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Topic: black box |
Mike Bowles
From:
Princeton, West Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 7:20 am |
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I purchased a black box the other day and what a difference it made in the sound of my mullen rp it sure made me want to play more at least i sound better to me. im using a nv 112 but im not satisfied with the sound of my nv 1000 I cant run the volume over 1 and a half could it be that the volume is so low that im not pushing it to its potential it sounds very nasaly i quess thats what you call it maybe its too much amp for bedroom playing thanks for any help.
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Mike Bowles |
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Jack Ritter
From:
Enid, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 8:35 am
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Howdy, Mike
I always have the pre gain on 3 and the master gain always higher than the pre gain on my n112s and n1000. Give it a try if you wish. Jack
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Zum D10 8x5,rev pre-amp, TC M300, Split 12, n-112, IZZY, Hilton vp, Geo L, BJS Hughey, Live Steel |
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Mike Bowles
From:
Princeton, West Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 8:48 am black box
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thanks jack i will give it a try if i dont get run off i might just have to trade it for another 112 i have the ken fox mod in both amps im very satisfied with the 112 i might just have to trade it for another 112
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Mike Bowles |
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Randy Cook
From:
Mechanicsville, Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 11:15 am Black box with NV112 and Mullen Pre-RP
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| Thinking about trying the Black Box....my NV112 sounds very harsh and the highs are shrill and not at all what I want to hear...no "bell-like" sound...will the Black Box help....I'm thinking it will. |
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Mike Bowles
From:
Princeton, West Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 11:31 am black box
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the black box sure helped my tone at least i think it did im still experimenting with mine some better players than me will chime in im sure they will be able to tell you more than i can but from what i have heard coming from my mullen i really like
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Mike Bowles |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 11:54 am
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Randy-
The Black Box won't turn a solid-state amp into a boutique tube amp...but it almost certainly will do a lot to tame exactly the issue you are having. Impedance matching and tube preamp helps a bunch...
I won't leave home without one..
-=S
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https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Mike Bowles
From:
Princeton, West Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 1:12 pm black box
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yes steve im really pleased with mine im using a little amp reverb and an ibanez de7 delay seems better than my lexicon dual 100 to me i might try to get a rev3 they are going pretty cheap on ebay right now. thanks
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Mike Bowles |
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Jack Ritter
From:
Enid, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 2:20 pm
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Mike, I have the Fox late chips in mine also and just recently got my 2nd Black Box and don't like playing without one. Fwiw- I get the best results from my b-box at between 12 oclock and 3. Jack
_________________
Zum D10 8x5,rev pre-amp, TC M300, Split 12, n-112, IZZY, Hilton vp, Geo L, BJS Hughey, Live Steel |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 6:23 pm
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Jack-
Can you describe how that setting is "best"? I seem to just get more highs the more I turn it up,so I max it out and then control EQ at the amp....is there something more subtle going on in the tone curve at lower settings?
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2012 6:49 pm
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The variable impedance (vari-z) control on the Black Box is doing something different than your EQ on your amp can do. It varies the "loading" on your pickup. Every pickup has an inherent treble peak. It varies from pickup to pickup, but typically this treble peak can be in the 2kHz to 4kHz range. When a magnetic pickup is directly connected to this variable impedance control, the pickup's coil itself becomes part of a unique tone circuit. The result is that you can dial up or down the treble peak in loudness/amplitude while the frequency stays fixed. Once your signal has passed thru any active device, you no longer have control over this specific treble peak (resonance) in the same way. I find that it can be very handy to tweak the pickup's response right out of the gate this way, and then free up your amp's controls to shape the sound of the speaker, the cabinet, the stage, etc. The vari-z control is very effective at reducing harshness. And it can often be much harder to address this harshness at the amp. If the harshness is addressed before the signal ever hits the amp, then you're not gonna have to fight it.
I hear a lot of people tell me that once they get their amp dialed in then the only knob they adjust all night long is just the one vari-z knob depending on the song or style. Dark and fat, bright and twangy, the whole range can be adjusted with the one knob.
The knob's setting really does depend on the pickup and guitar quite a bit. Personally I find the range from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock to be where it spends most of its time.
Brad |
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Larry Hamilton
From:
Amarillo,Tx
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Posted 27 Feb 2012 8:03 pm
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Mike, maybe the mods worked better in the 112 than the 1000. The more you use and experiment with the BB the better. I found the BB canbe used from one extreme to the other in combination with the eq of the amp. Like Brad said once you get the amp like you want it tone is a matter of one knob. Of course different venues call for
Different settings then once again you are able to use just one knob. One of the things I liked about the BB is that if you need to brighten or darken the entire setting just a little just use the vari-z knob. Sure do miss my BB but have the Revelation ordered and will soon have the advantage of the BB again. Enjoy your BB, the more you use the better you will like it.
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Keep pickin', Larry |
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Jack Ritter
From:
Enid, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2012 4:30 am
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Steve, Brad explained it much better I. When I get my EQ set on my amp, I usually just leave it there and use the Vari Z knob on the BBox , which is, at the moment at 12 oclock. Sometimes around 1. Jack
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Zum D10 8x5,rev pre-amp, TC M300, Split 12, n-112, IZZY, Hilton vp, Geo L, BJS Hughey, Live Steel |
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Roger Francis
From:
kokomo,Indiana, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2012 5:57 am
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| Mine stays around that same position 11 to 1 |
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Bob Snelgrove
From:
san jose, ca
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Posted 1 Mar 2012 5:31 pm
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Brad,
Do you reccommend dialing in the amp with the BB totally out of the loop and then add it in to add the "magic"?
bob
| Brad Sarno wrote: |
The variable impedance (vari-z) control on the Black Box is doing something different than your EQ on your amp can do. It varies the "loading" on your pickup. Every pickup has an inherent treble peak. It varies from pickup to pickup, but typically this treble peak can be in the 2kHz to 4kHz range. When a magnetic pickup is directly connected to this variable impedance control, the pickup's coil itself becomes part of a unique tone circuit. The result is that you can dial up or down the treble peak in loudness/amplitude while the frequency stays fixed. Once your signal has passed thru any active device, you no longer have control over this specific treble peak (resonance) in the same way. I find that it can be very handy to tweak the pickup's response right out of the gate this way, and then free up your amp's controls to shape the sound of the speaker, the cabinet, the stage, etc. The vari-z control is very effective at reducing harshness. And it can often be much harder to address this harshness at the amp. If the harshness is addressed before the signal ever hits the amp, then you're not gonna have to fight it.
I hear a lot of people tell me that once they get their amp dialed in then the only knob they adjust all night long is just the one vari-z knob depending on the song or style. Dark and fat, bright and twangy, the whole range can be adjusted with the one knob.
The knob's setting really does depend on the pickup and guitar quite a bit. Personally I find the range from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock to be where it spends most of its time.
Brad |
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Bob Snelgrove
From:
san jose, ca
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