MI Audio Blue Boy IC [Archive]

michael_ibrahim

08-05-2005, 11:11 PM

I will be making more of them. It will probably be about 3 months before they start to roll of the production line again.

I'm not too sure if I should put that IC in there or not. It's not a popular one, and not often used in the guitar community. The reality of the matter is that many guitarists have already made up their minds about what the best IC is, namely the JRC4558D. If I shipped the Blue Boy without the JRC4558D, I'm sure I'd receive at least a few emails per day asking for a 'custom' order with the JRC4558D IC.

Having said that, 95% of the tone comes from the pedal design, with the IC contributing 5%. Changing ICs does make a difference, but won't cover up for a bad pedal design. It also won't change the tone of the pedal dramatically,... for example, changing the IC in the Blue Boy won't turn the pedal into a high gain monster, or anything like that. It's a lot more subtle.

I found the LM1458 to be very similar to the LM833, but it's a bit smoother. The strange thing is that I also found it to be very very low noise, which is strange, because the LM1458 is just meant to be an ordinary IC, not a low noise deisgn or anything like that. Perhaps it's the batch that I have,...

El Jimbo

08-06-2005, 03:12 AM

I guess it's not practical to offer a choice of IC at the sale point.

I'd love to try one of these IC's Michael, as smooth tone is my cup'o'tea. Can I get one off you when I get a Tube Zone a a lil' bit? (I'm assuming the BBD can take the different chip).

BTW, any update on the TZ?

gkelm

08-06-2005, 02:30 PM

Michael...I'm currently enjoying a Tube Zone, and also have a BB.

An idea: if you could stock enough ICs, you might offer an "IC Pack" with several popular ICs...most of use would pay a reasonable price for this rather than try to track these down through electronics suppliers.
Greg

58lespaulman

08-06-2005, 07:31 PM

Michael please get the Blue Boy back soon.. And offer it with a couple different IC's, people would love that... And I cannot believe you ran out of enclosures...

michael_ibrahim

08-06-2005, 11:21 PM

Hey 58,... working on that,...

Also, I've thought about the idea of an IC pack, but you guys get the ICs much cheaper in the US. It's not worth it from your perspective, and shipping is expensive (it costs the same to ship one IC as it does a whole pedal :eek: )

on a completely different note, I've resurrected the Tube pedal idea. I'm working on a prototype at the moment. It's going by the working title of 'Gainius Maximus',... Here's a picture of the protos guts,....

http://www.miaudio.com/Images/Temp/GM.jpg

It's a 2 channel pedal, with independant Gain, low, mid, high and volume per channel. There are also 2 master volume controls, and a global presence and resonance control. You have 4 footswitches:
1) Bypass
2) Channel Select
3) Boost (to go from crunch to high gain on either channel)
4) Master Select.

It also has 4 outputs:
1) To guitar Amp
2) To Power Amp
3) To Headphones (Speaker simulator)
4) To Mixing desk (Speaker simulator)

This design gets all its tone 100% from the tubes. No solid state anywhere, and the tubes run at nearly 300V. Even the EQ is the classic passsive tone stack, like a tube amp. The only solid state in there is for driving each of the outputs to get a low impedance output. But it's basically pure tube.

The idea behind this pedal was looking at the stuff available today, you either get lower gain tube pedal, or the high gain stuff is typically hybrid (mostly solid state), and often running the tubes at low voltages. They're also typically quite basic in terms of features. I want to make something which is flexible, real tube at real voltages and full-featured.

I'll hopefully get this up and running within the next few weeks. If this ones doesn't work out (and I've built quite a few prototypes which I wasn't happy with), I'm canning the project!

fractal

08-06-2005, 11:28 PM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
on a completely different note, I've resurrected the Tube pedal idea. I'm working on a prototype at the moment. It's going by the working title of 'Gainius Maximus',... Here's a picture of the protos guts,....

http://www.miaudio.com/Images/Temp/GM.jpg

<snip>

This sounds interesting. How much do you think it would go for?

-Garrett

michael_ibrahim

08-07-2005, 12:33 AM

I am trying to keep the cost of the thing under US$400. US$350 would be great, but that might be a stretch. Anyone who's worked with metal knows that the big killer for small production runs is the cost of tooling. I can't use a standard 'hammond' type casing. I need to have custom work done, so that's my big problem at the moment.

michael_ibrahim

08-07-2005, 07:46 AM

ohmygodohmygodohmygod,... I just fired up the Gainius Maximus,... heaven,.... I'm so excited, I'm shaking,...

yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy

jlagrassa

08-07-2005, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
ohmygodohmygodohmygod,... I just fired up the Gainius Maximus,... heaven,.... I'm so excited, I'm shaking,...

yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy

Go head....Rub it in! :rolleyes:

Looks like a cool project, Best of luck with it

Rollo Timbre

08-07-2005, 08:41 AM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
http://www.miaudio.com/Images/Temp/GM.jpg
Your circuits look almost as great as they sound.:AOK I'll be looking forward to hearing more about this one.

michael_ibrahim

08-07-2005, 09:02 AM

Yeah, it's a neat little PCB.

Tomorrow, I'm going to test the speaker sim outputs.

gkelm

08-07-2005, 09:16 AM

That new ped sounds like a way cool concept...looking forward to it. :)
Greg

D.G.

08-07-2005, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
It also has 4 outputs:
1) To guitar Amp
2) To Power Amp
3) To Headphones (Speaker simulator)
4) To Mixing desk (Speaker simulator)

That sound really great, but do you know what I'd like to see rather than 4 outputs? I like to see the speaker simulator put on a blend control that would allow you to go from no simulator to full simulator. Like the blend control on a SansAmp Bass DI or Acoustic DI. Course, I don't have any idea as to the technical difficulties of such a thing, but while we're dreaming... :D

michael_ibrahim

08-07-2005, 07:21 PM

That's not too difficult at all. In fact, that was what I was originally planning, to avoid having lots of plugs.

I decided against that for one reason: Speaker sims suck. Doesn't matter how accurate their frequency response is, or if it's simulated with the world's most powerful computer,... they never work. I believe the reason for this is that you lose the guitar/amp interaction. Part of the cool thing about the sound of a guitar is the way that the guitar pushes the amp, and the amp, in turn, pushes the guitar back. I believe that this is a big factor which gives life to guitar tone.

So one way to get a bit of life back into your speaker sim signal is to have separate outputs. One goes to your guitar amp, and you monitor through the amp (so you have that interaction), and the second output you send to the mixing desk. This way you avoid the hassel of micing, but still get a natural recorded sound with guitar/amp interaction. This is obviously not necessary, but I wanted that option to be there. The reality of the situation of course, is that if you're using a speaker sim, you're doing it to avoid plugging into an amp, probably for noise reasons,...

erksin

08-07-2005, 09:47 PM

I would love to hear some clips when you're able, Michael - I *REALLY* need a great sounding headphone amp for late night jams...

Could it be used with other effects in line with it and still function as a headphone amp (like a Fender Reverb unit)..?

DonneR

08-07-2005, 10:06 PM

Michael your right - most speaker sims suck.... and as you alluded to its becasue they dont really sim a speaker....

Usually a speaker sim is just an EQ adjustment.....

When often a speaker changes the EQ AND the compression and even the distortion with some speakers.......

Michael - you should work on a real speaker simulator.

One that would have an EQ knob, and an intergrated dynamic compressor/leveler and something to sim the light harmonic distortion some speakers add.......

and even have different 'models' or setting for Jensen/Celestion/EV/Vox alnicoes.....

THAT would sell :cool:

michael_ibrahim

08-07-2005, 10:44 PM

Hey DonneR,

I think even if it were possible to simulate speaker distortion and compression, it still wouldn't sound good. It would still sound fairly 2 dimensional. You really need feedback to make the whole thing sound real. I don't mean long sustaining, singing feedback, but rather some way of the amp signal affecting the way that the guitar strings vibrate.

Erskin, yes, when you bypass the unit, the speaker sim is still active, so you can use it purely like a headphone amp. BUT,... you've brought up an interesting point. What if you want to use reverb AFTER the preamp, and before the speaker sim? In other words, should I put an FX loop on there? Problem is, you'd need to be able to switch that loop on and off, and hence you'd need a fifth footswitch. That's a lot of switches to remember on a dark stage. Also the unit would get quite large.

Well, if you had to limit yourself to 4 footswitches or less, which functions would you like to have at your feet:
- Bypass (can't avoid that one)
- channel select (ditto)
- boost
- Master select ('solo' control for volume boost)
- FX loop
- other functions,....?

Marcello

08-08-2005, 09:14 AM

currently the LM833 is my fav IC, very smooth, have a 1458 on order :)

erksin

08-08-2005, 09:43 AM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim

Well, if you had to limit yourself to 4 footswitches or less, which functions would you like to have at your feet:
- Bypass (can't avoid that one)
- channel select (ditto)
- boost
- Master select ('solo' control for volume boost)
- FX loop
- other functions,....?

I guess I'd vote for bypass, channel select, boost, and FX loop - but since I use an outboard Fender unit, I'm used to the sound of it coming before the preamp. Others may like having the FX loop option though...

pacomc79

08-08-2005, 01:13 PM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
I will be making more of them. It will probably be about 3 months before they start to roll of the production line again.

I'm not too sure if I should put that IC in there or not. It's not a popular one, and not often used in the guitar community. The reality of the matter is that many guitarists have already made up their minds about what the best IC is, namely the JRC4558D. If I shipped the Blue Boy without the JRC4558D, I'm sure I'd receive at least a few emails per day asking for a 'custom' order with the JRC4558D IC.

Having said that, 95% of the tone comes from the pedal design, with the IC contributing 5%. Changing ICs does make a difference, but won't cover up for a bad pedal design. It also won't change the tone of the pedal dramatically,... for example, changing the IC in the Blue Boy won't turn the pedal into a high gain monster, or anything like that. It's a lot more subtle.

I found the LM1458 to be very similar to the LM833, but it's a bit smoother. The strange thing is that I also found it to be very very low noise, which is strange, because the LM1458 is just meant to be an ordinary IC, not a low noise deisgn or anything like that. Perhaps it's the batch that I have,...

But you have a very good pedal design, the 5% is huge in a great pedal. Getting a good subtle breakup is a lot more important than getting loads of gain from an overdrive IMHO anyway. While the 4558D is the Vanilla Ice Cream it would be fun to have a small production run or custom option to go with a designers favorite I'd think.

Have you tried different options in the Tube Zone or your blues prototype?

Or hell we can get the chips ourselves. Just note your findings on the site with maybe a clip or two. With the GAS that we all exibit it could be a fun way to keep a good pedal on the board longer.

I kind of wonder what it would sound like with maybe a CMOS chip if that's even possible, probably a different socket I guess.

The GM looks like loads of fun.

Marcello

08-09-2005, 06:03 AM

a little update, just got my 1458 chip and man it's the smoothest of the bunch, Michael was true, wow loving it !!!

it's not a tesla but it sounds incredible, got it from small bear electronics for nothing. The 5% are worth it, try it.

michael_ibrahim

08-09-2005, 08:42 AM

Marcello, glad to hear that you've had the same results. That's good to know. That IC was such a great find,... I don't know what to do,...

gkelm

08-09-2005, 03:08 PM

Michael-
Quick (hopefully) question...been looking into various chips. I'm not finding the exact code, but variations. Does it matter?

For example: looking for LM1458, and find...

LM1458CM
LM1458CMX
LM1458CN
LM1458M
LM1458N

...etc.

What I thought I'd so is order a bunch of each type you listed and package them up in case other guys want them.
Greg

michael_ibrahim

08-09-2005, 05:42 PM

Hi Gkelm,...

Often these 'types' denote different IC size. Just make sure that the IC is 'DIP' or 'PDIP' or something like that. Other than that, they denote different tolerances, like temp range etc.,

I don't think that this will make any noticable difference to the tone, since the IC design will be basically the same.

gkelm

08-09-2005, 05:50 PM

Thanks Michael!
Greg

G'OlPeachPhan

08-10-2005, 01:41 PM

what's the best place to get a bunch of these IC's to try out?

gkelm

08-10-2005, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by G'OlPeachPhan
what's the best place to get a bunch of these IC's to try out?

Don't know yet about the best place, but I just ordered a handful from these places:

http://www.mouser.com/ - BIG selection = kinda confusing.

http://www.smallbearelec.com/home.html - Less choices = easier, a few pennies more on most ICs.

Greg

G'OlPeachPhan

08-10-2005, 03:40 PM

Thank you Greg!

Any thoughts about which one is going to have the grittiest midrange sound?

gkelm

08-10-2005, 04:29 PM

Originally posted by G'OlPeachPhan
Thank you Greg!

Any thoughts about which one is going to have the grittiest midrange sound?

I don't but perhaps Michael?

michael_ibrahim

08-10-2005, 06:42 PM

Of the ones I tried, I found the RC4558P to be the grittiest in the mids.

G'OlPeachPhan

08-10-2005, 07:33 PM

thank you. i'll have to give one of those a try... sweet gritty gravelly midrange tone could be really fun.

faizz

08-11-2005, 01:14 AM

Just tried it and yes, the 1458 is really nice :-)

Thanks Michael!

Faizz

michael_ibrahim

08-11-2005, 07:16 AM

The more I think about it, the more I think I might go with the LM1458 in the re-released Blue Boy,... I just sounds so good! I might have to say, 'just trust me on this one', and hope that the guitar community is prepared to believe me. I still think that the JRC4558D is a great IC, and it certainly sounds awesome in the Blues Pro.

El Jimbo

08-11-2005, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
The more I think about it, the more I think I might go with the LM1458 in the re-released Blue Boy,... I just sounds so good! I might have to say, 'just trust me on this one', and hope that the guitar community is prepared to believe me. I still think that the JRC4558D is a great IC, and it certainly sounds awesome in the Blues Pro.
I think it's wise to go with what you think brings out the best in your circuit.

Like you say, it's not a problem for people to get the generic IC whenever they want it.

G'OlPeachPhan

08-11-2005, 06:14 PM

I just ordered most of the IC's on your trial list. I really love the pedal as is, but I'm doing this for fun. It'll be fun to see if I prefer the 1458 over stock... or maybe a different one?

I also ordered a classic proco rat IC - the TL070. It'll be fun to see how that reacts in your circuit.

I'm also in favor of you using the IC that you think sounds best in your pedal... let customers change it if they want to!

michael_ibrahim

08-11-2005, 06:36 PM

G'OlPeachPhan,

The TL070 won't work in there. You need to use a dual IC (the TL070 is a single). The updated one is the TL071 (single, 8 pin), TL072 (dual, 8 pin) and TL074 (quad, 14 pin). Only the TL072 will work in the Blue Boy.

G'OlPeachPhan

08-11-2005, 07:07 PM

michael -

OK, thank you for the info. I'm new to circuits, so I had to basically follow your list that you posted at the beginning of this thread... The 070 was literally the ONE that I added that wasn't on that list. ;)

Does the 072 have similar characteristics?

jzguitar

08-11-2005, 10:04 PM

How would these IC's work in a TS9? I've got an AnalogMan Silver modded one. I'm trying an RC4558P this weekend but I'm intrigued by the other choices listed here. Suggestions anyone?

Thanks!

jz

michael_ibrahim

08-11-2005, 10:53 PM

Yep, the 070 seems to have identical specs to the 072 in terms of performance, so go for the 072,

I suspect that the 1458 in a TS will sound smmmmmoooooooth. Oh no,... I think I might have just inspired another custom 'mod'. Oh well, look out for it guys in a few month's time, the,....

"Tonefreakazoid super 808 mod, for just $59.95 not including shipping and taxes we will change the IC in your TS808 to the $0.40 highly prized 1458,... and for free, we'll change your red led with a slightly more orangy one. This mod will change your life and make up for years of not practising" :p

Wheels

08-11-2005, 11:05 PM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
.... This mod will change your life and make up for years of not practising" :p

Hey Michael,

thanks for making such a great pedal. I don't know what chip is in my Blue Boy (s/n#040130 qc 10/11/04), but it makes up for all my years of not practicing!

Wheels

michael_ibrahim

08-11-2005, 11:25 PM

Avoiding practice is the reason I got involved in this heist in the first place,... I wanted a pedal that took in random noise and spat out a holdsworth solo,... although I know a few people (including my wife) who already think that a holdsworth solo is close enough to random noise!

El Jimbo

08-12-2005, 02:03 AM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim

"Tonefreakazoid super 808 mod, for just $59.95 not including shipping and taxes we will change the IC in your TS808 to the $0.40 highly prized 1458,... and for free, we'll change your red led with a slightly more orangy one. This mod will change your life and make up for years of not practising" :p
$59.95 sounds like a bargain...

...sign me up.:D

TDavis

08-13-2005, 11:37 AM

Michael...I just got the 1458 from mouser yesterday and "dropped" it in before my gig last night ,and I have to agree with you...the 1458 is the smoother of the "lot"...I think I've found the op-amp for my Blueboy!
Terry

michael_ibrahim

08-13-2005, 06:47 PM

Hey Terry,

That's great to hear. Thanks for helping me verify this indepedantly as well. It's difficult to tell with these things whether it's just my ears, or if the effect is real.

Hmm,... I think I might have to make the 1458 IC the default IC in the new Blue Boys, and hope that guitarists trust me :confused:

DonneR

08-13-2005, 10:36 PM

Isnt t he 1458 the one thats in many of the Ibanez 10 series pedals, usually in the tone/eq circuits I also see them in the graphic EQs etc....

El Jimbo

08-14-2005, 02:30 AM

How many OD pedals are there out there with the JRC4558 chip at their heart?

I think the first consideration should be performance, and then offering something different to the multitude of generic JRC ODs is a worthy second objective.

Trust your instincts Michael...it's your design after all.
I really can't see people complaining, especially given the abundance and cheapness of obtaining and swapping in the JRC chip.

michael_ibrahim

08-14-2005, 04:56 AM

HI Donner,

Don't know about that, but I guess that would be a turn off for a lot of people.

But you're right El Jimbo, it's my baby I guess, and I should decide what's best for it! Yep, the JRC is cheap and easy to find,...

DonneR

08-14-2005, 06:41 AM

Originally posted by michael_ibrahim
HI Donner,

Don't know about that, but I guess that would be a turn off for a lot of people.

No I didnt mean it like that - I collect and love the Ibanez L and 10 series, highly underatted in my opinion -- and I thought I remembered seeing 1458s in some of t hose pedals I use and dig - but I guess your right some people dont like those old pedals...the 1458s seemed to be in pedals that had more than one chip, usually in conjuction with 4558s, like the Super Metal, Distortion Charger, GEL,etc ,,, ,,,ok Im going to go look again before I put my foot further in my moutth :D

gkelm

08-14-2005, 07:20 AM

Originally posted by DonneR
No I didnt mean it like that - I collect and love the Ibanez L and 10 series, highly underatted in my opinion -- and I thought I remembered seeing 1458s in some of t hose pedals I use and dig - but I guess your right some people dont like those old pedals...the 1458s seemed to be in pedals that had more than one chip, usually in conjuction with 4558s, like the Super Metal, Distortion Charger, GEL,etc ,,, ,,,ok Im going to go look again before I put my foot further in my moutth :D

I agree that some of those old Ibanez peds are great...DL10 Delay, Fat Cat...whatever chip they used. :)

DonneR

08-14-2005, 07:38 AM

Right I had wondered when I saw those in a number of those peds why Id never heard them used for anything else, or if they were a sub for 4558s or alternate better suited for clarity in EQ type circuits etc..... but I think its great and meant no slam what so ever by the Ibanez remark --- I mean if its an old chip, it was certainly used for something somewhere - and might just be perfect for different applications with todays different booteek needs..... that 4558 thingy seems to be popular :D

58lespaulman

08-14-2005, 08:12 AM

4558 thingy is only popular because of the TS808, that a lot of people hate and say it has a mid hump.. But people are still using that IC only to sell there product...I think if you have found one that works better for clarity and stuff, than you should use it.. It all comes down to when people buy the new Blue Boy and they hear how good it sounds, the word will get around quick.. Look the Red Snapper is supposadly a TS808 kind of pedal, and they don't have that JRC4558 IC, and they have the best sound in my opinion... Stand by your choice and don't let anybody sway your decision...

DonneR

08-14-2005, 10:31 AM

ditto 58 !!! Its great to see someone trying something new !!! Follow your own ears.....;)

Cary Chilton

08-14-2005, 12:57 PM

Donner ,
Enjoyed your reviews on MusicToyz and your site!!! I still think the BJF is out of my price range :(

peace

Wheels

08-14-2005, 02:27 PM

how coincidental...

there's a Blue Boy for sale in the pedal emporium right now!

i think I need two.

Wheels

DonneR

08-14-2005, 02:34 PM

Originally posted by georgeandleo
Donner ,
Enjoyed your reviews on MusicToyz and your site!!! I still think the BJF is out of my price range :(

peace

thanks for the kind words, Im still beefing up the site and have updated alot in the last week.......

and yeah the BJFs are out of my price range too - but I still have about a dozen:D

michael_ibrahim

08-14-2005, 06:50 PM

Hi Donner,

No offense taken, or anything like that! But I think you're right. It sounds good. That's it,... I'm using it! Thanks to all for your input.

gkelm

08-14-2005, 07:12 PM

Did my little taste test in the BB today. Here are some general perceptions (of course, your mileage may, and probably will, vary):

JRC4558D - familiar sound, very smooth, focused, somewhat middy (you know)

TL072CN - a bit more output, still tight & focused, a bit broader frequency spectrum (i.e., not as middy), still smooth but a bit more grit

LM833N - again, a bit more output & broader frequency spectrum, yet a even more gritty and aggressive (not quite as smooth), but good clarity in the treble range...I liked this one

LM1458LM - highest output of all. From the 833, this had a generally fatter tone, seemed to have beefier bass & mids...very nice (now I know what you mean, Michael...go for it!)

LM358P - fuzzier/browner, I didn't care for this one...but somebody might

BTW, Mouser shipped FAST, same day...arrived next day (it helps that I'm only about 60 miles away)...good service. I ended up with several extras because I selected a few differently coded ICs of the same value. I think I'll try some swapping in other pedals as well, nice (cheap) way to fine tune.

Michael...thanks for the heads-up on this...all the best with MI Audio products.

Greg

Marcello

08-15-2005, 05:58 AM

Originally posted by gkelm
Did my little taste test in the BB today. Here are some general perceptions (of course, your mileage may, and probably will, vary):

JRC4558D - familiar sound, very smooth, focused, somewhat middy (you know)

TL072CN - a bit more output, still tight & focused, a bit broader frequency spectrum (i.e., not as middy), still smooth but a bit more grit

LM833N - again, a bit more output & broader frequency spectrum, yet a even more gritty and aggressive (not quite as smooth), but good clarity in the treble range...I liked this one

LM1458LM - highest output of all. From the 833, this had a generally fatter tone, seemed to have beefier bass & mids...very nice (now I know what you mean, Michael...go for it!)

LM358P - fuzzier/browner, I didn't care for this one...but somebody might

BTW, Mouser shipped FAST, same day...arrived next day (it helps that I'm only about 60 miles away)...good service. I ended up with several extras because I selected a few differently coded ICs of the same value. I think I'll try some swapping in other pedals as well, nice (cheap) way to fine tune.

Michael...thanks for the heads-up on this...all the best with MI Audio products.

Greg

totally agree with this review, my findings too.

for some reasons i found that the LM833 works very well with a vibe, but not the TL072...

erksin

08-15-2005, 01:07 PM

I dropped the LM833N in mine and really like the difference - didn't know about the LM1458LM, I'll have to give that one a try as well...

Really a killer pedal, Michael - I'm finding all sorts of useful tones in this little box!

telechuck

08-15-2005, 02:17 PM

I've got an lm1458 on order as well but do you guys have any favorite internal pot settings to go along with the new chip?

erksin

08-15-2005, 03:43 PM

Originally posted by telechuck
I've got an lm1458 on order as well but do you guys have any favorite internal pot settings to go along with the new chip?

I set mine to the 'Fat Screamer' settings...

carltonh

06-16-2006, 03:12 PM

So what happened to the Ganius Maximus mentioned on this thread?

Also, I'm suprised with all the chips tried in this thread that no one tried or at least mentioned the 4559 in the Blue Boy. It is used in the Tim and a few other highly regarded pedals, how would it sound here?

BillyK

06-16-2006, 04:05 PM

tocs100

06-17-2006, 01:04 AM

I'm also intrigued by the Gainius Maximus.

Shaman

06-17-2006, 01:08 AM

I'm also intrigued by the Gainius Maximus.

+1! Was just drooling over the pics last night again.

BTW, love the "conceptual pragmatism" quote! :-)

carltonh

06-17-2006, 08:59 AM

I thought I'd also mention that, despite MI's decision back in this thread to go with the 1458 chip, I opened up my BBD and it came with a JRC4558. The website also lists the JRC4558 as stock in the BBD, so at some point MI decided to stick with tradition. I don't know if there were design changes that made this his favorite again, or if it was a marketing decision.

drolling

06-17-2006, 09:31 AM

Is the difference a subtle thing? Reason I ask is that I'm one of the relatively few Lovepedal Eternity users who swapped out the stock *mystery* chip for a TL072ACN - to my ear, the change is phenomenal. Altho' most designers will insist that the circuit dictates the sound of the pedal, even the taper on the gain pot feels different w/the alternate chip.

And what about the BluesPro & the CrunchBox - Any suggestions for new chips to try?

I really like the way Michael's pedals are voiced, but after my experience w/the Eternity, I feel like experimenting w/every pedal that has a socketed op-amp..

And that Gainus Maximus sure does look cool. Can't believe I missed this thread when it was started last year!

tocs100

06-17-2006, 12:00 PM

+1! Was just drooling over the [Gainius Maximus] pics last night again.

BTW, love the "conceptual pragmatism" quote! :-) OT: Thanks--been using that sig for about a month and nobody's asked where it's from. Source: Woody Allen's "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy." :rotflmao

erksin

06-17-2006, 01:02 PM