Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

[hermetico]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Echoplex preamps are some of my fave stomps to put in front of an amp; they do this magical grind thing to the treble
and tighten things up a bit.

Echoplex preamps (and those that pretend to be) I own:

- xotic EP Booster
- Badgerplex Trilogy
- Orbit Maestro Boost

Here's the deal - if you want as close to the real thing as possible, the pedal must have a TIS58 and it must be running around 22-24 volts.

The xotic does not match these specs - sounds great, but it ain't it.

The Badger and Orbit are bang-on.

Have no idea about the MXR... could just be "yet-another-clean-boost-with-an-Echoplex-wrapper".

BTW, here's a clip which shows what a TIS58 equipped EP3-style pedal can do to a straight-into-amp tone...

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12364628

1st run is straight in, 2nd run is + EP stomp, 3rd run is + EP stomp + MXR 6 Band with a little push on the hi mids (for fun)

Nice info, thank you.
Since the Xotic EP booster works SO AWESOME.
If there is some other pedal delivering huger tone, I want this!.
I think I need to test the Badger's.

[jimijames]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

It looks like the maestro booster is the cheapest of the three actually.

Great info here.

[dr.barlo]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Anytime I see a "email me for prices" statement from a retailer/sales person, I am immediately turned off. 9 times out of 10 that means "I do not want to scare you off right away with my outrageous pricing"

Exactly my sentiments!

B

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Has anyone tried the MXR Echoplex yet ?

. . . your thoughts ?

[Brow]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Has anyone tried the MXR Echoplex yet ?

. . . your thoughts ?

My friends guitar shop have lent me 1 to try for a bit. I'll post back when I've given it a go.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

My friends guitar shop have lent me 1 to try for a bit. I'll post back when I've given it a go.

Thanks - looking forward to it !

[Brow]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Thanks - looking forward to it !

I've tried it with my SLO clone so far and will do a better write up when I've tried it with my Splawn.

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Anytime I see a "email me for prices" statement from a retailer/sales person, I am immediately turned off. 9 times out of 10 that means "I do not want to scare you off right away with my outrageous pricing"

Jeff, generally IME they just can't post their pricing. Its MAP restricted.

Here is another thumbs up for the EP Booster. Just a great 'push' before the amp or 'pull' at the the end of the chain pedal. Its really one of those 'must haves' for any genre but particularly for classic /roots IMO.
Like Lew, I also have PCI AF (x2) and while I dig the OD sounds for very very specific 70's OD perfection, the mid bump as a clean boost is just a bit much for 1/2 my guitars. I wish I could add an internal EQ and just shift that pedal center a tiny bit on the clean boost side of things. It would be perfect, LOL. The mids work for the crunch sounds, just not for the clean boost (for which insane amounts are on tap).

The Fulltone TTE Tape echo has a stunning EP type preamp front-end in but it isn't practical for many people for obvious reasons. Its actually cheaper to find an original EP for the gain stage.
As an alternative I would recommend my friend Tavo at Nocturne Brain. He makes RE-301 front ends in a pedal format (they are a bit retro looking) and they are simply magical as a character pedal.
One version of my pedal board has all the EP Booster, The PCI AF, The Nocturne and the Fulltone TTE in use. I choose depending on guitar. And TO, I look forward to the Colour box pedal just for fun.

Cheers,

RG

[JeffB]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Jeff, generally IME they just can't post their pricing. Its MAP restricted.

In those cases where online folks are competing with B&M, I understand completely Rodney. However in this case, it was the individual who builds the pedal.

And thanks for the additonal info! 301 pre sounds interesting as well.

I am leaning towards the EP booster for a few reasons- it can be run at least at a higher voltage than the MXR, offers internal EQ switch, and still not sure about Tony Krank/Orbit

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

In those cases where online folks are competing with B&M, I understand completely Rodney. However in this case, it was the individual who builds the pedal.

And thanks for the additonal info! 301 pre sounds interesting as well.

I am leaning towards the EP booster for a few reasons- it can be run at least at a higher voltage than the MXR, offers internal EQ switch, and still not sure about Tony Krank/Orbit

Sure, I understand bro. Private builders are eccentric at times to say the least, LOL! At least that has been my experience. And then again, us musician types can be a bit overly dramatic in our needs LOL!

Your leaning against the right wall IMO. The EP Booster is win pedal, no doubt its a smart purchase. I personally like up/down setting. Bright on, gain off setting.

Cheers!

RG

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Thanks for the Nocturne Brain recco ... those pedals look very unique and sound great.

[superpete]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

i a/b'ed the xotic and the ep boost today. first and foremost the xotic has way more volume on tap. the mxr on 10 was the xotic at around 4-5. the ep was also much fuller sounding into a clean amp. into a semi distorted amp both sounded good, but i though the ep was a little nicer sounding. the mxr was a little crisper, the ep fatter.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

i a/b'ed the xotic and the ep boost today. first and foremost the xotic has way more volume on tap. the mxr on 10 was the xotic at around 4-5. the ep was also much fuller sounding into a clean amp. into a semi distorted amp both sounded good, but i though the ep was a little nicer sounding. the mxr was a little crisper, the ep fatter.

Thanx for the great info

[JeffB]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

Have not had a chance to plug it in, but my EP Booster came today

Stil waiting on a 18v power supply , and a new speaker to arrive. Hopefully a clip in a week or so.

[jimijames]

Re: Xotic EP Booster...MXR Echoplex preamp......

FWIW this thread gave me the ep boost bug.

I went and played one at GC, and it was good. I really loved the pedal but couldn't justify spending nearly $120 on a clean boost, and eventually decided though that for $50 I could build one using a madbean fatpants pcb, which sold out as I was getting everything ordered.

Fortunately I had some perfboard laying around so I ordered their charge pump and built just the EP part of the circuit on the perfboard.

I read on a forum somewhere that the MPF102 transistor is a good substitute for the TIS58 that's so hard to find, so I'm using that in Q1. I asked on the madbean forum about it and apparently for q2 you want the j201 if you prefer your preamp to have any boost at all haha.

I thought I ordered the right capacitors from Mouser but I didn't get enough of the 1 uf caps, and I forgot entirely the 3.3 nf cap. So I'm waiting on those to arrive.

When it's all said and done I should have a work-alike running at 24v (using a 12v power supply). But, it isn't all said and done yet haha. So, yeah. I'm pretty pumped to get it all done.