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This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

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  • This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

    But it sounds pretty badass.

    I have had an xotic ep boost for about a year or so. It worked phenomenally well with one of my guitars and my Tubemeister, but that was it. The xotic did not gel with my other amps and guitars, regardless of how the dip switches were set and whether I ran it at 9 or 18v. It has not got along my new Orange either so I picked this one up the other day.

    Wow. What an improvement. It doesn't have the sheer amount of gain boost that the Xotic does, but it sounds far better and more musical in every single way. The Xotic always seems too bright or too muddy on top, and the low end coloration is muddy and overkill. Strident lows. But the EP preamp is much clearer while not getting harsh, muddy, or strident. Now, there is the whole bit about the proper chip and voltage of the original EP, IDK what Dunlop has or has not used, they claim there is some circuit wizardry in there to allow it to have the high headroom while still running off a 9v battery or adapter and I believe it cos it does work better than the Xotic at 18v. And unlike the Xotic, it v also responds much better when you roll your guitar volume down. if you jack up the gain all the way on the ep preamp , it gets this quasi fuzz thing going which will bring to mind a bunch of classic recordings. Set at unity gain, is how I am using it mostly though, just for the coloration when I want it.

    Don't overlook it.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by JeffB; 03-14-2015, 01:07 PM.
    I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

    Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

  • #2
    Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

    Nice!

    There's nothing like that "secret weapon" on your board that just makes everything pop!

    NEW STUFF ROCKS!!!
    Originally posted by jeremy
    God hates bad guitar tone
    GUITARS: Schecter Saturn, Takamine, Ibanez Mandolin
    AMPS: Traynor YCV40WR/KT77s, VHT Special 6, Marshall AS50R
    EFX: Line 6 G30, Fhusk CS-3, Emerson EM-Drive, Emerson Paramount,
    Keisman Earlybird, EB VPJr, Empress Tape Delay, Hungry Robot Lil Gazer

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    • #3
      Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

      Nice. I've been wondering about that one.

      If it runs on 9V but gets 18V internally, they have a charge pump inside that increases the voltage. It's a nice way to make a pedal board friendly without needing a separate power supply.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

        Originally posted by Hoss View Post
        Nice!

        There's nothing like that "secret weapon" on your board that just makes everything pop!

        NEW STUFF ROCKS!!!
        It does make everything pop...love how it drives the the delay repeats into a little more filth as it regenerates, and the phaser sounds more intense as well.

        Originally posted by ErikH View Post
        Nice. I've been wondering about that one.

        If it runs on 9V but gets 18V internally, they have a charge pump inside that increases the voltage. It's a nice way to make a pedal board friendly without needing a separate power supply.
        I am unsure if that is what is going on inside or not. I know there are some echoplex pre clone pedals that do just that. But whatever Dunlop did, it's a marked improvement over the Xotic with the 18v power supply.
        I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

        Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

          Awesome, thanks for the post, I've been eyeing boost pedals lately. Specififly these two as well as the TC spark...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

            Sounds like the kind of stuff I'm getting out of my EM DRIVE.
            Originally posted by jeremy
            God hates bad guitar tone
            GUITARS: Schecter Saturn, Takamine, Ibanez Mandolin
            AMPS: Traynor YCV40WR/KT77s, VHT Special 6, Marshall AS50R
            EFX: Line 6 G30, Fhusk CS-3, Emerson EM-Drive, Emerson Paramount,
            Keisman Earlybird, EB VPJr, Empress Tape Delay, Hungry Robot Lil Gazer

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

              I dunno if a charge pump is to make it more pedalboard friendly or what, but they do have a slightly different sound compared with running it straight 18v like with the xotic. I don't want to call it sag but it's something qualitatively that I prefer.

              Just be careful when you're using it with a digital delay because some charge pumps can cause a heterodyning noise - people have had this problem with klones but idk if the Dunlop pedal has them.
              Originally posted by ImmortalSix
              I wouldn't pay more than $300 for a BJ.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                I tried it at a GC right after it came out. I wasn't super impressed, but I might have to give it another shot after your post.
                Go Packers!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                  I am curious: is this tape emulation? Or a recreation of the EP's preamp? Both?

                  What you are describing sounds a lot like Deck 1 on the strymon DECO, which is tape emulation/saturation.
                  Why don't you take your little Cobra Kais and get outta here?!
                  My collaborative PROGRESSIVE ROCK PROJECT, As Follows.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                    Just the pre, Ben.


                    FWIW, I think this and other EP pre pedals are not the kind of thing most people will try in a store and say THIS HAS TO GO ON MY BOARD, NOW. Instead it is a very specific sound that was used by a lot of people in a certain time period and is very subtle, but it can give ya that missing frequency,pop, and slight grind. Most people are not looking for it or care. And in that case you are better served with a typical clean boost or od. In addition, you really need to be playing LOUD to get the full effect.
                    I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

                    Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                      I always loved the funky square wave type of clipping that the preamp stage of the tape units had. It gave a nice edge and plumped up your guitar sound before hitting the amp.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                        Originally posted by JeffB View Post
                        Just the pre, Ben.


                        FWIW, I think this and other EP pre pedals are not the kind of thing most people will try in a store and say THIS HAS TO GO ON MY BOARD, NOW. Instead it is a very specific sound that was used by a lot of people in a certain time period and is very subtle, but it can give ya that missing frequency,pop, and slight grind. Most people are not looking for it or care. And in that case you are better served with a typical clean boost or od. In addition, you really need to be playing LOUD to get the full effect.
                        Thanks for the clarification. I have no interest in it, I have tape emulation, echo units, and an actual tape echo unit if I need that type of coloration.
                        Why don't you take your little Cobra Kais and get outta here?!
                        My collaborative PROGRESSIVE ROCK PROJECT, As Follows.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                          Originally posted by idsnowdog View Post
                          I always loved the funky square wave type of clipping that the preamp stage of the tape units had. It gave a nice edge and plumped up your guitar sound before hitting the amp.
                          Bingo.
                          I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

                          Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                            Here is something fun I discovered. Backing off the gain below unity on the pedal cleans up your amp in a very cool way- it reduces pre amp saturation but retains the beef in the eq, giving the sonic impression of a very low gain amp dimed ala a twin reverb or a hi-watt jacked way the f up. It doesn't thin out though like if you just reduced the pre amp gain on the amp itself.
                            Last edited by JeffB; 03-15-2015, 09:49 AM.
                            I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

                            Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: This pedal seems to have flown under the radar

                              Originally posted by JeffB View Post
                              In addition, you really need to be playing LOUD to get the full effect.
                              I think that was part of my problem.
                              Go Packers!

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