Electro Harmonix Signal Pad

Pundan · February 20, 2011, 10:26:35 AM

Hey,
I was just wondering - has anyone tried the Electro Harmonix Signal Pad? I'm currently waiting for my Matamp GT1 and I want to fully use the amp distorsion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC3twvskKEw

Hemisaurus · February 20, 2011, 10:47:19 AM

For $40 your effectively buying a pot and a switch in a metal box.

It's kind of like a one setting volume pedal, it helps prevent your amp from breaking up as it lowers the signal level before it reaches the amp.

I think you may be thinking of a hot-plate style attenuator, that goes between the amp and the speaker cab, and allows you to crank the amp fully and turn down the signal going to the speakers?

Ted Weber has a good explanation of attenuators here http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

beardofcthulhu · February 20, 2011, 10:53:37 AM

The EH is better suited for single channel amps..it lets you dial down your guitar signal going into the front, more or less giving you a "clean" channel. Rolling back the volume knob gives you the same effect, but if you're lazy like me, this pedal does the trick.

Pundan · February 20, 2011, 05:06:52 PM

Quote from: beardofcthulhu on February 20, 2011, 10:53:37 AM
The EH is better suited for single channel amps..it lets you dial down your guitar signal going into the front, more or less giving you a "clean" channel. Rolling back the volume knob gives you the same effect, but if you're lazy like me, this pedal does the trick.

Thanks. I'm lazy and some of our songs switch between clean and distortion so that's why I wanted this thing.
Hemisaurus, I know about the hot plateing-thing, but I want to play loud as a motherfucker and just use this to get to the clean parts without having to fool around with the volume knob. Kind of like an extra channel.
I've never found any distortion pedal that I've liked

peyotepeddler · February 20, 2011, 10:42:35 PM

this is to volume pedals(knobs), what the q-zone is to wahs

Hemisaurus · February 20, 2011, 10:50:11 PM

A $25 volume pedal seems to me a better deal.

Seriously it's a 1M pot, a capacitor, and a resistor, LED and switch. The battery is just for the LED. At least a volume pedal you have have graduations of clean and fuzzy.

Lumpy · February 21, 2011, 01:02:56 AM

I bought a used one, to boost the signal of an effects loop. Turns out I like my Boss LS-2 (Line Switcher) better... also, LS-2 can do what the Signal Pad does plus 27 other things (it's like a swiss army knife). I'm sure the Signal Pad is useful for some setups. In my situation, the Boss works better (just based on what other pedals I'm using, I suppose). I'll sell mine if anyone wants one - PM me.

justinhedrick · February 21, 2011, 11:43:54 AM

why not just buy a fish and chips dano eq and save about $20? plus with the EQ sliders you can make up for the bass you are losing by using a passive volume knob. (at least that always happens to me).

Hemisaurus · February 21, 2011, 01:04:44 PM

Quote from: Lumpy on February 21, 2011, 01:02:56 AM
I bought a used one, to boost the signal of an effects loop. Turns out I like my Boss LS-2 (Line Switcher) better... also, LS-2 can do what the Signal Pad does plus 27 other things (it's like a swiss army knife). I'm sure the Signal Pad is useful for some setups. In my situation, the Boss works better (just based on what other pedals I'm using, I suppose). I'll sell mine if anyone wants one - PM me.

Just a technical note, but a passive anything can never boost a signal

black_out · February 21, 2011, 07:08:00 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on February 21, 2011, 01:04:44 PM
Quote from: Lumpy on February 21, 2011, 01:02:56 AM
I bought a used one, to boost the signal of an effects loop. Turns out I like my Boss LS-2 (Line Switcher) better... also, LS-2 can do what the Signal Pad does plus 27 other things (it's like a swiss army knife). I'm sure the Signal Pad is useful for some setups. In my situation, the Boss works better (just based on what other pedals I'm using, I suppose). I'll sell mine if anyone wants one - PM me.

Just a technical note, but a passive anything can never boost a signal

Yeah, seriously Lumpy! Stop dumbing down the jam room!

Lumpy · February 21, 2011, 08:20:32 PM

I guess that explains why it didn't work so hot for me

spookstrickland · February 22, 2011, 03:05:47 PM

It's kind of a cool idea. Because if you have tones and tones of gain on your amp already a clean booster may not give you the volume boost you want.

My buddy wants me to build a clean boost for him. I might incorporate that into the design. I was going to just build a LPB clone but the input impedance sucked the tone away. I've got something on the bread board that should work now though. I just need to get it boxed up.

If I remember right Brad made a pedal like this for old fuzzes that did not always have unity gain so you could dial the volume back and still have it kick in like a boost.

VOLVO))) · February 22, 2011, 03:15:18 PM

MXR microamp.

Discö Rice · February 22, 2011, 03:21:24 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on February 22, 2011, 03:15:18 PM
MXR microamp.

Hemisaurus · February 22, 2011, 03:31:39 PM

Why don't they build a boost into a pedal? Rather than just a passive or buffered volume pedal, actually make one that goes from below unityto 20dB or so.

justinhedrick · February 22, 2011, 04:40:31 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on February 22, 2011, 03:31:39 PM
Why don't they build a boost into a pedal? Rather than just a passive or buffered volume pedal, actually make one that goes from below unityto 20dB or so.

um, sarcasm i'm guessing?

Hemisaurus · February 22, 2011, 04:49:21 PM

No, as far as I know there's no such product, and it would be way more useful than just a signal pad or a boost or a volume pedal.

With the pedal full down you have 20dB boost for soloing purposes, back it all the way off and you've got a 20dB (spitballing this figure) pad for a clean channel, in between you've got all kind of gradations of tone. It's a signal buffer, volume pedal, signal pad and boost all in one.

Suddenly your single channel amp can do everything you want, and if the battery dies, click it off and you've got true bypass.

Send your orders along with a check for $150 made payable to Spook Strickland, sorry man but I've not got time to start up a pedal business too

Discö Rice · February 22, 2011, 04:56:16 PM

Aww... that could be the best and most useful pedal ever invented. You'd make a fucking mint. Single channel amps would rule the world! Lambs would get their fuck on with lions! Dick Cheney would burst into flames!

justinhedrick · February 22, 2011, 04:58:35 PM

sorry, i mis-read your post.

that is a really good idea, but i wonder how it would work? essentialy it would be like a volume slider on an EQ pedal, only in volume pedal form? hmm. interesting.

spookstrickland · March 13, 2011, 01:18:23 AM

Got my Clean Boost pedal built for my guitar player. It came out really good. It hits unity gain at 9 O'Clock and from then on it's nothing but clean boost.