Uses of Boosters

[rasco22862]

Hi,i recently build a Mosfet Booster, its very cool. But how do you use boosters? I mean in what situations do you want to use it?

Thanks

[petemoore]

  Post Dist for lead boost.
  Pre-dist for lead *distortion boost.
  Post phase for lead boost.
  Post or pre tone control to offset losses.
  *distortion can be an amps tube output section and speaker.

[8mileshigh]

Do you have a tube amp ?  I use my boosters to push my amp into light overdrive with that touch of controlled feedback that we all seem to want to die for.  I leave my boosters on all the time, they're like tone and harmonic enhancers.  Germanium rocks !

Build a rangemaster and experiment with input caps.

Chris

[Mark Hammer]

One very important use of boosters is actually their buffering function.  Particularly if one has a penchant for true bypass switching, it is important to have at least one device in the signal path that buffers the guitar signal so that it makes its way along all those cables to the amp relatively intact.

The other thing is that pretty much all devices/pedals/amps will have a certain amount of headroom.  The raw guitar signal will often be well below that maximum acceptable signal level, and adding a touch of boost to the raw signal early in the signal path will permit the user to come closer to best signal-to-noise ratio.  If your guitar signal starts out 3db hotter (as an example), then it arrives at the amp with a 3db advantage over any noise that may have been accumulated along the way.  Should you want, that boost can be increased enough to alter the tone the subsequent pedals or the amp produce, but the point is that it doesn't need to be.  It can simply be in service of "best quality input signal".  That's the same function that so-called "active electronics" serve on guitars and basses.

One of the reasons why I like Jack Orman's MOSFet booster is because the boost is adjusted via a single resistance.  This lets you keep the booster circuit in the signal path for buffering and "signal hygiene" purposes, and introduce additional boost simply by paralleling a larger resistance with a smaller one.  In the case of the MOSFet, you can connect a 22k fixed resistor to ground from the 100uf cap as your default value, and then use a switch to add in a parallel resistance (a 5-10k pot) to drop the combined resistance and increase the booster gain in a pop-free manner.  Works great and leaves a nice buffer in place at all times.

As petemoore notes, they are also useful for a solo function.  Often the difference between two distortion pedals is really how much internal gain they have.  Occasionally, a pedal that sounds great with guitar A may sound less aggressive with guitar B.  A booster pedal will allow you to compensate for what the guitar itself or what the gain structure inside the distortion does not provide.  Just about any distortion pedal can be made to sound more aggressive and fuzzier by boosting the signal fed to it.

[sengo]

One very important use of boosters is actually their buffering function.

Boosters work as buffers? That's great news, I've been working on a fuzz project that has a booster similar to Gus' NPN boost, but set up for PNP. So is it acting as a buffer as well?

Nick

[twangquack]

One of the reasons why I like Jack Orman's MOSFet booster is because the boost is adjusted via a single resistance.  This lets you keep the booster circuit in the signal path for buffering and "signal hygiene" purposes, and introduce additional boost simply by paralleling a larger resistance with a smaller one.

"Signal hygiene" ... I like that. I think the MOSFet Boost is great for signal hygiene.

Just about any distortion pedal can be made to sound more aggressive and fuzzier by boosting the signal fed to it.

Tonight I tried something using my MOSFet Boost, my modded Sparkle Drive (now has red LED, MOSFet, and 1N4148 switchable combinations for clipping), and a circa 1995 Tubeworks "Blue Tube" -- the Blue Tube (1 -12AX7) is the lower gain brother to the Real Tube but sounds interesting when combined with some of my other pedals. I used:
Strat>MOSFet Boost>Sparkle Drive>Blue Tube>Deluxe Reverb

To keep noise down the gain settings for each was moderate (drive settings boosted more) ... but the tone and sustain were excellent!

[JHS]

I try to avoid boosters whenever possible.

A Strat, a Rangemaster and a VOX AC30-non TB or older Britamp is a great sounding combination, but the RM acts also as an EQ for the amp and adds some hiss to the sound. An old Marshall amp and a Les Paul produce a similar sound but is less noisy.

A mosfet or Mini-boost is great for clean vol-boost if you have an old Strat and a BF-Fender, but a plain horror in front of every British amp, both add to much bass and the result is a muddy and compressed sound.

I never place a booster before or after another FX, before it's overkill for the FX and after a FX it amplifies all the noise too and I never use a booster to add volume for a solo, IMHO it's better to play rhythm on 8 and lead with a cranked guitar vol.

JHS

[newfish]

...my 0.2c...

Tend to play my Telecaster through a Peavey Classic 30.

Added Gus's NPN booster between the two and the difference was *real*.
It was like adding a 'Presence' control - so I'm quite happy using a booster (and also provides a bit more grit too...)

Wonder what would happen if I put a booster on the FX loop (after pre, before power amp) - I'm thinking power amp overdrive maybe...?

Cheers,

Ian.

[GibsonGM]

At times I use a Mosfet boost after my preamp and before the poweramp....it really can punch the output section!  Something tells me to be judicious on how much level to feed it, tho, LOL....I think some damage to the tubes COULD occur.
I play lead in a 2-guitar band; when I'm alone, I usually just do the volume 9, 10 for lead thing and keep my rig simple (guitar>>wah>>amp), but with the rhythm guitar there also, I'd never be heard without a booster, and my pedals add different coloration thruout a set.   

I also feel that using some boost after a distortion or gain pedal (vol set to about 1/2 on them, boost last in chain) to further push my pre tubes makes my signal much 'punchier' and in yer face, even tho I'm not using metal amounts of distortion (think Stevie Ray or Alvin Lee). Without the boost, I would be much more 'back' in the mix, muddier, and would have less exciting sound.    I don't like boost before pedals, however; my LP puts out plenty of signal for that.

 

[d95err]

One very important use of boosters is actually their buffering function.

Boosters work as buffers? That's great news, I've been working on a fuzz project that has a booster similar to Gus' NPN boost, but set up for PNP. So is it acting as a buffer as well?

Virtually all stompboxes will work as buffers when they are on (not bypassed). I.e. the output impedance will usually be low, lower than the output of a guitar.

Some clean stompboxes (like the MOSFET boost) do not really need true bypass. Instead they can be switched to put the signal through at unity gain when bypassed. This means they will work as a buffer in bypass too.

[foxfire]

my most used build so far is my overly complicated 2 in 1 lpb and hogs foot with clipping diodes and a second lpb to make up for the volume loss from the diodes. i mainly use it as a hogs foot with the clipping. it adds just enough to drive the hell out of my amps.