Best Tube Screamer type pedal?

ICBM · September 2013

monquixote said:

Loads of pedals are slightly modified TS circuits, but they can still sound quite different.

The three versions of the RAT only differ by one component, but they all sound very different.

It's a *little* more than one component, and there are actually four versions! (five including the 'Vintage Rat' reissue) but you're basically right...

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=47993&g2_serialNumber=6

monquixote · September 2013

Ah well I was nearly right.

The new Crunchbox has selectable diodes and that makes quite a big difference.

noisepolluter · September 2013

Xotic AC Boost and BB Preamp are both very good - the AC is lower gain and a bit warmer sounding, the BB is higher gain and has a bit more bite. BB Preamp MB has an extra control for the (upper) mid and is more aggressively voiced again.

Second hand they tend to go around the £110 mark - not the cheapest option but you should make your money back if you decide to move it on.

Dave_Mc · September 2013

ICBM said:

They're certainly far from identical, there are a lot of component value and some small circuit differences - these add up to quite a different sound. The overall layout topology and a large part of the circuit is identical though, to the point where you can actually modify a SD-1 circuit board into a TS without too much effort - or probably vice versa, but I doubt anyone would because a TS is a lot more valuable than an SD-1!

Yeah that's what I meant (the circuit topology thing).

I'm not sure which I prefer. I might actually prefer the TS. But I do like the SD1 (or at least, my cheapo daphon version) too.

crunchman · September 2013

noisepolluter said:

Xotic AC Boost and BB Preamp are both very good - the AC is lower gain and a bit warmer sounding, the BB is higher gain and has a bit more bite. BB Preamp MB has an extra control for the (upper) mid and is more aggressively voiced again.

Second hand they tend to go around the £110 mark - not the cheapest option but you should make your money back if you decide to move it on.

These are both excellent pedals. I one an AC Booster, but I wouldn't say that they are like Tubescreamers. If you want an overdrive they are both worth looking at though.

voxmanjohn · September 2013

Yep! I am sorted now thanks.

I revisited a forgotten pedal I once owned and regretted getting rid of but I manage to pick up cheap. A voodoo lab sparkle drive.

UnclePsychosis · September 2013

voxmanjohn said:

Yep! I am sorted now thanks.

I revisited a forgotten pedal I once owned and regretted getting rid of but I manage to pick up cheap. A voodoo lab sparkle drive.

Good stuff. I was actually just about to recommend a Sparkle Drive.

Brize · September 2013

Klon Centaur. Good luck in finding one though.

ICBM · September 2013

Brize said:

Klon Centaur.

Not a TS-type.

voxmanjohn said:

voodoo lab sparkle drive.

I'd almost managed to blank that one out... each to their own

.

Brize · September 2013

Different circuitry but similar application, no?

Dave_Mc · September 2013

Well sure, I mean it's still an od (actually, IIRC with the gain on zero it's a genuine clean boost as it has a dual-gang (think that's the term) pot which removes the clippers from the circuit).

But yeah it's also not TS-derived. Again IIRC doesn't it have (germanium) clippers to ground?

ICBM · September 2013

Brize said:

Different circuitry but similar application, no?

Similar application, yes - but it's nothing like a TS in almost any part of the circuit.

Dave_Mc said:
Well sure, I mean it's still an od (actually, IIRC with the gain on zero it's a genuine clean boost as it has a dual-gang (think that's the term) pot which removes the clippers from the circuit).

Again IIRC doesn't it have (germanium) clippers to ground?

Yes, which makes it a "distortion", and hence proves exactly that whether it's an overdrive or a distortion is dependent on the application and not the circuitry really! (Even though I would say that generally 'hard' clipping is distortion and 'soft' feedback-loop clipping is overdrive.)

The diodes are not removed from the circuit at low gain settings, it's just that the gain can be reduced to below the point that they operate.

Dave_Mc · September 2013

ICBM said:

(a) Yes, which makes it a "distortion", and hence proves exactly that whether it's an overdrive or a distortion is dependent on the application and not the circuitry really! (Even though I would say that generally 'hard' clipping is distortion and 'soft' feedback-loop clipping is overdrive.)

(b) The diodes are not removed from the circuit at low gain settings, it's just that the gain can be reduced to below the point that they operate.

(a) agreed

Don't the germanium clippers clip a little more softly than silicon? If so, I suppose that might go some way to explaining why they can claim it's an overdrive...

(b) My mistake, I got confused with the dual-ganged thing >:D<

So what's the purpose of the dual-ganged pot- just to reduce gain in two parts of the circuit?

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Best Tube Screamer type pedal?

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