the best dynamic stomps for Roadster

[kryho]

Hello guys 8)
Please write your suggestions or the ones you own and really make your roadsters unique - I mean overdrives or boosters. And of course, what channel and mode do you find them the best to work with. Maybe xxx overdrive to xxx channel xxx mode makes perfect Marshall JCM 800 or Bogner? :wink:
Any sound clips?
I'm going to experiment a lot and any idea will be helpful.
THANX!

 

[Nitrobattery]

I love my Maxon OD808. I use it to boost channels 3 and 4 for a tight high gain tone, and add it to channels 1 and 2 when I want a little more grit. I have channel 1 set to fat and dial in a super clean tone, channel 2 is set to brit mode for a sort of Marshall type tone. Engaging the overdrive to channel 1 gives me a lower gain Andy Timmons sort of a sound, and on channel two it pushes it to more of a liquid almost Mark Series type tone.

 

[Melodyman]

Maybe xxx overdrive to xxx channel xxx mode makes perfect Marshall JCM 800 or Bogner?

I would be more realistic on what you are trying to achieve with a pedal. Approximations is about the farthest you'll get if you are trying to get a Mesa to sound like another amp entirely.

 

[kryho]

Maybe xxx overdrive to xxx channel xxx mode makes perfect Marshall JCM 800 or Bogner?

I would be more realistic on what you are trying to achieve with a pedal. Approximations is about the farthest you'll get if you are trying to get a Mesa to sound like another amp entirely.

Melodyman, you've missed that :wink: smile...
Anyway, that's interesting to read...

 

[Melodyman]

Melodyman, you've missed that :wink: smile...
Anyway, that's interesting to read...

Sorry missed the sarcasm.

Do you have any pedals already that you have tried?

Always safe to start with the tried and true workhorse pedals and then work your way up to the higher end stuff that specializes more.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I use my Roadster with a Keeley TS9DX Flexi 4X2 in front, and a MXR KFK EQ in the loop. Use the EQ pedal when I'm mostly in channel 3 and 4, and the TS9DX Flexi 4X2 when need be for all channels. Of course I use other pedals as well, from the Eventide Timefactor to a Retro-Sonic Chorus...

 

[kryho]

Melodyman, you've missed that :wink: smile...
Anyway, that's interesting to read...

Sorry missed the sarcasm.

Do you have any pedals already that you have tried?

Always safe to start with the tried and true workhorse pedals and then work your way up to the higher end stuff that specializes more.

So far only tube screamer and kind of modified copy of boss overdrive. I don't have time to run around and borrow things to try now... :?
KH Guitar Freak, thanx 4 tips...

 

[Fotis]

Tone Factor Cream Pie deluxe. It rules both in the clean and high gain channels. Use it as a boost with the tweed mode in order to get a great bluesy tone, as well as with channels 3 and for better sustain in leads and for tightening up the riffing.

Take care,

Fotis

 

[jdurso]

I use the Fulltone OCD on my high gain channels to get the preamp more compressed and give the amp a little extra something something... i back off the gain on the channel itself and more or less use the OCD as a clean boost.

I also use the Xotic BB Preamp infront of my clean channels to get a more fat, bluesy type tone.

I also use a combination of the BB or OCD with a HBE Germania treble booster to get more lead type tones.

Between those 3 and the Roadster the possibilities are endless.

Also the Maxon OD808 is awesome... closer to the OCD in terms of being aggressive so thats the only reason its not in my rack.

 

[kryho]

ok, has anyone tried Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster SFX-01?

 

[Metaltastic]

It would defeat the purpose since it's just a clean gain boost, and most people use "boost" pedals more for their low filtering effect (mainly the Tube Screamer) - it doesn't matter if you get more gain from a pedal or by turning up the gain knob on the amp, the effect is the same, and it's NOT what tightens up the lows, but rather the aforementioned filtering. Read and learn!

Tube Screamer FAQ

 

[jdurso]

It would defeat the purpose since it's just a clean gain boost, and most people use "boost" pedals more for their low filtering effect (mainly the Tube Screamer) - it doesn't matter if you get more gain from a pedal or by turning up the gain knob on the amp, the effect is the same, and it's NOT what tightens up the lows, but rather the aforementioned filtering. Read and learn!

Tube Screamer FAQ

Thats not true... while you can find filtering on traditional tube screamer designs, a straight up clean boost can work wonders on tightening your amp. That additional kick you get from the boost makes the preamp tubes compress more... with more compression, you get a tightening effect as well as additional harmonics depending on the design. The only benefit the filtering will give you is a more specific tone, where as a straight up clean boost retains the tone of the orginal signal.

 

[Metaltastic]

Thats not true... while you can find filtering on traditional tube screamer designs, a straight up clean boost can work wonders on tightening your amp. That additional kick you get from the boost makes the preamp tubes compress more... with more compression, you get a tightening effect as well as additional harmonics depending on the design. The only benefit the filtering will give you is a more specific tone, where as a straight up clean boost retains the tone of the orginal signal.

Well you're talking tightening in terms of compression, so how is that different than just turning the gain knob up? When I say tightening, I mean in the lows, and that's where the filtering/thinning of the TS (and its associated mid-hump) help so much, cuz maintaining the original signal is a bad thing IMO when it's mud/flub-city! (as it is with any Rectifier tweaked for high gain IMO, as well as most other amps)

 

[kryho]

It would defeat the purpose since it's just a clean gain boost, and most people use "boost" pedals more for their low filtering effect (mainly the Tube Screamer) - it doesn't matter if you get more gain from a pedal or by turning up the gain knob on the amp, the effect is the same, and it's NOT what tightens up the lows, but rather the aforementioned filtering. Read and learn!

Tube Screamer FAQ

It's not the same if you turn up gain in your amp or saturate input, the first tube section.

 

[Metaltastic]

True, but when the gain gets to metal levels, the differences are barely noticeable IME (though I sometimes turn up the level on my TS7 for a bit more push)

 

[jdurso]

Well you're talking tightening in terms of compression, so how is that different than just turning the gain knob up? When I say tightening, I mean in the lows, and that's where the filtering/thinning of the TS (and its associated mid-hump) help so much, cuz maintaining the original signal is a bad thing IMO when it's mud/flub-city! (as it is with any Rectifier tweaked for high gain IMO, as well as most other amps)

Turning up your gain knob and slamming the preamp with a hotter signal is two totally different monsters. The hotter signal provided by the boost from either a clean boost or OD setup as a clean boost will cause your preamp to compress more into its natural clipping point... at that point the signal gets very smooth and tight. The most importnat point is your not adjust any eq in your tone... simply using the natural tightening effect of a preamp compressed to the point of clipping.

Now with a TS which has a natural mid-hump and some cut in the lows, your adjusting the eq curve while also causing compression... so its the same as a clean boost but with the eq curve altered. But dont think for one second its just the filtering causing the tightness... its the compression that tightens your preamp, and the mid-hump will help things pop a little more and in turn will tighten even more.

And if you think maintaining the original signal just hotter (as you would with a clean boost) with a Recto is mud city then you need to work on dialing your amp in appropriately with the boost.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well my only experience using just a straight gain boost was a few years ago using an MXR Micro Amp when I wanted to get a volume boost for solos (before I understood the concept of distortion being clipping ), and was very disheartened to just notice everything get noiser and messier (because of more gain meaning more clipping, naturally). But as to the science behind the differences between turning up the gain knob vs. "slamming it" with a boost, I don't know enough to say, so I've posted the question to the author of the TS FAQ on the Sneap forum, so hopefully he'll bestow me with his ever-enlightened response shortly

And it was this thread too that clued me in way back when, the definitive post being:

no, this is not how and why we are using Tube Screamers... it's NOT for boosting the gain, in fact the TS can do it's job with it's gain control turned all the way down... and you should leave your amp gain exactly where you want it to be, don't change it. the TS will simply tighten up the lows and low mids. you can add some gain from it if you want, but i would not reduce the gain on your head... just add TS to taste.... i normally only add gain from the TS when tracking solos, for just a little extra bite.

 

[Metaltastic]

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND, the response is in

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/346068-tube-screamer-faq-version-1-a-11.html#post8391444

And I fully admit I'm just the messenger here, and very much out of my league when it comes to electronics!

EDIT: And to continue, I normally really don't like getting into big gear arguments, what works for people and makes them happy is what counts, but since we've now gone into the realm of quantifiable fact rather than opinion on tone, I really wanna get to the bottom of it!

 

[kryho]

The best thing I used to tight the bottom is BBE Sonic maximizer. Even at neutral positions of knobs it does the job.

 

[jdurso]

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND, the response is in

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/346068-tube-screamer-faq-version-1-a-11.html#post8391444

And I fully admit I'm just the messenger here, and very much out of my league when it comes to electronics!

EDIT: And to continue, I normally really don't like getting into big gear arguments, what works for people and makes them happy is what counts, but since we've now gone into the realm of quantifiable fact rather than opinion on tone, I really wanna get to the bottom of it!

You and your buddy JBroll can try and pass whatever you want as "fact" but a clean boost or OD setup as a clean boost will have a tightening effect on a Recto. As I've said before the hotter signal fed into the preamp will create more compression which is what tightens the signal. Think of it like this... listen to the difference of a Recto played at bedroom levels compared to stage levels. The stage level Recto will sound tighter due to the additional tube compression... the bedroom level Recto will sound flubby. Note that your not adjusting your gain level, just the volume... putting a hotter signal in front of the amp provides the same effect as a playing at or near stage volumes. If you want to hear it in action you have an open invite to play my rig.

Just want to make one more thing clear... this isn't an arguement, its a discussion. But i will say it sounds like your putting a lot a faith in this guy's posts without testing anything out for yourself. I'm not an electronics expert by any means... i have learned through experiences and picking up little tricks when i can. From what i've read this JBroll guy sounds like he's been around the block more than a few times and while his bantering doesn't get to the point, he seems to know a lot... whether that makes his posts "fact" is debatible. And from the looks of it JBroll has never even played a Recto so I'm not seeing how this guy is the end all answer for all things boost.