- Build Rating
Here's my Aion Hexeract, a clone of the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes.
I have the COTS version of this pedal, and a quick test confirmed they sound identical (the drive sweep on the Hexeract is a bit different, as noted in the build doc). The Hexeract might just sound slightly better, actually. But that could be the DIY bias talking.
Unremarkable build for the most part. Worked perfectly on the first power-on. Only real problem is that I drilled the input jack hole too close to the edge, and now the bottom plate won't sit flush. I could re-do it with different jacks that are smaller to fix the problem. Or I could just build another one.
This is a really great sounding overdrive, and stacks well with other pedals. EHX makes a "pre-stacked" version, the Hot Wax, which is essentially their Crayon into the Hot Tubes. (And the Crayon is rumored to be a clone of the Xotic BB Preamp.) I briefly had a Hot Tubes, but I bought it used and one of the footswitches was bad, so I sent it back. But I was using a Barber Gain Changer into the Hot Tubes, and that sounded killer to my years. While doing a quick test just now, I ran the Hot Tubes into my DIY Skreddy Screwdriver and that sounded great too.
The only thing I don't like about the Hot Tubes, which is kind of a deal-breaker for me, is that it sounds bad through my headphone amp. I've tried the DSM Simplifier, the Two Notes Torpedo CAB M+, and the NUX Amp Academy. I don't know what it is, but through my actual tube amp (a Mojotone Custom 50), the Hot Tubes sounds great: a very natural-sounding overdrive (dare I say "tube-like"?). But through any of the listed headphone amps, it just sounds harsh. My Ember Boost (both my DIY and the actual Spark Boost) have the same issue: great, natural sound through tube amp, but very harsh distortion through the headphones.
I'll rate myself three stars here. I'm docking myself a star for the drilling mistake, and I think the IO jack and power wiring isn't as clean as it could be. At a minimum, I should have used some heatshrink to tidy things up. If I could solve the headphone amp issue mentioned above, I might build a second anyway, and go for a premium relay bypass.
I have the COTS version of this pedal, and a quick test confirmed they sound identical (the drive sweep on the Hexeract is a bit different, as noted in the build doc). The Hexeract might just sound slightly better, actually. But that could be the DIY bias talking.
Unremarkable build for the most part. Worked perfectly on the first power-on. Only real problem is that I drilled the input jack hole too close to the edge, and now the bottom plate won't sit flush. I could re-do it with different jacks that are smaller to fix the problem. Or I could just build another one.
This is a really great sounding overdrive, and stacks well with other pedals. EHX makes a "pre-stacked" version, the Hot Wax, which is essentially their Crayon into the Hot Tubes. (And the Crayon is rumored to be a clone of the Xotic BB Preamp.) I briefly had a Hot Tubes, but I bought it used and one of the footswitches was bad, so I sent it back. But I was using a Barber Gain Changer into the Hot Tubes, and that sounded killer to my years. While doing a quick test just now, I ran the Hot Tubes into my DIY Skreddy Screwdriver and that sounded great too.
The only thing I don't like about the Hot Tubes, which is kind of a deal-breaker for me, is that it sounds bad through my headphone amp. I've tried the DSM Simplifier, the Two Notes Torpedo CAB M+, and the NUX Amp Academy. I don't know what it is, but through my actual tube amp (a Mojotone Custom 50), the Hot Tubes sounds great: a very natural-sounding overdrive (dare I say "tube-like"?). But through any of the listed headphone amps, it just sounds harsh. My Ember Boost (both my DIY and the actual Spark Boost) have the same issue: great, natural sound through tube amp, but very harsh distortion through the headphones.
I'll rate myself three stars here. I'm docking myself a star for the drilling mistake, and I think the IO jack and power wiring isn't as clean as it could be. At a minimum, I should have used some heatshrink to tidy things up. If I could solve the headphone amp issue mentioned above, I might build a second anyway, and go for a premium relay bypass.
