Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Pierre on April 10, 2007, 07:27:01 PM

Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Pierre on April 10, 2007, 07:27:01 PM
Ok I repaired the cable. First impressions.



This pedal MORE than replaces your distortion channel :| It's quieter than most valve amps I tried. And there is enough gain for true high gain Marshally sounds. I'm VERY impressed. The harmonics fly out. Pinching is easy. The pedal sounds thick and there is no mistaking its origins. Right now I have the gain dimed, the tone at 5. Unity gain is at about 11 oclock. Which I like. That's a lot of boosting or extra level.
The tone control is useful ALL THE WAY. And there's a presence trim pot inside.

The Opamp is socketed. Which is real cool. Though this is one pedal I won't mod. No need.

Tone achieved.


Oh and even with a Bolt On Super Strat... this pedal nails the old Whitesnake Walking in the Shadow of the Blues sound. Ok not nail, it's a bit more aggressive... But you're 90% there.

Also, since I plugged in today, I never played so good :D My bends are better, I'm more melodic, more aggressive too but more accurate. This pedal makes me WANT to wail even more. ^_^
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Kepu on April 10, 2007, 07:49:21 PM
Ooh, I'll probably get Crunch Box soon, it's good to hear great experiences with it :wink:
and it's nice when people find something they've been looking for
what setup are you going through now?


and just for the heck of it, do you/does anybody know how it sounds through a modelling amp? (Roland Cube to be precise but anything goes)
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Twinfan on April 10, 2007, 08:23:18 PM
This is good to hear.  I've got a mate in New York this week and I've asked him to pick me up an MI Audio Crunch Box and a Fulltone OCD as they're half price compared to here in the UK  ;)
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Pierre on April 10, 2007, 09:21:58 PM
Don't remind me haha that's a month's worth of food right there  :lol:

It'd sound decent through a modelling amp provided you select a clean tone of course. Right now though I'm only playing through an Ibanez Valbee. Pickup is a Duncan Distortion on a Floyded Basswood strat. I won't have as much gain with a Strat. I like all this gain so I'm a bit worried my Stagemaster with screaming demon won't have enough. But I'll take off the Distortion tonight hehe just in case, and bring it back to Edinburgh for the Stagey.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: gingataff on April 11, 2007, 02:11:19 AM
Hunter has posted some good clips with a Crunchbox in the Players section.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: _tom_ on April 11, 2007, 02:15:14 PM
I was thinking about getting one ages ago and am now thinking of it again.. my Laney needs to be too loud to get that really good thick crunch (too loud for bedroom + band practising), so may consider it again now I have a british-voiced amp (before I was using a Fender and wanted a british crunch from it..)
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on April 11, 2007, 03:01:00 PM
Quote from: _tom_
my Laney needs to be too loud to get that really good thick crunch (too loud for bedroom + band practising)

?!!


You play with a bunch of girls or something?? PDT_008
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: _tom_ on April 11, 2007, 03:05:35 PM
hahah, well its due to the cr@ppy PA being so quiet that we cant even hear the vocals if the guitars are as loud as I'd like :evil:
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Mr Ed on April 11, 2007, 03:07:08 PM
Two things to note:

1. If it's too loud, you're too old.
2. Always wear earplugs or in-ear attenuators.

Advise to live by, friends.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on April 11, 2007, 03:58:00 PM
Quote from: Mr Ed
Two things to note:

1. If it's too loud, you're too old.
2. Always wear earplugs or in-ear attenuators.

Advise to live by, friends.

Absofrigginlutely.

I play with one of the loudest drummers ever, so guitar volume is never an issue. As for earplugs, only a fool would play loud rock or metal without em!
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: BloodMountain on April 11, 2007, 04:30:00 PM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Quote from: Mr Ed
Two things to note:

1. If it's too loud, you're too old.
2. Always wear earplugs or in-ear attenuators.

Advise to live by, friends.

Absofrigginlutely.

I play with one of the loudest drummers ever, so guitar volume is never an issue. As for earplugs, only a fool would play loud rock or metal without em!

i'm still in my teens and i use them in my band. we don't even go OTT loud, either. i used to not use them, but i started to lose my hearing. at the age of 15.
my hearing's fine now though  :D
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Mr Ed on April 11, 2007, 04:33:30 PM
A-rargh-men to both of ya.

I bought a set of THESE (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx) pretty much as soon as I got into my band and I wear them every single practise without fail and I usually wear them to gigs too. I can hear every note perfectly well only it's about 20db quieter so no more leaving gigs with ringing of the ears... well, apart from last night when I went to see Winnebago Deal and bloody well forgot them. Doy!
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: BloodMountain on April 11, 2007, 04:36:17 PM
Quote from: Mr Ed
A-rargh-men to both of ya.

I bought a set of THESE (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx) pretty much as soon as I got into my band and I wear them every single practise without fail and I usually wear them to gigs too. I can hear every note perfectly well only it's about 20db quieter so no more leaving gigs with ringing of the ears... well, apart from last night when I went to see Winnebago Deal and bloody well forgot them. Doy!

i use them too!!!!
they're great arent they?
they don't get rid of certain frequencies, they just give a clean volume reduction.
you can really hear every note.
i take them to every gig too, it will destroy my ears if i don't.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Mr Ed on April 11, 2007, 04:37:55 PM
I can honestly say that, in terms of my band "career" or life or whatever, that is THE greatest $12 I have ever spent and will ever spend.

If I lost them, I'd replace them in a heartbeat.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: BloodMountain on April 11, 2007, 04:42:07 PM
yeah. i think i lost 1 of mine this morning..... i woke up, washed, picked up my trousers and everything fell out of the pockets!!
i can only find 1 so far......  :(  :evil:
EDIT: just went on a earplug-hunt-fest and i found it  :twisted:
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Mr Ed on April 11, 2007, 04:44:31 PM
HURRAH! Crisis over.

They are a bugger to clean though. Damn you, ear wax!!  :enforcer:
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: BloodMountain on April 11, 2007, 04:46:10 PM
Quote from: Mr Ed
HURRAH! Crisis over.

They are a bugger to clean though. Damn you, ear wax!!  :enforcer:

haha yeah!
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: hunter on April 11, 2007, 08:58:10 PM
Crunch Box is a no-brainer. Everybody needs one!

I am now using it with gain around 9 o'clock to send the Bogner over the top.

Although people told me the Crunch Box would be for clean amps only, I gotta tell ya it kicks ass to boost a driven channel into metal mayhem.

One more thing: I discovered how much better the Wah sits between the drive pedal and the pushed amp, rather than in front of the overdrive. I have set the gain on the Shiva already quite high, so the Crunch Box maybe just adds another 10% additional drive as well as shift the mids up a notch, but the Wah after the Crunch Box instead of before sounds twice as vocal, rich and screaming. I think I have a winning set up after a long journey of searching the ideal gear combination ...
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: _tom_ on April 11, 2007, 11:17:59 PM
Hunter cheers for confirming that it works well into an allready overdriven amp, thats what I was worried about. Looks like I'm finally gonna get round to ordering one of these tomorrow - found out including shipping it'd only cost about £75 :D Worth a go for that price!
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Mr Ed on April 12, 2007, 09:21:26 AM
I always want to have a decent external distortion pedal... but I'm yet to find one... overdrive, distortion OR fuzz... which has a unity gain the same as my amp. Whatever I use I experience a volume drop, even when the pedal output is cranked to full. Gay.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Pierre on April 12, 2007, 11:56:33 AM
Unity gain for me at bedroom level is at about 10:30.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: hunter on April 14, 2007, 08:12:40 AM
_tom_ to give you an idea what it does to Shiva's lead channel, I made two similar riffs one with Lead channel alone and the other one with crunchbox.

Also on the crunchbox there is some WahWah shred as well as volume pot dynamics towards the end to show those aspects.

For the Shiva it's perfect as the amp is a bit dark sometimes, but I'm sure with the right settings you'll find it a match for the Laney as well. Anyways, the Crunchbox you can plug into anything and it will be cool.

Shiva Lead Channel Without Crunch Box
http://www.thegutbusters.com/temp/no_crunch_box.mp3

Shiva Lead Channel Withc Crunch Box Infusion
http://www.thegutbusters.com/temp/aveclebox.mp3
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Kepu on April 14, 2007, 11:01:33 AM
^Dream On ftw :wink:
the Crunch Box makes it sound fuller, at least to my ears
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: _tom_ on April 14, 2007, 11:04:41 AM
Quote from: hunter
_tom_ to give you an idea what it does to Shiva's lead channel, I made two similar riffs one with Lead channel alone and the other one with crunchbox.

Also on the crunchbox there is some WahWah shred as well as volume pot dynamics towards the end to show those aspects.

For the Shiva it's perfect as the amp is a bit dark sometimes, but I'm sure with the right settings you'll find it a match for the Laney as well. Anyways, the Crunchbox you can plug into anything and it will be cool.

Shiva Lead Channel Without Crunch Box
http://www.thegutbusters.com/temp/no_crunch_box.mp3

Shiva Lead Channel Withc Crunch Box Infusion
http://www.thegutbusters.com/temp/aveclebox.mp3


Very nice tones! I will get myself a Shiva one day (when I have a good job ):lol:

My Crunch Box should be here in the coming week, being shipped by USPS and I have no idea where its gonna be taken if I'm not in to sign for it  :?
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Muzzzz on April 14, 2007, 11:34:49 AM
Bit late I know, but +a billion on wearing earplugs. Whenever your ears ring, it's the sound of membranes inside your ear dying, and you'll never hear the frequency of that ring ever again. Scary.
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: indysmith on April 14, 2007, 05:27:14 PM
Quote from: Muzzzz
Bit late I know, but +a billion on wearing earplugs. Whenever your ears ring, it's the sound of membranes inside your ear dying, and you'll never hear the frequency of that ring ever again. Scary.

my ears always ring, and always with the same note...
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Twinfan on April 15, 2007, 09:59:56 AM
My mate has snagged me an MI Audio Crunch Box while in New York, so I shoul dget mine next week when he's back  :D
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: _tom_ on April 23, 2007, 01:23:19 PM
I just got my Crunch Box this morning.. not sure if I'll keep it yet. It does sound GREAT, but its very similar to my Laney with the gain boost on. In fact almost identical, the CB is a bit "thicker" sounding though.

If anyone is interested in buying send a PM and I may or may not decide to sell it depending on how much you're willing to pay (total cost was about £90 including customs+shipping, so I'd hope to get most of that back if I can)
Title: New Distortion pedal! Amazing sound. MI Audio Crunchbox...
Post by: Twinfan on April 23, 2007, 02:13:09 PM
Hmm.  Interesting Tom.  I should get mine later this week when I catch up with my mate.

What were you looking for, and why doesn't the MI do it?