madbeanpedals::forum

General => Open Discussion => Topic started by: evildead222 on December 01, 2013, 04:39:04 AM

Title: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: evildead222 on December 01, 2013, 04:39:04 AM
What's up with this EM Drive?  It's got a lot of hype apparently.  It's like 5 components, anyone know if or why it sounds good?
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: midwayfair on December 01, 2013, 05:17:19 AM
It's kind of like an LPB-1, but without the sensible biasing*, so it requires "hand selected" transistors so that you can have a Class A booster circuit that sounds like most every other crappy boost, but sell it for $150. Oh, and gigantic overvoltage Russian paper in oil capacitors that you probably ordered because you were curious and they turned out to be too big to fit in anything else, but man do people open up that pedal and think that they're doing something special!

Sorry for the rant ... I despise everything about that circuit and think it sounds horrendous. There are so many better pedals to build or throw away money on, starting with ... an LPB-1.

*They could have used the same number of parts and referenced the base to the collector instead of +9V and had a far better sounding boost with ... more boost available.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: evildead222 on December 01, 2013, 05:43:05 AM
Lol!! Thats what I figured.  I breadboarded it and it wasn't anything special. You definitely need some 250 volt caps for this circuit!
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: rullywowr on December 01, 2013, 04:53:28 PM
Yeah, but the guys over on gear slutz say it has teh mojo toanz    ::)
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: culturejam on December 01, 2013, 11:01:54 PM
I heard somebody mention it a couple weeks ago and looked up the circuit. It's a headscratcher to me as well.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: evildead222 on December 02, 2013, 05:44:12 AM
yea what a rip off it's $150 bucks and probably less than 10 bucks to make.  So many better overdrives out there for less.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: chromesphere on December 02, 2013, 09:54:31 AM
I agree with Jon except maybe not so vibrantly :) it doesnt sound...too bad considering the part count.  Definetly a pedal targeted at players that unfortunately dont know better.  the pedal builder can charge what he likes but personally I think thats pretty expensive for what it is. You should be able to put one together in about 10 seconds.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: midwayfair on December 02, 2013, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: chromesphere on December 02, 2013, 09:54:31 AM
about 10 minutes.

FTFY, based on this video and the similar parts count:


Except, build that, because it's a Bazz Fuss and will sound awesome.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 04:50:02 PM
This is one of my favorite commercial pedal rants that I've read in awhile.

And yes, I agree with all of the sentiments in this thread regarding that pedal. Funny how you can attach the word "transparent" to a pedal and certain sorts of guys will absolutely go nuts over it.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: pickdropper on December 02, 2013, 05:41:08 PM
Just think about how many pedals you could sell if you called them "hauntingly transparent."
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 05:44:14 PM
Quote from: pickdropper on December 02, 2013, 05:41:08 PM
Just think about how many pedals you could sell if you called them "hauntingly transparent."

I better see that from f(x) real soon.  ;)
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: pickdropper on December 02, 2013, 06:00:48 PM

Quote from: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 05:44:14 PM
Quote from: pickdropper on December 02, 2013, 05:41:08 PM
Just think about how many pedals you could sell if you called them "hauntingly transparent."

I better see that from f(x) real soon.  ;)

Yep, it's coming.  The hauntingly transparent mojo filled box of Gilmour. 
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 06:01:31 PM
FILLED WITH ACTUAL BITS OF GILMOUR!
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: DutchMF on December 02, 2013, 06:44:58 PM
Quote from: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 06:01:31 PM
FILLED WITH ACTUAL BITS OF GILMOUR!

That makes it a Limited Edition by default. Can I pre-order one, so I can sell it for a boatload in a couple of years? Or does the Gilmour inside go bad after some time?

Paul

(while typing I got a great idea for a pedal name: Smelly Gilmour! Now, what to put in there....)
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: GermanCdn on December 02, 2013, 06:49:41 PM
In the event that Mr. Gilmour mysteriously goes missing in the near future, we should all probably pretend that we never saw this thread...... ::)
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: pickdropper on December 02, 2013, 07:10:10 PM

Quote from: DutchMF on December 02, 2013, 06:44:58 PM
Quote from: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 06:01:31 PM
FILLED WITH ACTUAL BITS OF GILMOUR!

That makes it a Limited Edition by default. Can I pre-order one, so I can sell it for a boatload in a couple of years? Or does the Gilmour inside go bad after some time?

Paul

(while typing I got a great idea for a pedal name: Smelly Gilmour! Now, what to put in there....)

No, the Gilmour doesn't go bad after a couple of  years.  That does happen with the "Barrett Bender" though.
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: culturejam on December 02, 2013, 07:28:53 PM
The Gilmour doesn't go "bad" per se, but it does drift towards "adult contemporary" after some years away from Waters.  ;D
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: eldanko on December 02, 2013, 07:30:45 PM
Quote from: culturejam on December 02, 2013, 07:28:53 PM
drift

I see what you did there.  ;D

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/David_Gilmour_On_An_Island.jpg)
Title: Re: EM Drive what's up with that?
Post by: jimijam on December 03, 2013, 02:14:35 PM
never been able to hear that album all the way through without falling asleep. can't play it in the car anymore.