Received pedals for review from a brand new maker in Ireland

ReaGeorge

Hi Guys,

I've been away for far too long....

But I just received a couple of pedals from a brand new Husband and Wife guitar electronics company based here in sunny Ireland. Pretty cool to hear from a local maker, even cooler that they'd like me to review their pedals.

So far they've sent me their Boost and Buffer pedals which I am to make video on so I was wondering, what do you guys look for in these types of pedals, what would you want to know about them aside from seeing a demo?

nicholaspaul

I don’t personally use these types of pedals, but when watching any demos I want to hear the clean tone first, then with the pedal. Perhaps that’s obvious. I’d also like to hear other guitars, like a stock Strat or Les Paul so I have an idea of the kind of tone you’re starting with. I have seen demos of boosters and buffers and found a verbal explanation of what’s going on very useful.
Also, personally, I want to see a pedal that doesn’t feature naked women on it. I have kids and play in churches. The boxes could make me sound like David Gilmore at the push of button and I wouldn’t use them if they were given to me with those graphics. Call me a prude, or whatever you like, but those are my boundaries. It would give the wrong impression. And I know I’m not the only one. Frankly I think the manufacturers are giving in to a culture that tells you how to market. It’s as if they know there is a formula to getting attention and if you want to sell pedals this is what you do. It’s cheap. Just build a fantastic pedal and it will sell. Keep the cheese.

Megi

I don't actually mind the scantily clad girls personally - at least the drawings on those pedals don't seem too lurid to me. Also I like the colours, script and finish that they've used too. I accept there is a line, and it's in different places for different people, but speaking just for myself, those are within the bounds of taste.

I do use a buffer at the start of my pedalboard signal chain - one thing I look for is to have the input and output in the right place for me, which is an individual thing depending on pedal board layout/use, but they happen to have got it exactly how I like it.

Another thing is just sound quality - i.e. not altering the frequency balance in the original signal, not introducing any noise, not altering the signal volume, preserving all the detail in the signal.

One final thing is to have a seperate output to send a signal to a tuner pedal - I'm not sure if the middle jack on the "nudist" is that, or if it's for the 9 volt power lead. Actually that's another thing - it needs to work from a standard Boss-type 9V centre negative power supply jack.

Afraid I don't use any kind of boost pedal, but if I did, that looks like it would be a good one.

ReaGeorge

Thanks @nicholaspaul useful feedback on what to include in the review.

@Megi I was considering the input and output, for me I feel like it's upside down as I would mount the buffer like this at the top of my pedal board where the things I don't need to reach go and have the cables go out the back, in this case the pedal design will be upside down which is a bit of a shame. And the middle jack is indeed a power supply. I think the centre negative 9v power is pretty standardised, makers would be shooting themselves in the foot a bit if they did something else. Interestingly though the boost takes 9v battery, 9v power supply or 12v power supply, the 12v will give the pedal more headroom which I found interesting, haven't tested it yet though.

And I do agree with you guys, I think I actually received the more saucy of the four pedals they currently produce. The whole idea is that the design and naming of the pedals are "inspired by the vision of the sound muses that capture the nature of the pedals' sound." (to quote their website) So I understand where they're coming from and appreciate the idea, but these two are a touch too saucy maybe.

Megi

Cheers @ReaGeorge - just out of interest, my buffer sits horizontally on the back/right corner of my pedal board. I did use to have the input arranged so that I plugged in to the back of the board, but as things are now, there is a bit of a gap in front of the buffer on the right hand side, so ergonomically it seemed to make sense to have the input on the right hand side of the pedal, facing towards me, and then the guitar lead doesn't have to bend round and protrude from the back of the board, and everything is a bit neater and more compact - I've played in small pubs where every inch of space makes a difference.

My current buffer was made to order by Bright Onion pedals before I realised all this, so I might have to get the chap there to make me another one, and get things spot on this time.

Megi

Just to add - the tuner out jack might well be worth them adding as an option - I don't seem to be the only one who likes this kind of setup. It's allows you to have your tuner always on for quick access, and if you have a volume pedal somewhere in your effects chain, you can simply back it off to tune silently.

Megi

Just to add yet again - I had a look on their Facebook page, and the distortion pedal sounds like my cup of coffee. I do wish them all the best with the new business.

ReaGeorge

@Megi ah yes maybe the side is better (the art would still be off though ) I might make your suggestion to them next time we speak.

If all goes well with my reviews I should be able to get my hands on their other pedals too. There's something nice about supporting a new local business like this, hopefully I can provide them with good exposure and feedback so they can keep it up.

ESBlonde

Welcome, I would consider these pedals as problem solvers rather than effects in the true sense of the word. So if I need a buffer (quite a big if) then does it do it's job without changing the sound or signal level? iIt it competitively priced and of a good construction quality. Does it have any special features, and can it be mounted on a typical board.
For the boost as well as the above relative comments, does it have an acceptable range of boost (or cut) for my needs, this would need to be considered with a hot humbucker and also a single coilof modest output.
My opinion of the graphics would be like many booteek pedals, can I see quickly and easily what I need to in the heat of combat/performing and are adjustments easy (ergonomics). Not a fan of fancy artwork that detracts from function personally but current market trends suggest others don't share my opinion.
Would be interested in seeing your review if you'd be kind enough to post it here later.

Enjoy yourself here, it's not bad and most of us don't bite (a couple of nasty suckers to watch for thought).

ReaGeorge

Hi @ESBlonde thanks for your input, very helpful.

I'm actually not so new here though I've just been away from the forum for some time (sorry) I believe we have even spoken to each other before

ESBlonde

Yes @ReaGeorge now that you mention it my other brain cell reminds me that we have conversed before.

Look forward to your review (not of my brain activity thought).

Megi

ReaGeorge said:

@Megi ah yes maybe the side is better (the art would still be off though ) I might make your suggestion to them next time we speak.

If all goes well with my reviews I should be able to get my hands on their other pedals too. There's something nice about supporting a new local business like this, hopefully I can provide them with good exposure and feedback so they can keep it up.

I would be interested to hear about their other pedals - I did detect a (RAT-ish) tone quality I liked a lot about their distortion pedal, and anything about any of the drive pedals would be good to hear about. I tend to get anything else I need from my Boss MS-3 now, but you never know if I hear something that's really lovely-sounding like a great chorus pedal maybe.

I'll have to post a pic of my pedal board layout so you can see exactly what I'm talking about - although I doubt everyone would want to copy what I do, just a personal preference really.

Kevin Peat

I like the sound of that. Home made guitar electronics is they way I can feel myself going with my new electronics hobby. I intend to use tobacco tins.

ReaGeorge

@Megi if they like my review I might be able to get hold of their other pedals - would be interested to see your board if you have a pic, always fun checking out peoples setups.

After using the boost the past couple days I think the thing I love most about it is it boosts the clean channel and basically keeps it clean, this is great for me since I like switching between a clean and overdriven sound but the problem with using OD pedals is when you disengage them the clean is always to quite, now I need a loop switch to switch between OD pedal and clean boost, could only find this which is fine, or maybe I could try my hand at making one hmm

ReaGeorge

OK here it is, I think I included everything you guys suggested. I actually found this harder than I had imagined to put together, I must be out of practice.

Let me know what you think!

nicholaspaul

I think I love that Les Paul!

I'll let people who know more about the pedal comment on that (I don't use boosters), but the video production is brilliant. The product shots are exactly what you would want to see, the audio is perfectly clear... ok, you know all this, it's a pro video! But I have to ask - would you mind sharing your lighting setup? How are your vocals mic'd? And the guitar signal chain?

As far as the review format goes, I'd like to hear more playing, and from comments I read on YouTube I think most people feel the same about review videos. Play a lot at the beginning, talk a little (maybe with "more info in the comments section") and then play a lot more. People can always look up the techy stuff, if they care. Some guitarists don't, and just want to plug in and rock. I'm definitely a member of the More Info The Better Club, but I'm not like everyone (as my wife keeps telling me...).

Oh yea, and everyone wants to know how your guitar is plugged in, what kind of strings you use, how thick the pick is, the acetone content in your nail polish, what you had for breakfast and whether the guitar is finished in nitro or polyurethane. Freakin' nerds..

Amazing video and great playing

Kevin Peat

Great review, Rea. You're very professional and come over well.

The pedal: I'd like a reason to have one. Alas, I don't. The aesthetics are great, it's very *now*. I'm sure it solves a problem other people have and looks very collectable. High end.

I'm glad you showed the internals and it seems meticulously constructed. I'm sure the makers are on to a good thing here and I hope they do well and make a name for themselves.

(The hand written labels must stay. They are very boutique.)

ReaGeorge

Haha!! great feedback @nicholaspaul

Maybe for my next review I should include all the information you specified, could be fun

I was thinking of doing a video on my setup... not sure if I should include filming in that...

Lihgting
I have done a bit of video/film/lighting/photography training, to anyone professional I have a very "DIY" setup. The main thing is to understand three point lighting and use what you can to achieve that, the rest is knowing how to set the camera correctly. I am lucky to have a 750w Sachtler light that I use as my key but I would much prefer something that doesn't use quite as much power and produce so much heat, I'd like to one day get an LED lighting setup.
As fill lighting I use the highest power LED bulbs from Ikea and a china ball, which is great, the only problem with these for film is their CRI is not very good which means (as you may be able to notice in my videos) they give the vide a bit of a green hue. The background colour is just from one of those simple RGB bulbs you can get on amazon with the little remote, pretty cool little things. For my rim/hair light (which blew half way through this video unfortunately) I use a small 120w work light from B&Q.

Camera
I have a canon 650d running Cinestyle and Magic Lantern and the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens.

Voice Audio
For my voice audio I have a Sennheiser ME66 boomed just out of frame above my head, for this video I was going into my TLAudio 5001 PreAmp which goes to my MOTU 828MKii into the Mac running Logic.

Guitar Audio
Here's generally what my pedalboard looks like... (forever a work in progress I think)





It's not all wired up but I'm sure you get the idea. I'm using a Roland Blues Cube Stage amp.
When I was setting up my amp mic for this video I want through every mic I had, for whatever reason I wasn't feeling it, interestingly the one mic that felt good this time was the Shure sm57, which I guess is no surprise to most but it's not usually my favourite. I placed it on axis at an angle, then the signal chain is the same as the vocal mic, into the TLAudio 5001 running into the MOTU 828mkii into Logic.



Does that cover everything?



.

ReaGeorge

Thanks @"Kevin Peat"

I did really like the handwriting inside, I was thinking before I stuck the velcro on that it was a shame because of the serial number on the base and this is number one, but I felt ok after finding that it was written inside too with the maker signature

Kevin Peat

Rea - Yes. DO that video.

The pedal. I really want one but (like the Vespa/Lambretta/Toyota Landcruiser and the Brompton) I have no reason to have one.

nicholaspaul

ReaGeorge said:

Does that cover everything?

.

Crikey, I should say so! Thanks for the details, that’s brilliant. Fascinating.
It may seem DIY but the pros I’ve talked to would be impressed by the low tech as much as the hi. Your training does show, though. Lighting can be a tricky thing to get right so it does pay to have some ‘official’ background. A China ball - what a brilliant idea! I really have to get one...!

Nerdy q: do you find cinestyle helps beyond anything you could do in post?

And a stupid q: how do you sync the video and audio in logic? Does the 650D stream video? Not sure how else to ask this!! I thought about trying to do this myself but can’t get my head around the routing!

nicholaspaul

Kevin Peat said:

The pedal. I really want one but (like the Vespa/Lambretta/Toyota Landcruiser and the Brompton) I have no reason to have one.

Does not compute....

ReaGeorge

nicholaspaul said:

@nicholaspaul said:
Nerdy q: do you find cinestyle helps beyond anything you could do in post?

Cinestyle allows me to shoot flatter, without it it's like shooting with a colour grade already applied (kind of) - without it makes the image harder to grade in my opinion and experience.

It's kinda of like why photographers use RAW rather than jpg - a jpg image is not really or easily manipulatable whereas a RAW image you can do so much with in comparison, if I could shoot and edit in a different file format I would but lower end Canon DSLR's only shoot video in MP4 (which is kind of equivalent to jpg) Cinestyle allows me to make the most of that "jpg", if that makes sense.

nicholaspaul said:

@nicholaspaul said:
And a stupid q: how do you sync the video and audio in logic? Does the 650D stream video? Not sure how else to ask this!! I thought about trying to do this myself but can’t get my head around the routing!

I use a video clapper (it's not necessary to have an actual clapper you can just clap your hands clearly in the video but since I have it I use it) so when I export the audio from Logic and bring it into Adobe Premier where I edit the video I simply sync the audio spike with the drop of the clapper. This is the standard way of doing things in film/video since the audio is almost always recorded separately and why clapper boards exist

nicholaspaul

Interesting. I have a Pentax so Cinestyle isn't available, but I get the comparision with raw. Good to know!

Ah, the good ole clapper! I thought that there would be a way to sync digitally by now, but if the clapper works, why fix it? I've done videos by recording video and audio together in camera, (or in iPad) but I have a feeling doing it separately would make sense. Have to try that...

Thanks Rea!

Kevin Peat

Nicholas - I have to be careful with money. I earn a lot but half goes in tax and to avoid more tax I have to over contribute in a boring pension and then I get absolutely no help getting twins through university because I earn too much (apparently.)

My spare cash gets sent up to them to help with food, clothes etc.

I can't have what I want but have all I need here in the *squeezed middle*.

Kevin Peat

I thought I'd get closer to that J45 with every pay rise but I'm further away than ever !

Bah !

nicholaspaul

I was just kidding about the “I have no reason to have one” comment. I totally get it. Sorry, it was just a joke :]

nicholaspaul

What’s a pay rise?

Mark P

nicholaspaul said:

What’s a pay rise?

I recognise the two words and know what each means.
But put them together like that and I'm struggling to know what they mean!

Mark P

Good job with the video review Rea.

Informative, and the professional presentation and excellent playing make it enjoyable to watch.

ReaGeorge

Mark P said:

Good job with the video review Rea.

Informative, and the professional presentation and excellent playing make it enjoyable to watch.

Thanks