DEMO MBP Current Lover 2023 (EHX Electric Mistress)

[Bricksnbeatles]

I love the filter matrix mode. I’m a huge fan of Paul Leary and Ler LaLonde and they both incorporate it in their signature sound. Zappa was a master static flanger user as well.

Yes! Belew too— static flanging is all over the Tom Tom Club debut.

 

[Alan W]

Wow, except for the slight whiny woosching after you stopped, that’s very quiet for a flanger, and it has such lush sound. The last pedal I paid money for (well, as a completed pedal; I seem to pay money for all my pedals) was a PastFX Reticon, which I figured would only go up in value. It does have some additional controls, but I’m not sure if it sounds as good! And absolutely sings its own tunes, adding background anytime it’s on. I had planned my next flanger to have more of the jet whoosh capability, but your demo convinced me to do this one next.

 

[MichaelW]

Wow, except for the slight whiny woosching after you stopped, that’s very quiet for a flanger, and it has such lush sound. The last pedal I paid money for (well, as a completed pedal; I seem to pay money for all my pedals) was a PastFX Reticon, which I figured would only go up in value. It does have some additional controls, but I’m not sure if it sounds as good! And absolutely sings its own tunes, adding background anytime it’s on. I had planned my next flanger to have more of the jet whoosh capability, but your demo convinced me to do this one next.

If you really want the "jet whoosh" you should look at the BF-2. (Byzantium or Fraudhacker).
I've built the Byzantium and it's really quiet as well.

Edit: Byzantium is a double decker and you'll need special sized components. The MBP Fraudhacker is a bigger footprint but standard sized components work.

 

[Ali7887]

Seems like I'd been waiting for many months for this board to come back in stock at MBP.

This is new 2023 version. Afaik, some of the changes is that it can now run at 9v or 12v or 18v. I believe the previous version was only 12-18v.

Also, this version can use any of the available BBD's BL3207, V3207, MN3007.

I used the Xvive MN3007 for this build and followed the recommendations in the build doc to run it at 18v. If you're using a v3207 and/or only running it at 9v you can drop the voltage regulator.

So pretty flexible board that can use a variety of BBD's which is pretty cool. If using a 3007, the recommendation is to run it at higher voltages for a slight bit more dynamics and a richer sound. Since I don't know what I don't know, I can't say if it's worth it or not, but I have an extra 18v tap on my power supply and it sounds pretty darn good to me!

The Current Lover sonically has more in common with the MBP Colosallus (MXR 117) than anything else in that it's not a "jet engine whoosh" like the Byzantium (PPCB BF-2 and MBP Fraudhacker). In some ways it's more "chorus" than flanger, but it's also more than a chorus. Classic sounds out of this box for sure.
(Think Hendrix, Gilmour, et al)

Smooth build and relatively easy build for an MBP BBD analog pedal. Glad to finally have a classic sounding Electric Mistress to go with my "Chucky-fied" 'Lectric Mama Flanger which gets into more uncharted territory for an "Electric Mistress".

I have the gumption to also build the LectricFX version (Old Chap) just to add to the collection and see how it sounds

I only had one oddball resistor value that I had to teepee (1M2). I probably could have gotten away with a 1M or 1M5 but I didn't want to mess with the formula.
Other than that, it's all commonly available components.

There's a filter toggle switch that toggles between the standard flanging and what MBP calls "Matrix". Which is basically manual flanging where you can use the Range control to notch the response at a fixed frequency. Not something I found very useful and I probably could have left it out and hardwired it. Also, I didn't have an SPDT On-On so I used an On-Off-On so the middle position does nothing.


View attachment 44067

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I recorded a short demo with some knob twisting and some riffing to show off the sounds. The overdrive that I kicked on was my Carmine Drive

1 - For Gilmour The wall / Animals era flanger tones,
what pcb do you suggest?
Old chap or Current lover?
Which one has brighter tone in Clean Guitar tones (like Run Like Hell song) and also good for using with big muff?

2 - From where can i buy your suggested pcb?

3 - I also have A/DA flanger hand made clone (18volt), but its sounds is so "Jet flanger",
Is there a way turn it into a Mistress by changing or modifying its circuit?

I tweaked and adjusted all trims pots (off course by listing to the sound by my ears and not use any oscilloscope for fine tuning it)

But I still couldn't get the desired sound from it, even though its circuit was carefully designed and assembled.

 

[MichaelW]

1 - For Gilmour The wall / Animals era flanger tones,
what pcb do you suggest?
Old chap or Current lover?
Which one has brighter tone in Clean Guitar tones (like Run Like Hell song) and also good for using with big muff?

2 - From where can i buy your suggested pcb?

3 - I also have A/DA flanger hand made clone (18volt), but its sounds is so "Jet flanger",
Is there a way turn it into a Mistress by changing or modifying its circuit?

I tweaked and adjusted all trims pots (off course by listing to the sound by my ears and not use any oscilloscope for fine tuning it)

But I still couldn't get the desired sound from it, even though its circuit was carefully designed and assembled.

Man, you're asking the multi-million dollar question

I think people have been chasing the Gilmour tone forever.
Then it's "which era" Gilmour tone are you trying to nail.
I don't have the answers but I do know he used an Electric Mistress + Big Muff.
When I use those pedals together I tend to sound like goat flatulence....so I don't know .

Lately when I'm looking for a "Gilmour-ish" tone I've been using the PPCB "5Lb Bag of Gold" as a dirt pedal.
(Which is essentially a Zen Drive with a Si based fuzz feeding into it).
Then running that into a very slow phaser that's got a "mix" control so I can dial it way back. Just a hint of "movement".
Of course this has nothing to do with Gilmour's gear, it's just the fastest way to get to a certain sound in my head.

Have you checked out Kit Rae's site? http://www.kitrae.net/
There's a TON of info on Gilmour's gear during the various Floyd eras.

 

[Guardians of the analog]

1 - For Gilmour The wall / Animals era flanger tones,
what pcb do you suggest?
Old chap or Current lover?
Which one has brighter tone in Clean Guitar tones (like Run Like Hell song) and also good for using with big muff?

2 - From where can i buy your suggested pcb?

3 - I also have A/DA flanger hand made clone (18volt), but its sounds is so "Jet flanger",
Is there a way turn it into a Mistress by changing or modifying its circuit?

I tweaked and adjusted all trims pots (off course by listing to the sound by my ears and not use any oscilloscope for fine tuning it)

But I still couldn't get the desired sound from it, even though its circuit was carefully designed and assembled.

Spamming flanger build reports is not the way to go about this. Start a thread of your own and ask your question. Also, an a/da flanger will never sound like a mistress no matter what you do with trimmers, they are vastly different circuits. Also Gilmore Girls

 

[Paradox916]

Gilmore Girls

 

[bean]

1 - For Gilmour The wall / Animals era flanger tones,
what pcb do you suggest?
Old chap or Current lover?
Which one has brighter tone in Clean Guitar tones (like Run Like Hell song) and also good for using with big muff?

2 - From where can i buy your suggested pcb?

3 - I also have A/DA flanger hand made clone (18volt), but its sounds is so "Jet flanger",
Is there a way turn it into a Mistress by changing or modifying its circuit?

I tweaked and adjusted all trims pots (off course by listing to the sound by my ears and not use any oscilloscope for fine tuning it)

But I still couldn't get the desired sound from it, even though its circuit was carefully designed and assembled.

I'll put in a good word for my buddies at L'Ectric FX: I haven't built the Old Chap but I have built several other of their projects and never been disappointed. The Current Lover is quite bright as far as flangers go, but I can't compare it to the Chap. The A/DA is it's own animal as mentioned.

My advice is this: you are a pedal builder. Build a few different flangers and use accordingly to taste No one ever went wrong by having more flangers, chorus, or phasers that they can use on one pedalboard!

 

[KreoPensas]

I'll put in a good word for my buddies at L'Ectric FX: I haven't built the Old Chap but I have built several other of their projects and never been disappointed. The Current Lover is quite bright as far as flangers go, but I can't compare it to the Chap. The A/DA is it's own animal as mentioned.

My advice is this: you are a pedal builder. Build a few different flangers and use accordingly to taste No one ever went wrong by having more flangers, chorus, or phasers that they can use on one pedalboard!

I dearly love the A/DA (Flintlock ) It even fits in the Hammond octagonal enclosure. ; )