Top Five

[Feral Feline]

JUST FIVE is tres difficile

Mentaltossflycoon's selection of choices is just about perfect, but after some thought...
I'd swap out the VIIB and as much as I like it, the Low Tide — both can be replaced by one pedal, freeing up a slot that can just about cover any modulation needed. Oh, and even the Cordyceps can be replaced by the same pedal ousting the VIIB and Low Tide...

1
VIIB > ARACHNID MultiFX Platform with a mod to hold dual EEPROMs — 16 patches for whatever modulation, delay, reverb needs. (and ability to change up the eeproms!). Add in the mod to bump the EEPROMs and access the FV-1's basic set of patches...

FV-1 BASIC​

Chorus-Reverb​

Flange-Reverb​

Tremolo-Reverb​

Pitch Shift​

Pitch-Echo​

TEST=no-effect​

Reverb 1​

Reverb 2​

​

CUSTOM EEPROM A​

PIT001 - Dual Pitch Shifter​

PIT002 - Pitch Modulator​

UNI003 - Unison (Double Take)​

DLY006 - Kaleidoscope​

FIL001 - LoFi Machine​

FIL002 - Sample Hold Filter​

FIL003 - Filter Modulator​

REV001 - Hypernova Reverb​

​

CUSTOM EEPROM B​

MOD001 - Chorus​

MOD002 - Flanger​

MOD003 - Phaser​

MOD004 - Tremolo​

MOD005 - Harmonic Tremolo​

DLY001 - Digital Delay​

DLY003 - Tape Delay​

REV003 - Spring Reverb​

I know that some of the FV-1 can't beat some standalone effect types, but in a pinch on the band-stand ...

2
Low tide > Chorus & similar taken care of by the Arachnid above, so...
GENERAL TSO — Compressor (haven't tried the General Tso, everyone seems to like it, so why not that for the time being?)

OR The DELEGATE (BONEYARD ED) Compressor

3
Cordyceps > MOD007 - Ring Modulator patch for Arachnid above, freeing this spot for...
DREBBEL preamp w/ some key EQ tweaks

4
OCELOT > The Arachnid just can't sub out this one, even though there are pitch algos for the FV-1.

5
FREQUENCY INTERCHANGE > HPF is mandatory for any bass player, IMO, so best for last.

Other possible Alternates/Honourable mentions:
Equilux Mini Equalizer — everyone should have some EQ (taken care of somewhat in the Drebbel above)

Woodpecker Tremolo — love a hard-chop Vox Repeat Percussion trem, but the Arachnid takes care of the Trem for the 5-pedal limitation

I approached this from a BASS perspective and from a must have only 5 on my board approach, though I know this needn't totally correlate to a TOP 5 MUST-BUILD scenario.


Yeah, I'd move this thread to the breakroom.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I don't have 5 pedals on my board that I've built but I like my byrdhouse, simulcast, and duocast. I might be better off with two simulcasts but I'm not ready to go down that road yet

 

[Alan W]

Hard to do!

Equilux, without a doubt. Being able to shape the midtones is huge, and the basic preamp sound is delightful
Pendulum, or even better the one that has the full control set, that I still need to buy
Chop Shop (but could also say Mercurial or Champ Stamp...)
Ceasar (but Unison is hard not to recommend!)
Pot and Kettle (this and especially the Cattle Driver have duked it out as my final boost)

And somehow that doesn't include General Tso, which even owning the Effectrode LA-1A, I use a fair amount!

Great thread.

 

[Barry]

I'm no good at these things, I change my mind halfway through as well as almost daily, depends on what I'm doing or going for mostly.

 

[Zennmaster]

I haven't been at this very long, and I also have to say that I am thoroughly impressed and amazed at how many PCBs have made it into peoples' top 5s that I had never even heard of. Robert is indeed a monster!

So here's what I've got so far, in no particular order:

Caesar (alternate: Cepheid)
Low Tide
Byzantium (A real confidence/competence builder)
Delegate (Boneyard Edition)
Cataclysm.

Damn, I didn't even get to any of the fun modulation stuff that got me excited in the first place.

 

[joelorigo]

And somehow that doesn't include General Tso, which even owning the Effectrode LA-1A, I use a fair amount!

How is the LA-1A???

 

[eh là bas ma]

2
Low tide > Chorus & similar taken care of by the Arachnid above, so...
GENERAL TSO — Compressor (haven't tried the General Tso, everyone seems to like it, so why not that for the time being?)

OR The DELEGATE (BONEYARD ED) Compressor

oh...? is it the Tso or the Delegate, i am confused ?

Are you really mentioning a circuit based on rumors and hearsays ? Is it even allowed now ? And in number 2 position, nothing less ?

And the other members are going to let it fly like that ? Am i the only one who dare protest against these kind of unscientific methods ?

I can't wait to read your build report on the Tso. I guess you have no choice now, no escape...

 

[Alan W]

How is the LA-1A???

So good that it baffles me. There is NO noise. None. My amp is almost solid state quiet, and I play very much on the clean side. Almost all the time I have the LA on, (which is probably 60%+ of the time) it’s set very low (in terms of compression and knees, etc.) but just adds a bit of sparkle (not treble tilted, just cleaner note separation). Actually, Tso is remarkably similar in this regard. Where the LA kills is the slight tube sweetening that it does, with harmonics that just sound perfect, (while the Tso stays clean.) The LA also has a boost feature that I sometimes use—but tend to prefer Champ Stamp (if I want more of a natural boost) or Pot & Kettle if I want a bit more of a driven boost.

And that’s still with the stock JJs in it. I have some NOS sylvania and GEs to put in it, but my curiosity v. the concentration that thinking about stuff like this takes has kept that urge at bay.

I have the LA generally first in line, and the Tso is just before the final drives, after mods and earlier drives. Occasionally I’ll run them both, (still set at low levels) that really does a lovely Byrds type thing.

 

[jcpst]

I started this hobby 4 months ago and have 17 builds under the belt. I have parts for the next 10. I’m sure this list would change in the near future, but I’ll go with what I can for now.

1. Curds and Whey. This is the one that got me started making pedals. I was looking for an analog substitute of my SYB-3’s mode 8.

2. Octaclave Octave Fuzz. I am a bit of an octave junkie. And I like them raunchy. I like how touch sensitive this one is, and it works well with distortion after it.

3. Schadenfreude Distortion. I’ve made a few PLLs. After being underwhelmed by the Data Corrupter, this super-simple circuit was a lovely suprise. It sounds especially wicked with the curds and whey going into it.

4. Thermionic Distortion. This is a more recent build. Last weekend at my band’s rehearsal I swapped my Muroidea with this. It was so much fun to use. We did a multitrack recording, and it sounds killer.

5. Closed Circuit Booster Limiter. I’m using this right before my preamp to squash down the huge level increase after I’ve stacked several pedals. Also sounds really great using only it plugged into an amp. The boost + limiter combo provides a ton of tonal variety in a very simple interface.

 

[joelorigo]

So good that it baffles me. There is NO noise. None. My amp is almost solid state quiet, and I play very much on the clean side.

Are you saying just having it in the chain makes the amp noise quieter than not having it, or that when it's on, it reduces noise?

And that’s still with the stock JJs in it. I have some NOS sylvania and GEs to put in it, but my curiosity v. the concentration that thinking about stuff like this takes has kept that urge at bay.

I built the Madbean version of the Tube Driver. Loved it with the JJ 12ax7 I had on hand. After a bit research leading to a bit of FOMO, I paid $60 for an old Yugoslavian made tube. After the time it took between listening to JJ, opening the pedal and switching to the Yugo tube, I wasn't sure I could hear a difference

 

[Brett]

And the other members are going to let it fly like that ?

I can't wait to read your build report on the Tso. I guess you have no choice now, no escape...

Sergeant White Washer has spoken. @Feral Feline, you do you. General Tso's Compressor remains a solid recommendation.

 

[Alan W]

Are you saying just having it in the chain makes the amp noise quieter than not having it, or that when it's on, it reduces noise?

Actually neither! The amp is quiet either way. With certain effects after it there are times when switching the LA on does indeed lower the noise, but in general, unless I have the gain set to above unity, I don’t sense any additional noise with it on.

Yeah, comparing tubes and ICs etc. makes my head hurt, and I’m driven to do shit like that all the time…

 

[airbud]

Pacifier ( DOD punkifier) with the mods we can find in the modification section, and some different transistor for the fuzz section. That's my favorite...

...or maybe the Cream pie Fuzz (Frantone Cream Puff)

Tweed Man (Catalinbread 5F6) but the Derailer (TrainWreck amp emulation) is great too...

Captain Crunch Deluxe (Mi audio Crunch Box)

Gravitation reverb (EQD Levitation)

Hydra Delay

I could be wrong but something tells me that you can dial every Tube Screamer's variants tones with the Stockade (EQD Palisades). Probably the ultimate TS style circuit.

Frequency Interchange is indeed great for bass players.

I guess that's 5, i should stop there... Did i mention the ADHD (OCD) and the Thermionic (BE-OD) ?

Edit : oh ! and Phase II (Mutron Phasor 2), how could we forget this one...

@airbud is cheating ! He mentioned more than 5 circuits ! "honorable mentions" is a nice trick but it won't work anymore... Did you think you could slip 5 extra circuits just like that ? Let's be reasonable...

hehehe, my logic was that i didn't explain why i liked the honorable mentions. you called me on my BS lolol.

 

[Feral Feline]

Pacifier ( DOD punkifier) with the mods we can find in the modification section, and some different transistor for the fuzz section. That's my favorite...

...or maybe the Cream pie Fuzz (Frantone Cream Puff)

Tweed Man (Catalinbread 5F6) but the Derailer (TrainWreck amp emulation) is great too...

Captain Crunch Deluxe (Mi audio Crunch Box)

Gravitation reverb (EQD Levitation)

Hydra Delay

I could be wrong but something tells me that you can dial every Tube Screamer's variants tones with the Stockade (EQD Palisades). Probably the ultimate TS style circuit.

Frequency Interchange is indeed great for bass players.

I guess that's 5, i should stop there... Did i mention the ADHD (OCD) and the Thermionic (BE-OD) ?

Edit : oh ! and Phase II (Mutron Phasor 2), how could we forget this one...

@airbud is cheating ! He mentioned more than 5 circuits ! "honorable mentions" is a nice trick but it won't work anymore... Did you think you could slip 5 extra circuits just like that ? Let's be reasonable...

Hmmm ...

Tweed Man, that is 1
Captain Crunch for 2
Gravitation loads a 3
Hydra Delay is at # 4
Stockade totals for 5
Frequency Interchange ... brings it to (SIX) 6!
ADHD extends the count beyond max to (seven) 7!
Thermionic pushes boundaries of acceptance to (eight) 8!
Phase II ... since it's forgotten, essentially a nonagon, not (nine) 9!


In this fight, at 10, dang it Airbud is STILL down for the count!






I was rootin' for yah Airbud buddy!

 

[eh là bas ma]

Tweed Man, that is 1
Captain Crunch for 2
Gravitation loads a 3
Hydra Delay is at # 4
Stockade totals for 5
Frequency Interchange ... brings it to (SIX) 6!
ADHD extends the count beyond max to (seven) 7!
Thermionic pushes boundaries of acceptance to (eight) 8!
Phase II ... since it's forgotten, essentially a nonagon, not (nine) 9!

I beg your pardon ?

Stockade ? i was simply wondering if it was the ultimate TS style circuit. I' m not mentioning it as part of the list. I thought it was obvious.

ADHD and Thermionic ? I was merely asking an innocent question : did i mention them ? No, i didn't.

Frequency Interchange ? This is only agreeing with Mentaltossflycoon in post #2. Exacly as if i had written : " i agree with the selection post #2, and now here is my selection, etc...". Surely reading and responding to other members is allowed ?

I think i stopped at 5, and if it wasn't clear enough i also wrote " i stop now because that's 5". Am i wrong?

Pointing our fingers at some wrong direction, in some vain attempt to distract our fellows forum members, won't answer the real questions :

Is it ok to mention in second position some circuit we never ever even tried, based on rumors and hearsays (see post #21) ?

Can we put 2 different circuits in the list under the same number (see post #21) ? Is that what "top five" really means ?

Please, note that it takes me a lot of efforts not to comment your choice of replacing a Low Tide and the VIIB by some multi-fx.
In order to "free up a slot" ?

Are you really going to leave these strange words on this thread, under your name, for ever ? We will all understand if you decide to edit your post #21, for the sake of your good reputation.

 

[Feral Feline]

All's fair in Love of Pedals!

 

[airbud]

Hmmm ...

Tweed Man, that is 1
Captain Crunch for 2
Gravitation loads a 3
Hydra Delay is at # 4
Stockade totals for 5
Frequency Interchange ... brings it to (SIX) 6!
ADHD extends the count beyond max to (seven) 7!
Thermionic pushes boundaries of acceptance to (eight) 8!
Phase II ... since it's forgotten, essentially a nonagon, not (nine) 9!


In this fight, at 10, dang it Airbud is STILL down for the count!


View attachment 73999



I was rootin' for yah Airbud buddy!

my hydra board just arrived so the landscape may shift!

fwiw I was % underwhelmed by the thermionic distortion. to the point where I feel like I missed something; maybe I'll post some samples.

for context, my first build was a rat, and I'm in love with that distortion flavor. so this may just be personal taste! my reaction was "hm, well that's a TL072 clipping circuit."

let's circle back to the hydra though; I had a great success with the spatialist as my first (and only, to date) FV1 build, but I'm nervous about this one because of the expectations I have. I LOVE delays so I'm super excited.

 

[airbud]

All's fair in Love of Pedals!

similarly I approached this as a chill and fun exercise to give people ideas to try stuff outside their comfort zone and to surface sleeper hits.

lots of great ideas here!

 

[GizzWizzKing]

my hydra board just arrived so the landscape may shift!

Get ready for tectonic upheaval. I had been running 2 delays set different ways till I got my hydra finished a bit back. I don't even need to hardly touch the knobs, just flipping the toggles gets me really close to how I would dial in my delays...
...Except for the glaringly missing reverse delay. I don't know a diy project that does that as of yet.

I have the schutone dm-3 up next for diy delay so it is possible the hydra won't stand a chance in the face off.

 

[Feral Feline]

So ... reverse delay. Build it upside down and flipped over?