The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[GR7G5TER]

Did I not talk about that? Thought I did. Anyway...

Firebox is my attempt at a tube-driven power amp emulator similar to how SWR did with the Interstellar Overdrive. I have a simple tube preamp (Space Heater) going into a low-power (1/2W) power amp with an output transformer and everything. Then instead of a speaker we have a dummy load with a tap into a line out. This gives you the response of a tube power amp and the effect of the power transformer but lets you run it into an IR loader or similar device to give you essentially an entire combo amp sound the size of a pedal.

So I built up a prototype and it works, but I dropped the level too hard so it's not loud enough to be useful. I should be able to swap one component and have it be usable enough to try out.

Now this sounds very interesting! What valves are driving the power side and does it get that nice power tube fatnes when breaking up?

I could imagine running this with a pedal board and a compact power amp (i use a GSS suma) for a really compact true valve set up!

This could be the droid I'm looking for.

 

[mmbongo]

Is anyone powering a More with a CIOKS 7? Is its' standard single outlet enough (I would surmise that at 660mw it is, allowing for a fairly slow warmup)?

Yep, no issues. I never even thought about it needing more current than the Cioks is rated for.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Now this sounds very interesting! What valves are driving the power side and does it get that nice power tube fatnes when breaking up?

I could imagine running this with a pedal board and a compact power amp (i use a GSS suma) for a really compact true valve set up!

This could be the droid I'm looking for.

It uses a 12AU7 in self-split ("pseudo push-pull") as any true power tube (6L6, EL34, KT88, etc) is too big and requires too much power to fit into a pedal enclosure. It needs some adjustments before I can really gauge the tone I'm getting out of it.

 

[GR7G5TER]

It uses a 12AU7 in self-split ("pseudo push-pull") as any true power tube (6L6, EL34, KT88, etc) is too big and requires too much power to fit into a pedal enclosure. It needs some adjustments before I can really gauge the tone I'm getting out of it.

I'd be really interested to see how this progresses and the tones it produces.

I like the fact it has a dummy load, being able to run it into an IR, power amp/desk and with an XLR Di and you're beginning to think about leaving your tube head at home!

 

[Jared Houseman]

What is the input impedance on the Echo Foxtrot? I'd like to know how it preforms as an acoustic preamp.

I'm thinking of building a space heater for bass guitar and a echo foxtrot for upright

 

[CH Design]

Yep, no issues. I never even thought about it needing more current than the Cioks is rated for.

+1

I bought the parallel adapter when my More came in. I’ve tried it with and without and not noticed any difference.

 

[Bassgeer]

The hamster in my mind was randomly turning the wheel when it asked me what my favourite preamp of all time is, and the answer was immediately obvious: Mesa Walkabout (honourable mention to Eden WT550). That'd be a beast to put in a box....active eq with parametric eq with passive mids, but oooooooooh.......

Yes, so much yes!!!

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

My purple led in my deep dish is still going strong worst case scenario if it fries I grab one of these new pink ones they still look pretty purply to me

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

I meant to post a picture of the pink LEDs. I think they look great, I have them in a couple personal builds now.

View attachment 4833400

This looks incredible

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

The hamster in my mind was randomly turning the wheel when it asked me what my favourite preamp of all time is, and the answer was immediately obvious: Mesa Walkabout (honourable mention to Eden WT550). That'd be a beast to put in a box....active eq with parametric eq with passive mids, but oooooooooh.......

I can agree to this whole heartedly I just got a mesa wd800 and it instantly got me hooked

 

[pshep68]

I am looking to buy a a tube preamp. I play a Fender 4 String Jazz through a Markbass Little Mark 800 & 410 MB cab. I am looking for tube warmth, growl and all the dynamic tone a tube preamp produces. Someone suggested I pop over to The Sushi Box FX Secret Society for some help. Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Hasty]

I am looking to buy a a tube preamp. I play a Fender 4 String Jazz through a Markbass Little Mark 800 & 410 MB cab. I am looking for tube warmth, growl and all the dynamic tone a tube preamp produces. Someone suggested I pop over to The Sushi Box FX Secret Society for some help. Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Oh goodness... gird your loins. There are literally tons of options available to you. Depends on the dynamic effects you're wanting. My personal experience is with the Space Heater and the Underground Accelerator. One has a tone stack, the other is just gain and level. Both are amazing.

Others will chime in momentarily.

 

[macmanlou]

I am looking for tube warmth, growl and all the dynamic tone a tube preamp produces.

I'd suggest the Slampegg Bee Pre X. Based on the legendary Ampeg B-15N/B-25. Small, simple and very versatile.

 

[bassbrad]

I am looking to buy a a tube preamp. I play a Fender 4 String Jazz through a Markbass Little Mark 800 & 410 MB cab. I am looking for tube warmth, growl and all the dynamic tone a tube preamp produces. Someone suggested I pop over to The Sushi Box FX Secret Society for some help. Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

IMHO the Underground Accelerator is the best all around for neo-modern tones with a versatile gain structure from clean to crunch and a useful tone circuit. This is based largely on the Fender Showman/Bassman preamp heard on so many records it is impossible to recon. The UA also has a tone stack bypass for pure tube gain but careful there is a serious output jump.

The Slampegg Bee also has many fans for Classic Ampeg style vintage warmth. This is the sound heard on many records from Motown to classic R&R and C&W.

The MORE is best for very clean tube tones and that je ne sais quoi. This is based on the input and output stages of a rack style compressor minus the compressor.

There are other preamps that are much more specific in their sound.

To further confuse things many pedals are available as Hand Wired or HW versions, these run at a higher voltage for increased headroom and certain improvements in sound. FAQ – Sushi Box FX

 

[eeyorebass]

I am looking to buy a a tube preamp. I play a Fender 4 String Jazz through a Markbass Little Mark 800 & 410 MB cab. I am looking for tube warmth, growl and all the dynamic tone a tube preamp produces. Someone suggested I pop over to The Sushi Box FX Secret Society for some help. Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Your best starting point, if you aren't looking to emulate a specific amp, is the Underground Accelerator.

 

[Derek Williams]

Is anyone powering a More with a CIOKS 7? Is its' standard single outlet enough (I would surmise that at 660mw it is, allowing for a fairly slow warmup)?

Yes. I gave everything a minute to warm up just in case, but never had an issue.

 

[CH Design]

@Sushi Box FX
A Hazlab/Spector 2-band EQ in a pedal format, with a tube.
Spector growl and tube warmth with any bass.

Haz this been given any more thought?

 

[dedpool1052]

Haz this been given any more thought?

I certainly hope so!

 

[Sushi Box FX]

What is the input impedance on the Echo Foxtrot? I'd like to know how it preforms as an acoustic preamp.

I'm thinking of building a space heater for bass guitar and a echo foxtrot for upright

As-designed it should be right around 1M. There's one resistor that effectively sets it though, so let me know if you want it higher and I can tell you what to change.

I am looking to buy a a tube preamp. I play a Fender 4 String Jazz through a Markbass Little Mark 800 & 410 MB cab. I am looking for tube warmth, growl and all the dynamic tone a tube preamp produces. Someone suggested I pop over to The Sushi Box FX Secret Society for some help. Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Welcome I'm always excited to hear that people enjoy my pedals enough to recommend them to others, and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I try to be as unbiased as possible, I recommend what I think people will like rather than just what makes me the most money, but obviously I like to sell pedals, so keep that in mind with anything I say

There have been some great suggestions made, but as the person with (almost certainly) the most experience with these pedals I can give my take. Warmth, growl, and dynamic tone says Slampegg Bee Pre to me, it's based on the Ampeg B-15 and is among my growlier pedals, though I believe Elementary and Dr. Wattson are both solidly in the warm and growly territory as well.

But I will also echo what was expressed above, if you aren't 100% sure exactly what you're looking for, it's hard to go wrong with the Underground Accelerator. The intention of that one was to be, above else, flexible. I wanted something I could hand to any bassist and they should be able to dial in a sound they like. It isn't "extremely" anything, it's just "generally" everything. If you have a very specific sound in mind this may not get you exactly that, but it will never sound bad.

Haz this been given any more thought?

Yup. Certainly haz. Not a lot of specific thought, like "this is exactly what I'm going to do, this is what it will look like, this is how much it will cost," just more along the lines of "yeah that would be kind of neat to try out, I wonder how it would sound."

 

[pshep68]

Great info. Thank you folks.