The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[Sushi Box FX]

What is my first reaction "I wonder what my HX Stomp would sound like with this wrapped around it"! My Stomp stomp is literally already wrapped in Sushi (Space Heater and More) and i took inspiration for this set up from the old "Coming soon" page!

That was another intended use, I get a lot of modeler users asking if it's better to have a tube in front of or behind it, and obviously the answer is "ideally both". Space Heater and More is a solid combo for it.

I’ve got a question… for science!

What does it sound like with an octave in the loop with level dimed?

A solid question to be sure, I'll have to throw my POG III into it this evening.

 

[GR7G5TER]

That was another intended use, I get a lot of modeler users asking if it's better to have a tube in front of or behind it.

I was gonna say, the answer is yes!

 

[OldShark]

So does the volume control influence the signal before it is sent to the loop or only afterwards?

 

[tidbits]

So does the volume control influence the signal before it is sent to the loop or only afterwards?

Since he was mentioning using the volume as an attenuator with a drive in the loop, that leads me to believe it's only affecting the output.

 

[lomo]

Greenhouse is now live. I originally designed it because I wanted to warm up solid state modulation effects...

Sounds much like my Glass Butterfly, which gives a little "je ne sais quoi" even when the mix knob is set all the way dry.

 

[bassbrad]

Sounds much like my Glass Butterfly, which gives a little "je ne sais quoi" even when the mix knob is set all the way dry.

Nothing says 'je ne sais quoi" like a MORE.

 

[900se]

Just a question or two about the Neptunium's XLR balanced output level.,, I assume it's mic level - but I was wondering what the range is from the little stubby side pot? I have a NUX preamp/DI - it's XLR output is supposed to be mic level but it's MUCH hotter. I recall hearing that the NUX's output was hotter than it should be - but I can't find that reference again.

As to the pot, would half way be the best for the FOH engineer - or is the variance between the extremes well within what they normally have to deal with?

Thanks

 

[jmmyoh]

What are you running in Dr W? 12ax7, au7, at7? The HiWatt stack is great and very different from UA's Fender controls with a lot more character available up high. I love a little modulation (usually phaser or flanger) added to my dry signal. I use a S'Box glass butterfly to mix about 10% wet/90% dry. It's not audible as an "effect" in a band context, but it definitely makes the bass pop beautifully in the mix.......like dash of hot sauce. On a few songs (or parts thereof) on our list I raise the mix to 50-50 for an obvious "effect", but the 10% spice factor is almost always on. The band notices it because it's even easier to hear my note envelopes without a volume boost.

Just the standard jj 12ax7 the way drw breaks up is so nice I never wanna change that one. I use a GB just like that but with reverb on my home board.

 

[EastDakota]

Greenhouse is now live. I originally designed it because I wanted to warm up solid state modulation effects, but I found a new neat use case for it that I hadn't thought of before. If you put a drive or boost pedal in the loop of Greenhouse and really open it up you can saturate the gainstage in Greenhouse to get a beautiful tube overdrive, then use the level control to dial the volume to a usable level. So you get a tube input buffer to your drive, the overdrive pedal can really breathe with the controls dimed, and Greenhouse acts like a sort of attenuator for the drive. It's a neat effect.

Greenhouse – Sushi Box FX

So how does the per my last email sound inside the greenhouse?

A more realistic question: I like my UA best as a low to mid gain overdrive/distortion with a 12AT7 and the tone stack off. How different would that use sound from the greenhouse being pushed with a boost?

 

[Sushi Box FX]

So does the volume control influence the signal before it is sent to the loop or only afterwards?

Only afterwards. The Send level to the loop is unity gain/buffered.

Just a question or two about the Neptunium's XLR balanced output level.,, I assume it's mic level - but I was wondering what the range is from the little stubby side pot? I have a NUX preamp/DI - it's XLR output is supposed to be mic level but it's MUCH hotter. I recall hearing that the NUX's output was hotter than it should be - but I can't find that reference again.

As to the pot, would half way be the best for the FOH engineer - or is the variance between the extremes well within what they normally have to deal with?

Thanks

It can get pretty hot, but the Noble has a fixed output on the XLR and to get the equivalent level on the Neptunium it would mean turning the side knob all the way up. Some people (myself included) think this is too hot, which is why I left that as the maximum and made it adjustable.

So how does the per my last email sound inside the greenhouse?

A more realistic question: I like my UA best as a low to mid gain overdrive/distortion with a 12AT7 and the tone stack off. How different would that use sound from the greenhouse being pushed with a boost?

No real point in sticking a tube preamp inside a tube FX loop.

UA (or any tube preamp) with a 12AT7 installed would react similarly when pushed by a boost, and would have more gain on tap as UA is using both tube stages for gain whereas Greenhouse is only using one for gain and the other as a pre-loop buffer.

 

[bassolodic]

Do any/all of these have enough gain to drive a power amp?
- Finally v3
- Neptunium
- Venus Z

Also... and more subjective, does the tube give an impression of sag / time-lag (vs immediacy) when playing?
I like quick response transients when playing
Thanks!

 

[Bassjas]

Do any/all of these have enough gain to drive a power amp?
- Finally v3
- Neptunium
- Venus Z

Also... and more subjective, does the tube give an impression of sag / time-lag (vs immediacy) when playing?
I like quick response
Thanks!

1 minute! Im just giving you a quick response. I have nothing to add past that

 

[bassolodic]

1 minute! Im just giving you a quick response. I have nothing to add past that

Haha - edited to be clearer, lol

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Do any/all of these have enough gain to drive a power amp?
- Finally v3
- Neptunium
- Venus Z

Also... and more subjective, does the tube give an impression of sag / time-lag (vs immediacy) when playing?
I like quick response transients when playing
Thanks!

The answer is always going to be "probably, but it depends on the power amp". Different power amps will have different input sensitivity, but I have used all three of them to successfully drive the power amp of both of my heads (GJ Backline and GB Streamliner) via the FX return.

When I think of sag from a tube I typically think of it as more of a compression on the attack than an actual time-lag. It's more commonly associated with tube power amps than preamps, but I would say there is some "squishiness" associated with more vintage-voiced preamps. Of the three you listed Venus Z is the most modern design and was designed specifically to have a fast attack. I wouldn't really call the other two vintage voiced per se, but Venus Z is very clearly modern.

 

[lomo]

Also... and more subjective, does the tube give an impression of sag / time-lag (vs immediacy) when playing?
I like quick response transients when playing
Thanks!

Tube squishiness (=audibly slower/softer attack) comes with any tube that is driven into OD, and can be mitigated with detailed compression. When run clean there's no squish IME. When run dirty-it's the same as for any other tube pre.

 

[bassolodic]

The answer is always going to be "probably, but it depends on the power amp". Different power amps will have different input sensitivity, but I have used all three of them to successfully drive the power amp of both of my heads (GJ Backline and GB Streamliner) via the FX return.

When I think of sag from a tube I typically think of it as more of a compression on the attack than an actual time-lag. It's more commonly associated with tube power amps than preamps, but I would say there is some "squishiness" associated with more vintage-voiced preamps. Of the three you listed Venus Z is the most modern design and was designed specifically to have a fast attack. I wouldn't really call the other two vintage voiced per se, but Venus Z is very clearly modern.

Great thanks for the ... quick response!

 

[HueyFreeman]

Do any/all of these have enough gain to drive a power amp?
- Finally v3
- Neptunium
- Venus Z

Also... and more subjective, does the tube give an impression of sag / time-lag (vs immediacy) when playing?
I like quick response transients when playing
Thanks!

My experience has been that unless a preamp pedal explicitly states that it can run a power amp efficiently, it won't.
My Nobelium does not have enough juice for a power amp.

 

[Tassieviking]

My experience has been that unless a preamp pedal explicitly states that it can run a power amp efficiently, it won't.
My Nobelium does not have enough juice for a power amp.

Have you tried a hotter tube ?
A higher gain tube might give you more output, and it will also make a difference if you have passive pickups or active pickups.
If you have any higher gain tubes then just try one and see what happens.

 

[JackFawkes]

Have you tried a hotter tube ?
A higher gain tube might give you more output, and it will also make a difference if you have passive pickups or active pickups.
If you have any higher gain tubes then just try one and see what happens.

The Nobelium/Neptunium doesn't really operate as intended with a higher gain tube, but your suggestion can work for most of the other preamp pedals going into a power amp...
...though most of them already use 12AX7s, so an even higher gain tube isn't really an option; though the WBIM Finally is one that could definitely benefit from a higher gain tube for that application (I personally prefer the Finally with a 5751 or 12AY7 over the 12AU7 anyways, even without trying to drive a power amp with it)

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Have you tried a hotter tube ?
A higher gain tube might give you more output, and it will also make a difference if you have passive pickups or active pickups.
If you have any higher gain tubes then just try one and see what happens.

Yeah you don't want a hotter tube in V1, but a hotter tube for V2 could actually help with pushing a power amp, especially if you use something like 12AT7 that has higher gain than 12AU7 but still gives you a lower output impedance than a 12AX7.