The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[NKBassman]

Initial thoughts on the London Underground are favorable. It's a great sounding preamp pedal and does a nice smooth tube tone. I can tell already I'll tend towards using it on the cleaner side of things, as that sounded really good.
Unfortunately I didn't think it was working for the song I was trying to track yesterday, so I didn't spend a tonne of time with it, but I'll get back on it later this week.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I've been looking at the 9V-12V circuit so I can have X series pedals take a 9V input, but based on the simulations I'm running accepting a 9V input would mean they can't take a 12V input anymore.

So just for fun I plugged a 9V input into my LU X and there is absolutely no discernible difference. I did a quick A/B between a 9V supply and 12V supply to make sure, and zero difference. The only place it really matters is tube heaters, which are technically supposed to be 12.6V, and running them a little low tends to improve the life of the tube, but running the heaters too low will make it really noisy. But there is no audible difference between my 12V 1.5A supply and my 9V 1Spot.

So there you go everyone, if you have an X series pedal, try it out with 9V and let me know how it goes.

 

[40Hz]

@Sushi Box FX - any chance you might consider doing a “true” (as in frequency modulating) vibrato someday? I’ve yet to find a vibrato I think really works well with bass. And I’ve tried quite a few.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

@Sushi Box FX - any chance you might consider doing a “true” (as in frequency modulating) vibrato someday? I’ve yet to find a vibrato I think really works well with bass. And I’ve tried quite a few.

I mean I'll at least consider doing just about anything, but true vibrato is a complicated thing to do, it would take some work.

 

[kranahan]

I've been looking at the 9V-12V circuit so I can have X series pedals take a 9V input, but based on the simulations I'm running accepting a 9V input would mean they can't take a 12V input anymore.

So just for fun I plugged a 9V input into my LU X and there is absolutely no discernible difference. I did a quick A/B between a 9V supply and 12V supply to make sure, and zero difference. The only place it really matters is tube heaters, which are technically supposed to be 12.6V, and running them a little low tends to improve the life of the tube, but running the heaters too low will make it really noisy. But there is no audible difference between my 12V 1.5A supply and my 9V 1Spot.

So there you go everyone, if you have an X series pedal, try it out with 9V and let me know how it goes.

What’s the current at 9V?

 

[40Hz]

I mean I'll at least consider doing just about anything, but true vibrato is a complicated thing to do, it would take some work.

I figured as much. Which is why I’m guessing you see so many iterations of most other effects, but seldom that many vibrato pedals.

Sorry. Not trying to come across as me sitting around finding things for you to come up with. It was more me thinking out loud while wondering if you had ever considered it.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

What’s the current at 9V?

So I'm going to get another reading with a different meter, but 210mA is what it's saying right now. That seems like a winner.

 

[Vermouth]

Does this apply to all X pedals then? Curious what the full draw is at 12V too.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Does this apply to all X pedals then? Curious what the full draw is at 12V too.

Well you're not going to believe this, but I'm getting 240mA at 12V. This is on my LUX, but it should be the same for any single-tube X series pedal.

 

[letsgethandsome]

Well you're not going to believe this, but I'm getting 240mA at 12V. This is on my LUX, but it should be the same for any single-tube X series pedal.

View attachment 4126184

Wow this is all kind of a development, huh?…

So sometime while you’re in the lab you need to plug one of those preamp’s into the Westinghouse Proto and see if it’s glorious?

 

[NKBassman]

Well you're not going to believe this, but I'm getting 240mA at 12V. This is on my LUX, but it should be the same for any single-tube X series pedal.

Is it too late to exchange my just-delivered LU for a LUX? lol

 

[letsgethandsome]

Is it too late to exchange my just-delivered LU for a LUX? lol

I know right? I have a regular one on the way as well… The 9 V thing definitely changes the equation For some of us as far as the X series goes…It’s all a very quickly developing situation

All part of the ride I suppose!

 

[NKBassman]

I know right? I have a regular one on the way as well… The 9 V thing definitely changes the equation For some of us as far as the X series goes…It’s all a very quickly developing situation

All part of the ride I suppose!

I'm just kidding of course. However, the 12V requirement was all that was holding me back from going to X series. If the X work fine at 9V, and have lower current draw, then I don't see a downside other than any tonal changes, which sounds like is a negligible difference.

 

[letsgethandsome]

I'm just kidding of course. However, the 12V requirement was all that was holding me back from going to X series. If the X work fine at 9V, and have lower current draw, then I don't see a downside other than any tonal changes, which sounds like is a negligible difference.

I’m just kidding too… I’m super excited to get my mini tube London Underground but all these options and new cool stuff in the pipeline make for some tough first world bass player problems LOL

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I’m just kidding too… I’m super excited to get my mini tube London Underground but all these options and new cool stuff in the pipeline make for some tough first world bass player problems LOL

Eventually I have to get to a point where I'm not releasing new things right? I just need to stop having ideas, then everyone will be happy

 

[kranahan]

Eventually I have to get to a point where I'm not releasing new things right? I just need to stop having ideas, then everyone will be happy

I'm all for the new ideas. Keep 'em coming!

I also think a full X-series line-up is important. Especially now that they power at 9V.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I'm all for the new ideas. Keep 'em coming!

I also think a full X-series line-up is important. Especially now that they power at 9V.

Yup, almost there. The only one that is going to be tricky is the Sunnday Drive, I'm trying to figure out how to do that in the same size enclosure as Dr. Wattson X and Deep Dish without losing the boost. The box isn't super roomy with a single footswitch, so I'm trying to figure out how to get a second one in there.

So question for the Sunnday Drive owners (and for those that like to imagine hypotheticals): is the boost something that's valuable to have on a footswitch, or would it be just as valuable on a toggle switch?

 

[TheLopp]

Yup, almost there. The only one that is going to be tricky is the Sunnday Drive, I'm trying to figure out how to do that in the same size enclosure as Dr. Wattson X and Deep Dish without losing the boost. The box isn't super roomy with a single footswitch, so I'm trying to figure out how to get a second one in there.

So question for the Sunnday Drive owners (and for those that like to imagine hypotheticals): is the boost something that's valuable to have on a footswitch, or would it be just as valuable on a toggle switch?

Wouldn’t it be better to have the on/off switch as a toggle and the boost as a foot switch? Seems more usable since a preamp mostly is on and a boost is something you go back and fort with. Just a thought.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Wouldn’t it be better to have the on/off switch as a toggle and the boost as a foot switch? Seems more usable since a preamp mostly is on and a boost is something you go back and fort with. Just a thought.

That's a good point, I guess it comes down to whether it's going to be used as a traditional drive pedal or whether it's going to be used as an always-on preamp.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Just got back from picking up the big batch of old tubes, and it looks like I got some free advertising materials: