EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

Does "true bypass" mean good, or adequate bypass? Then I agree it exists. It's just a misinformative term -- it's physically impossible to stick something in a signal path and fool the signal into thinking it's not there.

I don't hear any volume drop when the pedal is engaged.

True bypass means that when the pedal is off the signal goes directly from the input jack to the output jack. I assure you, it exists.

Just becasue you can't hear the volume drop doesn't mean it's not there...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

I just went to the store and picked up a nano version of this pedal. I compared both, and the sound is almost identical. Save yourself the trouble and get the nano.

You're missing the point...he already has an NYC Small Stone and wants to know if the mods are worth while...

 

[PVFan]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

True bypass means that when the pedal is off the signal goes directly from the input jack to the output jack. I assure you, it exists.

I can buy that. I can't buy what people say it means, a completely unaffected signal.

Just becasue you can't hear the volume drop doesn't mean it's not there...

I can buy that, too. I don't hear any volume drop. If it's there, I don't hear it.

 

[PVFan]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

You're missing the point...he already has an NYC Small Stone and wants to know if the mods are worth while...

We got the point and say it's not. A Nano would be cheaper in terms of time and money than the mods to the existing one, even if he doesn't sell the existing one. If he does sell the existing one and he gets a Nano, then it's an even way more economical way to go.

 

[phil_104]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

You're missing the point...he already has an NYC Small Stone and wants to know if the mods are worth while...

We got the point and say it's not. A Nano would be cheaper in terms of time and money than the mods to the existing one, even if he doesn't sell the existing one. If he does sell the existing one and he gets a Nano, then it's an even way more economical way to go.

+1. If the mods cost as much as the nano version, and are more complicated, the best alternative is the nano.

 

[millsart]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

You're missing the point...he already has an NYC Small Stone and wants to know if the mods are worth while...

They are not worthwhile because they'll end up costing more than buying a new pedal that already has all the features he wants, and the exact same sound. Plus a much more pedal board friendly case.

Its like if you've got an old car, and the cost to have the engine repaired is going to cost more than buying a brand new car, plus the new car has some other benifits like airbags etc, i can't see the point in fixing the old car.


Its worthwhile to have Mike mod a TS9 because it only adds $50 or so to the price to the pedal and buying a real TS808 would cost a few hundred so modded makes sense, but paying more than the cost of a new pedal to simply mod an old pedal to do just what the new pedal does makes no sense.


I mean heck, you could probably pay Mike to take the guts and put them into a MXR or similar sized case even, plus fix the volume drop, and add a 9v input.

You've got a Nano SS but it cost you over $200

Or order it for $66 from Music123 which is having a 15% off your entire order sale right now.


Just seems to make way more sense to me.....

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

Yes i understand the nano is a better starting point. They came out with those shortly after i started looking for a SS. the issues with reversed polarity on the nano SS made me just pick up a NYC RI. I had a spare EHX wal-wart anyways. Win Win. and running it swith my now sold lite ash strat into the the front of my amps was great. now its uses have changed.

But:

1. I already own a NYC SmallStone 4800 RI. Which i paid $60 for and love very much. selling it quick would bring me $50 max if im lucky and then dumping $60-$80 into a nano series...what if I dislike the bypass on it, and what if i end up with the early odd polarity power jack?

all i would be gaining is the smaller footprint and shelling out $20-$30 anyways

2. I have noticed that 'all smallstones' require some kind of boost or buffer after them. there is still a slight drop in level. They seem to work better with single coils with the pedal going into the front end of the amp. But buckers and it going through a loop is where I like my modulation effects. I have a BBE clean boost that got me the level i like through my loop. But then im missing the boost at the front end of the amp. and we all like a little clean volume boost rather than it wasting away in the loop...

3. I'm not a sucker for "true bypass". but i like to know that there is not a horrible tone eating buffer and a switch that will wear out after a hundred stomps. no then "true bypass" is comforting thing. you know the switch is servicable usually and that your bypassed tone will be usuable. where as its touchy with a boss pedal for example. You never know what your going to get bypass wise.

 

[PVFan]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

I guess. Hopefully it sounds the same after the mods. My Nano doesn't require a boost or buffer, guess I got one that's better than the others. I'm not sure which way is reverse polarity, mine's + on the barrel and I use a One Spot to power all my pedals, EHX, Boss, MXR, Ibanez, and of course Visual Sound.

I'd take a good buffer over true bypass, me, like the ones used in Visual Sound pedals. Every true bypass "by definition" pedal I tried hasn't been true bypass "by what those words mean in English" and "by what people think the term means." The signal goes through jacks and the poles of a switch, and then you have to add a buffer/booster anyway. I'd rather start with a good buffer in the pedal in the first place. If it alters the tone in a hearable, unpleasant way, then it's not a good buffer or a good bypass.

Good ones? Whatever the hell are used in a Visual Sound Liquid Chorus, a Boss delay, an EVH Phase 90, an Ibanez FL-9 reissue, and my EHX Nano SS.

Bad ones? Most vintage units, and the ones that brag of having a true bypass, that I've tried. The worst I've heard is a Deluxe Electric Mistress with AC cord. Unuseable pedal.

I'm not sure what you mean about the switch wearing out after a hundred stomps, do the mods you're getting include a switch upgrade?

 

[phil_104]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

I'm not sure which way is reverse polarity, mine's + on the barrel and I use a One Spot to power all my pedals, EHX, Boss, MXR, Ibanez, and of course Visual Sound.

I am also curious about this, as mine also has regular polarity....

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

on the power tip issue:

I supose that only affected the first shipment of nanostones and nano muffs. But i remember hearing horror stories about people using the EHX recommended adapters and frying the pedals.

those many reports is what made me jump on the bigger NYC 4800 RI.

 

[phil_104]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

on the power tip issue:

I supose that only affected the first shipment of nanostones and nano muffs. But i remember hearing horror stories about people using the EHX recommended adapters and frying the pedals.

those many reports is what made me jump on the bigger NYC 4800 RI.

That's actually really interesting. I had no idea such an issue ever existed with their pedals. I did know they have some very weird mA consumption on certain pedals, but beyond that, I had no idea.

I would be interested in seeing a list of the modifications made to their nano line over the years. Should be interesting, as it now seems that the nano line is getting more and more popular. ( I have 4 nano EH pedals myself...)

 

[StillLearnin']

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

So most people who own a NYC RI Small Stone have noticed the massive drop in output and clarity when they stomp on this pedal. I picked one up on ebay after deciding that I liked the tone better than the Phase 90 and true bypass was a huge plus.

But running it after spending time with it the switching in and out of effect made me remove it from my pedal rig. So today I spent time trying to get the unit to work with the loop on the B-52 and I can get a transparent bypass tone through the loop but even adjusting the loops levels i still get a solid drop in effect volume.

I know analogman does a trimpot mod to fix this mostly. Does anyone do it cheaper? I love my SS! but i need my phase tones to be as loud or louder than my bypassed tones.

Ideas? reviews of the AM mod?

To fix the volume loss problem - The feedback resistor in the input gain stage is R6, 5k6 - change to 10k The mixing resistor in the feedback / color stage is R27, 2k2 - change to 5k6

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: EHX Small Stone Volume Drop.

I'm so Gas fueled. Not as bad as JerryJG with his CL scores mind you. but bad.

I still plan on getting my SS modded too.