New guy just saying hi with a few questions.

[GibsonGM]

A booster is a small amplifier.  You amplify a signal to send it thru a clipping subcircuit, and make distortion - it's too low otherwise.  You use unity-gain amplification to 'straighten out a signal' and buffer it, to send into a phasing, delay or other effect.  Don't you want to be able to do that?

How can you have your pudding if you don't eat your meat? ha ha.   Building blocks!   

[Meanderthal]

 I used to think that way. Who needs a simple boost, I wanted MORE.

  I got bored one day and built Tim Escobedo's Cmos Boost because I had a chip, it was ridiculously simple, and really just for the hell of it. I tested it running straight into the mixer, no other preamp with this ancient Kingston hollowybody bass I keep around for that Eric Burdon type sound, and was amazed! It really woke up the tone on the old pig!(without changing the character) For doing that alone it earned an enclosure, and since then I've found it useful for a lot of things, especially sticking in front of other effects to see what they sound like if you slam the bajeezus out of em with signal... one way to test if ya wanna put a gain stage in front of a circuit you're building(supermuff style).

I guess they're only really useful if you're interested in new sounds. If not, yeah, stick with whatcha got cause it's what's workin' for ya. It's cool, I've been there.

But my point was, even the schematic you posted is 3 boosters, switching, a BMP tonestack, and an adjustable asymetrical clipping stage. Might be very interesting. Those boosters come in mighty handy.

[Marc.yo]

BTW, the bit of schematic between input and sw1(first gain stage)... that's a booster... and stage 2... and stage 3... Ya might hate em, but ya can't avoid em. They're everywhere...

Yeah I know. What I meant was that I don't find a use for a pedal containing only one booster gain stage.

[markm]

BTW, the bit of schematic between input and sw1(first gain stage)... that's a booster... and stage 2... and stage 3... Ya might hate em, but ya can't avoid em. They're everywhere...

Yeah I know. What I meant was that I don't find a use for a pedal containing only one booster gain stage.

SHO could possibly change your opinion.....
That's one HELL of a Gain Stage!

[petemoore]

I hreally hate boosts. I have no use for them.
  That leaves passive circuits.
  Black Ice and Volume Pedal come to mind.
  you probably already have a TC on your guitar...
  and not much signal strength...limited options without an active stage.

[brett]

You can do more with them than just overload an amp input stage.

But .....That alone is enough to keep me entertained for hours every weekend.

The only way to really find out about boosters (or anything) is to *experience* it.  If someone described sex to you, and you hadn't already tried it, it would sound like a bad joke or totally gross or all about babies or something...  

[ubersam]

I used to think that way. Who needs a simple boost, I wanted MORE...

Yup, me too, except I already had more (Mesa Boogie Triaxis and Road King). But after building a few booster (for some friends), I saw their potential as I tested them on the clean/breaking-up settings of my test amp. Now, I am building a Sparkle Boost, and an AMZ mini, for myself (why should my friends have all the boosting fun?)

[MartyMart]

Some uses for a 'CLEAN' boost pedal :

Driving a valve amp front end harder for some distortion
Driving a decent SS amp's preamp circuit for some distortion  ( can work )
Increase your clean sound level in a band rehearsal/gig to "cut" through more
Drive the front end of the next pedal ( OD Distortion ) for more serious "crunch"
General increase in volume and tone from a clean guitar input
Booster/buffer for long cable runs to reduce/stop any signal loss

Options :
Full frequency boost
Treble booster - like vintage Range master, loved by Brian May etc etc
Booster with some "grit" or "overdrive" included, such as the ROG Peppermill/ Mark Hammers "The Crank"
Dragonfly's "Cream" or "Double Cream" booster.
Can be tailored to suit your own guitar/amp etc to provide the tone/sound that YOU want with your rig.

Don't underestimate the uses for circuits like these !  Join two together for a Boost/Overdrive  etc etc etc .....

Marty.

[aron]

I hreally hate boosts. I have no use for them. I would build them but it just wouldn't be worth what I get out of them. I realize I need to get the basics down but I have no use for a boost of all things.

Well you should build something that is _proven_ to work. For example a trusted schematic. Secondly, since you are new here, one of the best things you can do is take some of the advice of the friendly people here. 

If you just want to piece things together, try this:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/distmaker/DistMaker.html

[puretube]

everything after the FX-chain is: BOOST

[markm]

Aron, that DistMaker thing is very cool! 

[Marc.yo]

By the way guys. I know that each gain stage (except for the diodes) is a booster.

Of all of the booster's I have tried I haven't liked many of them. I'm not willing to spend 20-30-whatever,  on something that I won't use when I'm 14 years old and have limited income. Before you make some assumptions about "Oh he's got a Nomad 100 and he's 14. what a stuck up little brat.", don't. I actually worked my butt off for it. From this thread so far I can tell it's going to go that way anyway.

[Meanderthal]

 Naah, everybody just freaked when ya said ya hate boosters. It's cool, no big deal. Frankly, I'd say you're off to a good start. And, a lot of us have more equipment than we can possibly ever need, some of it pretty impressive, kinda hard to bash someone because they have a this or a that when you yourself have the other...

[markm]

By the way guys. I know that each gain stage (except for the diodes) is a booster.

Of all of the booster's I have tried I haven't liked many of them. I'm not willing to spend 20-30-whatever,  on something that I won't use when I'm 14 years old and have limited income. Before you make some assumptions about "Oh he's got a Nomad 100 and he's 14. what a stuck up little brat.", don't. I actually worked my butt off for it. From this thread so far I can tell it's going to go that way anyway.

We don't think that....at least I don't. 
I've never even heard of a Nomad 100.....isn't that an old 2-door wagon from the '50s? 
Anyway, YOU know what you want and need so go for it.
Guess you don't need any advice about Women either huh?
Chicks LOVE Boosters!!