- Build Rating
Behold! Now, this ain't no Destiny Behemoth, but it's pretty cool.
It's a Condor Cab Sim > Effects Loop > Fuzzdog One-Knob Reverb > Effects Layouts Cloak & Dagger (Secret Preamp) > PPCB Headphone Amplifier.
The original plan was just a Cab Sim > Headphone Amp and just stack whatever my preamp de jour is in front of it. That said, one of the complaints of my previous headphone setup (Joyo Bantamp Bluejay) was there was no reverb, so the One-Knob Reverb seemed like an ideal board to squeeze in. Then, I thought it would be cool if it had an effects loop. My brain continued to wander and I then thought it'd be swell if it had a built in preamp, you know, just in case I wanted to take it on the road and didn't bring a bunch of other pedals with me but still want a little something for some tone conditioning. So thus the mission to cram this all into an old beat up 1590DD began. It isn't pretty, but it sure sounds good.
The heaadphone amp sounds surprisingly good on it's own, but of course the Secret Preamp clone adds some magic. I wish I could have gone with @Robert's board becuase he leaves room for orange drops and what not in his layout, but there was no way I was going to make that fit, so I went with the smaller Effects Layouts PCB, which turned out fine (had to fit it in upside with a gum wad I got from guitarpcb on the back of it).
The One-Knob Reverb really surprised me in how good it sounds. It can go from a simple spring like reverb, to hall, and even gets a bit bigger when dimed out. Really cool circuit.
Obviously board space wasn't the only issue in designing this, but how many controls I could fit as well (hence the one knob reverb and one knob/toggle preamp). Thus, I had to go with the Condor over the Unicab due to it only having two knobs. This is my first experience with a cab sim and I have to say I'm pleased with the results. For just 2 knobs it covers a lot of gorund and it even adds a bit of grit at certain settings, which I was pleasently surprised by.
It also sounds fantastic with other preamps stacked before it (my original idea), and so far I've experimented with a Sushi Box Particle Accelerator, Son of Ben, and British Royalty, all with great results.
Again, not pretty...with shit drilling to boot, but I'm not bothered. I'm going to the Black Hills, SD tomorrow for a week. Gonna throw this baby in my bag, bring my LP Jr., and jam in my cabin at Custer State Park. Happy days!
It's a Condor Cab Sim > Effects Loop > Fuzzdog One-Knob Reverb > Effects Layouts Cloak & Dagger (Secret Preamp) > PPCB Headphone Amplifier.
The original plan was just a Cab Sim > Headphone Amp and just stack whatever my preamp de jour is in front of it. That said, one of the complaints of my previous headphone setup (Joyo Bantamp Bluejay) was there was no reverb, so the One-Knob Reverb seemed like an ideal board to squeeze in. Then, I thought it would be cool if it had an effects loop. My brain continued to wander and I then thought it'd be swell if it had a built in preamp, you know, just in case I wanted to take it on the road and didn't bring a bunch of other pedals with me but still want a little something for some tone conditioning. So thus the mission to cram this all into an old beat up 1590DD began. It isn't pretty, but it sure sounds good.
The heaadphone amp sounds surprisingly good on it's own, but of course the Secret Preamp clone adds some magic. I wish I could have gone with @Robert's board becuase he leaves room for orange drops and what not in his layout, but there was no way I was going to make that fit, so I went with the smaller Effects Layouts PCB, which turned out fine (had to fit it in upside with a gum wad I got from guitarpcb on the back of it).
The One-Knob Reverb really surprised me in how good it sounds. It can go from a simple spring like reverb, to hall, and even gets a bit bigger when dimed out. Really cool circuit.
Obviously board space wasn't the only issue in designing this, but how many controls I could fit as well (hence the one knob reverb and one knob/toggle preamp). Thus, I had to go with the Condor over the Unicab due to it only having two knobs. This is my first experience with a cab sim and I have to say I'm pleased with the results. For just 2 knobs it covers a lot of gorund and it even adds a bit of grit at certain settings, which I was pleasently surprised by.
It also sounds fantastic with other preamps stacked before it (my original idea), and so far I've experimented with a Sushi Box Particle Accelerator, Son of Ben, and British Royalty, all with great results.
Again, not pretty...with shit drilling to boot, but I'm not bothered. I'm going to the Black Hills, SD tomorrow for a week. Gonna throw this baby in my bag, bring my LP Jr., and jam in my cabin at Custer State Park. Happy days!
Last edited:
