When I first saw Brian Wampler I thought he was rather strange and even possibly 'obnoxious' but now I realize that he's a very honest, supremely generously helpful sweetheart genius.
@@murfmurphy6212 The results of the analysis is the circuit he drew, not necessarily a real circuit in any pedal. Example, the "inverting" boost has a 47k input impedance, that is WAY low compared to a more normal 1 meg input impedance. It is much better to measure a "real" pedal and show the results than to draw up a circuit for analysis.
The booster quality that took us decades to finally figure out is that if the booster is intended to push an amplifier into providing "coloration" of some kind, whether or not that might be mentally classified as "distortion", the booster *must* trim back on the treble being fed to the amp. Remember that coloration/distortion is the *addition* of harmonics. More harmonics is nice and what guitarists love, especially lower-order harmonics. Harmonics OF harmonics, on the other hand, are *not* pleasing. So, where many historic boosters, like the Micro-Amp, LPB-1, and Rangemaster, only provided a single control for adjusting the output level, more contemporary boosters include some form of tone-shaping, such that the amp gets what extracts the best from it. The genius of the Klon Centaur (and remember it emerged in the early-to-mid '90s) was that it was one of the first pedals that was deliberately and *explicitly* designed to strategically push an amp into "better" breakup. Many mistakenly think that it, and other booster pedals were/are supposed to produce an overdrive sound themselves. Rather, they are designed to precondition the signal to yield nice *amp* overdrive. I know, because Bill told me himself, that the "Treble" control on the Klon was really intended to be used primarily for treble cut, even though it can provide boost as well. I suppose, as a fallback position, keeping the Gain low, turning the treble up, and maintaining modest output volume, might dial back what you feed an amp, for a pleasing rhythm tone. But for pushing the amp, treble-CUT is where it's at. The Klon *does* provide some clipping, but if one sets the treble-cut right, any additional harmonics provided by the amp are harmonics of *lower-order* harmonics, and not simply a boosting of the high-end fizz. Lest we think all boosters are ONLY for overdrive, bear in mind that most sound-amplifying devices have at least *some* headroom. So modest gain can be used to increase volume for a solo or other passage, but still remain clean, and not push the amp into dirt. That tends not to be how many of us use it, but the option is there. My own first booster, 50 years ago, was the mic pre-amp of a tube tape deck. I would feed the line out from that to my cheap guitar amp. Of course, anticipating a MUCH lower input signal than what a guitar pickup provides, the mic pre-amp would be easily overdriven, and the line out pushed the guitar amp hard. NOTHING clean about that! My 2nd booster was a compressor, feeding an old MXR 6-band. More recently, I whipped up a booster circuit that can add a bit of dirt when maxed, but trims back the treble as Gain is increased. You can build one if you're up to the challenge. I've gotten some nice feedback from users. The document gives a walkthrough of how it works. img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/mhammer/TheCrank.gif
Worth adding boosters like ep booster are lovely even without the breakup, it just does something really nice to frequency response. Yet it's often used for slight breakup anyway. But a great always on pedal to magically "sweeten" the sound instead of boosting much in volume or into breakup.
@@Yupppi Yes. What you describe is what I meant by "coloration". It doesn't have to be an obviously distorted/clipped sound to provide a useful change in the tone for a solo or other change in a tune. That coloration can either be provided *within* the booster itself, or via the interaction between booster and amp, as in the case of the Rangemaster. As I understand it the Rangemaster is biased so that it runs out of headroom on one half-cycle more readily than the other, yielding a form of asymmetric clipping, and providing three sources of coloration: its own internal clipping, the treble boost, and what the boosted signal does to the amp. I understand as well, that the use of germanium transistor in the Rangemaster also alters the tone via particular loading effects. But that stuff's beyond my pay grade. I did make myself what's supposed to be an EP Booster, though I'm uncertain if the schematic I was following was accurate. I honestly didn't get anything noteworthy out of it that I couldn't get from a simple op-amp stage like Brian showed at the start. That's not *terrible* but it was a lot of effort for very little return in my case.
@@1492oceanblue2 Rick!! What an absolute pleasure! We've been missing you buddy. I gather not many gigs of late, eh? We're all well here. I'm retired, and looking more and more like Allan Ginsberg these days, now that I don't have to attend meetings anymore and look civilized for anyone. All the other family members are working from home.
When you say things like "This may mean nothing to you" I still want to hear about it. I'm studying electrical engineering atm. It's very interesting to me when you talk about the details of a circuit, what resistors do in certain spots and etc. I do get it though, the majority of people might not like to hear about that. Still, I really appreciate when you do. I think it's really valuable content, and I think there's a middle ground here that can maybe be met.
Brian is the axe-master ! All the tones in this and all his vids are superb ! Ear and brain candy abundant . Many thanks for sharing so much valuable knowledge . Not just solid entertainment , but very well presented valuable info .
My personal favorite boost (having never played a Tumnus) is the full-sized TC Electronic Spark. It's SO good. Gain, Volume, Highs, Lows, a three-position voicing switch, it's got everything and sounds GREAT. Gets into low gain OD territory. Putting the switch at Mid makes single-coils SING. Haven't used it a lot lately, because my Dual Fusion sounds so good I just don't need the help lol. Vintage side is always on, Modern side provides the beef. What a freaking pedal. Your stuff rocks, Brian!
Yeah, I think my non-mini Spark is the first pedal I go for when putting together a board. The FAT switch just helps a Tele sound enough like a Les Paul that I don't need to switch guitars.
Perfect technical explanation!, I like these more than all the other snob youtubers with reviews full of buzz words glorifying ultra expensive boutique pedals
Really happy I found this pedal company. Happy owner of a Tumnus Deluxe and hopefully soon the Pantheon for Christmas. Came here to get more insight on what exactly I needed out of a boost. Thank you Brian.
I, as an engineering student, absolutely love these kind of videos. It would be great if you could make a video about first steps to tweaking pedals, experimenting with breadboards and stuff (i absolutely want to assemble a fuzz for me ehehe)
You won't regret it. It does absolute magic in a signal chain. I also have a JHS bonsai but if i had to choose between the two, I prefer the Tumnus when it comes to boosting other pedals and amps 80% of the time.
I'm only halfway in but blown away by the knowledge here, and hearing the difference with the same guitar and amp (plus your comments on what you prefer for what) and I've learned a LOT in a very short time. This is awesome!
Brian, firstly, I trust that you're healthy and safe in this unprecedented time. Secondly, thanks for making this video and for the honorable mention of the Vertex Boost. One correction at 06:34 - you mentioned the Vertex Boost as an example of an inverting boost. I know you were breadboarding some examples to make approximations, however the Vertex Boost is non-inverting. Also, the input impedance on the Vertex Boost is 1M, the schematic shown in the video looked like 47K. There is no mid-boost, nor will it distort with higher output pickups as the example showed in the demo. I'm happy to send you one to evaluate if that would be of interest to you. With that said, there shouldn't be any difference in frequency response between iso-inverting or non-inverting. If there are differences, it would be more attributable to design shortcomings rather than something inherent in inverting vs. non-inverting circuits. Hope this helps clarify regard the Vertex Boost, and free free to shoot me an email if you want to check out the pedal for further evaluation - mason@vertexeffects.com. Kind regards, Mason
Great explanations! Glad you cleared up some of that preamp voodoo too. As an audio engineer that’s always irked me when I hear boosts being described as “preamps”. My ears perk up like a dog when I hear “preamp” but if it’s not preceded by Neve or API I get disappointed 😄
My "magic" pedal that is my number one pedal on ANY board is the MXR 10 band EQ. Not only can I boost 10 feq's, but there's two additional sliders. A volume cut/boost and a gain cut boost. It is so flexible. I can do just about anything I want. That, with my Sovereign and my Ethereal, I am set.
Been thinking strongly about going the rout of an MXR 10 EQ. Do you feel a difference under your fingers when you play using it as a boost, or is it just sound your experiencing ? ..or both ? I'm not looking to boost volume necessarily. 'Mainly feel' and deff not trying to change actual tone of my last OD in the chain. If that makes any sense .
they seem like the red headed stepchildren of pedals aren't they? they can do so much and are so useful but boosts, od's, get all the attention when in reality that eq pedal can do much of that.
But they can be noisy when you use them for boost instead of tone shaping Although you can do modds that can fix that but didn't work for me I use a Rangemaster clone w a clean boost on top
I'm using a 7 band EQ, at the front of my chain. I have a general setting for my HB guitars and one for the single coils. 7 bands is minimum, for all around use; 10. even better
I had the hot selling Xotic ep. I hated it and it was the 3rd booster I had bought! Then as final bow out on boosters I got the Wampler ...KILLER!!!! I let my bass player try it on a P bass ...the best thing about that was it solved all the problem trying to match it to the active Music Man.
Great video! I love these kinds of videos where you get into the nitty gritty of why circuits sound the way they do and how they differ from other circuits and the situations in which they can be useful or less than ideal. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks Brian, really enjoyed the deeper dive! I’m starting out building pedal kits and plan to move on to breadboarding, modding, maybe even designing something new in the future. Videos like this are nice to get just a bit further into the weeds 👍🏻
Love this video. Particularly how you run through the schematic. Id love to see this type of video for all types of circuits... fuzz circuits, overdrive circuits, univibe vs vibrato and chorus... Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
My use of a jfet style pedal is as an "amp-like" first stage followed by eq, poweramp sim and IR to FOH. Decent direct to PA solution. So for me it is a preamp.
nothing short of brilliant sir, and explains why tube screamers work and why too much bass doesnt work and. why eq pedals are not the same - i love this video man- Also the tumnus is amazing - thank you
I recently built a boost pedal based on a china fake TDA2030A power amp. Output signal is up to approx 22Vpp which drives my amp nice and hard. It sits last in the chain, since the massive output and low impedance could damage other pedals.
thank you for your help @Wampler pedals , trying to get into this hobby at 40 teaching myself is a bit more confusing than i thought it would be . some days i feel like me teaching myself this feels like the blind leading the blind . but im having fun.
This was really cool! I can see how so many pedal builders learned how to do stuff from you. On the whole "pre-amp pedal" thing, I wonder how a pedal like the Revival Drive from Origin Effects fits into that. I imagine the circuit diagram would be really complicated. It feels more like part of an amp to me; its what I have in my head when people say pre-amp pedal. In particular, when I set it to sound like a Marshall using a Fender amp, and run other pedals into it, like a Klon or a fuzz face, the overall volume doesn't increase, and it sounds closer to a Marshall with those pedals in front. Other pedals I've played that are designed to sound like a cranked Marshall don't do that so much.
Great video, detailed drawings and comparisons. Every kind of boost circuit has its own behavior, but people doesn't get it. Thanks for the information and time.
Great explanation Brian. I dove into Circuit Lab just for fun after watching this and it's actually pretty cool. Even us non-engineering types it might be useful. Thanks for another informative video.
Brian, Your knowledge is extensive! I thank you for your generosity. At the same time, may I suggest just a little bit more info, for us rookies that don´t follow: Maybe you could close your videos with a quick summary. In this video, for example: "To sum up: Non inverting op-amp is good for x and works good with y. Famous pedals that use this circuit are: A, B and C." and so with all the other options. It would be of great help. Thanks again!
Really good explanations, thanks. I was a electronics engineering tech 1st and learned guitar later in life. I've been trying different boost/distortion pedals based off the product descriptions with little success understanding how the pedal was shaping the frequency response to get the grit I want to hear. Your video cleared the fog. Most of all thank you for stating they all do something to the sound more than just amplifying (boosting) it. Your Ego compressor is great btw. I now have to try it in before or after positions with the Euphoria V2 due to learning a bunch from your 5 ways to use a compressor video. Good stuff, keep it coming.
i usually play high gain and bought the tumnus deluxe on an impulse buy. After all your brilliant explanation my caveman brain still cant comprehend how that thing works wonders for my 5150. All i know is i trust wampler pedals for my gain staging.
Love your channel for the technical stuff, this is an area you really bring a unique value. I like other channels (JHS, Shawn Tubbs, That Pedal Show etc) but you bring a demystifying element to pedals and tone. AND THAT is why I come back (you also make killer pedals) :o)
in my opinion, for something to be a "preamp" it should have some kind of boost (clipping is optional), and some kind of a eq/tone shaping circuit. the voodoo labs giggity is a great example; it boosts, it shapes tone, and it can breakup if you dime the gain. super versatile!
Great upload, Brian! Love these concepts and explanations. However, your editing skills are unsurpassed. The peach bit, at the beginning, made me spit my water a la tom & jerry. Stay safe, mate. Cheers
Hey ! Im just curious to know in what categorie fit the ehx lpb1 ? what does it mean when they said linear boost? This video was really helpfull by the way !
@@wampler_pedals right on and thank you for replying. Im enjoying your videos , some of its waay over my head oh and the vid you and Mrs W did was cool - down to earth.
Thanks for a great video! I guess the main take away for me was that, unless you're using a volume pedal after the pedals, you're mostly just hearing the amp clipping...
I run two decibel minis as the mainstay of my board at the start and end. Having the consistency of the same boost/buffer at the front and end of the board, with the ability to switch the buffer on and off easily, has been an eye opener when it comes to finicky impedance pedals.
Try the original Colorsound boost that uses an 18v supply. Dave Gilmour used it for many years, and it is seriously LOUD that increases the gain stage to push pedals after it, like distortion pedals. (Worth switching the linear gain pot for a log one though for better control.) BTW, it's worth mentioning "Operational Amplifier" rather than just "OpAmp" for clarity.
I appreciate this video and so many more of yours. Love your approach and explanation. Keep up the great work. I’ve learned something (actually several) new today.
I love Wampler pedals mostly because their owner makes such detailed, unbiased, and intricate reviews. This channel has taught me how to better read schematics. I used to use a compressor as a boost and loved what it did to the top end of my sound. It didn’t add any distortion but pushed the clean channel of my amp enough to make solos really sing out. It replaced an MXR Micro Amp which distorted the highs too much and got fizzy making me turn my tone knob down which was a compromise.Then I finally got a Maxon OD808 and this became my favorite boost pedal. It did color the tone when it was off though so I plan to get an OD9pro+ 18V which Maxon claims doesn’t have this issue. When I hear pedals like the Klon and Klon copies, I think they sound great but ultimately accomplish the same sound as a TS type pedal. Someday I’ll be able to compare a TS pedal at 18V (including the BB preamp which is a TS style pedal) to a Klon clone like the Tumnus to actually hear or feel the difference. Maybe stacking a Klon with a TS is the best way to solve to my indecision. I really roll my eyes when people call these pedals “transparent”. Why would anyone buy a pedal that didn’t sound like it was there?
I’ve owned many Wampler pedals. They’re really good. I’ve sold many to try others in my quest for tone, but I’ve re-bought a few again, believing them to be the best out there for what I’m going for. I wish I had kept some more, and I will re-buy them again. Many of these pedals I have bought because of Brian’s videos. I generally like his videos a lot. This one, however, is a mess. I know a little (not that much though) about the electronics discussed, and I was looking forward to having some things explained to me. What I got was a lot of “this is all really simple, so don’t worry about it,” but I thought worrying about “it” (a little) was the point. Instead, I got a lot of “there’s this, which is just this, and like this but really not, but it all sounds good. Let me take you through a schematic. The signal goes in here, goes through some stuff you shouldn’t worry about, and comes out here.” Again, I generally like Wampler videos and products. I own them and will buy more. I still subscribe to the channel. His products are great. But this video is really frustrating.
I am not sure if this is related to clipping, but I noticed, there is a slight distorted sound at the end of the note(as the note decayed) when strumming bass strings (6,5,4 strings say Dm bar chord to 10th fret) on higher frets and no distorted on lower frets(say F#m on 2nd fret). And this happens only on neck pickup when on full humbucking mode but none on single coil mode(neck pick up) provided both scenario on full volume guitar knob.
I know this video is old but I’ll try… I’m gonna try a boost in the effects loop. Looking to get as clean a boost as possible. Tips? Am I crazy? 🤣 Started using a quilter Mach 3 on both channels for my gain tone (Plexi and 50’s Fender). When I go to either by themselves I get a huge volume drop. Band plays country and rock so if I go Fender only (for country stuff) I want it fairly clean but at same volume as both channels, but any boost, compressor or OD just makes it distort when I get the volume I want. I just love the amp for many reasons, including weight and tone, but just wanna make it work! Ps… I love your Pantheon Deluxe pedal. That thing is money!!!! Great video as always!
Very cool video Brian.... loved how you broke this down with all the various ways to boost the signal to the amp. One thing I'm learning is how different boosts work with different amps...I'm a total tone junkie and really enjoy discovering different ways of creating sounds! This was very enlightening and definitely helps me in my journey of learning about and discovering tones! Thanks for sharing! 😎🎸🐦🤘
I believe the main point of a preamp is it's converting the guitar signal into line signal, at least when i look at amplifiers. But i'm not exactly sure what that means and why are some pedals noisy when they are in an fx-loop? Are these digital micro preamp pedals the same? I agree very much that there are lots of different products called "preamp" and it's not clear why.
I basically use my eq in the fx loop as a mid boost for solos. ( increase some volume and help cutting through the mix)What your tones in the beginning to me sounded more like overdrive
The best b00st pedals are the MI Audio Effects Boost 'n Buff (V.2 and V.5 are the good 'uns) and the Tumnus/K-type thing. That is all. Unless it's a cranked Vox or a Crowther Hotcake into a Vox or another EL84-based amp, then you want the mighty Treble Booster. DOD250 if you wanna be Tom Verlaine.
Also the best overdrive or boost I ever had for an old 64 fender deluxe fender was one of those electro harmonics LPB-1 that cost $10 back in the day when you click that thing on it really made the fender come alive I think Eddie Van Halen had something like that put into his Marshall Front end It doesn’t change the sound so much is makes it 10 times louder
i just subscibed, i realise how important this library of information is for future generations. ive learnt so much from your channel and im so glad youve not only mastered the circuitry of pedals but how to present the differences on youtubes platfrom! alot of people dont understand camera quality and rendering/editing alongside the cost of gear to get a clear audio signal to present these tonal differences. ive seen you use the torpedo before has your preference in interface and attenuator changed through making these videos?
Hey Brian. I really enjoyed this video. While I lack any kind of useful electronics skill, I learned a lot from you today and it really helped me understand why I love some pedals that I have bought and been disappointed in others. This was awesome. Thanks man! Btw I love my Tumnus Deluxe and received my Terraform about a week ago and am enjoying it a great deal.
Great info Brian, now for what may seem like a mis-informed question. While making adjustments on an eq- pedal and the peaks affecting the main frequencies (i.e. 400 and 800 as an example), what happens to the frequencies in-between? Say 500, 600, 700 when the higher peaks are used. Are they affected in a balanced curve between the 400 and 800 (again just the example frequencies), or is there a drop out for the "in-between frequencies? Would this be the reason a "boost" circuit has a more even sound? Looking at the computer example of the eq-pedal is the reason for asking. Thanks again for all of the information you bring to this channel, it is greatly appreciated.
I'm using an inexpensive wireless guitar TX/RX and it works well but I seem to get a lower signal (less hot) than using a cable because all my overdrives/distortions seem to have lost their clipping, growl, like if you were to roll off the volume. So, if that's the issue, lower input signal (lower voltage?), then okay, it is what it is, but what can I use to increase the signal to get back closer to what I would have using a cable? Seems I would want to stick with a full frequency signal booster from what I gather in your explanation, I don't necessarily need to boost a certain frequency range or volume. Which type of booster would you suggest? Inverted op-amp, LPB-1 type booster, etc.? Thank you in advance for your input. Great video and topic!! Well delivered, kudos.
Eric Johnson uses the exhoplex preamp pedal if not the real deal, and also a butler tube driver set with the eq all the way down and the gain rather low for his flavor of cranked plexi. Which is maybe the most beautiful lead tone of all.
Here's my take on what preamp pedals are. Knowing that guitar amps have both a preamp and power amp section, and the preamp feeds the power amp, a preamp is any circuit that precedes the power amp. By absolute electronic definition, all of these circuits discussed contain amplifier stages, and whether they're transistor, opamp, JFET, MOSFET or even tube is irrelevant. They're all amplifier stages preceding the power amp, therefore they are all preamps. Really, when you put a boost, overdrive, distortion or fuzz into the input of your amp, your just adding to your preamp section. I built a pretty nice clean boost by stacking two common emitter amplifiers bookended by two common collector amps. I got the input impedance up to limit tone sucking. I'd like to try it with 18 volts so I can add two more stages without clipping.
JFETS/Mosfet can do dirty boost where they soft clip just little bit. opamp boost are not design to give a dirty boost and they not designed to soft clip. also fet do not like square waves and round them out triangle waves. it seems with the cap feed back ensure harsh frequencies are reduce make more pleasant fuzz sound.
When you said (31:00) "if you are playing at home you might want to turn it down because it just feels different"... is that just for the JFET types or all Boosts? Thanks!
I love the Tumnus as a boost. I’m glad you explained it still colors the sound even though it’s not clipping the diodes. Sounds so great using a fender deluxe reverb. I heard it’s because it’s a mid scooped amp so they compliment one another. Is that accurate?
Oooh. Is that Friedman a NAMM gift/trade? I believe I saw that one hanging in y’all’s shared booth. She pretty. On a side note, I wear my NAMM Wampler t-shirt that you yourself gifted me with pride. Thanks again.
I had the first Line booster that plugged directly into the guitar with a male 1/4'' jack. I still think that was the most transparent boost. Am I crazy? This was the early 70's.
Technically a preamp pedal is / should be a device that simulates the color of a well known amplifier, inserted before the power amp stage of another amplifier or directly thrown into a DI with cabinet simulation, eventually with power amp simulation. The Diezel VH4 is a good example of a proper preamp pedal.
When I first saw Brian Wampler I thought he was rather strange and even possibly 'obnoxious' but now I realize that he's a very honest, supremely generously helpful sweetheart genius.
Same
.. Turtle 🐢
Agreed.
I believe it's called "engineer".
Always seemed just very real, sincere and likable to me. But I work with engineers.
Circuit drawings, my brain goes "whoosh". Mr Wampler talks over circuit drawings, my brain goes "lightbulbs"!
Couldn't agree more, these types of analysis with frequency responses included, we need more of this
@@murfmurphy6212 The results of the analysis is the circuit he drew, not necessarily a real circuit in any pedal. Example, the "inverting" boost has a 47k input impedance, that is WAY low compared to a more normal 1 meg input impedance. It is much better to measure a "real" pedal and show the results than to draw up a circuit for analysis.
The booster quality that took us decades to finally figure out is that if the booster is intended to push an amplifier into providing "coloration" of some kind, whether or not that might be mentally classified as "distortion", the booster *must* trim back on the treble being fed to the amp. Remember that coloration/distortion is the *addition* of harmonics. More harmonics is nice and what guitarists love, especially lower-order harmonics. Harmonics OF harmonics, on the other hand, are *not* pleasing. So, where many historic boosters, like the Micro-Amp, LPB-1, and Rangemaster, only provided a single control for adjusting the output level, more contemporary boosters include some form of tone-shaping, such that the amp gets what extracts the best from it.
The genius of the Klon Centaur (and remember it emerged in the early-to-mid '90s) was that it was one of the first pedals that was deliberately and *explicitly* designed to strategically push an amp into "better" breakup. Many mistakenly think that it, and other booster pedals were/are supposed to produce an overdrive sound themselves. Rather, they are designed to precondition the signal to yield nice *amp* overdrive. I know, because Bill told me himself, that the "Treble" control on the Klon was really intended to be used primarily for treble cut, even though it can provide boost as well. I suppose, as a fallback position, keeping the Gain low, turning the treble up, and maintaining modest output volume, might dial back what you feed an amp, for a pleasing rhythm tone. But for pushing the amp, treble-CUT is where it's at. The Klon *does* provide some clipping, but if one sets the treble-cut right, any additional harmonics provided by the amp are harmonics of *lower-order* harmonics, and not simply a boosting of the high-end fizz.
Lest we think all boosters are ONLY for overdrive, bear in mind that most sound-amplifying devices have at least *some* headroom. So modest gain can be used to increase volume for a solo or other passage, but still remain clean, and not push the amp into dirt. That tends not to be how many of us use it, but the option is there.
My own first booster, 50 years ago, was the mic pre-amp of a tube tape deck. I would feed the line out from that to my cheap guitar amp. Of course, anticipating a MUCH lower input signal than what a guitar pickup provides, the mic pre-amp would be easily overdriven, and the line out pushed the guitar amp hard. NOTHING clean about that! My 2nd booster was a compressor, feeding an old MXR 6-band.
More recently, I whipped up a booster circuit that can add a bit of dirt when maxed, but trims back the treble as Gain is increased. You can build one if you're up to the challenge. I've gotten some nice feedback from users. The document gives a walkthrough of how it works. img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/mhammer/TheCrank.gif
Worth adding boosters like ep booster are lovely even without the breakup, it just does something really nice to frequency response. Yet it's often used for slight breakup anyway. But a great always on pedal to magically "sweeten" the sound instead of boosting much in volume or into breakup.
@@Yupppi Yes. What you describe is what I meant by "coloration". It doesn't have to be an obviously distorted/clipped sound to provide a useful change in the tone for a solo or other change in a tune. That coloration can either be provided *within* the booster itself, or via the interaction between booster and amp, as in the case of the Rangemaster. As I understand it the Rangemaster is biased so that it runs out of headroom on one half-cycle more readily than the other, yielding a form of asymmetric clipping, and providing three sources of coloration: its own internal clipping, the treble boost, and what the boosted signal does to the amp. I understand as well, that the use of germanium transistor in the Rangemaster also alters the tone via particular loading effects. But that stuff's beyond my pay grade.
I did make myself what's supposed to be an EP Booster, though I'm uncertain if the schematic I was following was accurate. I honestly didn't get anything noteworthy out of it that I couldn't get from a simple op-amp stage like Brian showed at the start. That's not *terrible* but it was a lot of effort for very little return in my case.
That's a really good detailed explanation.
How refreshing to read my old Canadian buddy! Hope you are well....I am! (Squid in Hollywood under girlfriends' sign-in)
@@1492oceanblue2 Rick!! What an absolute pleasure! We've been missing you buddy. I gather not many gigs of late, eh? We're all well here. I'm retired, and looking more and more like Allan Ginsberg these days, now that I don't have to attend meetings anymore and look civilized for anyone. All the other family members are working from home.
When you say things like "This may mean nothing to you" I still want to hear about it. I'm studying electrical engineering atm. It's very interesting to me when you talk about the details of a circuit, what resistors do in certain spots and etc. I do get it though, the majority of people might not like to hear about that.
Still, I really appreciate when you do. I think it's really valuable content, and I think there's a middle ground here that can maybe be met.
As an engineer I love these geek level vids, thanks Brian!
Brian is the axe-master ! All the tones in this and all his vids are superb ! Ear and brain candy abundant . Many thanks for sharing so much valuable knowledge . Not just solid entertainment , but very well presented valuable info .
My personal favorite boost (having never played a Tumnus) is the full-sized TC Electronic Spark. It's SO good. Gain, Volume, Highs, Lows, a three-position voicing switch, it's got everything and sounds GREAT. Gets into low gain OD territory. Putting the switch at Mid makes single-coils SING. Haven't used it a lot lately, because my Dual Fusion sounds so good I just don't need the help lol. Vintage side is always on, Modern side provides the beef. What a freaking pedal. Your stuff rocks, Brian!
Yeah, I think my non-mini Spark is the first pedal I go for when putting together a board.
The FAT switch just helps a Tele sound enough like a Les Paul that I don't need to switch guitars.
It’s amazing how good your simple/demo circuits in these vids sound. Great stuff. Thanks so much for all your awesome content!
Hey Brian.. I only dropped in to tell you that I absolutely love my Pinnacle deluxe V2. Best pedal I've ever owned. Thank you.
Perfect technical explanation!, I like these more than all the other snob youtubers with reviews full of buzz words glorifying ultra expensive boutique pedals
Brian's knowledge never ceases to amaze me.
Really happy I found this pedal company. Happy owner of a Tumnus Deluxe and hopefully soon the Pantheon for Christmas. Came here to get more insight on what exactly I needed out of a boost. Thank you Brian.
The best video about that subject in the internet. I have seen several other, and this is way better. Congratulations Brian.
Holy shit....Brian really knows his pedals and how to play guitar. Hats off.
Please keep making videos like this. We hear these terms all the time but have no idea what they mean. Thanks for demystifying things!
I, as an engineering student, absolutely love these kind of videos. It would be great if you could make a video about first steps to tweaking pedals, experimenting with breadboards and stuff (i absolutely want to assemble a fuzz for me ehehe)
Concise yet just the right balance between engineer and musician... Thanks man!
"Goosing the gain stage" Love it. Perfect explanation and details - if you don't gain it - get a violin.
If I survive this pandemic, I have to get a Tumnis. Love it.
You won't regret it. It does absolute magic in a signal chain. I also have a JHS bonsai but if i had to choose between the two, I prefer the Tumnus when it comes to boosting other pedals and amps 80% of the time.
Are you still here?
Please update. We're all concerned
rest in peace euopraxis1. He never got his Tumnis :(
Oh man! I really hope you did survive and that you are rocking your Tumnus!
I'm only halfway in but blown away by the knowledge here, and hearing the difference with the same guitar and amp (plus your comments on what you prefer for what) and I've learned a LOT in a very short time. This is awesome!
Brian, firstly, I trust that you're healthy and safe in this unprecedented time. Secondly, thanks for making this video and for the honorable mention of the Vertex Boost. One correction at 06:34 - you mentioned the Vertex Boost as an example of an inverting boost. I know you were breadboarding some examples to make approximations, however the Vertex Boost is non-inverting. Also, the input impedance on the Vertex Boost is 1M, the schematic shown in the video looked like 47K. There is no mid-boost, nor will it distort with higher output pickups as the example showed in the demo. I'm happy to send you one to evaluate if that would be of interest to you. With that said, there shouldn't be any difference in frequency response between iso-inverting or non-inverting. If there are differences, it would be more attributable to design shortcomings rather than something inherent in inverting vs. non-inverting circuits. Hope this helps clarify regard the Vertex Boost, and free free to shoot me an email if you want to check out the pedal for further evaluation - mason@vertexeffects.com. Kind regards, Mason
Great explanations! Glad you cleared up some of that preamp voodoo too. As an audio engineer that’s always irked me when I hear boosts being described as “preamps”. My ears perk up like a dog when I hear “preamp” but if it’s not preceded by Neve or API I get disappointed 😄
YES !!!! A super nerdtastic video from Brian! I'mma geek out :-)
Segovia was a noted user of boost pedals. He propped his left foot on them and leveled the first five rows.
My "magic" pedal that is my number one pedal on ANY board is the MXR 10 band EQ. Not only can I boost 10 feq's, but there's two additional sliders. A volume cut/boost and a gain cut boost. It is so flexible. I can do just about anything I want. That, with my Sovereign and my Ethereal, I am set.
Been thinking strongly about going the rout of an MXR 10 EQ. Do you feel a difference under your fingers when you play using it as a boost, or is it just sound your experiencing ? ..or both ? I'm not looking to boost volume necessarily. 'Mainly feel' and deff not trying to change actual tone of my last OD in the chain.
If that makes any sense .
they seem like the red headed stepchildren of pedals aren't they? they can do so much and are so useful but boosts, od's, get all the attention when in reality that eq pedal can do much of that.
But they can be noisy when you use them for boost instead of tone shaping Although you can do modds that can fix that but didn't work for me I use a Rangemaster clone w a clean boost on top
@@paulcowart3174 Interesting. Never heard of a Rangemaster. Have to check it out
I'm using a 7 band EQ, at the front of my chain. I have a general setting for my HB guitars and one for the single coils. 7 bands is minimum, for all around use; 10. even better
I had the hot selling Xotic ep. I hated it and it was the 3rd booster I had bought! Then as final bow out on boosters I got the Wampler ...KILLER!!!! I let my bass player try it on a P bass ...the best thing about that was it solved all the problem trying to match it to the active Music Man.
The schematic really helped me....helped me know how stupid I am! All I know is I love the sound of my Tumnus and Ego compressor!
I love the deep dives into the schematics.
I makes me so happy to see so many schematics!
The best you tube channel on the planet, Brian is a genius, a great person, funny.
Great video! I love these kinds of videos where you get into the nitty gritty of why circuits sound the way they do and how they differ from other circuits and the situations in which they can be useful or less than ideal. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks Brian, really enjoyed the deeper dive! I’m starting out building pedal kits and plan to move on to breadboarding, modding, maybe even designing something new in the future. Videos like this are nice to get just a bit further into the weeds 👍🏻
Love this video. Particularly how you run through the schematic. Id love to see this type of video for all types of circuits... fuzz circuits, overdrive circuits, univibe vs vibrato and chorus... Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
My use of a jfet style pedal is as an "amp-like" first stage followed by eq, poweramp sim and IR to FOH. Decent direct to PA solution. So for me it is a preamp.
We all have to do our part to flatten the mid-range hump.
🐑 baaaah
nothing short of brilliant sir, and explains why tube screamers work and why too much bass doesnt work and. why eq pedals are not the same - i love this video man- Also the tumnus is amazing - thank you
Your videos are the best! Please don’t ever stop making them! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I recently built a boost pedal based on a china fake TDA2030A power amp. Output signal is up to approx 22Vpp which drives my amp nice and hard. It sits last in the chain, since the massive output and low impedance could damage other pedals.
Amazing tone right at the start.
thank you for your help @Wampler pedals , trying to get into this hobby at 40 teaching myself is a bit more confusing than i thought it would be . some days i feel like me teaching myself this feels like the blind leading the blind . but im having fun.
Man, that talent booster sounds killer! I need to find one of those on reverb. Great video on boosters. 👍
Your RUclips channel is pure gold. Thanks for all the knowledge and information
This was really cool! I can see how so many pedal builders learned how to do stuff from you. On the whole "pre-amp pedal" thing, I wonder how a pedal like the Revival Drive from Origin Effects fits into that. I imagine the circuit diagram would be really complicated. It feels more like part of an amp to me; its what I have in my head when people say pre-amp pedal. In particular, when I set it to sound like a Marshall using a Fender amp, and run other pedals into it, like a Klon or a fuzz face, the overall volume doesn't increase, and it sounds closer to a Marshall with those pedals in front. Other pedals I've played that are designed to sound like a cranked Marshall don't do that so much.
Great video, detailed drawings and comparisons. Every kind of boost circuit has its own behavior, but people doesn't get it. Thanks for the information and time.
Great explanation Brian. I dove into Circuit Lab just for fun after watching this and it's actually pretty cool. Even us non-engineering types it might be useful. Thanks for another informative video.
that opening jam was so awesome man! thanks for these videos!
+1 for the Ego Squasher as a clean boost with or without a little compression blended into the sound.
Brian,
Your knowledge is extensive! I thank you for your generosity. At the same time, may I suggest just a little bit more info, for us rookies that don´t follow: Maybe you could close your videos with a quick summary. In this video, for example: "To sum up: Non inverting op-amp is good for x and works good with y. Famous pedals that use this circuit are: A, B and C." and so with all the other options. It would be of great help. Thanks again!
Really good explanations, thanks. I was a electronics engineering tech 1st and learned guitar later in life. I've been trying different boost/distortion pedals based off the product descriptions with little success understanding how the pedal was shaping the frequency response to get the grit I want to hear. Your video cleared the fog. Most of all thank you for stating they all do something to the sound more than just amplifying (boosting) it. Your Ego compressor is great btw. I now have to try it in before or after positions with the Euphoria V2 due to learning a bunch from your 5 ways to use a compressor video. Good stuff, keep it coming.
Can you do a video where you do get into the weeds and nerd out on the specifics of the components and the schematics? Love to see that
i usually play high gain and bought the tumnus deluxe on an impulse buy. After all your brilliant explanation my caveman brain still cant comprehend how that thing works wonders for my 5150. All i know is i trust wampler pedals for my gain staging.
Love your channel for the technical stuff, this is an area you really bring a unique value. I like other channels (JHS, Shawn Tubbs, That Pedal Show etc) but you bring a demystifying element to pedals and tone. AND THAT is why I come back (you also make killer pedals) :o)
in my opinion, for something to be a "preamp" it should have some kind of boost (clipping is optional), and some kind of a eq/tone shaping circuit.
the voodoo labs giggity is a great example; it boosts, it shapes tone, and it can breakup if you dime the gain. super versatile!
Great series. I have been fiddling with guitar amp and effects circuits a bit and your stuff really clears up a lot of questions.
Wellington seems to be a very nice city with strange poeple inside 😂
Sunny afternoon , an arrangment ?
Nice job, continue !
Have a nice day !
🥝🐸
Great upload, Brian! Love these concepts and explanations. However, your editing skills are unsurpassed. The peach bit, at the beginning, made me spit my water a la tom & jerry.
Stay safe, mate.
Cheers
Hey ! Im just curious to know in what categorie fit the ehx lpb1 ? what does it mean when they said linear boost? This video was really helpfull by the way !
I own a RatsBane and love it. Wanted to say I dig that you play and play well. Cool tele.
Thank you 😊
@@wampler_pedals right on and thank you for replying. Im enjoying your videos , some of its waay over my head oh and the vid you and Mrs W did was cool - down to earth.
Thanks for a great video! I guess the main take away for me was that, unless you're using a volume pedal after the pedals, you're mostly just hearing the amp clipping...
I run two decibel minis as the mainstay of my board at the start and end. Having the consistency of the same boost/buffer at the front and end of the board, with the ability to switch the buffer on and off easily, has been an eye opener when it comes to finicky impedance pedals.
Try the original Colorsound boost that uses an 18v supply.
Dave Gilmour used it for many years, and it is seriously LOUD that increases the gain stage to push pedals after it, like distortion pedals.
(Worth switching the linear gain pot for a log one though for better control.)
BTW, it's worth mentioning "Operational Amplifier" rather than just "OpAmp" for clarity.
I remember the Wampler talent booster was one of the first boutique pedals I bought, I loved it. Surely it’s due a rerelease Brian?
I really like these educational videos. I learn a lot.
I appreciate this video and so many more of yours. Love your approach and explanation. Keep up the great work.
I’ve learned something (actually several) new today.
I love Wampler pedals mostly because their owner makes such detailed, unbiased, and intricate reviews. This channel has taught me how to better read schematics. I used to use a compressor as a boost and loved what it did to the top end of my sound. It didn’t add any distortion but pushed the clean channel of my amp enough to make solos really sing out. It replaced an MXR Micro Amp which distorted the highs too much and got fizzy making me turn my tone knob down which was a compromise.Then I finally got a Maxon OD808 and this became my favorite boost pedal. It did color the tone when it was off though so I plan to get an OD9pro+ 18V which Maxon claims doesn’t have this issue. When I hear pedals like the Klon and Klon copies, I think they sound great but ultimately accomplish the same sound as a TS type pedal. Someday I’ll be able to compare a TS pedal at 18V (including the BB preamp which is a TS style pedal) to a Klon clone like the Tumnus to actually hear or feel the difference. Maybe stacking a Klon with a TS is the best way to solve to my indecision. I really roll my eyes when people call these pedals “transparent”. Why would anyone buy a pedal that didn’t sound like it was there?
This is so good Brian. Thanks very much. I am learning a lot and love seeing the cicuits and the breadboards to copy them and experiment.
After one episode, i knew I could build...
Always dreamed about building effects
I’ve owned many Wampler pedals. They’re really good. I’ve sold many to try others in my quest for tone, but I’ve re-bought a few again, believing them to be the best out there for what I’m going for. I wish I had kept some more, and I will re-buy them again. Many of these pedals I have bought because of Brian’s videos. I generally like his videos a lot. This one, however, is a mess. I know a little (not that much though) about the electronics discussed, and I was looking forward to having some things explained to me. What I got was a lot of “this is all really simple, so don’t worry about it,” but I thought worrying about “it” (a little) was the point. Instead, I got a lot of “there’s this, which is just this, and like this but really not, but it all sounds good. Let me take you through a schematic. The signal goes in here, goes through some stuff you shouldn’t worry about, and comes out here.” Again, I generally like Wampler videos and products. I own them and will buy more. I still subscribe to the channel. His products are great. But this video is really frustrating.
I am not sure if this is related to clipping, but I noticed, there is a slight distorted sound at the end of the note(as the note decayed) when strumming bass strings (6,5,4 strings say Dm bar chord to 10th fret) on higher frets and no distorted on lower frets(say F#m on 2nd fret). And this happens only on neck pickup when on full humbucking mode but none on single coil mode(neck pick up) provided both scenario on full volume guitar knob.
I know this video is old but I’ll try… I’m gonna try a boost in the effects loop. Looking to get as clean a boost as possible. Tips? Am I crazy? 🤣
Started using a quilter Mach 3 on both channels for my gain tone (Plexi and 50’s Fender). When I go to either by themselves I get a huge volume drop. Band plays country and rock so if I go Fender only (for country stuff) I want it fairly clean but at same volume as both channels, but any boost, compressor or OD just makes it distort when I get the volume I want. I just love the amp for many reasons, including weight and tone, but just wanna make it work!
Ps… I love your Pantheon Deluxe pedal. That thing is money!!!!
Great video as always!
I think the Talent Booster might be the solution to my sloppy guitar playing. great video.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge Mr W!
Very cool video Brian.... loved how you broke this down with all the various ways to boost the signal to the amp. One thing I'm learning is how different boosts work with different amps...I'm a total tone junkie and really enjoy discovering different ways of creating sounds! This was very enlightening and definitely helps me in my journey of learning about and discovering tones! Thanks for sharing! 😎🎸🐦🤘
I believe the main point of a preamp is it's converting the guitar signal into line signal, at least when i look at amplifiers. But i'm not exactly sure what that means and why are some pedals noisy when they are in an fx-loop? Are these digital micro preamp pedals the same? I agree very much that there are lots of different products called "preamp" and it's not clear why.
I basically use my eq in the fx loop as a mid boost for solos. ( increase some volume and help cutting through the mix)What your tones in the beginning to me sounded more like overdrive
best video on topic I've seen
The best b00st pedals are the MI Audio Effects Boost 'n Buff (V.2 and V.5 are the good 'uns) and the Tumnus/K-type thing.
That is all. Unless it's a cranked Vox or a Crowther Hotcake into a Vox or another EL84-based amp, then you want the mighty Treble Booster.
DOD250 if you wanna be Tom Verlaine.
Also the best overdrive or boost I ever had for an old 64 fender deluxe fender was one of those electro harmonics LPB-1 that cost $10 back in the day when you click that thing on it really made the fender come alive I think Eddie Van Halen had something like that put into his Marshall Front end It doesn’t change the sound so much is makes it 10 times louder
i just subscibed, i realise how important this library of information is for future generations. ive learnt so much from your channel and im so glad youve not only mastered the circuitry of pedals but how to present the differences on youtubes platfrom! alot of people dont understand camera quality and rendering/editing alongside the cost of gear to get a clear audio signal to present these tonal differences. ive seen you use the torpedo before has your preference in interface and attenuator changed through making these videos?
Hey Brian. I really enjoyed this video. While I lack any kind of useful electronics skill, I learned a lot from you today and it really helped me understand why I love some pedals that I have bought and been disappointed in others. This was awesome. Thanks man! Btw I love my Tumnus Deluxe and received my Terraform about a week ago and am enjoying it a great deal.
Great info Brian, now for what may seem like a mis-informed question. While making adjustments on an eq- pedal and the peaks affecting the main frequencies (i.e. 400 and 800 as an example), what happens to the frequencies in-between? Say 500, 600, 700 when the higher peaks are used. Are they affected in a balanced curve between the 400 and 800 (again just the example frequencies), or is there a drop out for the "in-between frequencies? Would this be the reason a "boost" circuit has a more even sound? Looking at the computer example of the eq-pedal is the reason for asking. Thanks again for all of the information you bring to this channel, it is greatly appreciated.
Wow Brian!
Good explanation...thanks for that one.
Keep on rocking, take care and hope to see more from you
Thank you
I'm using an inexpensive wireless guitar TX/RX and it works well but I seem to get a lower signal (less hot) than using a cable because all my overdrives/distortions seem to have lost their clipping, growl, like if you were to roll off the volume. So, if that's the issue, lower input signal (lower voltage?), then okay, it is what it is, but what can I use to increase the signal to get back closer to what I would have using a cable? Seems I would want to stick with a full frequency signal booster from what I gather in your explanation, I don't necessarily need to boost a certain frequency range or volume. Which type of booster would you suggest? Inverted op-amp, LPB-1 type booster, etc.? Thank you in advance for your input. Great video and topic!! Well delivered, kudos.
You're doing God's work, my friend!
BRILLIANT video Brian - really cleaned things up for me(!)
Eric Johnson uses the exhoplex preamp pedal if not the real deal, and also a butler tube driver set with the eq all the way down and the gain rather low for his flavor of cranked plexi. Which is maybe the most beautiful lead tone of all.
Here's my take on what preamp pedals are. Knowing that guitar amps have both a preamp and power amp section, and the preamp feeds the power amp, a preamp is any circuit that precedes the power amp. By absolute electronic definition, all of these circuits discussed contain amplifier stages, and whether they're transistor, opamp, JFET, MOSFET or even tube is irrelevant. They're all amplifier stages preceding the power amp, therefore they are all preamps. Really, when you put a boost, overdrive, distortion or fuzz into the input of your amp, your just adding to your preamp section.
I built a pretty nice clean boost by stacking two common emitter amplifiers bookended by two common collector amps. I got the input impedance up to limit tone sucking. I'd like to try it with 18 volts so I can add two more stages without clipping.
JFETS/Mosfet can do dirty boost where they soft clip just little bit. opamp boost are not design to give a dirty boost and they not designed to soft clip. also fet do not like square waves and round them out triangle waves. it seems with the cap feed back ensure harsh frequencies are reduce make more pleasant fuzz sound.
Great episode! Thanks. Good explanations and illustrations. Much appreciated.
Thankyou for this super informative video, definitely an excellent explanation from this talented man !
THANX!!!! A really great show that only you can do well so that we all can understand. KILLER SHOW!!!
When you said (31:00) "if you are playing at home you might want to turn it down because it just feels different"... is that just for the JFET types or all Boosts? Thanks!
Wow tone sounds extra 👌 today.
i love the micro amp as an overdrive, think its great
Love this kind of stuff. Thanks Brian!
I love the Tumnus as a boost. I’m glad you explained it still colors the sound even though it’s not clipping the diodes. Sounds so great using a fender deluxe reverb. I heard it’s because it’s a mid scooped amp so they compliment one another. Is that accurate?
It’s subjective, but I would say that’s one reason why some feel that way
Oooh. Is that Friedman a NAMM gift/trade? I believe I saw that one hanging in y’all’s shared booth. She pretty.
On a side note, I wear my NAMM Wampler t-shirt that you yourself gifted me with pride. Thanks again.
Thanks!! Yep that’s the one
I had the first Line booster that plugged directly into the guitar with a male 1/4'' jack. I still think that was the most transparent boost. Am I crazy? This was the early 70's.
Technically a preamp pedal is / should be a device that simulates the color of a well known amplifier, inserted before the power amp stage of another amplifier or directly thrown into a DI with cabinet simulation, eventually with power amp simulation. The Diezel VH4 is a good example of a proper preamp pedal.
Lol I was planning to design a delay pedal but went to design a boost pedal instead :D very useful and inspiring video! Thanks a lot!