Box Of Rock boost too bright???

[jimbo13]

Who has used the Box Of Rock clean boost that feels it brightens up things too much. I noticed that they mention the boost circuit was tweaked to take some of the brightness out that the Super Hardon imparts but, to my ears, they did not take enough. Im I missing something? I do not have any other clean boost pedals. Do they all brighten up or is the BOR boosting high end more than some others might?

 

[slopeshoulder]

You're right, and many boosts have this problem (I won't list them here).
Good alternatives for warmer but clear tone are Flying Dragon (i have to sell mine), Hermdida dual booster, and Radial PB-1.

 

[JCM 800]

I find the BOR boost to be quite neutral. No high end spike unlike the SHO boost.

 

[wingwalker]

I don't find it too bright at all...quite flat to me but we all hear things differently...

 

[zachary vex]

Sometimes a buffer helps preserve highs that are lost when it's turned off because of loading. Buffers provide protection against loading from long cable runs or poor cables or heavy amp loads (strapped channels and y-ed amps can cause this, and some amps have low bleeder resistors at the input).

If you're used to a duller tone that's a result of your pedal/cable/amp configuration, a booster can clear things up and the result may seem to bright, comparatively. That doesn't mean that the booster is accentuating highs. In fact, the booster on the BOR is ruler-flat, response-wise, from below 1 Hz to ultrasonic. No boost or cut at any frequency... just eq-flat boosting.

 

[utterhack]

ever notice how sometimes when you turn your amp up the highs get a bit more slice to 'em?

 

[slopeshoulder]

I compared 10 boosters and almost as many buffers. The set up that sounds most like my amp turned up a bit is via Eventide Time Factor buffer (warmest) and Flying Dragon or Hermida boost (most natural and accurate) and no other buffer in the chain. I also listened to the boosts straight into the amp with no other pedals in line. Alone or with the warm Eventide buffer engaged, the other boosts sounded crispy and hyped beyond what the amp sounds like when turned up (bufffer on, and no second buffer in the chain). Radial PB-1 sounds great (but I didn't want a second buffer) and Menatone sounds great (but not available standalone even though I have begged him). Juts my rig, my ears, my studio. YMMV. The other buffers and boosters that sounded bright, hyped, crispy and unnatural to me, engineering design, scope specs, and manufacturer claims notwithstanding. I choose not to own to use Zvex (bright), Diamond (I forget why), Launch Pad (although I don't think this one was too bright) Serrrano Picoso (ouch), Plush (a little bright), Katana (pretty good actually), boost 'n' buff (poo), RC (sold twice as the mids were a bit shifted), and a few others I forget. But many people love all these and they are from great pedalmakers who make terrific products and are well made. Haven't tried MythFx or Cusack. Just reporting my results when searching intently. Happy with current set up. BTW, my Bruno amps are VERY detailed and revealing. So maybe that's it.

 

[Rod]

I love the boost side of my Jetter GS-3...Has gain and tone controls, so you can contour the tone exactly to your liking...No added highs with both controls at 12 o'clock, just a punchy boost...

 

[jokerjkny]

w/ my amp at lower volumes, the boost and all the zvex boosts seem bright. but at gig volume, they sound more natural, and that bit of high end boost does help cut.

if you'd like a darker boost, the PE germ is great. one of my favs.

 

[NBarnes21]

I don't find mine to be bright at all. Sounds pretty neutral to me, as ZVex mentioned it might be cause you need a buffer in your chain.

 

[Snail]

I find the BOR boost to be quite neutral. No high end spike unlike the SHO boost.

I thought the BOR boost was the same as the SHO?

 

[Grant Ferstat]

Gotta remember the way our ears work too-there is a difference between what we perceive and what is measured.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher%E2%80%93Munson_curves

While a boosters EQ might be "ruler flat" when measured, we perceive more highs and lows as volume is increased. Our ears/brains are not as sensitive to these frequencies when volumes are lower. This is why your ghetto blaster has a loudness switch that bumps them up for low volume use.

In my case I generally want to trim some treble and bass when I'm boosting volumes so I don't perceive an increase whether it is actual or not. It depends a lot on how much gain & how you EQ the amp itself though of course. I've noticed that people who run a lot of gain like a bit of apparent treble increase as it becomes perceived as more clarity to cut through harmonically rich overdrive/distortion.

 

[NBarnes21]

I thought the BOR boost was the same as the SHO?

nope,1 million ohms vs 5 million on the SHO

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Not had a problem with the boost myself, sounds good to me. I have more of an issue with the dist side myself, too dark. Sounds lovely to thicken up the Zinky Channel 2 though

 

[PEImatrix]

I tried an SG Stadard --> BOR --> DRRI and found the pedal quite bright too.

 

[storm319]

The boost side of the BOR is the best clean boost I have ever heard! Hopefully we will see a stand alone as part of the Vexter series in the future??!!

 

[slopeshoulder]

Gotta remember the way our ears work too-there is a difference between what we perceive and what is measured.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher–Munson_curves

While a boosters EQ might be "ruler flat" when measured, we perceive more highs and lows as volume is increased. Our ears/brains are not as sensitive to these frequencies when volumes are lower. This is why your ghetto blaster has a loudness switch that bumps them up for low volume use.

In my case I generally want to trim some treble and bass when I'm boosting volumes so I don't perceive an increase whether it is actual or not. It depends a lot on how much gain & how you EQ the amp itself though of course. I've noticed that people who run a lot of gain like a bit of apparent treble increase as it becomes perceived as more clarity to cut through harmonically rich overdrive/distortion.

YES!! I also want to trim bass and treble, but NOT get a mid hump. I wonder if a bosst maker will listen and do that. Even my favorite boosts boost bass and treble a bit (or rather the louder amp does). But once I say "roll off" I think I'm going to get a TS808, which I don't want. I think a switchable roll off would be perfect (NOT EQ because this circuirty will effect tone, usually. Timmy seems to be good in this way ad the T&B are roll off only).

 

[fr8_trane]

Who has used the Box Of Rock clean boost that feels it brightens up things too much. I noticed that they mention the boost circuit was tweaked to take some of the brightness out that the Super Hardon imparts but, to my ears, they did not take enough. Im I missing something? I do not have any other clean boost pedals. Do they all brighten up or is the BOR boosting high end more than some others might?

Your hearing is fine. I did some critical listening at unity gain to remove the fletcher munson effect from the test. The BOR, to my ears added a bit of highs and lows through a deluxe reverb and a Bassman. Not a good match IMO for the already bright and beefy, mid scooped fenders.

This stuff is splitting hairs I suppose but the major thing to me was perceived treble boost which i didn't want. Some folks may not hear it that way and others may actually like it because it makes their solos that much more in yo face.

 

[Showman]

The boost side of the BOR is the best clean boost I have ever heard! Hopefully we will see a stand alone as part of the Vexter series in the future??!!

+1 for that!

I own a SHO and a BOR and still I would like to see a Vextron BOR Boost

 

[Guinness Lad]

I agree with slopeshoulder and realfi. When boosting amps I have almost noticed that the tone gets brighter. I think it's a volume issue along with the preamp tubes getting slammed with more gain.

Not sure if this is true or not but back when Fender louder and more powerful amps they upped the voltage, this in turn made the amps louder but at the same time many said they became brittle sounding. Not sure if this is an apples to apples thing but it seems plausible.

I did not like the BOR, just listened to one at lunch today. The best boosts I have found have tone controls on them, things with a on/off button only are a waste on time IMHO. If you don't like the tone there is nothing you can do.