NPD - Of small builders, questionable choices, and Michael Vick

[eggpl@nt]

Yesterday, I received the Dueling Pomeranian Drive from NoKill Pedal Co. I just happened to stumble upon this, and when I saw that one of the two circuits within is a Greer Lightspeed, I was intrigued. (The other side is a TS808.) I was even more intrigued when I added the pedal to my cart and some unexpected coupon code dropped the price from $175 to $140.

Upon opening the box, I was a bit surprised at the quality (?) of the enclosure. There are remnants of some splashed liquid on the side, and there are dents and scuffs all over the enclosure. This would 100% be a B Stock from any established company, if it ever made it out the door at all. Then I started noticing some really, really questionable design decisions:

• The Lightspeed is connected to the Red LED, and the TS808 is connected to the Blue LED. HOWEVER, the Lightspeed is controlled by the Yellow knobs, and the TS808 is controlled by the Red knobs. Why the builder didn't correlated the Red LED and Red knobs, I will never understand. I switched the Red and Yellow knobs to tie the Red LED and Red knobs to the Lightspeed circuit.
• The controls on the Pedal are D, V, and T. I would have assumed that meant Drive, Volume, and Tone. No. It stands for Dominance (Tone), Volume (good), and Tenacity (Drive). I get wanting to establish an aesthetic by maybe venturing away from the tired Drive, Volume, Tone controls, but this is confusing given the usual conventions.
• The (very sparse) documentation doesn't mention which pedal comes first. I opened it up and confirmed the Lightspeed runs into the TS808. I would have preferred the opposite, so that I could run the TS808 as a clean boost and the Lightspeed as an overdrive, and I might modify the pedal. I fear it's going to be a paperweight without some help.

Opening up the pedal, I noticed that the builder used an RC4558 for the Lightspeed. The original uses a more expensive OPA2134. I was initially bummed to see a cost-cutting move like this, but, as I expected, I didn't really notice any substantial differences when comparing this to my Aion Celeritas, which does use the OPA2134. If I ever get the itch, I have a couple extra DIP OPA2134's, and I can replace the RC4558 on the Lightspeed side.

Enough nitpicking about the appearance and design choices. How does it sound?

It's ok. Just ok.

The TS808 is really not my favorite. It's far tubbier than any TS-type pedal I've ever used. It also seems to have a lot less output, so boosting a dirty amp ends up being pretty unsatisfying. As I mentioned above, the Lightspeed doesn't sound too far off from my Aion clone. It's a bit quieter and/or darker at similar knob positions, but pot tolerances and all. Frankly, I liked the Lightspeed as a clean boost better than the TS808. It was a bit brighter and tighter.

Unfortunately, I can't really recommend this pedal, as I've personally found it to be disappointing. I find it pretty underwhelming at $140, and I'd be mega underwhelmed if I paid the full $175 for this.

PS - if the brains behind NoKill ever venture into these waters, I don't mean to shit all over your work. I respect the hell out of what you're doing. Turning a hobby into a business, donating portions of your sales to an animal shelter, having a very unique custom option for those who want to feature their own dog on a pedal - that's all sick titties. Unfortunately, this particular pedal didn't do it, for me, and I truly hope that there are some helpful tidbits buried in my comments above.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

It all looks a bit untidy inside as well and some of the soldering doesn't look great. I'd have been disappointed to receive that too after reading your initial findings. Has he used a 4558 for both circuits?

 

[eggpl@nt]

It all looks a bit untidy inside as well and some of the soldering doesn't look great. I'd have been disappointed to receive that too after reading your initial findings. Has he used a 4558 for both circuits?

Yep, 4558’s all ‘round.

 

[eggpl@nt]

Just occurred to me that there’s another weird design decision. The Lightspeed is the first circuit but corresponds to the DVT2 controls. It would make more sense for the first pedal to be DVT1…

 

[la szum]

I bet it sounds shrill and a little yippy given the name.

Weird is weird, Bruh!

 

[SillyOctpuss]

If you've already got the OPA2134 I'd go ahead and swop it. You might notice a small difference in that circuit. I don't really like the sockets he's used either. They're a bit of a pain to swop ICs in vs the turned pin ones.

I prefer these.

 

[eggpl@nt]

If you've already got the OPA2134 I'd go ahead and swop it. You might notice a small difference in that circuit. I don't really like the sockets he's used either. They're a bit of a pain to swop ICs in vs the turned pin ones.

I prefer these.


[/QUOTE]
I’ve used both types of IC sockets. What’s in your image is what I’m currently stocking in my toolbox. They’re nice.

Yeah, I’ll probably just go ahead and switch the op amp. It can’t hurt.

 

[itchyfingers]

Dominance and Tenacity? Fuck any builder that comes up with unique names for D,V,T. I ain't checking the manual when there are 100s of OD pedals that aren't trying to trick me.

 

[Devin]

It does look pretty cool and we all know that's all that really matters

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Lost me at "dominance".

 

[eggpl@nt]

After using my Aion Celeritas to test both Lightspeed-into-808 and 808-into-Lightspeed, I’ll definitely be rewiring the Dueling Pomeranian.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

After using my Aion Celeritas to test both Lightspeed-into-808 and 808-into-Lightspeed, I’ll definitely be rewiring the Dueling Pomeranian.

If you're not happy with it can you return it and just build something yourself?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

After your posts I thought I'd check out the Lightspeed again. I've only ever had one and I had it for about a week before a friend 'borrowed' it and I've never gotten it back. I threw together a vero build tonight and I like it. I'm not sure it does enough to kick anything off my board but it's cool with a tele and I really liked a klon stacked into it and after it.

 

[eggpl@nt]

After your posts I thought I'd check out the Lightspeed again. I've only ever had one and I had it for about a week before a friend 'borrowed' it and I've never gotten it back. I threw together a vero build tonight and I like it. I'm not sure it does enough to kick anything off my board but it's cool with a tele and I really liked a klon stacked into it and after it.

Yeah it’s a bummer this particular specimen isn’t doing it for me. I really like the Celeritas (Aion Lightspeed clone), and I also found it stacked well with an Eternity clone. That’s partly why I jumped on this - I thought it would hit that Lightspeed stack just right.

I didn’t see anything about a return policy on their site. I’ll toy with it until it ends up being something I like more than I currently do.

 

[Funk Soul Brother]

 

[SillyOctpuss]

@eggpl@nt I had another look at this and I'd change the bottom 4558. I've never seen one with the cutout on the end like that. Jrc4558s always have the dimple at pin 1 like the top chip. The printing is also very poor for a 4558. It looks pretty sus to me.

 

[eggpl@nt]

@eggpl@nt I had another look at this and I'd change the bottom 4558. I've never seen one with the cutout on the end like that. Jrc4558s always have the dimple at pin 1 like the top chip. The printing is also very poor for a 4558. It looks pretty sus to me.

Good spot. That's the Lightspeed op amp, so I went ahead and installed the OPA2134 instead. While I was in there, I also replaced the TS808 JRC4558 with a known-good TI RC4558. I'm 100% prepared to chalk this up to placebo, but the TS808 channel seems a little more in line with my Tube Screamer expectations, and the Lightspeed channel sounds more similar to my other Lightspeed clone.

I may work on rewiring the channel order while listening to the L6 keynote.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Good spot. That's the Lightspeed op amp, so I went ahead and installed the OPA2134 instead. While I was in there, I also replaced the TS808 JRC4558 with a known-good TI RC4558. I'm 100% prepared to chalk this up to placebo, but the TS808 channel seems a little more in line with my Tube Screamer expectations, and the Lightspeed channel sounds more similar to my other Lightspeed clone.

I may work on rewiring the channel order while listening to the L6 keynote.

Entirely possible it's a placebo, however, if one of them was a relabled chip it could have been anything and you could definitely notice a difference in sound now.

 

[eggpl@nt]

Was feeling frisky and went ahead and rewired the pedal. Not my best work but I worked entirely in the box without removing anything other than the few wires that needed to be adjusted.

 

[maguchi]

Yesterday, I received the Dueling Pomeranian Drive from NoKill Pedal Co. I just happened to stumble upon this, and when I saw that one of the two circuits within is a Greer Lightspeed, I was intrigued. (The other side is a TS808.) I was even more intrigued when I added the pedal to my cart and some unexpected coupon code dropped the price from $175 to $140.

Upon opening the box, I was a bit surprised at the quality (?) of the enclosure. There are remnants of some splashed liquid on the side, and there are dents and scuffs all over the enclosure. This would 100% be a B Stock from any established company, if it ever made it out the door at all. Then I started noticing some really, really questionable design decisions:

• The Lightspeed is connected to the Red LED, and the TS808 is connected to the Blue LED. HOWEVER, the Lightspeed is controlled by the Yellow knobs, and the TS808 is controlled by the Red knobs. Why the builder didn't correlated the Red LED and Red knobs, I will never understand. I switched the Red and Yellow knobs to tie the Red LED and Red knobs to the Lightspeed circuit.
• The controls on the Pedal are D, V, and T. I would have assumed that meant Drive, Volume, and Tone. No. It stands for Dominance (Tone), Volume (good), and Tenacity (Drive). I get wanting to establish an aesthetic by maybe venturing away from the tired Drive, Volume, Tone controls, but this is confusing given the usual conventions.
• The (very sparse) documentation doesn't mention which pedal comes first. I opened it up and confirmed the Lightspeed runs into the TS808. I would have preferred the opposite, so that I could run the TS808 as a clean boost and the Lightspeed as an overdrive, and I might modify the pedal. I fear it's going to be a paperweight without some help.

Opening up the pedal, I noticed that the builder used an RC4558 for the Lightspeed. The original uses a more expensive OPA2134. I was initially bummed to see a cost-cutting move like this, but, as I expected, I didn't really notice any substantial differences when comparing this to my Aion Celeritas, which does use the OPA2134. If I ever get the itch, I have a couple extra DIP OPA2134's, and I can replace the RC4558 on the Lightspeed side.

Enough nitpicking about the appearance and design choices. How does it sound?

It's ok. Just ok.

The TS808 is really not my favorite. It's far tubbier than any TS-type pedal I've ever used. It also seems to have a lot less output, so boosting a dirty amp ends up being pretty unsatisfying. As I mentioned above, the Lightspeed doesn't sound too far off from my Aion clone. It's a bit quieter and/or darker at similar knob positions, but pot tolerances and all. Frankly, I liked the Lightspeed as a clean boost better than the TS808. It was a bit brighter and tighter.

Unfortunately, I can't really recommend this pedal, as I've personally found it to be disappointing. I find it pretty underwhelming at $140, and I'd be mega underwhelmed if I paid the full $175 for this.

PS - if the brains behind NoKill ever venture into these waters, I don't mean to shit all over your work. I respect the hell out of what you're doing. Turning a hobby into a business, donating portions of your sales to an animal shelter, having a very unique custom option for those who want to feature their own dog on a pedal - that's all sick titties. Unfortunately, this particular pedal didn't do it, for me, and I truly hope that there are some helpful tidbits buried in my comments above.

So how and where does Michael Vick relate to this thread? You mentioned him in the title, but none of the body of your post mentions him. Do you mean the retired professional football player, or another Michael Vick? Was the mention of his name just click bait?