The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[eeyorebass]

btw, is the high mid knob on the PMLE actually different, or is it just some special sauce people are hearing?

The product pages show slightly different eq points for the controls.

PMLE...
Bass: 60Hz, Lo Mids: 250Hz, Hi-Mids: 1.2kHz, and Treble: 5kHz

Venus Z
Bass: 60Hz, Lo Mids: 250Hz, Hi-Mids: 1kHz, and Treble: 7kHz

I don't how many of the PMLE... users have compared directly to Venus Z. Would 0.2kHz be noticable?

I think the 7kHz treble control is better. That's a good place to start rolling off the high end for me.

 

[_Tay_]

The product pages show slightly different eq points for the controls.

PMLE...
Bass: 60Hz, Lo Mids: 250Hz, Hi-Mids: 1.2kHz, and Treble: 5kHz

Venus Z
Bass: 60Hz, Lo Mids: 250Hz, Hi-Mids: 1kHz, and Treble: 7kHz

I don't how many of the PMLE... users have compared directly to Venus Z. Would 0.2kHz be noticable?

I think the 7kHz treble control is better. That's a good place to start rolling off the high end for me.

That 0.2 KHZ is quite a difference and would be noticeable i'd say. Spent a lot of time (probably too much) with a source audio EQ2 before.

 

[meisi]

The product pages show slightly different eq points for the controls.

PMLE...
Bass: 60Hz, Lo Mids: 250Hz, Hi-Mids: 1.2kHz, and Treble: 5kHz

Venus Z
Bass: 60Hz, Lo Mids: 250Hz, Hi-Mids: 1kHz, and Treble: 7kHz

I don't how many of the PMLE... users have compared directly to Venus Z. Would 0.2kHz be noticable?

I think the 7kHz treble control is better. That's a good place to start rolling off the high end for me.

I think that 200hz difference is noticeable. It's right in the clang clang region.

I'd bet you can really hear the difference when playing with a pic (or simulating by doing that thing with your fingernail finger style).

I don’t like clang clang so I prefer the 1khz over 1.2khz high mid - but there are fewer controversial opinions on bass tonality than clang clang vs dead dead imo

 

[Tassieviking]

I've always wondered if you've ever considered combining a soft clipping opamp or led circuit into one of the sushi drive pedals? Kind of like germanium transistors in the Tarantula but for drive instead of fuzz.

I find driving the preamp tube circuits in the UA/Finally do ok with a tiny bit of clipping, but get fart-y pretty quick after that compared to the other options I've mentioned.

I find running a traditional opamp/led circuit drive into sushi pedal to be my ideal sound so I guess I'm just hoping it could be combined.

Either way I continue to love and be impressed with your products and business.

If you can build your own pedal then there is the Lab Rat at Nathans C2CE DIY site you can build, if you can't build it yourself then you might be able to find someone who can do it for you. ( Just ask in the C2CE forum )

Lab Rat PCB Set

This is a PCB set for building your own Lab Rat preamp/distortion. This is not a beginner project, so if you’ve never built a pedal before, then this isn’t for you. I’ve tried to make this as affor…

c2celectronics.com

Thread 'Conspiracy to Commit Electronics Megathread'

Feb 14, 2024

For those that don't know me, I build tube pedals. Last year I also started offering circuit boards for DIY builders so they can build their own tube preamps, under the name Conspiracy to Commit Electronics (abbreviated C2C).

I thought it would be a good idea to start a separate thread dedicated to C2C so it doesn't get confusing in the Sushi Box thread.

This is a place to post your builds, ask questions, and generally discuss tube pedal building (or pedal building in general).

• Sushi Box FX
• Replies: 725
• Forum: Effects [BG]

• 

 

[MIMike]

The Venus eq points are exactly where my MB 500 F are centered. Remember the Venus was originally designed for Tony P. as a tube DI to get his amp (GK) settings into an ampless rig.
The PMLE is Nathan’s evolution of something he’s done that’s already great but making minor changes to improve it.
It seems people notice that 200hz difference as an improvement.
Either way, whatever Nathan does is alright with us. None of his limited releases seem to sit around very long.

 

[lomo]

IIRC former TBer Kjung aptly described 1200Hz as the "gank" zone. I concur.

 

[MIMike]

I also have a BDDI which produces plenty of “gank” to my ears.
This is not normally a tone I seek out but it’s there, at the end of my board, if I ever need it.

 

[Parzival]

I love the mids around 700-800 but more often than not when playing live as I'm feeling out the room and mic during the show I'll steadily push them up and end up around 1000-1200.

 

[FenrirofOld]

PMLE looked great but I had to sit this this one out. Still in love with the Tarantula Fuzz, and I definitely want to try the Single Slice out.

 

[chiphaleonbass]

I think someone else here has said it but the PMLE with the bass and high mids at like 1-2 o'clock with the top end and low mid down to 10-11 o'clock is a super punchy sound. Could see this potentially replacing both the Neptunium AND ParaEQ on my board as the eq curves are very nice. Nathan maybe can correct me here but I feel like even with all EQ's at noon the PMLE isn't exactly flat, is that wrong to say?

 

[Parzival]

I think someone else here has said it but the PMLE with the bass and high mids at like 1-2 o'clock with the top end and low mid down to 10-11 o'clock is a super punchy sound. Could see this potentially replacing both the Neptunium AND ParaEQ on my board as the eq curves are very nice. Nathan maybe can correct me here but I feel like even with all EQ's at noon the PMLE isn't exactly flat, is that wrong to say?

I don’t know, but I think there is still a little baked in color with everything flat. Not overwhelming. I tried setting at or close to what you posted above and some others and just for me, I like it much better than the Neptunium.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I think someone else here has said it but the PMLE with the bass and high mids at like 1-2 o'clock with the top end and low mid down to 10-11 o'clock is a super punchy sound. Could see this potentially replacing both the Neptunium AND ParaEQ on my board as the eq curves are very nice. Nathan maybe can correct me here but I feel like even with all EQ's at noon the PMLE isn't exactly flat, is that wrong to say?

And that's sort of the key to why "flat" can be misleading. With all the controls at noon, the response of the EQ itself is flat. But this is not a transparent hi-fi preamp, the tube preamp is doing some tone shaping outside of the EQ section, so the overall response of the pedal is not going to be flat with reference to the input signal. I like letting people know where the theoretical "flat" point of the EQ is so you have a reasonable place to start with your tweaking, but I don't design things to be completely neutral sounding because that's not what we use tubes for.

 

[chiphaleonbass]

And that's sort of the key to why "flat" can be misleading. With all the controls at noon, the response of the EQ itself is flat. But this is not a transparent hi-fi preamp, the tube preamp is doing some tone shaping outside of the EQ section, so the overall response of the pedal is not going to be flat with reference to the input signal. I like letting people know where the theoretical "flat" point of the EQ is so you have a reasonable place to start with your tweaking, but I don't design things to be completely neutral sounding because that's not what we use tubes for.

Gotcha, thank you for clarifying. It sounds great with flat EQ settings, and the EQ just allows you to tailor that lovely baked in sound to your liking. I'm going to have to try it on a gig, playing a really well treated room Saturday where sound is always top notch so that'll be the real test, have been using the FX loops in the HX stomp to test it against the Neptunium. I feel like if you're looking for a more modern mid punch sound the PMLE is for you and the Neptunium is there if you want your bass to sound like your bass with some broad strokes eq.

 

[bassbrad]

I find this TB obsession of flat response to be most disappointing.
Pedals are all about adding color or flavor to enhance sound,
not to be even more boring or bland.

IMHO pedals especially those with tubes must have that special....

After all what would Sushi be without Soy Sauce, pickled ginger and a heaping helping of

 

[Tassieviking]

I find this TB obsession of flat response to be most disappointing.

I find it to be the opposite, the flat response is like a dog poopie on the footpath, you need to know where it is to avoid it.

EDIT: Really ! I hate auto correcting websites, who turns sh!t to poopie anyway ?

 

[lomo]

Knowing where "about close to flat" lives on a preamp can be very helpful in learning/discovering how to use/adjust/set/play with it without wasting time.

 

[s_wood]

PMLE Question: Is there any way to control the amount of gain produced by the pre? I am assuming the volume knob controls output volume…

 

[Parzival]

PMLE Question: Is there any way to control the amount of gain produced by the pre? I am assuming the volume knob controls output volume…

Not on the pedal. You can boost it in front though if you want. I’m putting a JHS Prestige in front of mine to boost it when I want. That is unless I like it always on at lower levels then I’ll just use a boost from the HX One.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

Counterpoint:
The signal coming from your bass isn’t flat. Not even close. Then pedals, even set true frequency flat, impart tonal nuances. So does the amp, even set frequency flat, as does the cab. And then the room makes a right mess of your sound.
So even with everything under your control (pedals, amp, cab) set frequency flat, you’re still not sending a flat frequency signal.
It’s about knowing what speaks where and being able to control it.
I’m not gonna put a Pbass that speaks very clearly in the 100-250Hz area into an amp that has a massive scoop in that region.
Nor am i gonna play a Ken Smith with brand new steel roundwounds through an oldschool 2x15 cab that can’t replicate anything above 1kHz.

End of the day, i want my basses to sound like my basses, and i don’t want my effects or amp or cab to get in the way, except in a way that i desire and can control.

I find this TB obsession of flat response to be most disappointing.
Pedals are all about adding color or flavor to enhance sound,
not to be even more boring or bland.

View attachment 7196277
IMHO pedals especially those with tubes must have that special....

View attachment 7196279

After all what would Sushi be without Soy Sauce, pickled ginger and a heaping helping of

View attachment 7196280

 

[meisi]

End of the day, i want my basses to sound like my basses, and i don't want my effects or amp or cab to get in the way, except in a way that i desire and can control.

Agree 100% with your post. Small counterpoint here but aligned with the rest of your post:

End of the day I want my (modern) bass into (modern amp) to be sculpted into a specific sound. Using your example above, I need to know the characteristics of my signal chain and how to dial in or out certain frequencies if I wish to attempt to sculpt a Ken smith bass into modern class d amp and 15" cab into a vintage P with flats into a 60s B15.