Is that your own layout ? (a Brad-roll ?)

I actually only started doing relay switching Summer 2024, before that was always mechanical switching. The real tell of the age of this one is that it still had the designators for all the components; I don't do that anymore, it looks too cluttered, and it's been that way for years. Also you can see where there were originally 4 diodes up top, which means it was designed before the polarity fix was made standard, but you can also see I removed 3 of them and tacked on a resistor, which means it was built after I had started doing the fix.

I don't remember when this was made, you can see it was also before I started adding version numbers and dates to my boards, nowadays even prototypes that I don't expect to go anywhere get a date code and a revision number.

EDIT: Just pulled up my records from my circuit board order, looks like that was designed November 2021.

 

[Tassieviking]

@Sushi Box FX have any of your pedals been regularly used for mic pre-amps? I’ve been doing some podcasts lately with an SM7B and I ran it through the MORE but it’s not quite enough. I have been thinking about which of your pedals would be best for dynamic microphones in podcast environments. A small tube pre with xlr in /out with a 80hz roll off and an 3 band eq would crush. Either way, the podcast host kept saying how good the sound was so that’s something.

Not that I'm aware of, but I am planning to do mic pre at some point in the future, it's certainly been requested enough. The main thing holding them back is probably an input transformer, ideally you'll want that for a mic input to a tube preamp.

Havnjero mentioned a ua610 Mike pre-amp back in post 23,325 , It can be used as a mike pre-amp or a line pre-amp.
If it showed up in C2CE I would definitely build one but I don't really have a use for one at home so buying a completed pedal would not be sensible for me.
You could use my singing voice to evacuate buildings it's that good.
I guess the 2 transformers would be a bit of a stumbling block though.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

Havnjero mentioned a ua610 Mike pre-amp back in post 23,325 , It can be used as a mike pre-amp or a line pre-amp.
If it showed up in C2CE I would definitely build one but I don't really have a use for one at home so buying a completed pedal would not be sensible for me.
You could use my singing voice to evacuate buildings it's that good.
I guess the 2 transformers would be a bit of a stumbling block though.

As someone who only has a very basic grasp of these types of electronics, what is the stumbling block about two transformers Vs the single output set up? Besides the cost of a second transformer that is.

 

[bassbrad]

BassBrad Said: I'm not jealous of everyone's new @Sushi Box FX versions, really I am not so must placate my feelings with something none y'all have.

That's a very nice little build, it does not look like a Sushi Box prototype since it has no relay switching.
Is that your own layout ? (a Brad-roll ?)

If only I had the knowledge and skill to do my own builds. It is indeed a real thing. @Sushi Box FX kindly relented and offered me this prototype as he had decided not to pursue the design and likely to shut up my constant harping for this version of preamp. It is another milestone in Sir Nathan's continuing development and style with @Sushi Box FX .

This sounds quite close to my transition model* Fender Bassman head that I've had since the mid 70's that has a lot of miles and a few updated repairs that sounds sweet on bass and guitar and is my only prized "house" tube amp. I have the original Fender sealed 2x12 that has also seen a lot of miles and usage.

*My repair buddy, Vintage Jon, confirmed a mix or pre and just post CBS parts. It was spec'd to be a pre CBS in both channels when replacing the leaking filter caps, the tubes are GOK how old some may even be original and the few I replaced I splurged for NOS or JAN tubes.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

As someone who only has a very basic grasp of these types of electronics, what is the stumbling block about two transformers Vs the single output set up? Besides the cost of a second transformer that is.

From a build perspective, size and cost would be the only stumbling block, but since it would be a mic preamp it wouldn't make a lot of sense (in my opinion) to be in the pedal format anyway. The input transformer is only needed for taking a balanced input like a microphone and unbalancing it to send it through the preamp, then it will get re-balanced on the output transformer to send out to studio land.

If you look at schematics of mic preamps that have a direct input for unbalanced instruments, the majority bypass the input transformer and go straight to the preamp's input. The only exception I've seen is the Neve 573, which uses a FET circuit to essentially act as a D.I. for the unbalanced signal, then it sends it into the input transformer to unbalance it. It's an extra step, with extra components and therefore extra cost, but I don't question the authority of Rupert Neve on the design of mic preamps.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

Ah that makes sense, I do occasionally wish for a tube mic preamp pedal for my other life as a sax player, but with all the other noise going on in those situations it's more a make me feel good about my sound device than anything else.

I probably need to find a decent mic to instrument converter and then just run the sax through a pedalboard of sushi goodness.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I probably need to find a decent mic to instrument converter and then just run the sax through a pedalboard of sushi goodness.

A good mic-instrument converter is basically just going to look like a backwards D.I., so I just had a chat with @Pedalnetics and talked him into doing a "backwards" version of his DIm Stick D.I. box for exactly this purpose. Because frankly I also want to plug a mic into my pedals

 

[RobD_BritBass]

Well it seems like my next purchase caused by this thread is sorted then!

 

[Pedalnetics]

Circuit boards ordered that'll allow me to choose the XLR gender during build time

 

[broncobenshea]

A good mic-instrument converter is basically just going to look like a backwards D.I., so I just had a chat with @Pedalnetics and talked him into doing a "backwards" version of his DIm Stick D.I. box for exactly this purpose. Because frankly I also want to plug a mic into my pedals

Haha yes! Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[Tassieviking]

EDIT: Just pulled up my records from my circuit board order, looks like that was designed November 2021.

You mean there might be a spare PCB in one of those (Lucky Dip) cardboard boxes ???

If only I had the knowledge and skill to do my own builds. It is indeed a real thing. @Sushi Box FX kindly relented and offered me this prototype as he had decided not to pursue the design and likely to shut up my constant harping for this version of preamp. It is another milestone in Sir Nathan's continuing development and style with @Sushi Box FX .

Constant harping ???
I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying

 

[Sushi Box FX]

You mean there might be a spare PCB in one of those (Lucky Dip) cardboard boxes ???

Constant harping ???
I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying, I can be annoying

The ones that are old enough may have actually ended up in the garbage, but I'm not positive. after filling my 3rd or 4th box I started to think "Hey, I should probably keep track of what boards are going in which box in case I want to pull something out." I have continued to not do that.

 

[Tassieviking]

A good mic-instrument converter is basically just going to look like a backwards D.I.,

So just a Unagi E4305 transformer wired in reverse ???
I just happen to have 2 of them at home that I ordered a little while back.

Unagi Magnetics E4305 – D.I. Transformer

The E4305 from Unagi Magnetics is a D.I. transformer that was designed by Sushi Box FX for use in tube preamps, but it also works great as a passive direct box transformer or as a balanced output t…

c2celectronics.com

 

[Sushi Box FX]

So just a Unagi E4305 transformer wired in reverse ???
I just happen to have 2 of them at home that I ordered a little while back.

Unagi Magnetics E4305 – D.I. Transformer​

Basically yes. The primary will still go to a 1/4" jack and the secondary will still go to an XLR jack, but in this case the XLR will be an input and the 1/4" will be an output.

 

[Tassieviking]

Circuit boards ordered that'll allow me to choose the XLR gender during build time

So you change the XLR from male to female depending if it is a passive mike converter or a passive DI, buy one of each and stick a Sushi pedal in the middle.
Win - Win

 

[LuxuriousMistak]

This might be a naive question but is it bad for the tube pedals to have them plugged in for long periods of time? I work from home and tend to grab practice time between meetings (10 minutes here, 15 minutes there). Most days I leave my bass plugged in for the majority of the workday, unless I know I have back to back meetings and can’t find time to practice. Now that I’ve added Sushibox pedals to the mix, I’m wondering if it’s bad for the tubes to leave them powered up all day. Am I hurting anything by doing this?

 

[Verticos]

This might be a naive question but is it bad for the tube pedals to have them plugged in for long periods of time? I work from home and tend to grab practice time between meetings (10 minutes here, 15 minutes there). Most days I leave my bass plugged in for the majority of the workday, unless I know I have back to back meetings and can’t find time to practice. Now that I’ve added Sushibox pedals to the mix, I’m wondering if it’s bad for the tubes to leave them powered up all day. Am I hurting anything by doing this?

All other things being equal, will tubes die quicker with current running through them? Yes. Practically speaking, will you notice how much you've accelerated that process? For me, I don't really worry about it and I've replaced a tube in a pedal exactly twice in about 7 years of owning them, through pretty heavy gigging, touring, and rehearsing. Now, maybe the answer is yes if you're clocking 40+ hours a week of runtime; the calculus might be different for you. How many pedals with tubes do you have? How much does each tube cost to replace - $20-$30? Is it worth that money to continue using your gear as you like?

You should take Nathan's word over mine as he's got way more knowledge than I and they're his products. But my anecdotal advice that I always give is not to sweat it too much and just use your gear.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

All other things being equal, will tubes die quicker with current running through them? Yes. Practically speaking, will you notice how much you've accelerated that process? For me, I don't really worry about it and I've replaced a tube in a pedal exactly twice in about 7 years of owning them, through pretty heavy gigging, touring, and rehearsing. Now, maybe the answer is yes if you're clocking 40+ hours a week of runtime; the calculus might be different for you. How many pedals with tubes do you have? How much does each tube cost to replace - $20-$30? Is it worth that money to continue using your gear as you like?

You should take Nathan's word over mine as he's got way more knowledge than I and they're his products. But my anecdotal advice that I always give is not to sweat it too much and just use your gear.

@Verticos nailed it. Tube life is measured in hours, which means if the pedal is plugged in, that's time against the total life. My typical recommendation is that if you're not going to be playing for a couple hours, probably best to unplug it. If you're on a 15 minute break between sets, leave it plugged in. That being said I will often do tests where I will run a pedal for 24 hours to make sure there aren't any problems that don't show up right away. Other times I plug in my personal pedalboard and forget to unplug it for a few days.

 

[Tassieviking]

This might be a naive question but is it bad for the tube pedals to have them plugged in for long periods of time? I work from home and tend to grab practice time between meetings (10 minutes here, 15 minutes there). Most days I leave my bass plugged in for the majority of the workday, unless I know I have back to back meetings and can’t find time to practice. Now that I’ve added Sushibox pedals to the mix, I’m wondering if it’s bad for the tubes to leave them powered up all day. Am I hurting anything by doing this?

Mainly your wallet as the tubes do use more power then other pedals, but I cant see it being that much extra on the power bill over the year.
Boiling the kettle for a cupper once would use more power.
Shorter tube life but they are used as pre-amp tubes and not power tubes so I imagine they don't wear out very fast, especially if the supply voltage is under 12.6V on the heater. (which they most likely are even with a 12V supply)