Tweaking a LPB-1...opinions needed.

[skiraly017]

This isn't a "how do I do it?" but more of a "what did you do?".

I was thinking of adjusting the input and output caps of a LPB-1 to have it be more of a flat response booster. While it's easy enough to socket both caps and experiment, I'm bored at work and won't be out for a few hours. I'm curious to hear what other people have done. Did you lower the input, output or both? Did you use the same values for both or mismatch because it gave a better response. I'm also curious if there's another booster that I should be looking at for a flat response. Thanks.

[petemoore]

  What is 'flat' response?
  Full range ? For that use larger caps than what noticably rolls bass off, 10uf would surely do it, I think 1uf would be close enough or do it.
  I found all boosters to be too bassy for the way I like to use stuff.
  After all, the output will be multiplied, then transduced, probably by something that multiplies or transduces one frequency range more effeciently than another.
  By stuff I mean HB's and a tube amp that's distorting somewhat.
  Bringing up the fact that full range is not desirable to me, brings up:
  Who was it said we shouldn't describe with adjectives and flowery language can look the other way...
  Boosted full range in my case meant bassy distortion [I think from the speaker, speaker and amp too then, otherwise], and too much bass, while that is perfectly cool for me at lower levels, I prefer a slightly rolled off bass / or midlin' trebular boosting, that way I can actually get the amp and speaker to 'sing', be louder without losing bass definition, and 'tube-distort' more to my liking.
  Otherwise full range sounds great, a little compression allows me to 'press' on the amp [push to distort medium/light] and get thick tone, but only after some messing around with getting the knobs within the limited range which produces a likable tone.
  I find treble boosting or compressor boosting to be the most useful for general and especially stage use, the bass can be restrained with volume controls and picking strength to some degree, but I find I can have plenty to work with and have the bass frequencies be more dynamic without unwanted 'warbling of definition' [speaker fart] if some of the potential in the lowest-ish frequencies are attenuated.
  It is difficult to discuss 'in stillness' something that moves [like sound], even the socketted cap should be worked out in various scnenarios like what it'll be expecting to see to find out more details than what a quick swap will tell. Working all the volume controls, guitar/amp/booster/[distorter?] and trying different caps will give you plenty to weight in on...
  How much do you like the extra bass content when diodes are clipping stuff and it makes that thick, saturatey, almost ducking sound // when compared to a treble boosted clean sound that lets the amp grind harder without bass going 'whOOOOumph' when you're not careful with.
  Is the extra capability of strumming cleans w/bass rolled off worth sacrificing the thicker distortion?:
  Will you use a switch to have both?
  Will you get super-slick and figure out a way to hit one switch for what you found you like for exactly 'this' [say thick Distortion], again for 'that' [thinner cleans] to prevent toe tapping between settings?
  I tried a few approaches, hafta say using a looper box with some intuitive / creative routing of effects [ie experiment / tweek / test / repeat], all while considering all the alternatives of everything [like...narrow 'em down so you can think about 'em].
  Nothing I know of can actually replace field testing, I may act like I know it all, deep down I'm pretty certain of one thing: I'll never know it all. I'll have to think it over and work on it to see.
  Sometimes I do booster into booster or Compression boosted into boost, Full range isn't the ticket for me, and I like to trim bass at the 1rst input at least. 

[Caferacernoc]

I believe an LPB is pretty full range already. But you could double the caps value to be sure. 2uf would do it I think.

[BMF Effects]

I think I may have not come across with my intent. The LPB-1 by itself is a great boost but does not always stack with with an OD or fuzz as it seems to make things to bass heavy. My thoughts were decreasing the size of the cap(s) to make it a little more stack friendly.

[John Lyons]

Most boosters when stacked with a full sounding OD or distortion will get flubby, farty, over modulated (insert adjective).
It depends on the amp, od/distortion guitar, player, moon phase (well maybe not so much).

Just like the rangemaster with a dark amp, it will kick up the drive and do it with clarity.
A dark slightly overdriven amp + mid/high boost = ROCKIN'

Try the Omega from ROG. It'll "get you there" in many situations. (Variable frequency rangemaster type sound.)

john

[Jered]

  Try the NPN boost

[DougH]

"Flat response"?!?

Do you even know what that sounds like? Have you ever looked at a Bode plot of an electric guitar pickup? Amp? Speaker?

[petemoore]

  Nope, I can only Imagine, googling 'Bode Chart' now..
  Here's a start, for Bode Plot info:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bode_plot
   

[skiraly017]

"Flat response"?!?

Do you even know what that sounds like? Have you ever looked at a Bode plot of an electric guitar pickup? Amp? Speaker?

Thanks Doug, that's exactly what I was looking for! 

[John Lyons]

Ah come on folks, you know what he meant...
Flat response in relative terms.
No need to get out the slide rules and thinking caps.

john

[Gus]

The LPB is a circuit you can find in a lot of textbooks.  If you were bored at work you might have wanted to google etc. "transistor circuits" and do the simple math for the input resistance knowing that can help with picking the input cap.

As others have posted
it is the overall guitar, LPB, amp, speaker and you are limited to moving the high pass frequency up or down if you are just wanting to adjust the input and output caps. 

If the bass is "too much" reduce the input cap.  You might end up more like a treble booster depending on the complete "system" guitar to speaker(s) room.

[DougH]

Ah come on folks, you know what he meant...
Flat response in relative terms.
No need to get out the slide rules and thinking caps.

john

Maybe so, John. But "flat-response" actually means something objective. It's not a subjective term that gets thrown around to describe things.

2 points:

1. An electric guitar plugged into an amp plugged into a speaker is nowhere near a flat frequency response. People really need to understand that. Seriously.

2. We really need to be accurate with terms we use that describe objective behavior and not dilute them. I won't waste my time arguing with someone about whether something sounds "crunchy", "fizzy", or has "haunting mids". But "flat response" means exactly what it says. If we're going to communicate, we need to be consistent so that communication can take place.

[John Lyons]

Ok, I get your point Doug. Guitar and guitar amp response is nowhere near flat.
I was just saying that the Linear Power Booster is referenced to guitar use 99.95% of the time so "flat response" would mean that your guitar would be boosted with a somewhat even frequency spectrum...which isn't really true but you know... Not bassy or trebly...

It's good to get the terms straight but for the point of the original post it's a clear enough question to read between the lines a little.

[DougH]

Gotcha...

[Caferacernoc]

He never said he wanted a "flat" response coming out of his amps and speakers. He just wanted his booster to have a flat response in regards to the signal boost it provides:

"thinking of adjusting the input and output caps of a LPB-1 to have it be more of a flat response booster"