King of Tone - Analog man - ?
- Thread starter hydro
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the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Have one, love it.
Great unit...some folks find it confusing and/or hard to dial in but it makes sense to me!
It's the best op amp/diode clipping OD pedal I've ever owned or tried.
What would you like to know!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Have one, love it.
Great unit...some folks find it confusing and/or hard to dial in but it makes sense to me!
It's the best op amp/diode clipping OD pedal I've ever owned or tried.
What would you like to know!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
hydro
Prayin' to Cheeses
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Well, three things - I have listened to clips/demos, but:
1). Can you get a decent clean boost out of it
2). Does it preserve your low end reasonably well
3). Can the overdrive/distortion, if maxed and switched to distortion mode,compete with a standard distortion like an MXR, for example?
One thing i'm hoping is that i can use it like a distortion when I happen to be playing through an amp that has no overdrive channel.
Well, three things - I have listened to clips/demos, but:
1). Can you get a decent clean boost out of it
2). Does it preserve your low end reasonably well
3). Can the overdrive/distortion, if maxed and switched to distortion mode,compete with a standard distortion like an MXR, for example?
One thing i'm hoping is that i can use it like a distortion when I happen to be playing through an amp that has no overdrive channel.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
TGWIF was kind enough to give up his place in line for a second KOT, to me - so I could get one.
I bought one and loved it.
I agree that it's one of the very best and most versatile overdrive pedals I've ever owned.
So why did I sell it?
To complicated and to many controls for my tastes.
I was finding myself onstage and distracted by wanting just a little something more or a little less, or a little something else or a little something something from the KoT and caught myself bent over turning knobs onstage when I should have been just making music and playing my guitar.
To many knobs and switches on a guitar becomes a distraction for me - and to many choices on a pedal also becomes a distraction for me.
The way my brain and mind works, I have to keep it simple, or else I'll spend to much time thinking and not enough time playing and spontaneously creating.
My own favorite pedal is the very pedal TGWIF is proud to not own: the Klon.
I don't own a real Klon, but my PCE Aluminum Falcon is my "always on" pedal.
It's simple to use, sounds great to me, and once it's set I can control pretty much everything with the volume and tone controls of my Strat.
TGWIF was kind enough to give up his place in line for a second KOT, to me - so I could get one.
I bought one and loved it.
I agree that it's one of the very best and most versatile overdrive pedals I've ever owned.
So why did I sell it?
To complicated and to many controls for my tastes.
I was finding myself onstage and distracted by wanting just a little something more or a little less, or a little something else or a little something something from the KoT and caught myself bent over turning knobs onstage when I should have been just making music and playing my guitar.
To many knobs and switches on a guitar becomes a distraction for me - and to many choices on a pedal also becomes a distraction for me.
The way my brain and mind works, I have to keep it simple, or else I'll spend to much time thinking and not enough time playing and spontaneously creating.
My own favorite pedal is the very pedal TGWIF is proud to not own: the Klon.
I don't own a real Klon, but my PCE Aluminum Falcon is my "always on" pedal.
It's simple to use, sounds great to me, and once it's set I can control pretty much everything with the volume and tone controls of my Strat.
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Lazarus1140
New member
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Some like setting up one side for clean boost and the other side for distortion. I have never even tried the clean boost yet ... and should.
I'm not sure whether the distortion is like an MXR. I would describe it as a rather tight distortion ... short haired, if you will, as compared to a Maxon SD-9 or an MI Audio Crunch Box.
Some like setting up one side for clean boost and the other side for distortion. I have never even tried the clean boost yet ... and should.
I'm not sure whether the distortion is like an MXR. I would describe it as a rather tight distortion ... short haired, if you will, as compared to a Maxon SD-9 or an MI Audio Crunch Box.
Ed6Pak
New member
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
I have one, absolutely love it. Mike does great work, I have a TS-9 that he did a Brown Mod on about 15 years ago. I use both pedals. I recommend having the red side with the boost option. I think it makes the pedal more versatile. I never had any issues with the controls, a Volume, Gain, Tone knob for each side...easy day.
I have one, absolutely love it. Mike does great work, I have a TS-9 that he did a Brown Mod on about 15 years ago. I use both pedals. I recommend having the red side with the boost option. I think it makes the pedal more versatile. I never had any issues with the controls, a Volume, Gain, Tone knob for each side...easy day.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
As you know there are 2 channels, each with 3 modes. If you set a side to the CLEAN mode and run the volume at full then use the gain to dial in a boost then yes, you'll get a pretty clean boost and the amount of volume you can get is pretty amazing!
Low end...yes, the KoT saves a LOT more low end than say a TS808 or SD-1 and even more than most pedals out there that claim to preserve all your low end that said it DOES trim off a little bit, that said in my experience the lows it shaves off are not noticeable at stage volumes with real amps.
What I mean is if you are on stage using a quality amp you'll love how it tightens things up w/o thinning things out but if you are in your bedroom with a Peavey Rage or Line 6 Flextone at near whisper levels you likely will complain about the KoT a bit...that said, if you are looking at a KoT I assume the rest of your rig is already at a level that the KoT will add to your sound not take away from it!
The Distortion mode is the unsung hero of the KoT IMO!!! Most guys use it with the stock set up of an OD and a CLEAN boost but if you have the higher gain option (which, FWIW should be the standard!) the DISTORTION mode can get quite crunchy...think of it as sort of like a Boss DS-1 or Ibanez/Maxon SD-9 but with a MUCH better tone and a little less drive.
It won't get as much dirt as a DS-1 with the gain maxed out but it's in that camp/ballpark.
If you get into a situation where you have a single channel amp with no MV the DISTORTION mode makes a GREAT stand in for a drive channel leaving you another side to use as either a gain boost or a solo boost. In fact this is how I use my KoT a lot since I use single channel, non MV amps...if I can crank my amps, I use it as a boost if I have to keep the volume done I use it as a dirt channel and a lead boost.
As you know there are 2 channels, each with 3 modes. If you set a side to the CLEAN mode and run the volume at full then use the gain to dial in a boost then yes, you'll get a pretty clean boost and the amount of volume you can get is pretty amazing!
Low end...yes, the KoT saves a LOT more low end than say a TS808 or SD-1 and even more than most pedals out there that claim to preserve all your low end that said it DOES trim off a little bit, that said in my experience the lows it shaves off are not noticeable at stage volumes with real amps.
What I mean is if you are on stage using a quality amp you'll love how it tightens things up w/o thinning things out but if you are in your bedroom with a Peavey Rage or Line 6 Flextone at near whisper levels you likely will complain about the KoT a bit...that said, if you are looking at a KoT I assume the rest of your rig is already at a level that the KoT will add to your sound not take away from it!
The Distortion mode is the unsung hero of the KoT IMO!!! Most guys use it with the stock set up of an OD and a CLEAN boost but if you have the higher gain option (which, FWIW should be the standard!) the DISTORTION mode can get quite crunchy...think of it as sort of like a Boss DS-1 or Ibanez/Maxon SD-9 but with a MUCH better tone and a little less drive.
It won't get as much dirt as a DS-1 with the gain maxed out but it's in that camp/ballpark.
If you get into a situation where you have a single channel amp with no MV the DISTORTION mode makes a GREAT stand in for a drive channel leaving you another side to use as either a gain boost or a solo boost. In fact this is how I use my KoT a lot since I use single channel, non MV amps...if I can crank my amps, I use it as a boost if I have to keep the volume done I use it as a dirt channel and a lead boost.
hydro
Prayin' to Cheeses
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Cool, thanks very much guys.
Regarding the issue of complexity & onstage distraction, I can totally get what Lewguitar is saying. Normally though, I am kind of a "set it and forget it" type player, that is I will dial in a sound I want and typically leave it there, without changing it, or bypass it. My current board has an Analog Mike RE-J mod TS-9, which I love, but when the KoT comes in it will replace the TS-9 and I'll get a second channel out of the deal, which I'll likely use as a boost. I did request the high gain mod. It will be a while until I reach the front of the line, so I'll post back when it shows up.
Cool, thanks very much guys.
Regarding the issue of complexity & onstage distraction, I can totally get what Lewguitar is saying. Normally though, I am kind of a "set it and forget it" type player, that is I will dial in a sound I want and typically leave it there, without changing it, or bypass it. My current board has an Analog Mike RE-J mod TS-9, which I love, but when the KoT comes in it will replace the TS-9 and I'll get a second channel out of the deal, which I'll likely use as a boost. I did request the high gain mod. It will be a while until I reach the front of the line, so I'll post back when it shows up.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Cool and best of luck!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Cool and best of luck!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Lewguitar
New member
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
It's a great sounding pedal. More pedal and more decisions to make with it than I needed however.
But if a guy wants a simple one knob clean boost the Xotic EP1 does that very well - when I saw Robben Ford last summer the EP1 was the only pedal he had onstage and he ran his Tele through it into a Super Reverb. He appeared to leave it on all of the time.
And, of course, the $63 EH Soul Food is an excellent sounding Klon Klone pedal...as is the $150 PCE Aluminum Falcon 1.
Unlike TGWIF, I am proudly NOT Klon free. :lmao:
When I finally found a really good one that I could afford (the PCE AF1) I discovered that for me the Klon circuit is the only pedal that does what I've always wanted a clean boost/overdrive to do.
It's a great sounding pedal. More pedal and more decisions to make with it than I needed however.
But if a guy wants a simple one knob clean boost the Xotic EP1 does that very well - when I saw Robben Ford last summer the EP1 was the only pedal he had onstage and he ran his Tele through it into a Super Reverb. He appeared to leave it on all of the time.
And, of course, the $63 EH Soul Food is an excellent sounding Klon Klone pedal...as is the $150 PCE Aluminum Falcon 1.
Unlike TGWIF, I am proudly NOT Klon free. :lmao:
When I finally found a really good one that I could afford (the PCE AF1) I discovered that for me the Klon circuit is the only pedal that does what I've always wanted a clean boost/overdrive to do.
hydro
Prayin' to Cheeses
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Yeah, I have never really used a boost before (played around with an LPB-1 once and that's it)... I have heard about Klons and K(c)lon(e)s but was under the impression they might not be that useful on the master-volume type amps I typically use. I do kind of use my TS-9 as a dirty boost for leads these days. I like the idea of a boost which gives me a tiny bit of dirt and a little bit of treble/sparkle. I'll see if the KoT will do that for me on one channel; it sounds pretty promising. To be honest, a lot of my decisions about pedals are made for me by the constraint of pedalboard size; I am determined to keep my pedal count down and my pedalboard size reasonable. As someone who had a full-size, spleen-busting pedaltrain with a lot of connections... it just took too long to set up at gigs, etc. on top of being heavy, complicated... there are times I think Hell I should just grab a cheap wah and just use that, and my channel footswitch. But I like what I have now; wah->tuner->vibe->OD->delay->amp; for a live show it does everything I think I'd ever want.
Yeah, I have never really used a boost before (played around with an LPB-1 once and that's it)... I have heard about Klons and K(c)lon(e)s but was under the impression they might not be that useful on the master-volume type amps I typically use. I do kind of use my TS-9 as a dirty boost for leads these days. I like the idea of a boost which gives me a tiny bit of dirt and a little bit of treble/sparkle. I'll see if the KoT will do that for me on one channel; it sounds pretty promising. To be honest, a lot of my decisions about pedals are made for me by the constraint of pedalboard size; I am determined to keep my pedal count down and my pedalboard size reasonable. As someone who had a full-size, spleen-busting pedaltrain with a lot of connections... it just took too long to set up at gigs, etc. on top of being heavy, complicated... there are times I think Hell I should just grab a cheap wah and just use that, and my channel footswitch. But I like what I have now; wah->tuner->vibe->OD->delay->amp; for a live show it does everything I think I'd ever want.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
I set mine up to boost my amps a bit (they are 50W/100W, need a little boost) to just a hair above clean, then add the second channel for more gain. So essentially one side is always on, I roll back volume for pristine clean and can layer the second channel for more distortion. I then have a thicker distortion after the KOT (Blues Pro or Muff clone) and a Fuzz (Sun Lion or Captain Coconut 2) before it.
I set mine up to boost my amps a bit (they are 50W/100W, need a little boost) to just a hair above clean, then add the second channel for more gain. So essentially one side is always on, I roll back volume for pristine clean and can layer the second channel for more distortion. I then have a thicker distortion after the KOT (Blues Pro or Muff clone) and a Fuzz (Sun Lion or Captain Coconut 2) before it.
hydro
Prayin' to Cheeses
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
That is a lot like what I am planning to do with it once I get it, although I will be using amp overdrive rather than a fuzz.
Right now the boost is important because it seems like my Rickenbacker is just lower output than my SG and needs a little kick in the butt to cut through the mix when I use it. I use my modded TS-9 for a boost now but I have to turn the drive all the way down. So it'll be cool to have a clean boost and a second gain stage.
My amp (mesa) has a "solo" function but it only raises overall volume, and does not add that little sumthin' that an OD does; crispness and cut.
That is a lot like what I am planning to do with it once I get it, although I will be using amp overdrive rather than a fuzz.
Right now the boost is important because it seems like my Rickenbacker is just lower output than my SG and needs a little kick in the butt to cut through the mix when I use it. I use my modded TS-9 for a boost now but I have to turn the drive all the way down. So it'll be cool to have a clean boost and a second gain stage.
My amp (mesa) has a "solo" function but it only raises overall volume, and does not add that little sumthin' that an OD does; crispness and cut.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Yes, FoxRox (Dave Fox). It's been out of production for some time. It's basically his idea of "Jimi in a box".
(I have a bit of an issue with pedals
)
One of the amps I use the KOT on is a Mesa, it works well for me, specifically on the clean channel. Get ready for a few hours dialing it all in. It also should be nice on your PR!
Yes, FoxRox (Dave Fox). It's been out of production for some time. It's basically his idea of "Jimi in a box".
(I have a bit of an issue with pedals
)One of the amps I use the KOT on is a Mesa, it works well for me, specifically on the clean channel. Get ready for a few hours dialing it all in.
It also should be nice on your PR!
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LReese
Sausage Gravy
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
I was lucky enough to get one of the last CCII's made. Picked up the Ge and Si fuzz cards later on.
Yes, FoxRox (Dave Fox). It's been out of production for some time. It's basically his idea of "Jimi in a box".
(I have a bit of an issue with pedals
I was lucky enough to get one of the last CCII's made. Picked up the Ge and Si fuzz cards later on.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
That's awesome. I only have the original card, is he still making them or do I need to go to Analog Mike for new fuzz cards?
That's awesome. I only have the original card, is he still making them or do I need to go to Analog Mike for new fuzz cards?
LReese
Sausage Gravy
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
Last I heard, Foxrox will still make them. I got one off of a Plexi Palace member and the other off TGP.
Last I heard, Foxrox will still make them. I got one off of a Plexi Palace member and the other off TGP.
jimijames
New member
Re: King of Tone - Analog man - ?
On an unrelated note, IMO the KoT is crave-worthy because it has such a good foundation. The diodes it uses - MA856 - are fairly neutral sounding apart from the circuit itself. I've tried them in two pedals, and IME compared with other diodes, they don't add any color to the circuit. That's not a good thing or a bad thing - it's just how my ears perceive them. My guess is that Mike wanted something that was a good (I would say fantastic if I had ever tried one haha) clean boost, that had the most neutral-sounding diodes he could find, so that way the driven channel(s) aren't so far off that it feels like you're playing through two different pedals. He has (1) access to better equipment, and (2) a better ear than I do, so he can hear these minute differences that elude me.
Basically, what I'm saying is, there's a reason you have to wait years before you can get your hands on a KoT.
On an unrelated note, IMO the KoT is crave-worthy because it has such a good foundation. The diodes it uses - MA856 - are fairly neutral sounding apart from the circuit itself. I've tried them in two pedals, and IME compared with other diodes, they don't add any color to the circuit. That's not a good thing or a bad thing - it's just how my ears perceive them. My guess is that Mike wanted something that was a good (I would say fantastic if I had ever tried one haha) clean boost, that had the most neutral-sounding diodes he could find, so that way the driven channel(s) aren't so far off that it feels like you're playing through two different pedals. He has (1) access to better equipment, and (2) a better ear than I do, so he can hear these minute differences that elude me.
Basically, what I'm saying is, there's a reason you have to wait years before you can get your hands on a KoT.
