Effectrode Blackbird

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paulojcduarte

Member
I know this probably isn't the place, but I trust the know how here more than most other places. I'm looking into the Carl Martin Ampster or the Dept 10 Dual Drive Drive to go ampless with IEM, not many reviews out yet on the Ampster unit, tho my dream amp would be a Carl Martin 50 Custom. But every clip I hear from the Blackbird BF cleans is amazing. But the thing is apparently a pita to get and is a bit more than I was expecting to spend considering I would need a cab sim also.

Any units that are of the same sound quality and cheaper price? I know there's Kingsley out there also, but I'm open to suggestions

Thanks in advance
 
Really semi necro reply; sorry.

I have three Effectrode pedals, and they are all great. I don’t know the Blackbird, but imagine it to be cut from the same cloth. Depending on where you are located, (N America is not a problem to purchase). A less expensive option (that I own, but not currently in use) is the Tubesteader Beekeeper.

My one complaint with the Effectrode units is the power requirements, 1 amp at 12 volts, but if you’ve got three tubes at full blast, I think that’s the tariff. I will add that powering by Cioks 7 surprised me by upping the performance over the Effectrode supplied wall warts. (But it also meant that I now have 2 of the DC 7 supplies😕.)
 
The first one I bought was the LA-1A, which just gobsmacked me. I had tried several compressors in the past, the one right before that was the newer Empress, which has oodles of adjustability, great metering, even a side chain. But, it sounded “processed“ to me, in the same way that almost all overdrives (and most boosts) do to me. The slight haze around all notes, a less natural fade out.

I had been using a Bob Sweet built Mojo Vibe for long enough not to remember when I got it, and the Tube Vibe was next. This is not as mindnumbingly awesome as the compressor is, but I was able to sell the Mojo for more than the Tube Vibe cost, and (other than board space and powering requirements) is just much chewier sounding.

The Fire Bottle was #3, and when I first got it, I thought I should maybe keep an eye out for a good deal on a back up. But, when the honeymoon was over, I recognize it as a very good boost, with a nice impedance matching switch, that goes from reasonably clean to very pushed input tube sounding, and stays very dynamic while doing it. I have an old Siegsmund Micro preamp (also uses one of the mini tubes in it), that is a lot more flexible (boostable gain, full tone stack, and even a transformer coupled output), but prefer the bite that the FireBottle has. I would prefer an easier tube replacement though.

I mention honeymoon, because it’s something that I am prone to (and I think we all are). so far, after a few years, the LA-1A and I are still very much newlyweds.
 
Alan W said:
The first one I bought was the LA-1A, which just gobsmacked me.
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LA-1A is an excellent piece of gear. I took one apart and traced the schematic to clone a few years back, but I got tired of building them because there's so many damn components in there :P I've traced a handful (4 I think?) Effectrode pedals and they do consistently great work. Excellent designs and solid build quality.
 
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