Boosted expectations (ROG Omega, SHO)

[earthtonesaudio]

For my first foray into the "boost" category, I built a couple of simple DIY classics: the Runoffgroove "Omega," and the SHO.  I know they're supposed to sound best pushing a tube amp, but all I have at the moment is my Noisy Cricket and a TS-7 (tube screamer).  In lieu of a bona-fide tube amp, I decided to try them out boosting my tube screamer. 

I breadboarded the Omega first, and it's pretty cool.  It's nice to go from treble boost to full range with the turn of a knob instead of the usual switch.

Then I breadboarded a SHO.  I happened to use a really high quality pot for the gain control, so it didn't so much "crackle" as it did "fizz,"  which was interesting.  Anyway, it sounds alright too.  I also tried it with a JFET buffer on the end (sort of like a backwards Omega) which sounded the same (but put it back in phase with the original signal).

I guess I had expected some sort of tonal miracle from one or both of these boosters, but I was a bit let-down in that respect.  True, they can push the input into distortion, and yes they add a bit of their own character... but it wasn't the sonic nirvana that I was hoping for.

...NOTE: I don't mean to imply that either of these are sub-par circuits!  In fact I like them both.  It's just that they didn't live up to my expectations of what a booster can do.


So my big question is, am I missing out on that extra something just because I don't have a tube amp?  Do people like these boosters (and others like them) in their solid-state rigs as well?
And in general, what do people do with boosters?  Lead boosts for solos, or on all the time?

-Alex

[aron]

>So my big question is, am I missing out on that extra something just because I don't have a tube amp?

Yes. Pretty much. You're not going to get much with a Tube Screamer except more overdrive.

[slacker]

So my big question is, am I missing out on that extra something just because I don't have a tube amp? 

The "magic" of boosters is generally in driving a tube amp into distortion, so when people rave about them what they're really raving about is the sound their amp makes when pushed by the booster not the sound of the actual booster its self. 
The amp is still the most important part of the equation, and even with tube amps there's not always any magic, try a booster into a Twin and you won't suddenly turn it into a rock monster you'll just go deaf.

[idlechatterbox]

Slacker's point is a good one: there's plenty of cool tones, and they aren't all tube-amp-distortion tones. That leaves plenty of uses for boosters if you play through SS amps. The various treble or mid- boosters in the layout galleries are very useful for bringing out tones that either get sucked up by other pedals, or that the pickups wouldn't ordinarily juice up.

Another use for boosters, which I don't necessarily recommend for anyone......  I'm often too lazy to plug into my amp (tube or SS). With one of the rangemaster clones or the treble boosters, I just plug into my cheapo desktop stereo (which is usually within reach, unlike my amps) and go. The boosters makes it sound good enough for practice, especially through decent speakers.   

[Mark Hammer]

Part of what these pedals anticipate is that you aregoing to be (possibly) using a long cable to your amp, and that without the buffering they provide, you will llose a lot of "tone" along that cable.  The other thing they accomplish is and improvement in S/N ratio.  The amp itself, whether tube or SS can usually take a little more signal without breaking up, and if the signal it receives is nice and healthy, then it is that much stronger than the background noise.  It may only be a question of 3-4db, but that's still an improvement.

Yes, they CAN push the amp into overdrive, but that is only one of the many reasons why they exist in the first place.

I might also point out that using a booster before a pedal that you use for overdrive can also improve the quality of THAT signal too.  the push does not have to be explicitly and uniquely directed at the amp.  It can be, but it doesn't have to be for the booster to have provided some utility for the user.

[petemoore]

  A first order of business with any distortion is boost the signal, some dirt in the first stage is ok too.

[earthtonesaudio]

Cool, thanks guys!  Maybe I'll give 'em another chance.