Despite it's mind numbing parts count this had a very detailed parts list and was pretty much a breeze to put together. Two caveats: even though I read it twice, it didn't register in my brain that the footswitches get mounted on the top side of the board and the whole schebang goes in upside down. That makes more sense if you line up the PCB IN and OUT pads. Major boner on my part and had to solder sucker not one but two 3PDTs from the board. Salvaged both switches and the board so I consider it a win.
Also, I'll send a note to Kevin (or Kevin if you read this): the labels on the drill guide for channel one should be Treble 1 and Bass 1 but are labeled Volume 1 and Midrange 1. Not a big deal unless you cheated like I did and used it as a decal template as well. I got it clear coated and while calibrating I saw the error of my ways. At first I thought "I can live with it" till I realized I couldn't. Luckily the clear coat was still fairly fresh and the pebbled white powdercoat doesn't like to hang on to decals as tightly and I was able to use duct tape to remove the decal/clear from the enclosure and start again. Good recovery.
Enough babbling, I love this pedal (as well as all things Lab Series). It's very nice being able to drive it with 9vdc. I think this and a chorus will become to go to bass rig. I don't play bass all that often but this is a no brainer. The comp sounds lovely.
(https://www.gordomusic.com/Madbean/L4pre01.jpg)
Yes I know that flux on the switchboard looks like dog drool but I'll circle back and straigten out the wiring while I'm at it
(https://www.gordomusic.com/Madbean/L4pre02.jpg)
(https://www.gordomusic.com/Madbean/L4pre03.jpg)
It's lovely! I like the white theme. I made Kevin's L5 preamp several years ago, and will have to try this one. BTW, he's reposted the build doc, with the corrected pot names on the template.
Wow, that's fantastic Gordo!
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Oh man, now I've got the FOMO ;D
Slick build Gordo! 8) How does this compare with the Sludge Hammer (Sans Amp)?
Very nicely done!
Also, thank you for using the traditional definition of "boner" —made my day.
Looks really good, especially given the drama with the labels! I never would have guessed. Do you find yourself favoring one channel over the other?
I'm not really favoring one channel over the other except that you have the sweepable mid on channel 2, which either opens up a cool palette or works well if you switch basses. That said, Channel 1 can get pretty grindy if needed (there's an internal switch) and I do like the simplicity.
I've been using the Sludge as well as Sushi Box's clone of the F2-B and it would be a bit tough to pick one as they all have a cool flavor. I'm a sucker for anything Lab Series so that's a big bias, and I do like the compression. It's not really like any other compressor out there (the Moog influence I suppose). The Sludge has the built in XLR which is really handy as a toss-on-stage-and-direct-to-FOH option and I like the warmth and dead simple tube solution in the Alembic clone.
I had the faceplate badge from when Kevin was offering them and I managed to trash one of my L5 builds trying to convert it to 9vdc (sigh...) so put it to good use.
Quote from: gordo on July 18, 2023, 12:25:56 AM
I'm not really favoring one channel over the other except that you have the sweepable mid on channel 2, which either opens up a cool palette or works well if you switch basses. That said, Channel 1 can get pretty grindy if needed (there's an internal switch) and I do like the simplicity.
I've been using the Sludge as well as Sushi Box's clone of the F2-B and it would be a bit tough to pick one as they all have a cool flavor. I'm a sucker for anything Lab Series so that's a big bias, and I do like the compression. It's not really like any other compressor out there (the Moog influence I suppose). The Sludge has the built in XLR which is really handy as a toss-on-stage-and-direct-to-FOH option and I like the warmth and dead simple tube solution in the Alembic clone.
I'm a bass player and interested in building the L4 even though I haven't heard it!! Channel 1 and the sushi box are both based on a similar fender tonestack, do they sound similar? And what does channel B sound like compared to the sushibox?
Just asking as i know what the sushibox will sound like so I think you might be able to help me decide if I'm going to build!
Honestly, although the tone stacks are similar the boxes themselves are apples to oranges. My bass player uses the Sushibox for it's simplicity and the fact you just can't get a bad sound out of it.
I like the L4 CH1 for the same reason but factor in the compressor and the boxes lose similarity. I'm a mediocre bass player but I like the fact that I can dial in just a little grit and then level the whole signal to make the front of house guy's life a little simpler. That way I can lean in on notes to get the grit or hold back a bit to keep it clean and I don't need to worry about level changes.
I'm also a gear hog, so factor that in, but I'd build them both. The L4 is more expensive, if that's a factor. The power board is in the ballpark of the Sushi's tube but the Sushi has a lower parts count and smaller enclosure. For the record I'll also get the predrilled enclosure from Nathan just because it's so friggin cool but not at all necessary. I'm not convinced the enclosure really even needs to be vented as heat doesn't seem to be an issue with mine.
Cheers for the reply
I actually had a Sushibox london underground with the fender tonestack - which was ok
I built a frog F2b which is very similar and sounds amazing - but my build and the high voltage power supply (on both pedals) weren't playing nicely with the charge pumps in another pedal in the chain.
The L4 sounds great though from your description - what would you (or your bass player) compare channel 2 too?
so Musikding made a kit, and I put it together and it worked first time...!
Result! :)
Sounds good, still need to calibrate it
Excellent! For all the verbage that Kevin puts in the build doc I found most of the calibration is pretty much by ear, although following his doc will certainly give you a good bassline. I was trying to keep the preamp fairly clean unless cranked up a bit and I found that the compressor can get a bit too aggressive and you start losing output volume. The compressor really doesn't work like any normal pedal compressor, it almost feels backwards.
Quote from: gordo on October 07, 2023, 12:36:36 AM
Excellent! For all the verbage that Kevin puts in the build doc I found most of the calibration is pretty much by ear, although following his doc will certainly give you a good bassline. I was trying to keep the preamp fairly clean unless cranked up a bit and I found that the compressor can get a bit too aggressive and you start losing output volume. The compressor really doesn't work like any normal pedal compressor, it almost feels backwards.
Basseline
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/IiBJyuzvrsOHu/giphy.gif)
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Wow, even I missed that one. Unintentional wit...
Finished!!
My review (as a bass player, I don't play guitar) of the Lab Series L4 preamp ...
It's the oddest sounding thing I've built! It doesn't sound like I would expect it too, and can't put my finger on why!
What I was expecting was "preamp pedal, quite clean, maybe crossed with an low gain overdrive pedal."
The closest thing I've experienced to it is my old HX stomp and flicking between two amp models (once set up with non crazy gain) - there's a processed nature to the sound, some compression maybe? and a complexity that feels more like an amp model, esp when getting hairy, than something like most the OD pedals I've tried (or indeed models of said OD on HX stomp or the Zoom stuff)
Channel A is pure Fender tonestack, probably more bassman feeling than showman preamp - there's that classic dip in the mids.
Channel B is more- I dunno what - I can get more driven rock tones out of it. Deep switch on both just adds more everything and changes the way it reacts. Swept mids is very powerful but fairly wide Q I think.
You can set it up so A is lower gain, and B higher, and then bounce the high gain into the post master limiter to keep the signal level under control.
Playing with it this way I was thinking "this is finicky to set up and get levels right" ... and then played along to a track and it sounded great - slightly dirty but fitting in the mix and not fizzy or shouty at all - just right and part of the tone I was hoping to get when I built this pedal.
Another strange thing... The preamp I built before this was a valve version of a Alembic/Fender showman, and it had quite a lot of output that would quickly clip the colourbox at the end of my chain.
This also has lots of output, or at least sounds LOUD- but doesn't seem to make clip the colourbox clip as much - I don't think it's subsonics as I was using a HPF between them but it's very strange.
Anyway. slightly fiddly to set up, but rewarding when it is.
That's a good write up and nicely done build! I hadn't really thought about it but it is a bit fiddly to set up. On the real thing there's no channel switching so once you have a sound dialed in you stay there. And like a Fender I don't think most people use the first channel.
On the similar L5 preamp by Aion, I find it works best as just that - a preamp, last in the chain, and running directly into a power amp. It's not really an overdrive or EQ pedal, it's the amplifier's preamp in pedal form. Maybe running your Colour box before it would help?
Quote from: gordo on October 28, 2023, 11:14:21 PM
That's a good write up and nicely done build! I hadn't really thought about it but it is a bit fiddly to set up. On the real thing there's no channel switching so once you have a sound dialed in you stay there. And like a Fender I don't think most people use the first channel.
I think Aion have a really good recreation of the amps preamp - in pedal form I think ideally it would have the drive part of the circuit for each channel with some kind of post drive attenuation- then effects loop, then gain and limiter. Or something- but then that ends up being similar to some of the Suncoast stuff.
I like that fender style preamp sound so think I will use the first channel a fair bit - we will see!!
Quote from: mauman on October 29, 2023, 12:01:39 AM
On the similar L5 preamp by Aion, I find it works best as just that - a preamp, last in the chain, and running directly into a power amp. It's not really an overdrive or EQ pedal, it's the amplifier's preamp in pedal form. Maybe running your Colour box before it would help?
Interesting- for the L4 I think the low gain overdrive it does is really musical sounding and as an "amp sounding" eq (Ie not a surgical tool) it's pretty good. I'm currently running it after most pedals but before chorus. Thr colourbox I think was made for guitarist direct to desk fuzz thing, but where I think it shines for bass is in the low gain mode as an end of chain di and preamp strip sound - it's the transformers - they sound great.
They go straight to desk and back through my IEM ... who needs amps in 21st century?! :p
Nice! Love the knobs, looks like fun :)