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Posted by: sted Jul 11 2010, 05:34 PM

hey guys,

playing my new Electra Dyne head at rehearsal I realised im missing a boost for those solo bits! I was manipulating the volume knob to get the result today but its not the way I want to go really. Ive got a few good ideas but any suggestions would be welcomed!

Also, in front of amp or in loop to boost the power section only?

Discuss......

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Jul 11 2010, 05:49 PM

get the mxr line booster and put it on the loop, BUT i suggest you go for an eq, this can boost your volume AND boost some mids/highs too for the leads

Posted by: ZakkWylde Jul 11 2010, 09:37 PM

Depends on what you want really...

Want to be more *audible* and also have some more gain maybe? ---> Tubescreamer adds gain and mids
Want to be just louder? ----> MXR Custom Audio Boost into the effects loop works like a second master volume (I use it and it works great)

An Equalizer Pedal in the FX-Loop with adjustable level works too but it altered the tone when I tried it while the MXR boost does not alter your signal!

Posted by: MickeM Jul 11 2010, 11:31 PM

An EQ is the way to go imho. Raise the mids to make your solo cut, and one with a dB boost will give the signal some extra boost aswell.
The way I use my Bad Monkey, which is never with the amp I've got now, so the way I _used_ it was to achive a bitey sound for constant use. Not neccessarily to become louder. For that I think the EQ works better with your tone intact.

Try it both before the amp and in the loop. You'll notice a remarkable difference and just choose the one that sound better.

Posted by: ZakkWylde Jul 12 2010, 12:00 AM

Didn't you have a Mark V?

Posted by: sted Jul 12 2010, 10:08 AM

haha! Yeah mate, just couldnt get to grips with it though, I found all the settings I used at home didnt work at practice, then all the settings I used in practice never worked live! It started to become a bit of a farce really as I would spend 30-40 minutes before a gig turning knobs and trying different settings when we should have been soundchecking the band! I really like the Dyne but I miss the solo boost function because I play some thythym parts, do all the lead parts and do the vocals so its a lot to think about, I really need just a press and go volume boost for solos, Im not sold on an EQ as I just really want to boost the natural sound of the amp without adding compression or distortion, though I guess a mid boost would be a little bonus for solos to cut through better?

Are there any EQ pedals with a mid boost? I know the Xotic RC/AC boosters have some EQ knobs on them, maybe that would be a good halfway house??

Posted by: Stephane Lucarelli Jul 12 2010, 05:44 PM

Yes the Xotic RC booster is a great tool : you can manage the drive / vol / EQ. The RC & BB preamp can also do the job and you also get a nice OD pedal...
There's another great boost pedal: Fulltone Fatboost

Posted by: sted Jul 12 2010, 09:24 PM

Just picked up one of these.....



Like what Im hearing so far, thinking one channel can just boost the volume and the other can give the mids a shot for leads and such, nice looking pedal too!

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Jul 12 2010, 10:06 PM

great man!! please make a review of some sorts (audio and video would be awesome), i'm looking for a boost too and i was going to buy the MXR 10 band eq but who knows

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Jul 13 2010, 09:33 AM

Congrats on getting that pedal it looks versatile. For a simple boost I always recommend the MXR Mirco Amp pedal as it sounds pretty nice and can give you lot of boost while staying clean. But it known to color the sound a bit.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 14 2010, 10:20 PM

If you want to increase loudness, EQ in the loop is the most effective way to do it. If you want to push the front end of the amp into overdrive, then put it before preamp. This will overdrive the input stage so you get more distortion, but it won't be much louder.

Posted by: Stephane Lucarelli Jul 15 2010, 10:30 AM

Congreats Sted, the T Rex is great choice too!

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Jul 15 2010, 06:26 PM

why do you think so?, never tried one before