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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => The Basement => Topic started by: Ned Ward on February 10, 2014, 06:52:52 PM

Title: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Ned Ward on February 10, 2014, 06:52:52 PM
Bob, Steve and other guitar players -

This pedal is the preamp from the Echoplex 3, prized by folks from Jimmy Page and others as part of their sound. Picked one up last week.

While there's tons of gain available, even with the gain off, there's a 3dB bump that adds a pleasing midrange "thickererness" to Fender amps. Also makes some overdrive pedals come alive. Loving it on my Bandmaster and Tremolux; will try today on the Princeton Reverb as well.

For $100 street and tiny enough to fit on any pedalboard, worth taking a look at. It's a keeper.

Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Steve Hurt on February 11, 2014, 08:34:31 PM
It's been out for 2 or 3 years actually!
They sound pretty darn good

The SP compressor isn't bad either (Ross clone)
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Steve Hurt on February 11, 2014, 08:41:06 PM
btw, there are a couple dipswitches inside


(http://pedaler.eu/webshop/catalog/images/EP%20booster%20Xotic%20dip%20switch.jpg?osCsid=490e01d9c6690ef5f90a9880d5b76696)
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Ned Ward on February 12, 2014, 02:14:25 AM
Thanks Steve - I knew the dipswitches were inside, but didn't know it's been around a few years. I know their compressor is a hip one; I have the Keeley but if I made a smaller board, the SP would be just the ticket.

How do you like the new SL pedal from them and the Barber Gain Changer? I still have my original Direct Drive, which is a key crunch pedal for me.
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Jeff Bankston on February 12, 2014, 05:03:22 AM
i wonder how it would sound on my Fender Stage 185 that my keyboard is played through
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Steve Hurt on February 12, 2014, 08:18:27 AM
Thanks Steve - I knew the dipswitches were inside, but didn't know it's been around a few years. I know their compressor is a hip one; I have the Keeley but if I made a smaller board, the SP would be just the ticket.

How do you like the new SL pedal from them and the Barber Gain Changer? I still have my original Direct Drive, which is a key crunch pedal for me.

SL Drive is okay.  I'm in a cover band and I use it for some songs that I have to emulate a Marshall (which is NOT my thing at all)  It does fairly well, but I think it wants humbuckers, not the Jazzmaster pickup that I have in my Tele.

The Gain Changer is awesome.  Does what the Direct drive did and more.  I use it a lot.  It will stay.
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Ned Ward on February 13, 2014, 02:22:23 PM
Thanks Steve - with that I can cross the SL off my list...

Gain Changer sounds promising... glad to hear it's working out for you.
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on February 13, 2014, 03:19:44 PM
Not sure I grok the PAS (pedal acquisition syndrome) but a friend of mine, and guitar amp designer),  started his own business several years ago to make novel pedals.  He has an interesting business model where customers interactively drive the new pedal designs with suggestions, or at least that is how he started out doing it. The customers always influence what sells.

I am not a player so I am not making any kind of a product endorsement, but the design engineer is an old friend of mine who did several successful amp designs while at Peavey, and elsewhere in the industry.

So he is a player "and" an experienced design engineer FWIW.   

http://www.amptweaker.com/ (http://www.amptweaker.com/)

JR
 
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Ned Ward on February 13, 2014, 04:28:21 PM
Not sure I grok the PAS (pedal acquisition syndrome) but a friend of mine, and guitar amp designer),  started his own business several years ago to make novel pedals.  He has an interesting business model where customers interactively drive the new pedal designs with suggestions, or at least that is how he started out doing it. The customers always influence what sells.

I am not a player so I am not making any kind of a product endorsement, but the design engineer is an old friend of mine who did several successful amp designs while at Peavey, and elsewhere in the industry.

So he is a player "and" an experienced design engineer FWIW.   

http://www.amptweaker.com/ (http://www.amptweaker.com/)

JR


Think of PAS as similar to collecting snares - each one has its purpose and will sound different for different tunes. Some pedals interact differently with each other, or based on how they're connected, probably similar to the sound of different snares with kits.


Your friend's company looks interesting - thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on February 13, 2014, 04:36:19 PM
Actually I do kind of understand it. As a design engineer I thought the Rockman would trigger an evolution toward direct guitar to signal processing and in some areas it has, but old school will remain set in old ways too.

JR

Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Steve Hurt on February 13, 2014, 05:04:33 PM
Thanks Steve - with that I can cross the SL off my list...

Gain Changer sounds promising... glad to hear it's working out for you.

If I take the SL off the board, I'll send it to you and let you review it. 
But I'll have to find something that fits the bill and fit the space first, so that may be a while.

If you have a need for a low gain overdrive pedal, try a King of Tone
(or a Prince of tone - the KOT is basically 2 POT's in a box)
It really makes Tele's sound good!  (even mine!)
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Ned Ward on February 14, 2014, 12:53:37 AM
Actually I do kind of understand it. As a design engineer I thought the Rockman would trigger an evolution toward direct guitar to signal processing and in some areas it has, but old school will remain set in old ways too.

JR


John - that did happen in the late 80's/90s - many moved to a rack mount system. I sold my Music Man 410 RD for an ADA MP1 MIDI Preamp, an SPX 90, and an ADA MicroCab speaker emulator, and played direct into the PA. I got back into tube amps around 2000 when I started to play out live more and we had a horrible underpowered PA. The ADA MP1 and my setup lived until about 2009, when one day it let out the magic smoke and that was it. Company long gone, sold it for parts.
Title: Re: New Guitar Pedal - Xotic EP Boost
Post by: Ned Ward on February 14, 2014, 12:56:05 AM
If I take the SL off the board, I'll send it to you and let you review it. 
But I'll have to find something that fits the bill and fit the space first, so that may be a while.

If you have a need for a low gain overdrive pedal, try a King of Tone
(or a Prince of tone - the KOT is basically 2 POT's in a box)
It really makes Tele's sound good!  (even mine!)


Steve - you're too kind. We're in the midst of rehearsals for shows, and for low gain I actually use my Direct Drive, or have found the EP Booster kicks the Tremolux enough to get grit. Appreciate the offer, but no need to send.


Analogman is great stuff and I did notice it on your board. Apparently Fargen had a new pedal (Xotic size) they showed at NAMM called TBF, or Tele's Best Friend. Could be fun for me, as I switch between a single coil Tele and my Duncan JB-equipped Tele Paul in shows...