What are you using for solo boost on 2 channel rectifiers?

[Chad79]

After years of a 3 channel triple rec, I recently picked up an old two channel dual rec. Had to have that tone. I'm curious what some of you are doing for solo boosts to get up in the mix. I was spoiled with the solo button. Right now I'm boosting w/ a TS9 and tweaking on the output level it isn't helping. Starting to wonder if I bought the wrong amp.

 

[halfdriven]

I use a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster, it has up to 25Dbs of clean gain (keep mine around 16) no weird mid punch like the Od's, and even though it is a true bypass I leave it on all the time, super quiet pedal.

 

[Jerrick]

Digitech rp80. Setup to just increase the volume a little, eq a little, and add a noise gate.

I dont just use this for a solo boost, cause when I bypass it and just use the amp on its own it already sounds good. This just pushes everything a bit harder and turns 2 channels into 4 channels.

 

[wildrat666]

just buy an eq pedal and set it to cut through

 

[Chad79]

I'm going to try the EQ pedal tonight. I've got an old Boss 7-band laying around here somewhere. Hey Wildrat, how does your dual sound through the 5150 cab? I came across one and thought of picking it up.

 

[Silverwulf]

Solo boosts are overrated. I've used a 2 Channel Recto as a primary gigging amp for 5+ years and never found the need for one, despite playing leads.

The problem with solo boosts is they piss off the sound man. After he gets things attenuated, you throw off the mix by pushing a button that spikes your volume. What results a lot of the time is him pulling down your fader and you being lower in volume the rest of the set with your solo boost bringing you back even again. A competent sound man will bump your volume a little when you play a lead and won't let you drown in the mix.

That being said, I do use a wah as a tone filter most of the time ala Schenker.

 

[Jerrick]

I dont use my boost that way, never needed to up the volume during solos to cut though. Sound guys dont have a problem. Then again once they get a good mix I tell them to leave it there and not do anything to it.

Boost off I have a more dynamic tone, think of Planet X - Quantum. Something the amp can do very easily on its own.

Boost on and its more all out shred. Think of any crazy John Petrucci shred solo. It adds a little something that the amp isnt able to do, well maybe if I crank the gain to the max it would get there, but I like to keep the gain around 1:00.

 

[crisis]

Tried the equalizer path and was not happy. My Single Recto has a solo boost (every amp should have one!) but I also have a MXR CAE MC 401 line boost. This pedal is awesome just running in line but you can use it before the pre (or before an OD pedal) to boost drive or after to boost volume. I would like another two of them actually.

 

[fireonhigh]

im loving the bb preamp :twisted: i forgot to mention for voulume boost i use a mk.4.23 cleanboost by creation audio labs,i run it in the loop and its like having a solo footswitch,,no coloration and makes it scream!! i just wonder if i am shortning powertube life running it in the loop??out front it adds a little gain,, but for vol.increase ran in the loop its awwwsome