Vox distortion booster

[deeaa]

Got this pedal today...will have to go and test it with my main rig, but testing with the AD30VT Vox it seems VERY promising indeed.

Quickly describing it - over cleans it gives a bit thin top boost kind of drive, nothing to write home about, but over an already driven sound it finally gets me the tight drive sounds the VT30 has been missing. Boy, what a real nice top boost and singing driving lead sounds; it really makes the amp scream and wail.

Can't wait to test it with my main rig...seems so promising now!

I found this clip on youtube that demos the thing way better than I ever could, and also very well shows how it sounds:



Very nice, huh?

 

[deeaa]

I wish I had a manual for this, can't find one on the net either. Seems the 'tone' knob is nothing like more bass or more treble type thing, it more like thickens up when you up the tone. I don't know what it does exactly, but if I cut tone it just becomes thinner, and upping the tone it's beefier. Still is a top boost clearly, but gets much more darker undertones.

Anyway, did a quick test with my main rig, and yeah, while this would not work as your main OD pedal or drive pedal, it does a terrific job in giving an already driven sound an incredibly good top boost. Superb for any tapping etc. things, it just glistens and rings like a bell and screams and wails. Perfect! I think it'll replace my compressor pedal I've been using to give my leads some extra wail and punch.

 

[deeaa]

Well,

I ended up re-arranging my pedalboard for the Vox booster...this is how it goes now:

Wah -> Pan pedal out A - > tuner -> Amp 'cleaner' channel
--------Pan pedal out B -> Marshall Jackhammer on OD -> Vox booster -> amp dirtier channel

This way I have no buttons to press...I just press the pan pedal and the more I press it the more it becomes dirty. AND as the amp has no separately switching channels, just different inputs, the channels are both on.

I get a seamless change from clean to dirty, and the fun thing is in the middle of the travel the sound is really thick and beefy, but after I push even more, the cleaner channel sound starts to lose and it becomes more cutting and stronger, perfect for leads. Actually at the very end of the travel the sound is almost too broken and strong for rhythm actually, but awesome for screaming leads.

Of course, if the song demands much less drive, I can leave the Vox off too easily...but normally I'll have both OD's on at all times.

I'll have to video the thing and how the sound changes seamlessly.

 

[Eric]

Cool. So before you were essentially using your comp as a boost for added distortion? Interesting. Did you use it for the actual compression much?

I've never really thought much about layering dirt pedals to boost the distortion, so I usually judge the pedal by how it sounds by itself. I probably end up not liking some pedals that aren't really intended to be used alone.

Anyway, sounds like a decent setup.

 

[deeaa]

Yes, I used the comp to punch up the sound, bring up harmonics etc. It was a Marshall ED-1 that allowed me to only compress low end too, or high as I wished. Worked OK but compression also brings up a tad too much noise.

I never did chain dirt pedals before either, but since the Jackhammer is at 1/4 gain only, and not very strong drive, and the Vox isn't really a drive at all, just a booster really, it seems to work wonderfully well. Better, anyway,than the compressor boost!

The vox alone sounds very tinny, and I noticed the boost effect kind of fades when mixing in the 'clean' channel as well, so it feels almost like I would be turning on the pedals one by one as I press down the pan pedal.

If I happen to have some time today I'll try to video the setup.