DEMO MBP Current Lover 2023 (EHX Electric Mistress)

This post contains an audio or video demo

MichaelW

Well-known member
Build Rating
5.00 star(s)
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.


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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

 
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I just picked up a few of these boards as I've had several requests... and I've got some Old Chap boards too!

How was it to bias and get dialed in?
 
I built mine with a Panasonic 3007 and for 9v operation. I have to dime the volume pot for unity, does 18v give it more output?
 
I built mine with a Panasonic 3007 and for 9v operation. I have to dime the volume pot for unity, does 18v give it more output?
Dunno, you can see in the demo unity for me is around 2 o’clock. Not sure if the 18v config contributes to that or not. I think the only diff is the voltage regulator. You could socket that, pop one in and try 18v and see if it helps with the low gain.
 
Dunno, you can see in the demo unity for me is around 2 o’clock. Not sure if the 18v config contributes to that or not. I think the only diff is the voltage regulator. You could socket that, pop one in and try 18v and see if it helps with the low gain.
As long as the Electro's are 25v or more!
 
Dang, now that you mention it, it DOES have that Andy Summers sound. I shoulda done some Police riffs in the demo......
He was a famous user of the EM in the Police days. Whenever I think of the Electric Mistress I think Summers, Mascis and Gilmour. The Filter Matrix mode was on the original pedal and I agree it's not terribly usable.

As per usual I'm very jealous of your build! Great job!
 
LOVE that hot pink enclosure. Clean gut work too, as we have all come to expect from you. I finished up an Old Chap a little while back and aside from being an all 1/8th watt build (gettin fiddley wid it), it is by far the best sounding flanger I have built so far. One thing I did notice was when in the chain after anything with a clock in it (as explained to me by @blackhatboojum), I get some background siren noise, dead quiet on its own though. Have you noticed anything like that with your mistress style builds? Mr black hat said that a buffer before it would kill the noise. Currently building a simple Jfet buffer for that purpose
 
LOVE that hot pink enclosure. Clean gut work too, as we have all come to expect from you. I finished up an Old Chap a little while back and aside from being an all 1/8th watt build (gettin fiddley wid it), it is by far the best sounding flanger I have built so far. One thing I did notice was when in the chain after anything with a clock in it (as explained to me by @blackhatboojum), I get some background siren noise, dead quiet on its own though. Have you noticed anything like that with your mistress style builds? Mr black hat said that a buffer before it would kill the noise. Currently building a simple Jfet buffer for that purpose
Nope no noise, i was running it before my delays though.
 
He was a famous user of the EM in the Police days. Whenever I think of the Electric Mistress I think Summers, Mascis and Gilmour. The Filter Matrix mode was on the original pedal and I agree it's not terribly usable.

As per usual I'm very jealous of your build! Great job!
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.
 
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