Crazy Tube Circuits: Hi Power

[Giorfida]

A two-fer.
A Hiwatt based “Amp in a box” pedal with full amp controls and 2 amp version choices + built in Colorsound fuzz/boost pedal
Great for Pink Floyd live/Who tones
Wouldn’t even mind if the amp section was standalone (don’t we all have far too many drive pedals that would work with this!)

Also used as preamp into IR loader

 

[Feral Feline]

I know it's not at all the same dealio, but...


Hwut

Hwut Fuzz - PedalPCB.com

Compare to Hiwatt Custom Shop Filter Fuzz

www.pedalpcb.com

Powersound Boost

Powersound Boost - PedalPCB.com

Compare to Colorsound Power Boost

www.pedalpcb.com

 

[Giorfida]

I know it's not at all the same dealio, but...


Hwut

Hwut Fuzz - PedalPCB.com

Compare to Hiwatt Custom Shop Filter Fuzz

www.pedalpcb.com

Powersound Boost

Powersound Boost - PedalPCB.com

Compare to Colorsound Power Boost

www.pedalpcb.com

I knew about the Powersound boost, and the RAH,
never looked at the Hwut though.
Still cool to have them all… like we have varieties of “Marshall in a Box”

RAH (Prince Albert)

Prince Albert Overdrive - PedalPCB.com

Compare to Catalinbread RAH

www.pedalpcb.com

 

[music6000]

This is what the Crazy Tubes 7 knob Unobtanium looks like!
You can imagine what the 10 knob Hi Power is going to be like???

 

[Giorfida]

This is what the Crazy Tubes 7 knob Unobtanium looks like!
You can imagine what the 10 knob Hi Power is going to be like???

I’m sure it’s not going to be fun! But I’d also bet that the bottom
Board we see here is likely only handling the IO and switching (relay? Digital?). In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the bottom board is identical to this one.

 

[music6000]

This may be another option:

 

[Giorfida]

This may be another option:

I kind of prefer the 125b enclosure so I can pick and choose my own boosts (and those can be had predrilled). Although the box 1590xx is cool in its right, I hate drilling. But I e also become infatuated with that dang pedal!!!

 

[music6000]

I kind of prefer the 125b enclosure so I can pick and choose my own boosts (and those can be had predrilled). Although the box 1590xx is cool in its right, I hate drilling. But I e also become infatuated with that dang pedal!!!

The way these pedals are going with all these features is SMD!
These PCB's are now fully loaded with components at the PCB manufacturing process.
The Builder is just installing the Pots, Jacks & Knobs!

The Hi Power can probably be built but your looking at a 1590XX for Thru Hole components???
Do you or Members want to lose that much real estate?

 

[Giorfida]

The way these pedals are going with all these features is SMD!
These PCB's are now fully loaded with components at the PCB manufacturing process.
The Builder is just installing the Pots, Jacks & Knobs!

The Hi Power can probably be built but your looking at a 1590XX for Thru Hole components???
Do you or Members want to lose that much real estate?

If you copied the full pedal, then yes I’d see it on a 1590xx, just the “amp” section I’d bet it would fit in a 125b, or at the most a 1590bb. Personally I’m not worried about the real estate, as I don’t have a small board or worry about it (have multiple boards to fill), and I mostly play at home. But I also know a lot of people are concerned with real estate- which is why the micro pedals are so popular. As a hobbyist builder, we are a different breed lol. Some of us build pedals we may never plan to take out of the house… and others are building for gigging. Ultimately I’m wanting to try a Cornish style all in one board build, so something like this isn’t an issue, as it would likely end up in there
But I agree, let the others vote on what they want, as I’m sure this won’t be one of the easier circuits to trace, and I’d hate to push on this and be the only one who buys one.

 

[music6000]

Don't open that can of worms, not a lot of lovin' for the the Cornish pedals around here!
Most are sitting on the Shelf that have been built on here!
Gilmourish.com has tried everything known to man that is Perfect at the time of release & here we are that the Hi Power is the greatest!???

 

[Giorfida]

Don't open that can of worms, not a lot of lovin' for the the Cornish pedals around here!
Most are sitting on the Shelf that have been built on here!

Let me rephrase my intent: I want to build a board that LOOKS like a Cornish board, but filled with a curated number of build that have been tried and true, and good enough to commit to a build like that.

 

[music6000]

Today, I just jammed for 1/2 hr with my Pedal PCB Brownout Overdrive (Subdecay Variac) & I think it's a really fantastic Marshall In A Box!!!

 

[Giorfida]

Today, I just jammed for 1/2 hr with my Pedal PCB Brownout Overdrive (Subdecay Variac) & I think it's a really fantastic Marshall In A Box!!!

It’s been on my wishlist. Just need to clear some backlog before I order more

 

[owlexifry]

The Hi Power can probably be built but your looking at a 1590XX for Thru Hole components???
Do you or Members want to lose that much real estate?

have never ever given a shit about the size of a pedal.
i only need like 5 on a board for what i do live.
and for anything else, im just pulling them off the shelf one at a time anyway.

1590XX build? heck yes.

 

[Giorfida]

have never ever given a shit about the size of a pedal.
i only need like 5 on a board for what i do live.
and for anything else, im just pulling them off the shelf one at a time anyway.

1590XX build? heck yes.

That’s where I’m at for the most part.
And technically if a 1590xx is essentially (2) 125b enclosures, and the pedal is actually 2 discrete circuits, it would take no additional real estate as making 2 builds. I would be really surprised if the HiWatt circuit is any more complex than some of the other “amp in a box” type pedals

 

[Feral Feline]

I got to listen to my friends Hi Power a few days ago, and it does sound quite good.

The way my friend is using it, he has to have a volume attenuator on its output and to minimise tap-dancing for an upcoming gig he bought a compact looper as well so the Vol & Hi-Pow can be engaged/offed with one stomp.

Not sure if I can stuff a vol pot, 4 jacks stomper and 9v-jack in a 1590A, should fit a 1590G though, and that's still smaller than 2 x 1590A.

 

[Fama]

I got to listen to my friends Hi Power a few days ago, and it does sound quite good.

The way my friend is using it, he has to have a volume attenuator on its output and to minimise tap-dancing for an upcoming gig he bought a compact looper as well so the Vol & Hi-Pow can be engaged/offed with one stomp.

Not sure if I can stuff a vol pot, 4 jacks stomper and 9v-jack in a 1590A, should fit a 1590G though, and that's still smaller than 2 x 1590A.

Why a volume attenuator? Is the master control not enough?

 

[lrgaraujo]

Why a volume attenuator? Is the master control not enough?

If I understand correctly, the master control adds distortion as you turn it up (like a tube power amp being pushed)

 

[Feral Feline]

I don't really know, I just know that if he says that's what he needs then that's what he needs to make it do what he wants it to sound like.
He's a very pedal savvy guy with very good ears. I trust his ears more than my own.

For the looper/vol-control that I decided to make...
Alas, playing around with a 1590G, it's actually less roomy depth-wise than a 1590A. I've got a 1590G2 that I'll dig out and see if that gets me the clearance I need to sneak a pot under one of the jacks.

1590A might work with Lumbergs and a 9mm pot, but even so the measuring and drilling will have to be extremely accurate.


1590TRPB with a 2nd footswitch for two volume levels? Having trouble deciding what enclosure I really want to go with, and then I have to see if all the bits fit inside. Crazy busy with work right now, though.

 

[MattG]

Came here to add this pedal to the Wish List, found @Giorfida beat me to it!

My interest is more in the HiWatt emulation side. I've built several Power Boost/Overdriver pedals. I really like them, but in my experience, the best sounds require too-loud volume.

Consider the original Power Boost didn't have a master volume (three total knobs: drive, bass, treble). Even with the drive down all the way, there was still a noticeable jump in volume when engaged. So take a HiWatt - not necessarily cranked, but well above bedroom or apartment levels - and crush the preamp with the Power Boost. It's a sound I haven't really seen duplicated well in a standalone pedal (at least not one that can do it at a bedroom or even modern bar gig volume). The demos I've heard of this pedal make it sound like they come pretty close. Since the Power Boost is well-trodden ground in the clone and DIY world, to me it suggests the Hi-Power's magic lies in the HiWatt emulation circuit.

Granted, things in general simply sound more fun when the volume is way up. There's an episode of That Pedal Show that talks about the Colorsound Power Boost and several modern-production clones. And they use a HiWatt amp for most of the show. And lots of volume.