The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[bassbrad]

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.

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.

I don't disagree with what you state here as my own process and POV is similar ~ EG. if I want the true sound of my bass than I don't insert anything that adversely affects or colors the result, nor do I demand that they be transparent [what is the point of that anyway?]. But I do choose any and everything in the signal path to contribute to the end result. As I have learned for many tone gurus everything in a signal path contributes to the resulting sound, it's never just one thing.

We have so many gadgets and toner sweeteners that there a temptation to stack them all up but at some point there has to be a diminishing return, sort of like making of a sandwich ~ some times the more complex the better but other times nothing is better than a great grilled cheese or PB & J.

 

[darev]

We have so many gadgets and toner sweeteners that there a temptation to stack them all up but at some point there has to be a diminishing return, sort of like making of a sandwich ~ some times the more complex the better but other times nothing is better than a great grilled cheese or PB & J.

<Sigh> I am relearning this fact and now I'm hungry as well.

 

[EastDakota]

I just like eating different preamps. I guess the greenhouse is a sandwich?

 

[shoegazebass]

Is there a description of what the switch and control on the side of the PMLE do? I'm assuming that they are both linked to the XLR jack but wanted to be sure before I did some damage...

 

[WRM]

Is there a description of what the switch and control on the side of the PMLE do? I'm assuming that they are both linked to the XLR jack but wanted to be sure before I did some damage...

Switch is the XLR Ground lift; small potentiometer is XLR volume (volume knob on top is only for 1/4" output).

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Is there a description of what the switch and control on the side of the PMLE do? I'm assuming that they are both linked to the XLR jack but wanted to be sure before I did some damage...

@WRM nailed it. These controls are common to all of my D.I. units so I don't label them, but I do need to get better with documentation.

Unfortunately me saying "I need to get better with documentation" ends up being like when I say "I need to eat less junk food and exercise more".

 

[bassbrad]

Is there a description of what the switch and control on the side of the PMLE do? I'm assuming that they are both linked to the XLR jack but wanted to be sure before I did some damage...

Wikipedia to the rescue. Ground lift is a common feature on Direct Boxes as well as other studio and pro level audio gear. Unless you have an issue with a ground hum, leave it set normal. Ground lift can also come into play when connecting your DI XLR to a mixer when Phantom power is engaged that can occasionally cause a noise like ground hum, the ground lift may correct that connection issue.

Ground lift - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[900se]

Ah. But it’s the ground lift switch normally left down or up?

 

[WRM]

oh. But it's the ground lift switch normally left down or up?

Logical follow-up, and regardless, I think the answer is "the one that sounds best"? If Nathan did a logical design, "down is ground, up is lift"?

 

[dangobass]

I’ve spent more time with PMLE, brought it to a couple rehearsals…I fear I say this a lot but this is my favorite sushi box pedal to date. IF I ever put it up in the classifieds (big if) it’s only because I have graduated to the Venus Z. This thing has tone for days. I had to add my Broughton HPF back to the board which a Venus would allow me to remove again…but overall no complaints from me or my band mates!

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Ah. But it's the ground lift switch normally left down or up?

I did it the way I (and @WRM) consider to be logical, down is grounded, up is lifted. There are some weirdos out there designing things though, never hurts to ask to make sure. But as also mentioned above, you should use whichever position yields the least noise from the system you're plugged in to.

I've spent more time with PMLE, brought it to a couple rehearsals…I fear I say this a lot but this is my favorite sushi box pedal to date. IF I ever put it up in the classifieds (big if) it's only because I have graduated to the Venus Z. This thing has tone for days. I had to add my Broughton HPF back to the board which a Venus would allow me to remove again…but overall no complaints from me or my band mates!

I got the first message asking when PMLE will be back in stock today, so I have a nice template for "PMLE is gone forever, but you should buy Venus Z" now.

 

[OldShark]

@WRM nailed it. These controls are common to all of my D.I. units so I don't label them, but I do need to get better with documentation.

I don't have ever used one, and you don't have that much place on your DI boxes — but of course Eddie Rifkind provides helpful hints on the Klaren:

 

[CH Design]

I got the first message asking when PMLE will be back in stock today, so I have a nice template for "PMLE is gone forever, but you should buy Venus Z" now.

I just checked the site. It let me add PMLE to my cart. Seems like there is 1 in stock.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I just checked the site. It let me add PMLE to my cart. Seems like there is 1 in stock.

Whoops, just took care of that. When I archived it I though I marked stock as "archived" and apparently checked the box for "in stock" instead.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

Well I'm still waiting for my PMLE to leave Chicago and get to the UK, and that's without the inevitable customs nonsense and then the joys of royal mail. I wish I had more patience

 

[bassbrad]

I don't have ever used one, and you don't have that much place on your DI boxes — but of course Eddie Rifkind provides helpful hints on the Klaren:

View attachment 7198297

I have 2 of Eddie's pedals that sound really good and are quite funny, they both sound quite good on bass too.

 

[EastDakota]

Dirty Magic is the name of the finish on that one, it's a nice glossy purple with blue sparkles. The Diplomat is a project for DIY builders and is based on the EF86 channel of the Matchless DC30, my favorite guitar amp. The circuit board for that one is available through Conspiracy to Commit Electronics, one of my "does-business-as" entities under the Sushi Box umbrella.

That picture came from the Conspiracy to Commit Electronics Reverb shop, which is where used, refurbished, and one-off Sushi Box pedals end up (along with other stuff) when I clean out my workshop. That particular unit sold about 8 hours ago though.

Sounds awesome. I'm not sure what to compare it to on bass, it has this unique and really balanced character to it. But this might be my new favorite guitar preamp, oh my God. Pushing it is glorious. Tone rotary at 2 for guitar, 6 on bass. Time to rearrange the board again.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Sounds awesome. I'm not sure what to compare it to on bass, it has this unique and really balanced character to it. But this might be my new favorite guitar preamp, oh my God. Pushing it is glorious. Tone rotary at 2 for guitar, 6 on bass. Time to rearrange the board again.

View attachment 7199101

Yeah this was a pleasant surprise for me on bass. As I said it's the EF86 channel of the Matchless DC30, which is obviously a guitar amp, and a fairly bright one at that. The original Matchless design has a 6-position switch for the tone control which basically acts as a high-pass filter, but I added two more positions to it so I could add some values that were more suitable for bass.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Well my accountant informed me that you all bought too many pedals last year, and it looks like I'm going to end up paying more taxes than I had expected. So I may have a bass going up for sale soon

 

[DustyBottom]

OR any of your “used” pedals…