Transformer flavor/saturation

AnotherOneBitesTheBass

AnotherOneBitesTheBass

Jan 19, 2016
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#1
Hello TB

Being a trend lately and having many solutions popping up in recent years, I'm curious what you use to add transformer flavor/saturation to your signal.
No matter if it's an overdrive, a compressor, a DI, or a preamp.
Thinking of LBA 2020s, Effectrode LA-1A, Niche Humboldt , JHS Colour Box, Hudson Broadcast and the many DI and outboard equipment designed with output transformers available today.
Do you think it has added a noticeable difference in place off your "tube favor/ saturation" approach?
Has your transformer path replaced your tubes/tube emulation path? or have they complemented each other?

Would like to hear about your journey.
 
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#6
@sushi Box FX MORE is doing that for me. I also have a JDI and RNDI that are often fed by the MORE and other delicious preamps that add a bit of transformer mojo. While the MORE does not have any transformers as such it does have 4 stages of tube magic, with a parallel pair handling input and output stages. Sushi Box also offers a tube DI with LBA transformer Finally

I work with several old school studio engineers that like to record my basses running through their vintage rack gear's input and output stages and transformers and the MORE offers a very similar mojo in a 9v powered box. MORE is the in and out stages of the Deep Dish fashioned after the LA2A sans the compressor circuit.
 
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#7
There’s two very different kinds of transformer “flavor”. First, there are the small signal audio transformers such as found in DI boxes and mic preamps, and then there are the large signal output coupling transformers, as used in valve amplifiers.

The most famous manufacturer of small signal transformers is Jensen, though there are others.
 
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#9
AnotherOneBitesTheBass said:
Hello TB

Being a trend lately and having many solutions popping up in recent years, I'm curious what you use to add transformer flavor/saturation to your signal.
No matter if it's an overdrive, a compressor, a DI, or a preamp.
Thinking of LBA 2020s, Effectrode LA-1A, Niche Humboldt , JHS Colour Box, Hudson Broadcast and the many DI and outboard equipment designed with output transformers available today.
Do you think it has added a noticeable difference in place off your "tube favor/ saturation" approach?
Has your transformer path replaced your tubes/tube emulation path? or have they complemented each other?

Would like to hear about your journey.
Click to expand...

The LBA 2020s adds a nice presence in the highs and improves dirt and extreme distortion, IMO. The lows maybe get a bit looser. It's similar to a tube in that way, but different (it doesn't have that 3D imaging/note separation effect). The used market for them (from what I've seen on Reverb) is kind of crazy though.

I'm looking at the Sushi Box More or other solutions to run into my solid state GK when I'm not using the Demeter tube-pre, but I'm out of board space at the moment.
 
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#13
musicmansf said:
The LBA 2020s adds a nice presence in the highs and improves dirt and extreme distortion, IMO. The lows maybe get a bit looser. It's similar to a tube in that way, but different (it doesn't have that 3D imaging/note separation effect). The used market for them (from what I've seen on Reverb) is kind of crazy though.

I'm looking at the Sushi Box More or other solutions to run into my solid state GK when I'm not using the Demeter tube-pre, but I'm out of board space at the moment.
Click to expand...

I have 1 LBA2020 in my recording set up that does add a touch of mojo, sadly these are no longer available and are pulling some stupid pricing last I looked. The MORE has a lot more audible effect.
 
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#14
musicmansf said:
The LBA 2020s adds a nice presence in the highs and improves dirt and extreme distortion, IMO. The lows maybe get a bit looser. It's similar to a tube in that way, but different (it doesn't have that 3D imaging/note separation effect). The used market for them (from what I've seen on Reverb) is kind of crazy though.

I'm looking at the Sushi Box More or other solutions to run into my solid state GK when I'm not using the Demeter tube-pre, but I'm out of board space at the moment.
Click to expand...

I use a music man 4 string and a GK 15-inch for my practice amp: I whole-heartedly recommend the SB MORE for your total goals.
 
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#15
Flavor:

Aguilar DB 900

LAA Custom OP81 OPTO LIMITER

Radial Engineering JDI

Suhr Buffer

Suhr Iso Boost (Although I don't own one, hearing one firsthand is what led me to get a Suhr Buffer)
 
#16
Sugarbear08 said:
I use a music man 4 string and a GK 15-inch for my practice amp: I whole-heartedly recommend the SB MORE for your total goals.
Click to expand...

Good to know that the GK/Sushi More experiment works! I also use a MM 4 stringer.

In theory, I could have just gotten the Fusion S over the Legacy because the More will basically make up the cost difference in not getting the Fusion in the first place, but I wasn't feeling the multi-function knobs on the Fusion lol. This way I can send a mild tube boost through the pedals :smug:
 
#17
bassbrad said:
I have 1 LBA2020 in my recording set up that does add a touch of mojo, sadly these are no longer available and are pulling some stupid pricing last I looked. The MORE has a lot more audible effect.
Click to expand...

I was curious about acquiring another 2020s to have both an input and output transformer in-between all the pedals, but yeah, not at that price! It's kind of cool hearing how the transformer gets out of whack with significant boost going through it (somewhat like a tube power amp breaking up), but I mainly keep things at line level for the added resonance.
 
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