Just curious. Do you guys prefer using the UA as a boost/drive or as a always on preamp and why?
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The Sushi Box FX Secret Society
- Thread starter kranahan
- Start date
- Apr 29, 2003
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- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
I didn’t quite bond with the elementary until I tried the gain at 9 o’clock and the master set to unity output. Then it really opened up for me. But I’m not a high gain/od kinda guy.
I've only had my UA for a few days, and I'm really liking it so far. Personally using it as an always on preamp for the tube warmth and presence. I'm not much of a OD/distortion guy in regular ensemble use, but the UA has a nice OD breakup which is good to have that in my bag of tricks if I need it.
- Nov 12, 2006
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- Endorsing Artist:Ernie Ball / mike lull
I personally put a 12at7 in to achieve not getting to much od but pushing the tube into a nice compression and warm drive.
It's an easy always-on for me. Given that it (and the London Underground, which I also use regularly) is based on the Orange AD200 front end, and my main amp these days is a Mesa Subway head, I find it adds a familiar tube character and response which I love. I used an Orange tube head as my main amp for a decade, but have gone more modular/light in recent times. Used to set that amp *right* on the edge of breakup, and let my playing and/or pedals push it further as needed, and the Sushi stuff is perfect for replicating that feel and tone in an otherwise nice, clean platform Mesa head.
I also get ampless, and fly-out gigs now, where I wasn't before, so having something which I can pack in my carryon luggage, or bring easily on public transit for in-town gigs, is very welcome. And for any backline (or ampless) situations, I've got an instant shot of 'my' sound just sitting on the pedalboard, which helps get me sonic consistency from gig-to-gig.
@jaibeau is onto something with regards to putting a lower gain tube in, if you are going for that edge-of-breakup, full tube saturation tone, which isn't really dirty *or* clean. I put a 5751 tube into both of my Sushis, and it works a treat. It's about 70% of the gain of a standard 12AX7, but you can go even lower gain with the AT7 or AU7 tubes, too.
It's hard to recommend perfect settings to try, since everybody's basses, playing style, amps, pedalboards, and tonal preferences are going to vary so massively. I'd recommend using a flat-ish EQ to start (so, mids cranked, and treble/bass pretty low if not off altogether), then adjusting gain until you just start breaking up the tube when digging in. From there, adjust the master volume as needed, and then tweak the EQ if you find you need a little touch of this or that.
I feel like it is overall slightly smoother in the highs compared to the UA, I also feel like the lows are slightly more organic sounding perhaps. Just a touch of heft in a pleasing way.
This being said I suspect sticking a lower gain tube into either the UA/Slampegg would get closer to what I find desirable about the More. Maybe would have a dash more color and be less transparent as well, but I haven’t tried it myself.
That’s exactly how I’ve been setting mine. Gain to edge of breakup, volume to unity, mids at 10, bass from 9-12 o’clock depending on how boomy the room is. Treble seems to have no affect (same on the Slampegg).
I use my HWUA as an always on preamp close to the end of my signal chain, it is pushed pretty hard to get "edge of grit". My other UA has a 12ax7MG that I use with my fretless for the enhanced mids and different saturation profile.
There is an enhancement or added richness & depth due to the dual tubes of the MORE and other dual tube pedals, I get the same enhancement from the JC Emerald and Bass Dude (bassman prototype)
There is an enhancement or added richness & depth due to the dual tubes of the MORE and other dual tube pedals, I get the same enhancement from the JC Emerald and Bass Dude (bassman prototype)
Well done, Jake! Your usual thoughtful, working player, practical reviews. Thank you. I wish you could review the entire Sushi line!
So for you, the Elementary is a keeper. How about the More?
I use the UA as an always-on preamp and run it on the edge of break-up. I use a broughton scorpion to push the UA into overdrive and it's a delightful combination. On the same board, I also use a MORE near the end of the signal path. The MORE is a great example of a special sauce device and it offers awesome heft and presence.
On my second board, I am using the Elementary as an always-on preamp and I'm really smitten with it at the moment. The Elementary offers many of the same qualities I enjoy about the UA, but with its own personality. I also run it on the edge of break-up, pushing it with the CAL Grizzly and the broughton calamity; I am really enjoying this combination.
Nathan is one of my favorite pedal designers and I can't heap enough praise on Sushi Box FX.
On my second board, I am using the Elementary as an always-on preamp and I'm really smitten with it at the moment. The Elementary offers many of the same qualities I enjoy about the UA, but with its own personality. I also run it on the edge of break-up, pushing it with the CAL Grizzly and the broughton calamity; I am really enjoying this combination.
Nathan is one of my favorite pedal designers and I can't heap enough praise on Sushi Box FX.
- Apr 29, 2003
- 9,078
- 9,800
- Disclosures
- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
Thanks very much, I appreciate that. I like the More a lot, but the elementary seemed to check more boxes for me, and I was able to get a similar (not identical) benefit from it, along with a handful of other tones. Yeah, now I want to try out the whole line!!
YMMV, I’m sure, depending on your setup. I was playing it yesterday with my upright and my passive J, and if memory serves, had it set up something like: gain at 9-10 o’clock, volume at unity (2 o’clock-ish), mids cranked, treble @ zero, bass @ 1-2 o’clock. I think I had slightly different settings with my Stingray Special (much hotter signal).
Thank you, sir...always great to hear from a fellow Canuck, eh!
I know everyone's setup is different but, with my old ears, I always look to others for a reference point.
I have a passive Fender P (with LB flats), and love the old school (tubey) stuff. Hopefully, the UA will come through...
The settings will differ with each bass, and also change if the pedals upstream from the UA are changed in any way. I use a Dream Catcher as my main tone enhancer....its' "blue" channel is the same circuit as a UA and it also has a 2nd "red" channel that's a higher gain circuit. I set both at unity gain so I have 3 flavours available....unaffected, tube warmth with bass boost (the UA/blue channel) and gritty with mild bass and moderate treble boost. I compensate for mid scoop of the pedal by nudging mids on my Diamond comp and/or head......but I have to change the settings on the pedal if I switch basses.
edit-my UA channel is usually run with bass at 4, mids at 10, treble at 0 . Remember flat for the UA is 0, 10, 0
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Beauty way to go, eh!
I think you’ll like the UA, if you’re into that old school sound. I was also interested in the Slampegg for that very reason, but none were readily available, so I pulled the trigger on the UA. I’ll probably end up with both (apparently I’ve got chronic GAS).
Yah, have a beer, eh!
I had both as well as the Ampeg 20T. Sold the Slampegg and 20T. Just not into the Ampeg sound, I guess.
I had both as well as the Ampeg 20T. Sold the Slampegg and 20T. Just not into the Ampeg sound, I guess.
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