The Tone Control @thetonecontrol - Tumblr Blog | Tumlook (2024)

Which version of the Headrush FR are you using?

The 1x12 version :)

Hey everyone,

If you haven’t heard, The Tone Control is now officially hosted on Anchor.fm. You can find all our new (and old!) episodes over there. As a result, we’re not going to be posting new episodes to THIS page anymore. We will, however, still have posts from Righteous Ryan, occasional cool pictures of fun guitar gear, and maybe some other random things.

Also if you’re interested in joining our Discord, please do so! It’s open and free to all fans of the podcast. We talk about guitar gear, video games, Line 6 Helix patches, and all kinds of other nonsense. If you love the show that much more, please support us on Patreon! For only TWO DOLLARS per month, you get a nifty shout out AND the option to listen to us record the show live in front of your earballs.

Discord:https://discord.gg/yy4brEM

Patreon: patreon.com/thetonecontrol

Interview with Electronic Audio Experiments

Righteous Ryan: When did you decide to become a builder and what motivated you to do so?

Electronic Audio Experiments: Even before I taught myself how to play the guitar I was always interested in what makes instruments work, so naturally I was a pedal nerd as soon as I learned what they were. After studying electronics for fun on the side (took a couple extra courses during undergrad and then read books on my own) it became a natural progression of my interests to start tinkering with my own. I did a few tagboard clone builds before I realized I wanted to have more control over the design process. And that's still my primary motivation: I love the design process with all of its challenges and room for artistic decisions.

EAE as a company formally started in approximately winter/spring of 2015. In February of that year, Boston was slammed over 5 feet of snow. I spent a lot of time in my crummy basem*nt apartment eating frozen pizzas and breadboarding what would eventually become the Longsword V1. I used it on a couple records I was a part of (Perfect Moments by Tiny Fractures and the Native Wildlife s/t - both on bandcamp, for the curious) and that generated enough interest to do a release that summer. The rest has been a whirlwind!

RR: What motivates you to create original circuits?

EAE: Short answer - it's really satisfying to me, basically my favorite pastime.

Longer answer - I love the challenge of making something from scratch that hopefully lets my personality come through. I should qualify; I am not reinventing any wheels here. Designing "from scratch" is like building something out of legos. You can't really design new pieces (which leads some of the more cynical folks out there to say there's nothing new under the sun) but there are lots of building blocks and lots of ways to arrange them. The artistic merit is in the details, and the fun is in the thrill of the chase. It's an obsessive process but endlessly gratifying.

RR: Are you currently working on anything new?

EAE: Oh god, too many things. Here's a sampling:

Halberd - this is a drive which started as the preamp block of Sending, but heavily mutated into its own thing. It features pronounced treble attack/clarity, stupidly high output, and a strong second harmonic response. Been "finalizing" it for a while but I'm trying my damnedest to release it this summer. (If you want to hear a rough demo of an earlier iteration, check this video out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpGgzl3lOgs)

Sending V2 - I'm trying to add some features while I do an SMD conversion - mostly modulation and CV control over delay time. Currently on the back burner while I get the Halberd sorted out.

Hypersleep - this is my weird multi-tap chorus/vibrato/reverb-ish thing (nb: this is also in Ian's video linked above). It's also on the back burner while I get the Halberd sorted out. I really want to put it to production but it depends fully on whether I can source enough MN3011 BBDs to make it happen. If I can get enough to build 50 I'll do a limited run, but I'd really prefer to do 100 if at all possible... so we shall see what happens.

Super secret collab with Electrofoods Pedals - stay tuned, I am very excited

Surveyor - IVP side of the Dude Incredible, will be released later this year. It's ready to rock.

Various contract designs - Caroline Somersault (just wrapped up), Caroline Megabyte (working on the second round of prototypes), Dunable Eidolon (close to done, just needs some code fixes), another 2 or 3 projects all TBA.

RR: What is your design process like?

EAE: Whenever I design something new I have to answer two questions. 1) does it exist already? and 2) does it address a need or want in my own sonic pursuits? For instance, drive pedals will reflect my tone in whatever band I'm currently in. If it's already been done I can go buy it. If it hasn't been done then the work can begin.

If the design is simple or contains simple building blocks I often go straight to the circuit board layout and if necessary, debug from there. I can often turn a project around pretty quick if that's the case. If I'm not sure whether or not a building block will work, I can try simulating or breadboarding. Circuit simulation is extremely powerful but requires interpretation of the results, which also sometimes differ from reality. Breadboarding is great for audible characterization of a new idea, but the added parasitic capacitances can dramatically alter the frequency response of a circuit - especially a high gain drive or something with lots of complex filters. So there's usually a loop of steps where I move between a breadboard, circuit simulations, and a working prototype until everything works out. Sometimes I just have to resort to plain old math to get what I want.

The first pass of design is a go/no-go check. Does it work? Once it does, I refine it until it can produce sounds I truly like. This is also the step where I do the most work to address noise, oscillation, unwanted artifacts, etc. The final step is to identify which controls I want to keep, and then I determine the tapers/ranges of those controls.

Once there's a working prototype I do extensive beta testing with friends, local musicians and engineers, etc. When testing at home I can lose sight of how good (or not good) a prototype sounds. So a sanity check helps! Once this feedback is incorporated into the process we can go to production. At that point we get the artwork done and start working with our local SMD shop to get boards going.

RR: What's your setup (guitar, amps, pedalboard)?

EAE: I've been awful about maintaining a static setup. I realized that when you're not in a band you can just buy whatever sounds good instead of worrying about serving a song or particular mix. I have a wide assortment of guitars and amps that I use to test pedals during the R&D phase but listing those won't really tell you a coherent story. BUT I started a new band and we're tracking a record (we just did guitars + drums at GodCity) so I can tell you all about the gear I used for that. It's a post-metal sort of outfit so there are lots of heavy sounds but lots of unique mid-gain tones as well. This is also a great chance to plug some work by my friends...

Guitars - Travis Bean TB1000S, which is essentially vintage correct after some restoration work at Electrical Guitar Company (new bridge + pickups). Sounds like a piano. A very angry piano.

My very heavily modified Classic Player Jazzmaster with EGC JM500 pickups and a Robot Graves neck. It can do pristine, chimey cleans or a savage clang depending how much gain you use.

Amps - Traynor YBA1 MKII - Basically a marshall-ish amp with really big transformers. I modded the preamp to roughly superlead specs, but it's got way more bandwidth than a typical marshall.

Traynor YBA3 - not mine, lives at GodCity. Was extensively modified by my friend Scot from SnK pedals, who is also a gifted amp tech. It's loud and clean with a sound that's almost like an ampeg.

For cabs we mostly used an emperor 6x12 with an assortment of speakers. The mic was placed on a Texas Heat.

For my own use I have a pair of Joe's TL806 cabs (Thiele 1x12 design) with EVM12Ls.

Pedals - Halberd proto - great for slamming tube amps!

Electrofoods Oprichniki - the highest gain big muff variant around. I don't even know if it should be called a muff variant because of how twisted and souped up the circuit is. It is an absolute beast.

Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler - another extraordinarily high gain fuzz which sounds like absolutely nothing I've ever heard. It's a nice contrast to the more scooped flavor of the Oprich.

SnK VHD - a high gain distortion, used extensively for lead parts especially. Super tight and clear.

Sending V1-ish prototype - also has a tone control. It works ok I guess. Still very much a work in progress!

Lastgasp Misty Cave - weird drone-y reverb/flange thing? Hard to describe. Sounds heavenly.

Hypersleep proto - for room-ish reverb

Red Panda Tensor - Used for a particularly glitchy "solo"

Dirge Slowly Melting - I saw the end of the world, and it was terrifying

Lots of other stuff - I forgot!

Other - Yamaha FX500. The ultimate digital pad machine.

Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo - my drummer owns this, holy hell it is magic

My modular synth - a whole goddamn mess of its own

Interview with Tom Cram of Spiral Electric FX!

Righteous Ryan: When did you decide to become a builder and what motivated you to do so?

Tom Cram: I’ve been modding pedals for years as a hobby, but I’m not an engineer and I never was a real builder. When I ran DigiTech/DOD my hobby mods made it into the updated DOD line. I designed, or had a hand in quite a few Dig/DOD things. But I always left the heavy-lifting to the engineers, and building to the manufacturing crew.

After I got notice that Harman was closing the DigiTech/DOD division in July 2018 I went to the Summer NAMM show looking for a new job. After talking with a few of the usual suspects I realized that after working for Harman for 20 years, I didn’t want to work for a corporation ever again. So on the road-trip home from the show I decided to start my own company. I called my wife while I was driving and told her what I wanted to do and she sighed and said “oh ****.” Hahaha!

I’ve always had a zillion ideas on what kind of pedals to make, and I have a lot of varied skills that kind of dovetail with pedals. Once I realized it was time to do my own thing, it all came together.

RR: What motivates you to create original circuits?

TC: Well, I haven’t created an original circuit yet. I have what I think are original ideas for improvements to circuits that I love, and I try to implement them in a way that sounds good and makes sense to me, and hopefully to other players. My goal is that as I dig deeper into these designs, and I learn more about electronics, maybe someday I’ll be able to design a truly original circuit.

RR: Are you currently working on anything new?

TC: Yes, I am working on lots of stuff simultaneously for Spiral Electric FX. The projects that are closest to being done are the White Spiral and the Red Spiral. The White is a boost with some fun improvements and features. While developing the Yellow Spiral I realized that the Girth Control is really cool and flexible, so it will be incorporated into the White. The Red is a collaboration with Christopher from SHOE Pedals it will be a high-gain version of one of his circuits.

RR: What is your design process like?

TC: It’s very much like my songwriting process. I imagine a song that I’d like to hear, then I try to write it. With pedals I imagine a pedal I’d like to play, then I try to build it.

Since I’m not a trained engineer, that means there is a lot of time spent swapping parts in out of a circuit while sitting in front of an amp with a guitar in my hand. The White was the first time I ever sat down and drew out a schematic first, then tried to build it. I hope that means I’m getting better at this!

RR: What's your setup (guitars, amps pedals,etc)?

TC: My personal setup is pretty simple. My main guitar is either my white or silver burst SG. My main amp was a VoxAC30 for ages, but I switched to an Orange TV50H about 5 years ago. I use it with either a Vox 2x12 or Vox 4x12 (both with Greenbacks). My pedal board is simple too: Hardwire HT-6 Tuner > Morley Maverick Wah > Yellow Spiral > Black Spiral > DOD 490 Phasor > DOD Rubberneck.

I used to have a massive pedalboard with a loop switcher and I ran 4CM with all the mods/delays in the FX loop, but I finally realized that I rarely used most of the stuff and pared-down quite a bit. Unless we are talking recording, then everything comes out of storage and I can barely move due to all the gear everywhere.

Now, if you are asking what gear I own, well that would require a spreadsheet and adderall. And, this is probably like revealing a really ugly scar, or telling someone you want to marry them on your first date, but - I’m an avid fuzz collector. Dun-Dun-DUNNNNNNN!

I’ve been collecting fuzz for most of my life and I now have over 200 fuzz pedals. I’ve tried to pare it down, but The Collection has taken on a life of its own. People send me stuff now; fuzzes just show up. It is both awesome and frightening. Joking aside, I absolutely love plugging in a fuzz for the first time and finding what it wants me to play. There’s a new riff in every pedal.

Q&A With Kentucky Hot Brown Pedalboards!

Righteous Ryan: When did you decide to become a builder and what motivated you to do so?

Kentucky Hot Brown Pedalboards: I have always been a carpenter and learned that from my grandfather. I've always built my own pedalboards and a couple for friends. In January 2013 my wife and I went on a trip to Tennessee to see a couple of places. We stopped in Nashville for one and went to a couple of local music stores just to look around. We also wanted to go check out the Antique Archaeology (American Picker Guys) shop. They were in this small strip mall type of area that had some other stores in it. There was a store that was basically everything you need to be a country artist (Except the talent). They had guitars, clothes, boots, amps, you name it. It was there. I happen to see these really cool looking pedalboards that were made out of old suitcases. They folded up and had all of the connectors in it and everything. I thought that was really cool. I looked at the price tag and just about had a stroke right there. It was over $300 and it wasn't even that big. That got my mind churning and thinking "I could do that and make them look better and a lot more affordable". Face it, I know what it's like to be a starving musician. I am one. That was the motivation to make my pedalboards. I wanted to make them cool and affordable.

RR: What is your design process like?

KYHBP: At first it was very basic and I was literally trying anything that I thought could work. It took me until December of 2013 to nail down some designs that I thought were worthy of selling.

Today the design process is a lot more thought through, plus I am always tweaking our designs to make them better. I take more time to think through the design and I always make prototypes. Some work and well....some just don't. I don't see them as failures, but as stepping stones to other new models. I listen a lot to what my customers tell me. Feedback is a MUST in this business. My customers come first and always will. They are the reason for many of the models that we currently have.

RR: Where do you source the wood?

KYHBP: We get a majority of our wood from local mills here in Kentucky. There is also a place very close to our shop that we get our Baltic Birch from. That is what a majority of our boards are made from. The other woods are Pine, Cedar, Oak, Walnut, Cherry, African Padauk, and if someone wants something custom, we can order specialty woods. We also have a line on recycled woods as well from local shops that look to get rid of. We repurpose it and make some killer boards out of it.

RR: Are you currently working on anything new?

KYHBP: The newest thing that we are working on right now is a pedalboard model called the X-Wah-Z. It is a version of our Hot Box Standard that is customized to hold a wah pedal. We are looking into making different versions of that.

We also started working on a model called the Slat Back. It is a pedalboard made for pedals that have their connectors on the back, so we made a board that accommodates that as well. We have some others in the works, but nothing solid yet.

RR: And anything else you want to add that you think people should know about your products :)

KYHBP: We just want folks to know that we will build anything. We have literally built as of now over 1,500+ pedalboards. That is custom and standard models. We are a 5 Star Rated company and a Preferred Seller on Reverb.com. We have been with them since early 2014 and have a strong partnership with them.

Our pedalboard products have a lifetime warranty. If you are the original owner and something happens because we failed in building your board. We will fix or replace it. That simple.

All of our stuff is Made in the USA, by hand, from Kentucky. We are a real Mom and Pop business. My wife and I started the company together and she is 50% of KYHBPB

PODCAST UPDATE!

If you haven’t noticed, I forgot to publish the last few episodes to this site. The good news is we are now hosted on Anchor.fm! You can find all our episodes there moving forward.

Ep. 130 - It’s a Rat With Robot Legs! It Can Learn Tricks!

EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things (stab: SG Electroman)

2 Effects loops, with an a/b/y switcher, boost, tuner out, expression input… everything

Loop 1: unbuffered. Ideal for distortions, overdrives, vintage pedals.

Loop 2: buffered, after loop 1. Ideal for modulation and time based stuff

Amps: This lets you run stereo in a A, B, or Both setup. Boost switch to give those amps a little extra umph. Also features a phase switch.

Buffered tuner out, high headroom output buffer to drive long cable runs

Expression volume in lets you use any exp pedal to control volume. Volume is placed after loop 1 for true volume control, not for cleaning up dirty tones.

“Flexi-Switching”, which is relay-based true bypass. Can be set to momentary or latching.

Pretty much a small true bypass looper with a bunch of added stuff

$250

Strymon Volante (stab: MH DMBL)

Multi-voice, multi-head, magnetic echo machine.

Four heads, each with on/off button for Playback and Feedback.

Controls for Record level, mechanics (controls amount of mechanically related speed fluctuations), low cut, wear, repeats, echo level, spring reverb mix, time, and head spacing.

Time controls delay time at head 4. Heads 1-3 subdivide according to the spacing knob.

The repeats stop at head 4, so there is no decay unless the feedback buttons are engaged

Three types of delay: Drum delay (echorec), Tape echo, and Studio (reel to reel) delay.

Up for preorder, $400

They have also updated the Multi-switch to work with Volante as well as Riverside and Sunset Drive. More functions, still works with other strymon pedals. $129

Sono Amp Modeling Interface from Audient and TwoNotes $450 (stab: WA Descent)

Audient desktop USB interface with 10 in / 4 out

12AX7 preamp with 3 band eq and Two notes Power Amp and Cab Simulation and re-amp output.

2 Audient console mic preamps, ADAT input, main speaker out, to amp out, headphone out, Zero latency monitoring with monitor mix.

Free plugins and software with ARC. Torpedo Remote

IK Multimedia AXE I/O Audio Interface $350 (stab: 805)

Guitarist focussed computer USB interface

2 instrument inputs / Mic inputs, amp out, 2 line outs, external switch inputs, midi

Active/Passive Pure/JFET Z-Tone impedance adapting circuit (1MOhm to 2.2kOhm)

Amplitube 4 Deluxe

Fender Acoustasonic Tele - video demo included (stab: MS Consider the Raven)

This is supposed to be the first true hybrid between electric and acoustic guitars, not just “acoustic electric”

5 position selector for Electric, Acoustic/Electric blend, Percussion and enhanced harmonics, alternative acoustics, and core acoustics

Instead of a tone knob it has a “mod knob” that blends A & B voices

Fishman electronics, sounds like some of the stuff they’ve been working on with Martin

The idea is to have one guitar that does it all, which I guess is always the dream, right?

Acoustic sounds still feel a little “plastic” to me, highly compressed

Guitar center demo. Acoustic sounds are better in this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e9QLaHEt-I

CME Demo. best sounds yet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP7jbgou9Ks

This will be interesting to watch over the next few years… but I think right now it’s a master of none.

JHS The Clover $200 (stab: Strymon Mobius)

Boost/preamp based on the Boss FA-1 FET Preamp

Controls for Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and a 3-way rotary for EQ selection

No EQ, No Mids, Full EQ. No Mid setting is the replica of the original Boss FA-1

XLR output for Acoustic or Bass use. Also has a ground lift for XLR

Low-cut switch on the side.

Original FA-1

Ep. 129 - You Don’t Want A Strap That Grabs Back

Chehalis Hegner Photography https://www.chehalishegner.com/ (stab: chickawah)

Derek bought “Singing Tree!”

ART!

NAMM Rumors (1/24 - 1/27) (stab: CMAT Butah)

Strymon possibly launching a Helix/Fractal competitor

New single cut model from Suhr

Coppersound Loma Prieta (stab: DE Godzilla Fuzz)

New trem!

https://coppersoundpedals.com/product/lomaprieta/

Victory VX100 “Super Kraken” (stab: Meris Mercury 7 Reverb)

Based on the original Kraken, which was 50W

New features such as footswitchable clean mode, as well as a new preamp focus boost. Think of it like adding a tube screamer to your already dimed amp, now built into the circuit.

Previous Kraken didn’t have a great clean channel, but the VX100 now features a dedicated clean. The focus of this amp is to have a brilliant dedicated clean channel while maintaining high gain shred.

Bass focus control keeps the low end tight

Footswitchable fx loop, assignable/footswitchable dual masters and full MIDI switching available.

100 or 30 watts. $1900.

Video playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agjumKf_QdQ

[redacted] (stab: POG)

Google it, assholes!

Pedal Genie

Chase Bliss Audio Gravitas Tremolo $300

BOSS DC-2w - Dimension C Waza Craft $230

Epiphone DC Pro (stab: Caroline Cannon ball)

Reissue of the 70’s Del Rey double cut design

Pretty much like a double cut Les Paul, but the horns are different shapes

24 fret pau ferro fingerboard, mahogany all access neck, mahogany body, AAA flame maple top

2 coil tappable ProBuckers, with a treble bleed circuit!

I don’t love the headstock on this. It’s like the sheraton.

Price TBD.

It’s a long one folks, hang on tight.

Ep. 127 - Is That True? Or Is It A Prediction?

“Earworm” on Vox (stab: Catalinbread Perseus)

Great series from Vox on small details of music many people might never consider. Really great production.

Fender American Performer Series (stab: Alexander Amnesia)

Replacing the American Special line. Affordable american made Fenders!

All feature a satin finish neck,new Yosemite pickups, and the greasebucket tone circuit

New colors available, each model offers one satin finish

SSS and HSS strat. Both have push/pull on the second tone pot to access neck/bridge.

SS and SH Tele. SH features a coil tap on the HB with no volume loss. Vintage style 3 saddle bridge

Jazzmaster with simplified electronics and a strat trem bridge

P-Bass with P/J combo. Jazz bass now comes in a satin Surf Green. Mustang bass includes all the previous features

$1100 - $1200 https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric-series/american-performer/

PedalPedal GenieGenie

Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe Echo Unit CB-3 $360 https://www.catalinbread.com/deluxe-index.php?category=all

Walrus Audio Descent $300 https://www.walrusaudio.com/products/descent-reverb

PedalTrain SST (stab: JRockett WTF Fuzz)

Impossibly small pedalboard tuner

So small that power, input, and output are wired up dongle-style

Always on, super bright LED display. Tunes within +/- 1 cent

Great for volume pedal tuner out

Short enough to fit under adjacent ¼” jacks

$60. https://pedaltrain.com/products/sst-space-saving-tuner

Next episode is the show intro bonus episode!

“Busy Hands” by Delaney. Live in the studio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0f7zmujZPo

“21 Reasons” by Delaney. Live in the studio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ynn-7gGuJQ&list=PL9A3sbJWlqGOsQhengO_SI7lEV1-cbwg9

Ep. 126 - Look at how safe I am!

Derek plays lead guitar in Delaney now!

Piano rock/emo here in Manchester

Song: “Architect of Shame”

Music: https://delaney.bandcamp.com/

Chase Bliss Audio Dark World (stab: MS Holy Dove)

Collab between Chase Bliss, Keeley, and Cooper FX

The reverb tones are made by Keeley and Cooper, the design is CBA

Dark Side: Modulated, Shimmer, and Black. Black is a sample and hold based on your playing dynamics

World Side: Hall, Plate, and Spring.

Footswitch for each side, can run in parallel, D>W or W>D

CME Video demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgX1Ku4FRu0

Abasi Pathos Distortion Pedal (stab: Strymon Timeline)

Collaboration between Brian Wampler of Wampler Pedals and Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders.

Modeled after a big american tube amp distortion. Can be used in front of a clean amp, or as boost into a dirty amp

Has two voicings: edge and smooth for a full range of tones from crunch to searing distortion. Smooth is less compressed, vintage style. Edge is more aggressive low end compression and more punchy overall.

Cascading gain structure, really strong midrange control.

Wampler Fuzztration (stab: Meris Ottobit jr)

Fuzz and octave with really cool preamp controls

Independent fuzz and octave footswitches can be used independently

Mini-toggle to put the octave pre- or post-fuzz

Mini-toggle for tone voice, tight or open. Open is lower gain but more vintage. Feels more like a tonebender

Bass control is at 0 at noon, then is a boost/cut if you turn left/right

Mid control at noon is “fairly flat”. Turn to the left and you scoop, to the right and you boost.

$200

Check it out! The Tone Control is now on Instagram! Head over there for sneak peeks at upcoming episodes and other fun stuff. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvyuoVH_Gf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dq68uzhg8jis