dronerstone
Shredder
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Probably same on the original amp, I guess?
New pedalboard build!
- Thread starter metropolis_4
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gearJunkie
Rock Star
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I was just getting ready to do some Internet sleuthing to figure that out.
Richard_G
Roadie
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I don't think you will regret it. Or the Compact version.
metropolis_4
Rock Star
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I made a big discovery about the Citadel today. I struggled to get it sounding good in front of an amp and it occurred to me that it could be because it’s a full preamp. So I plugged it into the effects loop return on my AC30 to test that theory and…
Instantly it’s everything I wanted it to be. Like plugging into a good Plexi in every way. Super responsive. I can crank everything and get every shade of dirt with my volume knob. It’s terrible in front of an amp, but amazing as a preamp into a power amp
So I’m not gonna use it for what I thought I’d use it for, but I’m gonna keep it for the times when I want a Plexi and I can get by with doing the cranked amp and volume roll back thing. It’s a keeper.
Instantly it’s everything I wanted it to be. Like plugging into a good Plexi in every way. Super responsive. I can crank everything and get every shade of dirt with my volume knob. It’s terrible in front of an amp, but amazing as a preamp into a power amp
So I’m not gonna use it for what I thought I’d use it for, but I’m gonna keep it for the times when I want a Plexi and I can get by with doing the cranked amp and volume roll back thing. It’s a keeper.
metropolis_4
Rock Star
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I’m wondering if I could run the Citadel into the effects return on the Simplifier and just use the power amp and speaker emulations on the Simplifier to go direct. Anyone ever try that?
dronerstone
Shredder
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No, but I'm sure it'll sound good!
metropolis_4
Rock Star
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Final pieces ordered. One board has become two boards. Now I just have to wait for shipping.
I’m leaving on a business trip so it’ll probably be next Thursday or Friday when I can finally put it all together
I’m leaving on a business trip so it’ll probably be next Thursday or Friday when I can finally put it all together
dronerstone
Shredder
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metropolis_4
Rock Star
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Welcome to the club!
I’m really excited about the second board. It’s going to be minimal, very old school, 100% analog, and 100% built out of the scraps of the big board build.
I told my wife it’s like when grandma would make a pie and we’d take the scraps and make a little mini pie on the side
the swede
Rock Star
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Drives are always a problem, at least for me and always has been. Biggest revelation for me was to finally understand what the fuck they are really meant to do and achieve. It didn’t help that forums tend to put ideas into us that contradicts pedal design.
Timmy (or any true overdrive) is a great example. No… it’s not a good standalone drive pedal into a clean amp. It will never be that, no matter what people say. They are of course not wrong, if it happens they like that result. But they are wrong….
Oh, and a fender amp needs a tubescreamer, so every one gets a tube screamer for a twin that doesn’t get turned up, or even worse don’t understand the concept in the digital modeling realm and then says the amp or pedal model sounds bad.
And then there’s all these designs that are designed and do sound great with a specific type of amp style. Total rabbit hole… and it basically requires amp knowledge to understand.
Then pedal designers try to solve a problem by making pedals that mimics amp model specific distortion (aka amp in a box) in an effort to to give people what they want but the people don’t understand this concept either.
I don’t really know where I’m going with this… haha… it’s my own frustrations with drive sounds mixed with not accepting how things are supposed to work, because I’m stubborn.
But the truth is that drive sounds into clean (non distorting, breaking up) foundations has never sounded anywhere near as good as a good turned up amp with a specific pedal design. Very hard for me to accept….
History know these recipes are like gold for our ears and it’s like all the angel choirs are in harmony and god is smiling.
Anyhow…
I would say that I kinda accept how the new Nobels mini 2 tend to melt in good with a clean base… it’s not to fat or to humpy but has adjustment for both if needed. But it also has a very nice inherent breakup/distortion character, smooth… maybe a little to smooth sometimes, but definitely better that to sharp non adjustable clipping that needs a breaking up amp.
Also liked the Barber GC, it’s definitely able to be a neutral good sounding drive with clean setups but it had a very subtle poke in the high mids that nagged me and my telecaster already has that built in.
Then there’s the Fairfield stuff. The Barber shop is one magical piece of pedal but it’s very “characteristic” and needs to be 100% accepted by the user. I tried it and it was 90% from me and I should accept it but I know my personality would try to fight it. But I really like the “jfet” type of stuff and many times wonder… why isn’t it more common than it is… it sound and feels awesome. It’s the sag I think… it reminds me of the sensation with an amp that isn’t stiff.
Good luck with drives MetroP… I hope you are easier to satisfy than I am
Timmy (or any true overdrive) is a great example. No… it’s not a good standalone drive pedal into a clean amp. It will never be that, no matter what people say. They are of course not wrong, if it happens they like that result. But they are wrong….
Oh, and a fender amp needs a tubescreamer, so every one gets a tube screamer for a twin that doesn’t get turned up, or even worse don’t understand the concept in the digital modeling realm and then says the amp or pedal model sounds bad.
And then there’s all these designs that are designed and do sound great with a specific type of amp style. Total rabbit hole… and it basically requires amp knowledge to understand.
Then pedal designers try to solve a problem by making pedals that mimics amp model specific distortion (aka amp in a box) in an effort to to give people what they want but the people don’t understand this concept either.
I don’t really know where I’m going with this… haha… it’s my own frustrations with drive sounds mixed with not accepting how things are supposed to work, because I’m stubborn.
But the truth is that drive sounds into clean (non distorting, breaking up) foundations has never sounded anywhere near as good as a good turned up amp with a specific pedal design. Very hard for me to accept….
History know these recipes are like gold for our ears and it’s like all the angel choirs are in harmony and god is smiling.
Anyhow…
I would say that I kinda accept how the new Nobels mini 2 tend to melt in good with a clean base… it’s not to fat or to humpy but has adjustment for both if needed. But it also has a very nice inherent breakup/distortion character, smooth… maybe a little to smooth sometimes, but definitely better that to sharp non adjustable clipping that needs a breaking up amp.
Also liked the Barber GC, it’s definitely able to be a neutral good sounding drive with clean setups but it had a very subtle poke in the high mids that nagged me and my telecaster already has that built in.
Then there’s the Fairfield stuff. The Barber shop is one magical piece of pedal but it’s very “characteristic” and needs to be 100% accepted by the user. I tried it and it was 90% from me and I should accept it but I know my personality would try to fight it. But I really like the “jfet” type of stuff and many times wonder… why isn’t it more common than it is… it sound and feels awesome. It’s the sag I think… it reminds me of the sensation with an amp that isn’t stiff.
Good luck with drives MetroP… I hope you are easier to satisfy than I am
metropolis_4
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,356
Well… everything is supposed to be here, but one thing was routed to the wrong state and now won’t be here until the 4th at the earliest, and one was ordered last week and still hasn’t shipped 
So in the mean time, I’m going to put together the small board today. Here’s the layout:
A direct rig with all the essentials on a 8x10 board. I discovered the Phantom Block works great as a speaker emulator and a little bit of “power amp” coloration. The Citadel sounds amazing into it!
The board is a $11 Kitchenaid wood cutting board.
Now to wire it all up
So in the mean time, I’m going to put together the small board today. Here’s the layout:
A direct rig with all the essentials on a 8x10 board. I discovered the Phantom Block works great as a speaker emulator and a little bit of “power amp” coloration. The Citadel sounds amazing into it!
The board is a $11 Kitchenaid wood cutting board.
Now to wire it all up
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