i saw this in a local music shop so i decided to test it out. i grabbed a tele off the wall and ran it through a fender deluxe and started messing around with it, and i really liked the results, so i started considering purchasing this at some point in time. then i grabbed a mojo mojo overdrive and threw it before in the chain to see how well it stacks on to other drives. i purchased it on the spot.
The same way I cannot say "I'll be back" without Arnie's accent, I cannot pronounce "T.C. Electronic without trying to sound like Tore! Gotta love this guy!
This one or the spark mini... decisions decisions. I really only need it for the clean boost, but that gain knob seems super useful for pulling out that barely-breaking-up tone into a little bit more overdrive.
Try an EQ pedal set last in the chain in your amps FX Loop. Boost all of the slider's by around 6-9db. Used this way with an amp thats already being driven hard and you'll get both more gain and volume. You can also adjust the profile of the sliders - say push the mids up a bit relative to the treble and bass sliders - to get a more cutting tone.
- This booster is capable of a 'over the top' amount of boost - if you try it out and think it's not boosting enough, I'm quite sure it's not boost, but drive you need in some form..
I usally put a booster in the send return for this kind of problem. By the way, if you put it before the distortion you'll get more fat/gain, if you put it after distortion(on the correct settings) it will increase the volume. And this is a really good quality/price pedal. It's even very easy to sell..so you won't go wrong buying it!
Mr.Z It's a small world man. I owned the FB2. What I like about it is it has a great treble range. My SG is dark and it sounds like it has a maple cap when using the FB2. I used the fb2 to boost my od pedal for solos. The feedB. feature is ok only is you have the vol. low. The note bleeds out if the vol is cranked on the pedal.I am getting the spark.Obviously it offers more control over the tone. It sounds great, It's half the price of the rc booster with the more bang for your buck! Rock on!
Well, it's possible to boost your sound with the Spark, without saturating your sound, but if an amp starts breaking up at a certain point when turned up - Spark can't avoid this from happening..
I'd really like to try this one but my only experience with Tc electronics is when I bought the Ditto looper and it was broken from the get go, so I returned it and replaced it with an boss rc. ^^. Tore and his team seems like decent people though. Cheers from Sweden!
Elguru the problem with the noise in the video is that all the main power cords of the building runs directly above the ceiling of the room the video is recorded in, so the pickups on the guitar get affected in a big way.
1) Everywhere, very soon (I don't have exact dates, sorry) 2) Good question - I'd say quite some, but I'm very sensitive about drive.. :) I'd say most would think, quite an audible difference - you really should compare them next to each other, for yourself:)
at 3:14 one can hear how much noise/hum the spark adds, after the phrase is played the sound is gated, no hum no noise. but at 4:13 the spark does not seem to be much noisier than the amp alone.
I think you've misunderstood what a boost pedal is supposed to do. It's nice to have the ability to get that extra "gain/grit" and volume when you want it, in a live situation. You can't really fiddle around with your pedals before and after every solo or other part, that needs the boost.
was thinking of something like this so when i use a lower gain single coil guitar, i can switch it on so it will be as loud as my hum bucker guitars without changing settings
So you don't use tuner pedals? I used to only use analog pedals too, then I bought a Flashback X4 and it changed the game. I absolutely love it. For me, it'd be an absolute no-brainer to use any other delay pedal. Sometimes, digital just overcomes analog with variety.
this is one of the best videos explaining this pedal my only comment is maybe use an amp that is Not something most people don't have lol just pick something average like a Fender Blues Jr. something more people can relate to. a tin can would sound great going thru that Marshall Unit, Peace !
would it be possible to use it in a serial fx loop just to push the crunch channel of a jcm 900 adding at the same time a little more gain? mean setting gain up to 3 and level as much as is needed for a solo spot. Thanx in advance
Every one of your clean reference tones is different from each other? Why did you change your clean setting each time you demonstrated a different part of the boost? Im a little confused. Thanks
I got this pedal some days ago n' let me tell u that this is an awesome pedal..It's very versatile n' responsive to ur attack.. u can use it as a clean boost n' as a smooth overdrive as well.. then good luck bye =)
If i want is as an - always on - pedal ,for this extra bite of sound,should it be first in the chain on my pedal board or last ? and i mean in front of the amp not in the loop .any suggestions from T.C or users that had tried it .
Is this pedal really noisy - more than it should be? I see that's he 's turning the volume down as soon as the lick is finished. It could be his style of playing or because of the way the amp is miked but it does get pretty loud for half a second. noise gate behind might help.
Almost any high gain amp is going to have trouble getting a really good clean sound. It's rare when a high gain amp has great cleans, so Marshall JCM's and the like don't have the greatest cleans. They're early high gain designs and weren't focused on cleans. However, the early non-master vol. Marshalls, such as the one used in this video, were built based on Fender designs, and have great cleans. The JTM45 was a direct copy of one of the greatest clean amps ever, the Fender Bassman.
Not really a "direct" copy. Direct in terms of circuitry but using locally or differently sourced parts (tubes etc). The result was the birth of the JTM45, the best head ever made.
Hello, I have a question, How would you suggest I set the Spark boost pedal to emulate the exact tone of the Clapton mid boost circuit? The strat that I play and is also my main guitar, is a custom shop 54 50th anniversary masterbuilt and I really don't want to alter it in anyway with other pots or wires, routing etc, so, I read that the Spark is a fantastic way to get that tone and sound without altering my guitar in any way. Thanks for your time and help!
I play steel guitar through a solid state amp. I'm looking for a clean boost to take solos with. If I understand this demo correctly, the gain won't add overdrive unless this is going through a tube amp, right? I don't mind a little bit of drive in the sound on peaks but its a clean boost I'm looking for. Btw; I work regularly in Denmark so the accent doesn't bother me - believe me, its easier to understand than listening to someone "like... so from California"!
It will still add some overdrive, but not as much, since the gain is designed to help you hit your tubes harder. For a clean boost on a solid state amp, this will work perfectly. It can pretty much do anything.
I never get boost pedals. I mean, yeah, they have a certain amount of (limited) utility, but the best sounds in this demo and all other demos are coming from the other pedals they use! Like at 6:38 he adds in a distortion pedal and some delay. The tone is great. When the boost was engaged it just increased unwanted hum, and the actual gain/grit increase could be achieved by boosting the drive or level control on the distortion pedal. Boosts are essentially pointless.
Is it the same booster pedal which can be used as a Bass guitar booster?? Please reply... I am buying one very soon.. Just confused 😕 if the boosters are different for bass guitar and lead guitar...
hello, i have now both a tc spark booster and an ibanez ts808. which one should come first on pedalboard and why. i dont like extreme distortion. i play mostly blues and classic rock.
Can you switch between fat & mid switch just by using foot switch??? Like double tap or something and then light changes colour according what it on? Or have preset variations of different settings by using foot switch? (Is there a pedal like this?)
Is this TC Electronics version of the Ibanez Tube Screamer? I'm a big fan of TC electronics I have a Voice Live 3 that I love and a Corona Chorus I use with my bass rig. I just bought an Overdrive pedal called a Timmy (by Paul.C) and I've been looking online at several different pro's pedal board set up's. Many have their Overdrive, Fuzz or Distortion Pedal backed by the TS808. I'm wondering if this pedal is a good alternative to the TS 808??
no I know what the need is, my point is I don't see what the advantage of a boost is over an overdrive/distortion. If you want to boost the signal like he did at 6:58, why not buy an overdrive/distortion pedal and set it to a really low gain but high volume boost so it's subtle like it was here. Then, unlike a boost pedal, you could also crank the gain if you wanted a much more aggressive sound. With a boost you're very limited and it seems like a good distortion pedal can do its job and more.
ZOMG! I'm watching this while making lunch and changing clothes; when he said that I was walking around my apartment half paying attention. And I totally chuckled at "gay knob." haha you read my mind FROM THE PAST!!! lol
@ 2:12 "It almost makes it sound like a hamburger" SOLD!
Kelly Jackson what does a hamburger sound like, lol?
GOLD comment!
Or Hamburder. That's a YUGE boost.
@@officialWWM fat
Lol...gotta love bacon sounding strat
One of the best pedals ever made!
I want to hear this man to review everything ever.
I love this pedal. I actually use it as an 'amp in a box' on gigs where I need a quick setup and tear down.
i saw this in a local music shop so i decided to test it out. i grabbed a tele off the wall and ran it through a fender deluxe and started messing around with it, and i really liked the results, so i started considering purchasing this at some point in time. then i grabbed a mojo mojo overdrive and threw it before in the chain to see how well it stacks on to other drives. i purchased it on the spot.
The same way I cannot say "I'll be back" without Arnie's accent, I cannot pronounce "T.C. Electronic without trying to sound like Tore! Gotta love this guy!
TC electronics is pumping out some great pedals lately. Really dug the ones they collaborated with Pro Guitar Shop as well.
Spark is mainly a booster with a little saturation build into it, it's not a compressor.
This one or the spark mini... decisions decisions. I really only need it for the clean boost, but that gain knob seems super useful for pulling out that barely-breaking-up tone into a little bit more overdrive.
This is also a good vid on how to use boost pedals in different applications. Whether it be a TC one or not.
Try an EQ pedal set last in the chain in your amps FX Loop. Boost all of the slider's by around 6-9db. Used this way with an amp thats already being driven hard and you'll get both more gain and volume. You can also adjust the profile of the sliders - say push the mids up a bit relative to the treble and bass sliders - to get a more cutting tone.
- This booster is capable of a 'over the top' amount of boost - if you try it out and think it's not boosting enough, I'm quite sure it's not boost, but drive you need in some form..
I use marshall blues driver as my spark booster but I think Iwant to try this pedal also. Thanks for the review.
A drive pedal of any kind will most likely color your sound in one way or another. - With Spark it's an option. :)
I usally put a booster in the send return for this kind of problem. By the way, if you put it before the distortion you'll get more fat/gain, if you put it after distortion(on the correct settings) it will increase the volume. And this is a really good quality/price pedal. It's even very easy to sell..so you won't go wrong buying it!
WOW 2 years ago! And I'm checking it out now! LOL Excellent video/demo!
Good thing I saw this. I was just about to get the MXR/CAE Booster/Line Driver, but the Spark Booster looks a lot more versatile.
Mr.Z It's a small world man. I owned the FB2. What I like about it is it has a great treble range. My SG is dark and it sounds like it has a maple cap when using the FB2. I used the fb2 to boost my od pedal for solos. The feedB. feature is ok only is you have the vol. low. The note bleeds out if the vol is cranked on the pedal.I am getting the spark.Obviously it offers more control over the tone. It sounds great, It's half the price of the rc booster with the more bang for your buck! Rock on!
Well, it's possible to boost your sound with the Spark, without saturating your sound, but if an amp starts breaking up at a certain point when turned up - Spark can't avoid this from happening..
Anytime :) I'd say you're about right, maybe a notch less on the Mojomojo. Still I'd really recommend trying both out - and try combining them!!
Dont talk, update the drivers of your TC48 Interface, thank you...
really good pedal...very versatile for all forms of music
rob chapman did use this pedal in a post not long ago...about 2 rock amps, i think he demonstrated you're hard rock push with the spark quite good...
Can't wait 'till mine arrives in the mail. I'm excited!
Spot on. This is analog - The Toneprint enabled are digital. :)
Sounds like a great pedal! Thank you!
An awesome pedal i would love to have one but my local guitar center didn't have it in stock so i went with something else but one day i will get this
I'd really like to try this one but my only experience with Tc electronics is when I bought the Ditto looper and it was broken from the get go, so I returned it and replaced it with an boss rc. ^^. Tore and his team seems like decent people though.
Cheers from Sweden!
Elguru the problem with the noise in the video is that all the main power cords of the building runs directly above the ceiling of the room the video is recorded in, so the pickups on the guitar get affected in a big way.
Sounds perfect for AC/DC tones
This is exactly what I need! Hope my e-mail with a specific suggestion had anything to do with this :D.
TC Great :D
May it serve you well. :)
great pedal for all types of guitars, excellent for solos, I sometimes forget to turn it off when im playing, its that good
You guys caught lightning in a bottle with this pedal... It's really something special.
1) Everywhere, very soon (I don't have exact dates, sorry)
2) Good question - I'd say quite some, but I'm very sensitive about drive.. :)
I'd say most would think, quite an audible difference - you really should compare them next to each other, for yourself:)
works perfect with ukulele too! Cheers guys, good work :-)
at 3:14 one can hear how much noise/hum the spark adds, after the phrase is played the sound is gated, no hum no noise. but at 4:13 the spark does not seem to be much noisier than the amp alone.
Got mine today from Japan. ❤️
6:57"Now with it..."
ADDS INSANE AMOUT OF NOISE LOL
60 cycle hum has joined the chat
Oh and I absolutely love this pedal too. I'm looking to buy this next along with Corona Chorus for my pedalboard.
This baby will clean the smudge out of any amp !
Such a cute demo compared to your latest stuff! :D
I think you've misunderstood what a boost pedal is supposed to do. It's nice to have the ability to get that extra "gain/grit" and volume when you want it, in a live situation. You can't really fiddle around with your pedals before and after every solo or other part, that needs the boost.
was thinking of something like this so when i use a lower gain single coil guitar, i can switch it on so it will be as loud as my hum bucker guitars without changing settings
Give it a go, and tell us what you think?
Great pedal review
That's what all boosters should be!!
To any of you more experienced guitarists out there: what would you choose between this and the Boss FB2 feedbacker/booster?
So you don't use tuner pedals?
I used to only use analog pedals too, then I bought a Flashback X4 and it changed the game. I absolutely love it. For me, it'd be an absolute no-brainer to use any other delay pedal. Sometimes, digital just overcomes analog with variety.
Just ordered one too!
Hmm I have an MXR Micro Amp but Im thinking about getting this now to go with my Big Muff.
It was build for that purpose. So, yes - perfect, I'd say :)
TC Electronic I use it too push my tube amps to get more gain!!
I just met Tore and John Petrucci today. Life is BeautifuL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Killer review. Can you just do all reviews for ever?
Would this be too much pedal paired with a Fender '65 Twin?
It would help if you used noiseless single coils. Without it makes it sound like the Spark Booster add noise, which I don't think it does.
He said that the mid boost will cut through the mix. But I don’t see a knob for mid. I must be missing something.
Might Spark suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds? :)
Sounds real nice & priced right too!
this is one of the best videos explaining this pedal my only comment is maybe use an amp that is Not something most people don't have lol just pick something average like a Fender Blues Jr. something more people can relate to. a tin can would sound great going thru that Marshall Unit, Peace !
would it be possible to use it in a serial fx loop just to push the crunch channel of a jcm 900 adding at the same time a little more gain? mean setting gain up to 3 and level as much as is needed for a solo spot. Thanx in advance
How much can you attenuate with this pedal? Can you use it to clean up a high gain, single channel amp?
does it sounds fine with the Vox Sachurator Distorion? what do you think?
this pedal looks cool, does it work also as compressor?
Great pedal !!! but would be nice if you guys use a humbucker and a single guitar. Then we can see the difference and the versatility of the pedal
Which setting do I need to set on the big one to get the Spark Mini Booster Sound?
Got it! Love it! Get to the Spaaaark Boostaa!!!!
Such a mad accent. I love it. Cool demo man
Every one of your clean reference tones is different from each other? Why did you change your clean setting each time you demonstrated a different part of the boost? Im a little confused. Thanks
I got this pedal some days ago n' let me tell u that this is an awesome pedal..It's very versatile n' responsive to ur attack.. u can use it as a clean boost n' as a smooth overdrive as well.. then good luck bye =)
If i want is as an - always on - pedal ,for this extra bite of sound,should it be first in the chain on my pedal board or last ? and i mean in front of the amp not in the loop .any suggestions from T.C or users that had tried it .
Is this pedal really noisy - more than it should be? I see that's he 's turning the volume down as soon as the lick is finished. It could be his style of playing or because of the way the amp is miked but it does get pretty loud for half a second. noise gate behind might help.
Almost any high gain amp is going to have trouble getting a really good clean sound. It's rare when a high gain amp has great cleans, so Marshall JCM's and the like don't have the greatest cleans. They're early high gain designs and weren't focused on cleans. However, the early non-master vol. Marshalls, such as the one used in this video, were built based on Fender designs, and have great cleans. The JTM45 was a direct copy of one of the greatest clean amps ever, the Fender Bassman.
Not really a "direct" copy. Direct in terms of circuitry but using locally or differently sourced parts (tubes etc). The result was the birth of the JTM45, the best head ever made.
Zing! Yeah Any and Tore definitely have some love thing going on.
Hello,
I have a question,
How would you suggest I set the Spark boost pedal to emulate the exact tone of the Clapton mid boost circuit? The strat that I play and is also my main guitar, is a custom shop 54 50th anniversary masterbuilt and I really don't want to alter it in anyway with other pots or wires, routing etc, so, I read that the Spark is a fantastic way to get that tone and sound without altering my guitar in any way.
Thanks for your time and help!
use it with a eq pedal and its great for clap tones check out andertons sould like Clapton for under a grand vid on here
I am getting one of these! How much treble does it put out?
I play steel guitar through a solid state amp. I'm looking for a clean boost to take solos with. If I understand this demo correctly, the gain won't add overdrive unless this is going through a tube amp, right?
I don't mind a little bit of drive in the sound on peaks but its a clean boost I'm looking for.
Btw; I work regularly in Denmark so the accent doesn't bother me - believe me, its easier to understand than listening to someone "like... so from California"!
It will still add some overdrive, but not as much, since the gain is designed to help you hit your tubes harder. For a clean boost on a solid state amp, this will work perfectly. It can pretty much do anything.
Adds some nice upper harmonics, just like the Xotic BB ;)
Hi Guys, Can this pedal be used up front in an amp rather than in the effects loop? Does it still get the same results etc?
Please tell me, which is better for the Marshall JCM800: TC Electronic Spark Booster or Boss SD-1 (2016)?
Sd 1
Is this a jfet design?
I never get boost pedals. I mean, yeah, they have a certain amount of (limited) utility, but the best sounds in this demo and all other demos are coming from the other pedals they use! Like at 6:38 he adds in a distortion pedal and some delay. The tone is great. When the boost was engaged it just increased unwanted hum, and the actual gain/grit increase could be achieved by boosting the drive or level control on the distortion pedal. Boosts are essentially pointless.
I want one now.
is this pedal good for boostin my sound for guitar solos??
Whats the warranty through the new co?
Is the pedal in front of the Amp OR in the FX loop ?
+HUTCHfromBA Infront will give you more distortion, fx loop would give more volume (and a bit power amp distortion, too).
in front to drive preamp
as soon as he boosted the mids I knew I had to have one
Is it the same booster pedal which can be used as a Bass guitar booster?? Please reply... I am buying one very soon.. Just confused 😕 if the boosters are different for bass guitar and lead guitar...
Same booster for bass and guitar!
TC Electronic thank you 🙂
hello, i have now both a tc spark booster and an ibanez ts808. which one should come first on pedalboard and why. i dont like extreme distortion. i play mostly blues and classic rock.
Jake Harris PS- i plan on using tc spark boooster at least 50-70% of the time as tone conditioner and EQ
Does it work after od/dist pedals?
Like this:
Guitar > overdrive/distortion > Spark
Like a preamp?
Any thoughts?
would this work for a bass guitar?
Can you switch between fat & mid switch just by using foot switch??? Like double tap or something and then light changes colour according what it on? Or have preset variations of different settings by using foot switch? (Is there a pedal like this?)
no
does this pedal have the necessary headroom to run in an fx line level loop?
+Enzo Asprino yes it does :)
Will this work on a solid state amp?
this pedal work with solid state amps?
Rory Purdey yes it does. I have one.
Is this TC Electronics version of the Ibanez Tube Screamer? I'm a big fan of TC electronics I have a Voice Live 3 that I love and a Corona Chorus I use with my bass rig. I just bought an Overdrive pedal called a Timmy (by Paul.C) and I've been looking online at several different pro's pedal board set up's. Many have their Overdrive, Fuzz or Distortion Pedal backed by the TS808. I'm wondering if this pedal is a good alternative to the TS 808??
no, it isn't a TS. they're different things. you may find the TC s/b too similar to the Timmy - at least in terms of how you might use it.
Where are you from?
Denmark
is it better than the marshall bb2?
I'll take one
+...And Jam Tracks For All cool! :)
no I know what the need is, my point is I don't see what the advantage of a boost is over an overdrive/distortion. If you want to boost the signal like he did at 6:58, why not buy an overdrive/distortion pedal and set it to a really low gain but high volume boost so it's subtle like it was here. Then, unlike a boost pedal, you could also crank the gain if you wanted a much more aggressive sound. With a boost you're very limited and it seems like a good distortion pedal can do its job and more.
I can't be the only person that heard him say "gay knob".... good demo though
ZOMG! I'm watching this while making lunch and changing clothes; when he said that I was walking around my apartment half paying attention. And I totally chuckled at "gay knob." haha you read my mind FROM THE PAST!!! lol
Dom Rusk Thanks, I can't unhear it now. :D
Dom Rusk once you read this comment, you can never unhear "gay knob". Lmao ^_^
Lmfao
I heard that too!
Just ordered one :-)