Transformer flavor/saturation

[themickster]

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.

I don't bother with all that. Live, I go straight into FOH or whatever house rig is there. I have my own Markbass for if there's neither of the above. I have a software model of my Blackstar Super Fly as a tweeterbox for recordings.

 

[leonard]

A Marshall Plexi clone.

 

[Admiral Chew]

Lightningboy Audio announced on Instagram that the LBA 2020S is coming back in August so it should bring used prices down.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

The Niche Humboldt is my choice, after trying many of the available options.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I use Actual Mesa Boogie tube heads.

 

[chiphaleonbass]

I use two Api tranzformers pedal (the compressor and the eq) into a telefunken DI passive DI. You should check out the old Api tranzformer pedal as well.

I use the Tranzformer LLX eq into a Sushi Box Finally DI. Certainly not hurting for that extra coloration. The Finally as others have said has a tube and a transformer in the DI and is practically silent. The API LLX allows you to overdrive the OP amp or run it relatively clean with some really nice API eq curves. It always stays on on my board

 

[Blunder]

I also have a Broadcast! I am curious, where in your signal chain do you put it?

I usually put it first after my tuner and before my octaver. I know.. I know. That's faux pas. I like it to set the tone, literally.

 

[AnotherOneBitesTheBass]

ACME di?

Definitely a true classic that always resurfaces. in the right context I'd love to try it some day.

 

[AnotherOneBitesTheBass]

I use two Api tranzformers pedal (the compressor and the eq) into a telefunken DI passive DI. You should check out the old Api tranzformer pedal as well.

I am curious to know how the guitar-centered frequencies EQ behaves, and how the compressor reacts with its fixed attack and release.
Definitely their LLX worth a look.

 

[AnotherOneBitesTheBass]

I’m enjoying the broadcast. I’d use the AP version if I were to purchase again

This is the one that is at the center of my decisions right now. You can power it at 9v, which doesn't force you to redesign your pedalboard. It still gives you the flexibility to power it up to 24v for more haedroom and different tonal options. It is focused on the saturation of its transformer, which in the case of AP distorts less below 100hz, which can be very interesting for bass...

Sushi box seems to be leading the way nowadays, to add that non-sterile flavor to the signal path. Unfortunately in my area it is not possible to get it, which forces me to buy it directly from the manufacturer: waiting time, taxes, no local service and a resale market that has no interest in this type of devices.

My other option, in the path of tubes is the Effectrode L1-A1 which has the best of both worlds: tubes for your signal path, and a transformer powered DI. Price is an issue for me.

 

[GrowlerBox]

Thread resuscitation alert …

I’ve recently become interested in the effects of transformers in the signal path. I was looking for a change from my Tone Hammer, and was tossing up between the API LLX and Genzler Magellan. The Magellan ultimately won for all its other features, and no regrets, but it did leave that itch unscratched.

So, I ordered a Lightning Boy 23Fe, and am really digging the effect it’s having — “thickening” the mids, compressing the signal and eventually saturating as it’s pushed harder. Nice. So I then saw a used Analogworm Orbit 1974 fuzz on our local auction website, a now possibly discontinued Russian dual-germanium diode fuzz-face type circuit, modified with a transformer-based passive pickup emulator to isolate the fuzz circuit from any upstream buffering. I wasn’t sure what effect this transformer might have on the signal, but if anything, it’s even more “saturable” than the Lightning Boy. Cutting the gain and bias dials to nothing and using the volume to restore unity results in a very similar effect to driving the Lightning Boy, nothing at all like the diode sound.

I’m not sure exactly when mine was made, but the insides don’t look quite like the photographs on the Analogworm website, and I assume mine is from an older run. The recent ones use Bourns transformers, while mine has an unlabelled, likely Soviet era one, to go along with other NOS Soviet parts, possibly explaining its poor efficiency and happy effect on my signal. It’s a great fuzz, too, BTW, and stacks nicely with my DMB (sadly defunct since 2014) Stellar Drive, a FET-based Blues Driver type circuit. Add a phaser and it’s dirty Synth City.

I’m still Jonesing for an LLX, and almost have myself convinced that it will complement the Magellan nicely (the EQ frequencies on the LLX slot right in between the high and low ends of the Magellan, leaving the sweeping mids on the latter to plug any holes). I’ve also been looking at the Hudson Broadcast stuff, but I don’t think I need any more overdrive, and the EQ and emormous boost potential on the LLX ard probably more useful to me.

I am open to any arguments for or against these or any other transformer-based boost type pedals. Presumably there will be diminishing returns from additional transformers at some point, but I don’t think I’m there yet.