What are the settings on your Dumbleator?

[jcsifu]

I have been trying to find my preferences for the settings on my new D-lator clone. It seems like there are so many level combinations that affect how my tone/feel is, so I am curious how everyone is setting theirs.

[talbany]

The first thing you want to do is set the Mstr (on the amp) up fairly high (12-2;00)..This helps to drive the cathode follower which in turn generates some 2nd order harmonics (think 5f6a circuit),it also creates some nice compression (I think there is a Chewy thread around.. ) It also helps to have a rack unit that has an input and output control..
The send is usually kept fairly low since your driving the follower pretty hard (around 9:00) ..You want to see the input on the effect on the verge of clipping or just below..If it's 3 knob lator you want to drive the grid of the recovery fairly hard as well for max frequency response and feel.. I generally open mine wide open or 3/4 up..This of coarse works in conjunction with the output on the effect ( output levels on effects tend to add the compression you don't want)..The return now becomes your global master since it's the last pot the PI sees!
The bright switches are set to taste..(I use these switches constantly depending on guitar and sound I am going for)
Overall you want to drive the lator with plenty of signal to get the full effect of what the lator brings which is 2nd order (fatter) and some nice compression on the back end.. Since the PI sees a bit less of a load (250k) and lower impedance driving the pot (one of the reasons why Mstr's work better on Marshalls, than SF Fenders) you will also notice a change in frequency response and better control over the global master..
Get a GOOD time delay unit!!..That makes a BIG difference since you have now (in a series config) essentially 99.9% transistorized your signal That's it!!
Tom..People ask this question all the time so maybe sticky this or any other useful info posted here..
Good Luck!!

Tony

[jcsifu]

Ok, sounds like I had set most things sim to your recommendations. I am going to get a lexicon mx200 for delay and reverb, I will look and see if it has in/out level controls.

[jcsifu]

I think a sticky would be great. As I have been working my way through every page in the d discussion section starting at the last post I would be happy to help with gathering info. All I would need is be told who to communicate the thread titles to. I am on page 76 at the moment and working my way from oldest to newest posts.

[M Fowler]

Great info Tony thank you.

[vibratoking]

I highly recommend a parallel loop if you're only gonna use delay and verb...for the reason that Tony mentioned.

[M Fowler]

For no other reason then I want one I should build a parallel unit.

[talbany]

Hard to imagine that after all the time,money, energy, research, in building the amp along with selecting the right tube's and other critical components that lie in the signal path, and in the end right before the PI have all of it run through a .30 cent (or cheaper) China made opamp.. Squeeeezze,,:twisted:

Tony

[aflynt]

The built in reverb in my amp is a solid state unit with an opamp buffer / differential amp to do the mixing (TL072) and it's in series with the signal path unless I switch it off. The funny thing is that if I turn the reverb mix all the way down and then switch it in and out I hear almost no difference. If I really had to choose I'd say it actually sounds a tad bit better when it's on.

-Aaron

EDIT: Unless, of course, the preamp gain or send level is too hot and the opamp starts to clip. Then it sounds way better off. Which brings up another thing I noticed: You can actually get some pretty cool raw overdrive sounds just running the clean volume and dlator send super high to the point that they are overdriving the loop return.

[jcsifu]

Hard to imagine that after all the time,money, energy, research, in building the amp along with selecting the right tube's and other critical components that lie in the signal path, and in the end right before the PI have all of it run through a .30 cent (or cheaper) China made opamp.. Squeeeezze,,:twisted:

Tony

Hmmmm. Now that u put it that way I don't want to put anything in there at all. I will wire the parallel switch in the dlator for sure. So, what rack mount multi fx unit would be the best option in order to avoid the dreaded .30 cent syndrome you mention?

[jcsifu]

Hard to imagine that after all the time,money, energy, research, in building the amp along with selecting the right tube's and other critical components that lie in the signal path, and in the end right before the PI have all of it run through a .30 cent (or cheaper) China made opamp.. Squeeeezze,,:twisted:

Tony

[ToneMerc]

So, what rack mount multi fx unit would be the best option in order to avoid the dreaded .30 cent syndrome you mention?

Not a really a multi FX unit, but the TC 2990 works like a charm.


TM

[talbany]

Hard to imagine that after all the time,money, energy, research, in building the amp along with selecting the right tube's and other critical components that lie in the signal path, and in the end right before the PI have all of it run through a .30 cent (or cheaper) China made opamp.. Squeeeezze,,:twisted:

Tony

Hmmmm. Now that u put it that way I don't want to put anything in there at all. I will wire the parallel switch in the dlator for sure. So, what rack mount multi fx unit would be the best option in order to avoid the dreaded .30 cent syndrome you mention?

Obviously some units are better/ worse than others..Some might do fine for what you want it to do like Aaron mentions..My point was most don't know which opamps (and other components) are being used in some units and how they perform in a buffered/recovery type loop.Since they all have different features and sounds it's difficult to say which one is best suited for you.. I will however say that many of the players I've worked with prefer the older analog driven units that were made in the 90's.. Clearly these units don't have the clock speed D/A converters or more complex algorithms of the later units however they do seem well suited for live guitar, very natural (warmer with some headroom) sounding pre amp sections and to them are more concerned with pre amps than the effects..It's just reverb for live guitar!!
Some of these units are the old Lex's, LXP, Rocktrons,Rolands, TC Electronics,Eventide.. I am sure there are others but these are the ones I have heard and like.. Others can chime in..
BTW..I didn't care for the Alesis stuff much..

Good Luck!!

Tony

[Frostbite Slim]

Great thread! Anxious to read all the comments. I have a ODS Clone ( high plate, skyline) and my D-lator is a Redplate 2 knobber.

My limited experience with all things Dumble keep me guessing if I have mine set correctly too.

[jcsifu]

Hard to imagine that after all the time,money, energy, research, in building the amp along with selecting the right tube's and other critical components that lie in the signal path, and in the end right before the PI have all of it run through a .30 cent (or cheaper) China made opamp.. Squeeeezze,,:twisted:

Tony

Hmmmm. Now that u put it that way I don't want to put anything in there at all. I will wire the parallel switch in the dlator for sure. So, what rack mount multi fx unit would be the best option in order to avoid the dreaded .30 cent syndrome you mention?

Obviously some units are better/ worse than others..Some might do fine for what you want it to do like Aaron mentions..My point was most don't know which opamps (and other components) are being used in some units and how they perform in a buffered/recovery type loop.Since they all have different features and sounds it's difficult to say which one is best suited for you.. I will however say that many of the players I've worked with prefer the older analog driven units that were made in the 90's.. Clearly these units don't have the clock speed D/A converters or more complex algorithms of the later units however they do seem well suited for live guitar, very natural (warmer with some headroom) sounding pre amp sections and to them are more concerned with pre amps than the effects..It's just reverb for live guitar!!
Some of these units are the old Lex's, LXP, Rocktrons,Rolands, TC Electronics,Eventide.. I am sure there are others but these are the ones I have heard and like.. Others can chime in..
BTW..I didn't care for the Alesis stuff much..

Good Luck!!

Tony

Tony,
As far as the 90's fx units that you feel would sound good in the dlator, would a lexicon MPX100 from the 90's fall into the category of "older analog driven units that were made in the 90's"? I ask because I'm a cheap bastard and it hurts me immensely to give up $ so trying to stay low cost as much as allowable to get what's needed.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug98/a ... xicon.html