Against my better judgement I bought another pedal. (It's an EM-Drive.)
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Against my better judgement I bought another pedal. (It's an EM-Drive.)
It popped up on Portland Craigslist and my kind friends down there just nabbed it for me.
What is it?
What is it?
Last edited by marqueemoon on Fri Oct 13, 2023 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Unicorn Warrior
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3529
- Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
- Location: Kentucky, USA
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
Not a chorus.
- Unicorn Warrior
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3529
- Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
- Location: Kentucky, USA
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
So, it’s a Boss from that era?
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
No. It’s a newer boo-teek pedal.Unicorn Warrior wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:10 pmSo, it’s a Boss from that era?
- cestlamort
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 5238
- Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:01 am
- Location: Seattle
- Contact:
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
Benson… preamp?
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
It’s another “son”.
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
After a very meandering journey it’s finally here.
It’s a circuit I’ve mentioned quite a bit on here as one I’ve been curious about.
It’s *very* simple and contains a category of component that some folks consider snake oil when used in guitar tone circuits.
It’s a circuit I’ve mentioned quite a bit on here as one I’ve been curious about.
It’s *very* simple and contains a category of component that some folks consider snake oil when used in guitar tone circuits.
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal.
Welp, here it is.
I've wanted to try one of these for ages. I think it's a looker too, unlike my bony and pale hand.
Took it for a quick spin with my JM and Vox Cambridge and it's pretty much exactly what I was expecting. It's an interesting pedal in that it gets very saggy and tweedy past about 3 o'clock on the gain control, and at low gain settings it's basically invisible. The extreme sag was not very flattering with this particular guitar/amp combo. It might be fun in combination with a treble booster or spitty fuzz for making stuff sound extra broken.
It's sort of Klone-like in that it adds a subtle low mid fullness and rolls back a little stringiness, but unlike a Klone the latter varies depending on when the gain is set. There seems to be a sweet spot between 1 and 2 o'clock where there's a little sag and the harsh clang gets rolled off that's quite nice.
I'm really not sure what to do with it. I was thinking of trying it the Rat spot on my board at gainier setting, but now I'm wondering if this should do the job my Archer was doing while the Archer does the Rat's job (i.e. a little dirtier).
It's very well made, and the switching is dead silent (no audible click in the audio).
I've wanted to try one of these for ages. I think it's a looker too, unlike my bony and pale hand.
Took it for a quick spin with my JM and Vox Cambridge and it's pretty much exactly what I was expecting. It's an interesting pedal in that it gets very saggy and tweedy past about 3 o'clock on the gain control, and at low gain settings it's basically invisible. The extreme sag was not very flattering with this particular guitar/amp combo. It might be fun in combination with a treble booster or spitty fuzz for making stuff sound extra broken.
It's sort of Klone-like in that it adds a subtle low mid fullness and rolls back a little stringiness, but unlike a Klone the latter varies depending on when the gain is set. There seems to be a sweet spot between 1 and 2 o'clock where there's a little sag and the harsh clang gets rolled off that's quite nice.
I'm really not sure what to do with it. I was thinking of trying it the Rat spot on my board at gainier setting, but now I'm wondering if this should do the job my Archer was doing while the Archer does the Rat's job (i.e. a little dirtier).
It's very well made, and the switching is dead silent (no audible click in the audio).
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal. (It's an EM-Drive.)
Took it to practice tonight for a proper test.
EM-Drive sounds fantastic at band volume. Just sounds like my amp, but louder and dirtier, and without any unpleasant high end fizz, even with brand new strings.
I think it’s actually better than my Archer at the low gain rhythm thing in that there’s less of a mid hump, so more of the texture of the playing comes through, and it doesn’t compete with the vocal range as much.
I want to do more experimentation, but sticking with what I know for our next show.
EM-Drive sounds fantastic at band volume. Just sounds like my amp, but louder and dirtier, and without any unpleasant high end fizz, even with brand new strings.
I think it’s actually better than my Archer at the low gain rhythm thing in that there’s less of a mid hump, so more of the texture of the playing comes through, and it doesn’t compete with the vocal range as much.
I want to do more experimentation, but sticking with what I know for our next show.
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal. (It's an EM-Drive.)
Tried it with my 3 piece band tonight with the Cambridge Reverb and my Oceana Jr. It definitely wasn’t bad, but more of a baseline sound than a boost. A totally clean boost drives this particular amp better.
That said I am way overdue for a string change, so maybe with some more upper harmonic content the EM-Drive would be better.
Played a show with my other band last night with the Archer back on the board, and I’ve decided it’s staying.
So now I have a pedal I like, but don’t know what to do with. I have… a few of those
That said I am way overdue for a string change, so maybe with some more upper harmonic content the EM-Drive would be better.
Played a show with my other band last night with the Archer back on the board, and I’ve decided it’s staying.
So now I have a pedal I like, but don’t know what to do with. I have… a few of those
- sal paradise
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3749
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2021 12:41 am
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal. (It's an EM-Drive.)
We’ve all had periods of time with boxes full of thosemarqueemoon wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 10:23 pmSo now I have a pedal I like, but don’t know what to do with. I have… a few of those
I’m back at that stage again. Time to sell them all. Before buying them all again. Gotta try everything at least twice before you know it works, right?
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?
- marqueemoon
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
- Location: Seattle
Re: Against my better judgement I bought another pedal. (It's an EM-Drive.)
Fortunately I don’t tend to re-buy things I’ve previously tried and sold, but that’s probably largely because I just tend to hang onto them.sal paradise wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 10:42 pmWe’ve all had periods of time with boxes full of thosemarqueemoon wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 10:23 pmSo now I have a pedal I like, but don’t know what to do with. I have… a few of those
I’m back at that stage again. Time to sell them all. Before buying them all again. Gotta try everything at least twice before you know it works, right?
I have enough local pedalhead friends that we should probably just work out some kind of lending library situation with each other.