Euro Tourbox #2 Telenordia (OD/Compressor/Treble Boost/Trem) Post reviews here

Great review Seegs I really looking forward to test them out!

 

Excellent reviews, Seegs! Thanks very much.

 

Yeep, I did pick them up and I am already finished with my test too

He, he, I know the pain. Just before Christmas I have sold 5 pedals, but since then I bought 3 new one and after this test want a couple more


Ok, let's go to the review part


Test equipment:
Fender Stratocaster Custom Classic > [effect] > Laney VC15


TT-3 Tremolo
Knobs: Output, Speed and Depth are pretty obvious and self-explaining, so there is not much to say.
This is the first tremolo I have ever used, so I can't really compare it with the others.
I found some nice sounds in it, but as I said I just don't use tremolo.
Effect is definitely very well built, very quiet, even at extreme setting (it is true for all the Telenordia pedals from a tourbox).
What I didn't unserstand is position of the diode, too close to the switch. I think the "standard" position (above switch) is more reasonable.
But this is not really that important.


TK-23 Kompressor
It has 3 knobs: Output, Threshold and DryFeed.
I have to say, that manual explanation of the Threshold and DryFeed function was a little too detailed/complicated for me
My ears say that Threshold sets the amount of compression and DryFeed is resposible for the attack. Maybe not only that, but mostly.
Even when Threshold is set to off, there is some compression. From 11-12 o'clock compression is very strong.
When DryFeed is set completely counter-clockwise attack is very attenuated, sound is very soft, mellow.
Attack can be gradually raised and from 15 o'clock lot of it is preserved. Although even when maxed, attack is a little bit attenuated.
Output has quite a lot of gain reserve, so it is easy to get a boost effect.


TA-24 Treble Booster
Pedal is equipped with 3 knobs: Gain, Tone and Treble.
Gain is self-explaining, Tone is gain attenuator for trebles and Treble is 5-position rotary switch which defines which frequencies will boosted the most.
On the first position from the left full range is boosted.
Depending on position of the Treble switch, the Tone works a little bit different, so it allows for variety of tones. Nice.
I have to say once again: the pedal is really quite, even at high setting, there is none noise added. Impressive.
Treble in position 1, Gain at 12 c'clock, Tone at 13, bridge pickup
and drive channels set to "just breaking" and I got great rhytm tone.
I think that because of gemanium diodes, TA-24 added some edge and grit which sounds very different than typical full-range booster.
I like that a lot, it was like really new channel of my amp
I really didn't expect so much variety of sounds from a booster.
Thanks to rotary swich, I think this effect can be set to work nicely with any amp and any guitar.


TA-100 Overdrive
It has typical 3 knobs: Gain, Tone and Output.
Gain is self-explanatory, Output is just Level and Tone works the same as in TA-24.
With Gain off and Tone maxed, TA-100 works as a booster, full-range booster to ma ears.
Only bass is a little clearer and there is a tiny bit less highs, but overall sounds is fuller. But the change is rather subtle.
I like the sound mostly with slightly overdriven amp, rather then with clean channel.
Especially with Gain over 12 o'clock characteristic of the germanium diodes stands out too much for me.
But with my eyes closed I was sure someone cut my speaker with razor!

 

Should be nicely broken in when they reach me

I have a Cornish TB and a Plosive May Booster waiting to welcome the TA-24!

 

Great Telenordia review, that's why I have two of them.

 

Are you running your TA's after the TU2?

I started that way and thought they sounded fine but my Telenordia's really sound much better without the TU2 buffer in front of them.

Matthias from Telenordia thought the same.

 

Thanks Realfi for that tip, I'm gonna try it. You mean it's gonna sound even better? :AOK

 

Yep.

Like you I thought it sounded pretty good as it was but you'll find a sweeter tone if the pedals are prior to that TU2 buffer and even more dynamics with the Telenordia pedals being hit directly by the guitar signal. Let me know how you go.

It's interesting the way you essentially have a clean boost on either side of the TA-100. How do you utilise the TA-23>TA-100>Sexdrive combo?

 

Just received the box - testing tomorrow... reviews to follow!

Chris

 

are the Telenordia pedals true bypass?

I'm especially interested in the compressor . . .

thanks

 

Yep they are.

 

thanks

 

Test equipment:
Lollar Classic (SG style) with Lollar 50s P90s
GVCG Pine 2 Pickup Esquire (Lollar/GVCG neck pickup and 10.5k bridge PU).
Orange Retro 50 Head into Germino slant 4x12 with Scumback H55/H75 X-pattern mix.
Evidence Audio cables.
Amp set to break up a bit.
Other effects of similar genre with me to benchmark too: ProAnalog Scot 60, Artefact Audio Element 32, ProAnalog Power Driver, Tone Czar Powerglide.

Treble booster
This one is my fave of the bunch (you kinda guessed that already, eh Seegs? ) As regular posters here will know, I have had quite a few over the past few years and currently own a couple too. Just love those chunky, retro dynamic tones you can get from a treble booster.
Plusses:
Having both the 5 position rotary AND a tone control to reduce treble means this one is easy to match up to different guitars. Compared to the Java Boost I once owned the tone control manages to remove treble yet retain more of the character of the effect. I would live on positions 2, 3 or 4 as fully clockwise is too fat for me and the trebliest boost too... well, trebly. What I really appreciate is the manner this thing cleans up in. It's not as sudden as a traditional treble booster so you get more gradual shades of crunch via the guitar volume with a nice bit of grit in them (instead of rapidly getting that piezo-y hi-fi tone like many boxes respond). In this respect it behaves a bit like an OD via the guitar volume and yet the clean up is far better than most traditional overdrives. Cool!
Minusses
Turning down the guitar volume gave me more white noise type of hiss that I would want. Using a power supply (I used an isolated output on my Juice Box 003) gave me added low-frequency hum which I find annoying. I also prefer the tone on battery (9v power is harder feeling). Tried running just this box and nothing else to make sure nothing was interfering... hmmm... strange you other guys found it so quiet.

Tremelo
I was not so keen on this one. I think that's because I want a trem to retain my base tone and just add throb whereas this one shapes your base tone too when you click it on so keep that in mind reading this. Switching it on adds a bit of grit and sag (that'll be the germanium at work) and that was not for me.
Plusses
Nice range of speeds that can be adjusted gradually. Output level has enough range to get volume cut, unity or a boost at whatever depth setting you choose (why don't all trems have this?!).
Minusses
The above mentioned coloration of tone when switched in is not for me. Used on a battery there was a noticeable rounding off of treble. A power supply improves this somewhat, but I still hear a little clouding in the low/mid registers, robbing the sound of some definition which bothers me when I switch it in.

Overdrive
I found this voiced dark. For me it only really suited a bridge pickup - neck would have needed more definition/tightness for me.
Plusses
Lots of shades of OD to be had via the guitar volume and good overall clean-up. Nice lo-fi chunk to it which has lots of retro character.
Minusses
Even with the treble cranked I wanted less woof in the bass. Plenty of gain on tap - I would only need 09:00-12:00 myself. After that the fuzz/woof of the germ trannies takes over even more. If I wanted that tone I'd rather use a dedicated fuzz to be honest.

Compressor
This one is my second fave. I like the way the controls work - easy to fine tune your sound.
Plusses
Lots of ways to tweak the attack and feel of this one - good for getting the right balance of squash but also retain definition. I liked it with threshold around 10:00 mostly. Higher settings are rarely my thing on a compressor though. Also adds a bit of it's own grit which makes it easy to use as a hybrid of boost and comp. Gelled with my basic tone well.
Minusses
Hard to adjust on the fly, since increasing threshold will definitely need the other controls tweaked too. If I just wanted a bit of sustain/squish then this box would add more colour of it own.

Overall:
I like the aesthetic of these boxes, the controls are well thought out and (with the exception of the OD in my rig) well voiced too. I could easily use the TB - which is high praise from me as I'm picky about those if the noise floor was lower when rolling off the guitar volume (something I do a lot, especially with a TB). The OD was too dark for my taste, the tremelo obviously aims to do something that is not my thing and the compressor was very good at light compression/boost tones, it's just not something I would need.

Many thanks to Matt at Telenordia for setting us up with these demo units and to Seegs for organizing things! I really appreciate the chance to try gear out in my own environment so I hope the bluntly honest reviews are taken in the spirit they are meant. :AOK

 

I didn't, but I should write in my review, that I have tested Telenordia pedals only on battery

 

thanks to all of you guys for your time and checking/reviewing our pedals, with special thanks to Seegs for organizing all this.

its great to see that there are people who love pedals, quality and last but not least tone as much as we do.

the pedals are designed for use with either a battery or a good powersupply..some people strictly prefer batterys in their Telenordias while others dont care.Personally i dont care too much about that.

the hum issues with the Treble Booster as Chrissy describes are absolutely new to us, there shouldnt be any as we use the best known parts and circuit to eliminate just this possible AC hum...but as always with hum there are many ways it can get into your rig...

that said with filter networks like the one in the TA-24 you´ll have more hiss the higher you go filter-wise, thats in the nature of these filters.
there will be a upgraded Treble Booster with a modified filter network to eliminate that hiss very soon, prototypes done, pcbs ordered..

i hope you will enjoy testing our stuff as much as i do reading your reviews.

for any questions you are always more than welcome to drop me a mail or call us by phone.

take care and rock´n´roll

matthias hahn

 

Skiptracer - the box is in the mail as of today. I did a second test session yesterday just to check my findings - confirmed my impressions above.

Have fun with it!
Chris

 

MattHahn,

Thanks for chiming in on the thread - many thanks again for the tourbox. I'm most interested in the new TB - will drop you an email regarding time-frame.

Chris