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The Sushi Box FX Secret Society
- Thread starter kranahan
- Start date
With the setting in the pic the mix is still pretty "effecty". That's what I use for "spacey bass" , like the intro to Space Oddity with my cover band. If you back the mix further to 9:00, it's super subtle, but makes the bass really pop nicely IME.
I'm having a problem with my The Watt, and I'm not sure what it is. I know Nathan is probably unavailable, but I need to figure it out. I noticed the Level wasn't doing anything, so I figured I'd put a probably good tube in to see if it helped (a 12ax7 though) and now with it set to xlr out pre and output dry I have to turn the level and gain all the way up to get just a little output. With the xlr out dry and the output pre I get a lot more output, but the gain and level do nothing (which perhaps is correct, but I'm currently really confused). Do I try another tube, or could it be something else? The power supply is a godlyke one-spot type one, that is supposed to do 2 amps, but they are known to go bad. It seems to work correctly with other pedals though. Any other settings or info that would help make a diagnosis? Thanks!
12AX7 is good enough for troubleshooting if it's a known-good tube, but you will have more gain than it was designed to put out.
Just to make sure, are you talking about the XLR level control, the small black knob on the side? The level knob in the face only affects the 1/4" output.
I'm out of town at the moment, but Toronto has internet.
All this Glass Butterfly talk is forcing me to go public with my phaser dilemna.. Yes-firstcworld problems and self indulgent cork sniffing to follow. Please feel free to skip.
I love phasers I'm not embarrassed. It's gotten to where I like an always on phaser with a slow speed and a subtle depth. It's best achieved with a clean blend. It ads a dynamic movement that creates a richness that is hard to pinpoint as a phaser. There are so many great phasers, and there are so many varyinparameters, but I've discovered the feature that gives a phaser It's chefs kiss.----TOOOBS. The best phaser I've tried for what I want is the Effectrode Phaseomatic. However, most of its features are unnecessary for my purpose. For my purposes, it is overkill. It's expensive and gobbles valuable real estate. This is why I'm interested in the GB.
I would be happy to wait around and someday pock up a used one, but when Nathan discontinued it, he mentioned something about having learned enough di create something better I don't think there's been any mention of something in the pipeline, so maybe I'll stop fretting and start my hunt for real. Yes it has a bunch of settings I won't use. I have high end dedicated chorus, delays, flanger, trem, univibe etc., but at its size and price it won't feel like excess.
I WANT A TUBE PHASER!!!!!!
Well, now ive written it all down it doesnt seem like such a big deal. I feel much better already. Please resume the thread.
I love phasers I'm not embarrassed. It's gotten to where I like an always on phaser with a slow speed and a subtle depth. It's best achieved with a clean blend. It ads a dynamic movement that creates a richness that is hard to pinpoint as a phaser. There are so many great phasers, and there are so many varyinparameters, but I've discovered the feature that gives a phaser It's chefs kiss.----TOOOBS. The best phaser I've tried for what I want is the Effectrode Phaseomatic. However, most of its features are unnecessary for my purpose. For my purposes, it is overkill. It's expensive and gobbles valuable real estate. This is why I'm interested in the GB.
I would be happy to wait around and someday pock up a used one, but when Nathan discontinued it, he mentioned something about having learned enough di create something better I don't think there's been any mention of something in the pipeline, so maybe I'll stop fretting and start my hunt for real. Yes it has a bunch of settings I won't use. I have high end dedicated chorus, delays, flanger, trem, univibe etc., but at its size and price it won't feel like excess.
I WANT A TUBE PHASER!!!!!!
Well, now ive written it all down it doesnt seem like such a big deal. I feel much better already. Please resume the thread.
And another thing...
It sounds rather naive to think that just shoving a tube in a pedal will solve the world's problems. How a valve is used in a circuit varies drastically. I know that Bootlegger makes a tube phaser, but the tube is an internal preamp only and gas nothing to do with the ohasing. Ib believe the Effectrode actually uses the tube in the phasing circuit. Its probably psychological, but there us a smooth smearing at the peaks of the phase that I can only attribute to valves
Not sure about the topography of the GB. Should I be barking up a different tree?
It sounds rather naive to think that just shoving a tube in a pedal will solve the world's problems. How a valve is used in a circuit varies drastically. I know that Bootlegger makes a tube phaser, but the tube is an internal preamp only and gas nothing to do with the ohasing. Ib believe the Effectrode actually uses the tube in the phasing circuit. Its probably psychological, but there us a smooth smearing at the peaks of the phase that I can only attribute to valves
Not sure about the topography of the GB. Should I be barking up a different tree?
My understanding of the Effectrode is that they use a digital LFO (PIC microcontroller if I recall correctly) to modulate the analog (tube) signal, so the analog signal is still all tube.
GB is much simpler, it's basically a digital effect wrapped in a tube analog path. I liked how it came out, and I've thought about bringing it back, but haven't committed to it.
Idk, an always-on tube buffer in a tuner (think boss tuner with a tube) would solve many of the
Ah, honestly I read a little about the pedal when I got it and I’ve been running it for months set pretty close to how Mike Watt has his set. That makes sense with the level. I was confused I think because I gig it with only the balanced out, but at home I was using the 1/4 out until I recently began using a DI with my interface. Personally I hate it when anything changes the level on the DI out, so that’s good.
I was at a gig Friday and I couldn’t get any sound and isolated the problem to the Watt, so I messed around a bit and just ended up subbing in my backup DI since people were waiting. I’m not getting any distortion or overdrive at all, so I would think it’s the tube. The one I put in is out of a tube amp I have that worked a year ago, so I wouldn’t bet the barn on it being good. It’s a magnavox, so it’s ooooold.
So, if the tubes are bad, how would it have to be set to work? And everything but the overdrive would be functional? Anything else to try before I order another tube or two?
As far as tubes, I think my Peavey Cirrus hits it too hard so I wasn’t able to get a clean sound at all (except for now, with the probably bad tube), so do you think a 12ay7 would be a better choice, or would the 12au7 be better? Can you normally get any overdrive at all with the 12au7? Also, I’m not a wine sniffer, so do you think the JJ tube is the best value tube to put in? Thanks!
I had the correct tube in it, and it wasn’t working. I am going to order another tube asap though. I’m not getting a pro power supply though because I only use the Watt. Unless Nathan tells me to ;-)
We're on the same page. This is exactly how I use my GB 98% of the time. It has a its' own blend/mix control. The other 2% of the time I turn the affected mix from minimal to about 50% for an obvious, spacey phaser effect. I suspect you might get a similar tone by putting More in front of your favorite phaser, or routing one through a Greenhouse....but that'd take a lot of real estate and $$$. The features of the GB are also great because (unlike many other phasers) it also has its own master volume control.
LOOKING to TRADE for a DETECTIVE or Elementary. I have available for trade: Master Effects Super 40, Empress Nebulus. I also have factory custom colored/finished Dreamcatcher (purple dirty magic with green LEDs) and Underground Accelerator (matte black with red LEDs) but I'd only part with the latter 2 for added cash or similarly cool finishes. I also have various vintage tubes that could be part of a deal.
Interesting. After my therapy post I began considering pairing a great phaser with a Greenhouse. I actually have a greenhouse that isn't currently being used. Hmmm...
If the tube is bad, the only thing that will work is bypass, which means no compressor and no preamp. You would need to set both switches to Dry. I'll have to double check but I think you may also need to turn up the XLR level to get an unattenuated passive DI signal level when XLR is set to dry. It will be normal for this level to be much lower than the preamp DI output because you're literally going straight into the transformer with no active circuitry.
12AU7 will give you zero drive in the circuit. Mike Watt chose the 12AY7 in order to get some breakup but not overwhelming overdrive. If you want more drive you can go heavier like 12AT7 or even 12AX7 if you want.
I like JJ because I consider them to be kind of "middle of the road" tonally, they're not too much of anything. If you don't know specifically what you want from a tube, chances are you'll like JJ.
Let us know how you get on with the greenhouse phaser combo. I find using the GB like lomo it adds a nice colour/warmth to my bass sound and when switching the pedal off, it makes it sound a bit bland in comparison.
Are you saying that the DI can work as a passive DI in bypass mode or does it still need power? Specifically asking regarding the Finally v3 and Neptunium.
I might have
Hmm. I’m going to have to consider there might be some user error involved, but I do think the tube is toast. Thanks!
The DI can only work as a passive DI in bypass mode in bigger units; Finally v3 and Neptunium (anything that size) is too small to accommodate the switch.
I hope I’m allowed to post this here, but I just released a demo video of the Mayday on my YouTube channel. Hopefully it is helpful for someone who is on the fence about picking one up:
