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The Sushi Box FX Secret Society
- Thread starter kranahan
- Start date
Just arrived, time to try it out!
So this is a fun one, I got my Carvin AC40 to sound like an upright going through my PJB BG-400. Very cool, might just use this to go direct at rehearsals now (assuming there's a PA available). Is there a HPF built into this? I noticed that it cut some of the mud out of the signal from the Realist Copperhead on my upright - I tried it both with and without my FDeck HPF, and while it (obviously) didn't completely cut out the mud it definitely made a difference. Just curious.
I think you are hearing why the B15 is such a popular recording amp and the SB gives the same pleasure.
I'm really glad I decided to give Dreamcatcher the 350V treatment, I had almost forgotten how much I love this thing. The clean channel is everything I love about Underground Accelerator and the dirt channel is everything I love about Black Eye II. It's just the perfect blend of smoothness and aggression. It's beautiful, and after playing it for the last 45 minutes straight (I had to try rounds and tapewounds) I think I can say it just might be my favorite thing I make. Like if there was a Señor Sushi signature preamp, I think this would be it.
Anyway just thought you all should know Dreamcatcher is back in stock.
Anyway just thought you all should know Dreamcatcher is back in stock.
Probably also worth mentioning, More is also back in stock.
It's definitely my fave S-Box as well. I kind of wish I needed another, but after recently rigging up "my favourite everything and still small enough to sit on top of a cab" board on a 9.5x11.5 split level NUX Bumble Bee I'm feeling strangely ´board stable’.......
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Bass: noon, Mids: 9:00, Treble: fully CCW
That's about as flat as it gets with a 5dB dip around 400hz.
I run mine Bass: noon, Mids: 3:00 to fully CW and Treble: 9:00. It sounds great!
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,010
- 5
- 220,847
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
As a general comment, not a criticism on these transformers, there are a couple of puzzling conclusions being made that make no technical or scientific sense.
Looking at the plots, at 20Hz there is ~1dB of difference, and at 30Hz there is ~1/2dB of difference. This alone is well within the normal manufacturing tolerances of 5% components, even without considering the variability of a tube.
Also, considering that a (ridiculously low) 20Hz HPF will be -3dB at 20Hz, how much if the potential difference is purely academic?
Another critical issue when characterizing frequency response on an audio transformer is the source and load impedance. Change either and the frequency response can change a lot. There are ways to use this characteristic to artificially create the perception of differences that are due purely to the interaction with source and load.
Another characteristic of audio transformers that’s often overlooked is what the distortion is at various frequencies and as the source and load impedances change. This can be extremely enlightening when investigating perceptions of difference between transformers.
I swear every time I see a Nano Qtron I want one, the Dr Q was my first filter pedal [out of way too many] and all 3 of mine are not functioning and my original NYC Qtron is only used in the studio. If they do a Pico version I will certainly pop.
Until then "I must stand pat, not bob". (Bad poker joke from my Pop). Actually it usually got laughs especially to break the tension at high stakes poker games.
To go along with what @agedhorse is saying, I have some $0.99 transformers from eBay that test flat from 20 to 20k in the right circuit.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,010
- 5
- 220,847
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Generally this involves a low source impedance and a high load impedance than the design goals. An unloaded or very lightly loaded audio transformer can appear to "defy gravity".
All fair points. I'll freely admit my brain sometimes tries to make my ears hear things that it thinks should be there. When I see these graphs then listen to the two side-by-side, it's not an "AHA! It's so obvious!", it's more of a "Hmm, I think I hear something there." It's a subtle difference, but I feel like I hear something and now my brain is trying to say "this must be it".
My analysis software has a setting for measuring distortion, but alas it's one of those things that gives so much information it goes over my head, and I'm not even sure I set it up properly.
EDIT: apparently I decided I was measuring "doistortion", guess that's a new pedal name now.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,010
- 5
- 220,847
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
There's some important hints in the distortion plots that might explain in part what you are hearing. Assuming that these are dB relative to voltage and not power, as expected the distortion components are quite high which takes the low fundamental and generates a new signal that is fundamental plus harmonics. There are 2 different families of distortion, the low frequency and high frequency components of the composite.
How does this play into perception? Play a 40Hz tone and you will get back 40Hz plus about 1.5% of each of the 4 LF harmonics (can't tell exactly what the graph is portraying for each) which under some conditions can sound more full and "complex".
Now at the other end, in the 1kHz-5kHz range, take the natural harmonics present in a mildly overdriven signal and pass it through the transformer and like magic, additional harmonics are added along with the original harmonics and just like the distortion itself, can generate a pleasing perception.
This is exactly why players focusing on amp distortion of less than 0.1% as "better" are missing the entire picture of why an MI amp is in part an instrument used to create additional tones from the instrument itself. Most players can't even hear 5% under the most ideal conditions.
How does this play into perception? Play a 40Hz tone and you will get back 40Hz plus about 1.5% of each of the 4 LF harmonics (can't tell exactly what the graph is portraying for each) which under some conditions can sound more full and "complex".
Now at the other end, in the 1kHz-5kHz range, take the natural harmonics present in a mildly overdriven signal and pass it through the transformer and like magic, additional harmonics are added along with the original harmonics and just like the distortion itself, can generate a pleasing perception.
This is exactly why players focusing on amp distortion of less than 0.1% as "better" are missing the entire picture of why an MI amp is in part an instrument used to create additional tones from the instrument itself. Most players can't even hear 5% under the most ideal conditions.
All well explained, Andy, as always.
Your sentence that I quoted from your post is particularly noteworthy for all those people out there who would have us bass players get rid of all amplifiers, completely. I don't know how many times I've fought with sound techs about using an amp, either onstage or in recording. They don't get that amps are our sound, and contribute to the tones we need to hear to play at our best. Amps are a big part of our identity as musicians.
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- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,010
- 5
- 220,847
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Much of this can also be achieved in a suitable preamp that uses the same principles, but plugging straight in makes it more difficult unless the sound tech grasps what you are trying to do and has the tools needed to achieve this (either through suitable channel strip processing and/or plug-in processing).
I just find it ugly personally to each their ownYa mean them bees don't have any knees???. IMHO, it doesn't matter...it's the sound that counts.
My current, and hopefully last, pedal configuration. The Edison and More play extremely well together, and work well stand alone too. Very happy with this combo. I alternate between the Slampegg and the SGT-DI for preamp duties.
Hey, y’all! I recently acquired this PA here at TB and I have a couple of questions:
why is this one blue instead of space-looking? Is it a first gen or something? Anything I should know about this gen?
more importantly - what power supply do you use and how many max milliamps of current do you have this pedal plugged into? I have plugged it into a 300ma slot on a rechargeable power supply and last time it went silent after a while. Then I switched to a separate 9v 500ma wall wart and it started working again. Not sure if it’s the load on the PS or just poor quality PS.
why is this one blue instead of space-looking? Is it a first gen or something? Anything I should know about this gen?
more importantly - what power supply do you use and how many max milliamps of current do you have this pedal plugged into? I have plugged it into a 300ma slot on a rechargeable power supply and last time it went silent after a while. Then I switched to a separate 9v 500ma wall wart and it started working again. Not sure if it’s the load on the PS or just poor quality PS.
