The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[Sushi Box FX]

Question about the sushibox preamp delicacies, which ones provide for a more scooped tone and which provide more focus in the mids?

My experience, so far, is only with the Elementary, which, to my ear, tends to sound scooped. In other words, when using that pedal, I find it a little more difficult dialing in mids with a Jbass.

Thoughts, comments, and, opinions?

The tricky thing is that it's hard to boost mids with a passive tonestack, and it's uncommon for a tube preamp to have an active tonestack. There are only three designs I've ever done that are capable of boosting mids:

• SBVT - Ampeg uses an inductor-based passive mids circuit capable of boosting
• Venus X - we use an active EQ with independent low-mids and hi-mids controls
• Furthermore (not yet released) - uses an inductor-based passive mids circuit capable of boosting separate low-mids and high-mids

I will continue to mention that Venus X is an exceptional piece of gear and I'm immensely proud of it. @TonyP- wanted something unique, not just another Fender or another Ampeg, and that's very much what we ended up with.

 

[Derek Williams]

Well, you just hit the nail on the head. I tried to avoid the ‘Ampeg’ influenced characteristic. I might get flogged for this, but I am not an Ampeg fan. I’m not saying Ampeg is bad, but my personal taste lies elsewhere.

I am currently playing (at home only) through an Aguilar. I also have an Eden head that I fond of. I’m here because I gig ampless these days.

The Venus X might be worth looking at. A bit pricier than the others, but it will give you the most mid control of the Sushi pedals.

 

[Mr_McBride]

The tricky thing is that it's hard to boost mids with a passive tonestack, and it's uncommon for a tube preamp to have an active tonestack. There are only three designs I've ever done that are capable of boosting mids:

• SBVT - Ampeg uses an inductor-based passive mids circuit capable of boosting
• Venus X - we use an active EQ with independent low-mids and hi-mids controls
• Furthermore (not yet released) - uses an inductor-based passive mids circuit capable of boosting separate low-mids and high-mids

I will continue to mention that Venus X is an exceptional piece of gear and I'm immensely proud of it. @TonyP- wanted something unique, not just another Fender or another Ampeg, and that's very much what we ended up with.

The Eden head I have with the semi-parametric EQ would be one if those tube preamp exceptions.

I’ll take a closer look at the Venus X, but it would be good to have more tone samples/in-depth reviews. And, the Furthermore definitely has my attention.

Takes for your hard work chasing our tone desires.

 

[Mr_McBride]

The Venus X might be worth looking at. A bit pricier than the others, but it will give you the most mid control of the Sushi pedals.

Understood, but can it match the EQ control of the Tone Hammer DI with the variable mid frequencies?

 

[Derek Williams]

Understood, but can it match the EQ control of the Tone Hammer DI with the variable mid frequencies?

I don't think either will match each other for EQ control as they both have features the other doesn't. The Venus X allows you to manipulate 2 different fixed mid frequencies, while the Tone Hammer gives you variable control of a single mid frequency.

It would also be good to see some more demos of the Venus X with different styles. Not to take away from the demos that Tony and Rodney McG have done on YouTube, but both demos contain mostly fast or aggressive playing and don't quite show off the range of drive from the high gain section (need some of that "low" high gain).

I intend to pick one up eventually, it's just not quite an impulse buy with the higher price.

 

[Mr_McBride]

I love the Elementary and the Tine Hammer DI, but not when both are enabled together.

The Tone Hammer DI AGS does emulate the tube sound pretty good, but it does not add the rich deep bottom or punch that SushiBox brings.

 

[bassbrad]

I love the Elementary and the Tine Hammer DI, but not when both are enabled together.

The Tone Hammer DI AGS does emulate the tube sound pretty good, but it does not add the rich deep bottom or punch that SushiBox brings.

It might help you if you play with the graph for HiWatt on TSC in the Web. I have found that helpful with other preamps I use as well as copping tones.

BTW I agree with you on the SVT and most other Ampeg tones with the exception of the B15. Not a Fender devotee either.

 

[mrperkolator]

It might help you if you play with the graph for HiWatt on TSC in the Web. I have found that helpful with other preamps I use as well as copping tones.

BTW I agree with you on the SVT and most other Ampeg tones with the exception of the B15. Not a Fender devotee either.

I hit like but…. The amount of time I’m about to spend playing with that webpage is going to be ridiculous. Hiwatt seems to have a dip in mids, but I can’t figure where the vertex is on that dip. It’s making me wonder why the hiwatt sound I normally hear is usually aggressive, other than boost in higher hz. A mid cut at right spot usually is warm not aggressive.

b15 is one of my favorite tones. The warm soft pillow thing it does is excellent

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I’ll take a closer look at the Venus X, but it would be good to have more tone samples/in-depth reviews.

More to come, but I love this one for now.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

…b15 is one of my favorite tones. The warm soft pillow thing it does is excellent

IMHO Slampegg Bee crushes this in a stomp box.

 

[Derek Williams]

I hit like but…. The amount of time I’m about to spend playing with that webpage is going to be ridiculous. Hiwatt seems to have a dip in mids, but I can’t figure where the vertex is on that dip. It’s making me wonder why the hiwatt sound I normally hear is usually aggressive, other than boost in higher hz. A mid cut at right spot usually is warm not aggressive.

b15 is one of my favorite tones. The warm soft pillow thing it does is excellent

I'm no expert when it comes to the difference in these circuits, but I expect that the aggressiveness doesn't come from the EQ.

 

[mrperkolator]

IMHO Slampegg Bee crushes this in a stomp box.

so I’ve heard. I’m eagerly watching for the grand slampegg as well. I need to practice a lot more before buying new gear though - which works with sushi’s timeline anyway. I got some time to figure it out.

 

[bassbrad]

IMHO Slampegg Bee crushes this in a stomp box.

I have a mini tube version that is perfection in tone, used all the time for recording.
Makes me anxious for the Grand Slampeggerator Bee

That might be my Christmas or post surgery present to me.
That or a Finally v2
perhaps both.

 

[TonyP-]

Hello All,
Here is another quick and dirty demo from Mr. Jon Moody

 

[wolffire99]

Someone asked me which of my three sushibox pedals is my favorite (More, UA, Slampegg) and it was really hard to decide but if I had to only have one it would be the Slampegg because it’s the one I would have the hardest time duplicating with an EQ or other gear. I didn’t feel that way at first, but it’s so pillow-y soft and fat, I love it.

 

[BrentSimons]

More to come, but I love this one for now.

Great Guy to have do a demo! I'm glad he is feeling better!

 

[TonyP-]

Great Guy to have do a demo! I'm glad he is feeling better!

Jon is rare breed and a wonderful human. I was stoked to get him a Venus X.

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

The Eden head I have with the semi-parametric EQ would be one if those tube preamp exceptions.

I’ll take a closer look at the Venus X, but it would be good to have more tone samples/in-depth reviews. And, the Furthermore definitely has my attention.

Takes for your hard work chasing our tone desires.

The Eden Navigator pre ruined me for life because of that eq. I cant stand not having a para mid now

 

[J.Wolf]

My reviews of the Elementary and More just went up. LOVING the Elementary, its a fixture on my board. At low gain settings, it gives some of those big dogs a run for the money. Review: Sushi Box Elementary and More Pedals

 

[DingwallDingus]

Pretty much spot on with the More review, its subtle but I appreciate it for that in a way that the UA or Slampegg doesn’t quite do for me.

Elementary is less of my thing atleast in the use case of warming up a class D head + pedals. Still I could probably use a revisit of it and the other one tube offerings.