Got a call from a fella I know wanting me to mod his Boss GE-7 for him. He sent me a link to an article on a site called effectsbay.com. In the article the guy documents how he changed out the chips and some caps to improve the pedal, with the IC replacement specifically reducing noise.
So there are three (I think) TL022 chips in there. He suggests replacing them with NE5534s. Apparently the TL022s are great for not using much power, which is key for a battery operated pedal. But the cost is noise.
So I swapped out the ICs as recommended - I just happened to have three NE5534s - and wow, what a difference! The noise is all but gone. Yes there is a slight rise in the noise floor when you move a slider off the middle setting but it's virtually silent compared to the racket the pedal makes in its stock form.
It makes me want to build an EQ pedal now, if I can make one as quiet as this. The noise has always put me off.
So there are three (I think) TL022 chips in there. He suggests replacing them with NE5534s. Apparently the TL022s are great for not using much power, which is key for a battery operated pedal. But the cost is noise.
So I swapped out the ICs as recommended - I just happened to have three NE5534s - and wow, what a difference! The noise is all but gone. Yes there is a slight rise in the noise floor when you move a slider off the middle setting but it's virtually silent compared to the racket the pedal makes in its stock form.
It makes me want to build an EQ pedal now, if I can make one as quiet as this. The noise has always put me off.
