Page 1 of 1

Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:57 pm
by liaztraht
Been searching for a "more button" of a boost for my CR120H and so far have got an EHX Crayon on my board as it has more output than my SD1. But I cannot tell of its adding sparkle or just overloading the preamp beyond what it takes to clip. It isn't rediculously harsh like testing in front of my old cheap fender practice amp, but it brings the gain.

Gain at zero and it gives a little boost to the cleans and pushes a bit more grit through my maxed out clean channel. Upping the gain to just under 9 o'clock and the volume spikes dramatically and gives a metric ton of grit and brightens it pretty pleasingly, but then the treble control on the pedal becomes useless.

Pedal at unity is super muffled sounding, so its useless there. Any higher and it gets loud quick. Gain at 9 o'clock puts unity at about 9 o'clock as well.

And slamming the dirt channel makes it sound like the gain is turned to 11 but not as fuzzy.

So I cannot tell if I'm pushing it to hard to be safe by sound alone lol.

What are you crush owners using for a clean boost? Any good big boost options? (More than a standard tubescreamer variant)

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 9:11 pm
by pwrknwldg
I'm experimenting with a very not-clean boost (Boneshaker) to beef and fuzz up the dirt channel a bit, and I've been getting some really good (and also some really poor) results. I'm posting this not as a boost recommendation for you, but to second your question about hitting this particular amp too hard on the front end. Coming in from an SG with EMG 81/85s, by way of a Boss CP-1x compressor at a hair above unity volume and the Boneshaker with gain at 11:00 and output at 1:00 for the extra dirt-push and low/mids-contouring can sound really great...but I'm worried I might be pushing too much in for the amp to safely handle, and with the amount of gain happening here I'm not sure I'd hear any issues before it was too late!

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 9:32 pm
by liaztraht
Exactly where I am sitting! How much is too much, right?

Google has been no help for me, but I did send an email to orange yesterday to see if I can get even a hint of what these amps can handle.

So far things are getting real grindy and bright, though it may be the compression from all the dirt being forced out that is keeping my pedals treble control from being more than a really high end presence. At unity I get most functionality from that knob on the clean, but as for the crayon's color, it wasn't what was looking for.

I do have a used spark booster on the way to try. I think it was the 4 knob by the photo, but guitar center had it listed wrong as the mini and "couldn't find it" for a couple days. Might work better than the crayon is. At least a little more even tone wise.

I will update if orange gets back to me.

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 8:06 am
by liaztraht
Reviving my thread lol. Completely forgot I posted it.

Orange customer service suggested not to boost, but wouldn't say why.
So I dun it anyway!

Running a tc 4 knob spark booster at full tilt, gain up and volume up, can make clip hard. Bright, but not too disgustingly. Gain down, or up a hair and volume maxed makes a great "amp pushed over the edge" kind of grit. Running a dirt box over unity (devi ever hyperion in this case) doesn't blend with the dirt to well though.

So I say push it until it sounds wrong, then turn down a bit. Been running it like this for the last couple months :D

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:23 pm
by pwrknwldg
Well, THAT's a frustrating half-answer. Glad you came back to report, though!

Maybe someone else here can chime in on why boosting (clean or otherwise) a CR120H (or any other SS amp) isn't a good idea? (From a technical "you risk frying your amp or opening a portal to an alternate dimension" perspective, not a "why would you want to mess with the straight-up tone?" perspective, which I get. :wink: )

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:42 pm
by pwrknwldg
And just remembered this (which may or may not help, if you're looking for a more saturated high-gain sludge sound): in his review of the CR120, Ryan Bruce ran it with a boost (a Deadhorse, I think?) and it sounded amazing--one of the reasons I bought the amp--and in a recent Orange promo video with Kirk from Crowbar, he notes how he runs the CR120 with a Metal Zone in front as a clean boost (level and eq at noon, gain at 0), and that massive sound speaks for itself. I might just dig out my MZ and give that a try. I wonder if Orange sent him a note saying "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" ;)

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:05 pm
by liaztraht
I've been running an overdrive in front of this since I bought it without issue. Wanted a clean boost for a "more" switch. It works well.

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 3:51 pm
by lunchbox
I'm using one of those EP Booster pedals for leads only. I run it in front, but I keep meaning to try it in the loop instead, as it adds more gain pushing it in front.

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 10:00 pm
by liaztraht
Been doing some more tonal experimentation. Using my spark as a slight (less than a TS/SD1) mid bump/bass cut with max boost, I can kick on my SD1 for a nice lead boost in front of it. Kicking the spark in the ass end turns this simple 2 channel amp into a "6 channel" gain monster. Using a passive volume cut (footswitchable volume knob) adds more flexibility without touching the gain knob.

The amp cleans up real well with the guitar's volume knob, but some stuff I play requires instant switching between clean/crunch and high gain, so those 3 pedals combined with the channel switch stay on my board.

The dirt channel also sounds good with a low volume delay and chorus running into it with the amp gain under 3 o'clock.

Re: Crush Pro users, what clean boosts you running?

Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 1:26 pm
by pedecamp
liaztraht wrote:
Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:57 pm
Been searching for a "more button" of a boost for my CR120H and so far have got an EHX Crayon on my board as it has more output than my SD1. But I cannot tell of its adding sparkle or just overloading the preamp beyond what it takes to clip. It isn't rediculously harsh like testing in front of my old cheap fender practice amp, but it brings the gain.

Gain at zero and it gives a little boost to the cleans and pushes a bit more grit through my maxed out clean channel. Upping the gain to just under 9 o'clock and the volume spikes dramatically and gives a metric ton of grit and brightens it pretty pleasingly, but then the treble control on the pedal becomes useless.

Pedal at unity is super muffled sounding, so its useless there. Any higher and it gets loud quick. Gain at 9 o'clock puts unity at about 9 o'clock as well.

And slamming the dirt channel makes it sound like the gain is turned to 11 but not as fuzzy.

So I cannot tell if I'm pushing it to hard to be safe by sound alone lol.

What are you crush owners using for a clean boost? Any good big boost options? (More than a standard tubescreamer variant)
Try boosting with an EQ pedal, I use a Boss GE7 for example, I set all the sliders in the middle and push the level slider up, pushes the amp harder without coloring the tone, and if you feel you need to adjust the tone you got all those EQ sliders to play with.