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Post by StrangeC on Oct 19, 2006 18:32:22 GMT -7
To be fair, I have yet to find any pedal that sounds better than the amp alone. That said, I like my Zendrive the best and I also have a Keeley ProCo Rat and a AM OD9 for those vintage sounds. I am also using a FatBoost and this is the one I think couls be replaed by the RC. So help me- what do I gain/loose? Whats the difference?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Oct 19, 2006 18:50:33 GMT -7
To be fair, I have yet to find any pedal that sounds better than the amp alone. That said, I like my Zendrive the best and I also have a Keeley ProCo Rat and a AM OD9 for those vintage sounds. I am also using a FatBoost and this is the one I think couls be replaed by the RC. So help me- what do I gain/loose? Whats the difference? What I like about the RC is that it is a fairly low gain boost that is VERY transparent. So lately I've been running through both the BB Preamp and the RC. When I have both shut off, I have the Stingray's tone set for the bridge pickup sparkle. But that's not as bright as I would set it for the neck pup - enter the RC. When I switch to the neck, I switch on the RC and I have it set with a bit of gain and with the treble up a bit to compensate. Sounds like my Stingray, only a bit more gain and quite nice. And when I want to take a solo, I switch on the BB with the bridge pup. I turn the treble down on the BB. So I get three great tones using those two boxes and a single channel amp.
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Post by mudskipper on Oct 19, 2006 19:00:43 GMT -7
what makes RC Booster cool for me is that it has a 2 band EQ section and a "girth" control, which they call Gain. i was using an old MXR MicroAmp and as good as that little box is, it actually made the signal a little bright and bumped the bass a little (or so i perceived it to sound). with RC i can take care of the top and bottom at various boost levels as i see fit. i work the gain control to add some low mids to the overall sound ('girth' control). i don't really hear any break up even when i crank the gain control but it may be because i mainly use Teles with occasional p90 LP. you might get some dirt if you plug a humbucker guitar in there. i had Fatboost before and though it was a very good sounding pedal. i still don't know why i even bothered to sell it because it would still be useful now. in comparison, i feel that RC is a much cleaner and smoother (more hi-fi) sounding boost pedal. so you'd lose that rawness/character if you replaced your Fatboost with RC. i generally use my RC with either BB Preamp or Tim. these 2 combination has worked very well for me regardless of which amp i take to gigs. if i take my channel switcher with me, then i'll just use RC. RC is not my "do-all" booster/pre-amp (i reserve that for my old TC Electronic preamp ) but it certainly is a useful little bugger.
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Post by Lefty on Oct 19, 2006 19:38:26 GMT -7
The Fatboost @18v is great!!! I prefer it over the RC for goosing an amp. But the RC is better for EQ'ing an amp.
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Post by jwr on Oct 19, 2006 20:38:36 GMT -7
mudskipper +1 for the "girth" control, that's exactly how I use the gain knob as well. I've got a Fatboost and use it at 18V and it is great. The RC is the first pedal my signal see's and I leave it on all the time. I use it to push my signal through my pedal board and to add a little clarity and "girth" to my signal. It has a slight mid dip to it with the bass and treble controls at noon, but if you back them off slighly it will even out the tone and it'll seem as though you turned the mids back up. It's exactly what Xotic says it is. Clean and leaves your origional sound intact. It's a VERY important part of my pedal board. Jason
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Post by Dr.T on Oct 20, 2006 0:32:47 GMT -7
I replaced my Fatboost with an RC booster, but they're both great pedals. Fatboost better with 18v adapter because it becomes more transparent an dynamic but I found it still a little dark. I use boost pedal at the beginning of the chain, and I prefer RC booster because it's a llittle more transparent then FB. FB is great to fatten up your tone but it does change it, RC adds some dynamics, harmonycs, compression without altering your tone at all, and has treb and bass that give that immediate versatility to compensate different sounding rooms and guitars. And if you want some FB style you have only to switch down trebles or switch up basses...
Had to choose because of crowded pedalbord I went on RC, it does what FB do and more... Now's always turned on, it makes sound great also OD an Dist pedals after.
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Post by iggs on Oct 20, 2006 6:20:35 GMT -7
Love my RC at the end of the chain on the pedalboard ... it's always ON. Kicks the signal up a bit for that long cable run to the amp and just makes it all sound "bigger" and more dynamic without altering the original tone. If I have one "secret weapon" component of my signal chain, that would be it.
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Post by Lefty on Oct 20, 2006 14:28:07 GMT -7
My secret weapon is... you really didn't think I'd tell you did you? I wouldn't be a secret... spsssssssst...can you keep a secret? So can I. Actually my secret weapon is with a flick of a switch...when I turn the amp on.
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Post by real oldster on Oct 20, 2006 23:18:04 GMT -7
Nobody needs an RC. Can it be a fun toy? Absolutely. Is it the "right" pedal for you? Only one way to find out.
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Post by matcaster on Oct 21, 2006 1:21:37 GMT -7
does anybobdy compared the RC with a zvex superhardon/superduper ?
M
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Oct 21, 2006 6:16:09 GMT -7
does anybobdy compared the RC with a zvex superhardon/superduper ? M Jeez - that name hurts my ears.
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Post by matcaster on Oct 21, 2006 6:25:56 GMT -7
why ?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Oct 21, 2006 6:30:46 GMT -7
Just imagine describing it to your mom.
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Post by jwr on Oct 22, 2006 0:08:07 GMT -7
+1 That's funny! Hey Mom look what I got!
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Post by Don on Oct 22, 2006 19:37:00 GMT -7
When I plug into a Z, it's just music to my ears. Then I got an RC Booster and I couldn't believe the sparkle and chime I got out of the amp. I use the pedal sparingly though, not much boost, and it's right in the beginning of my chain on my pedalboard. And the nice thing about it also, is the bass and treble control. On the Ghia, I set the tone where I like it, and the RC allows me to tailor the treble and bass a bit more. It also strengthens the original signal if you're using long runs of cable. And of course, it's true bypass.
Before I purchased the unit, I read that there were problems with the switch, and that there was a newer version with a stronger switch, so I called ProSound Communications out in California, and who should answer the phone? Toshio himself! He did indeed tell me about the switch failures, and how I could identify the newer models with the updated switch, and then I did find a newer one and have had no problems with it whatsoever.
I'll think you'll like this pedal..
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Post by StrangeC on Oct 23, 2006 2:44:15 GMT -7
How do you ID the ones with the new switch? Was there a 'revoicing' on this pedal too?
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Post by mudskipper on Oct 23, 2006 6:01:23 GMT -7
How do you ID the ones with the new switch? Was there a 'revoicing' on this pedal too? the new version has the LED on top of the box between Gain and Treble control. the old version had it right above the footswitch. i haven't heard RC was revoiced like AC and BB were.
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Post by Don on Oct 23, 2006 7:30:45 GMT -7
mudskipper is correct. The newer version has the LED on top of the pedal between the Gain and Treble controls. The older version had it right above the footswitch. The switch is also a bit larger than the previous version. There were problems with the older switch failing.
When I spoke to Toshio out in California, he didn't speak of revoicing the pedal, but he said that folks had told him that they liked the sound(?) of the older model better, regardless of the switch problems. Hmmm. Again, mine is the newer version and it sounds fantastic!
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Post by dock66 on Oct 23, 2006 9:30:18 GMT -7
So,it's safe to say that there is no revioce on RC,right?
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Post by Don on Oct 24, 2006 7:40:10 GMT -7
So,it's safe to say that there is no revioce on RC,right? According to my telephone conversation with Toshio, he just said that he received comments from people, that they liked the sound of the older model better, and that seemed to puzzle him. So, from that, I don't believe that there was a re voicing involved. He just had to fix the switch problem. And in doing so, he moved the LED to the top of the pedal. He's very personable, and I'm sure that if you call over there to his place in California, you can talk to him. He actually answered the phone when I called! Now there's a guy, like Mike Zaite, who likes one on one with his customers.
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Post by dock66 on Oct 24, 2006 7:58:22 GMT -7
Toshio and Mike Z are among a few great people to deal with.It is nice to know the designers that care and listen to what customers want and need.
dock66
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