Tone Press Questions

[DreamTheaterRules]

I have and love a Tone Press. I have several questions for users, and makers alike.

1) How much treble loss is there when using the Tone Press? I ask this because after years of using one, I'm still baffled by some of the comments I read about them. I saw comments by Dave (here or at TGP) addressing this several years ago, but can't remember what he said. It seems that a FEW people feel the treble loss is so bad as to be a deal breaker on the TP. One friend of mine is emphatic that it cut so much treble that he wouldn't even compare it to other cheap comps. He has serious boutique gear, and is a professional musician (orchestra) who works in a music store. He owns or auditions more gear in a month than most of us do in a lifetime. He HATES the Tone Press. I've heard several other comments at TGP about guys who really liked them but said the treble loss was a problem.

The thing is, I either don't, or barely do, notice ANY treble loss. And it's not my ears. I'm into high end home audio and I know how to listen carefully. One thing I wondered, is there perhaps a small rolloff, but maybe the output being buffered has made up for that in my setup. I have used it with 4 different amps, currently an Egnater Rebel 20 and Tweaker, and an AX84 High Octane. The TP always sits first in my chain is is almost always on. After listening to him describe again his experience with the TP last week in another forum, I went home and pointed my speaker right at my ear and turned the TP on and off in squeaky clean settings with single coil pickups. The brightest setup I could use. I didn't hear it.

Perhaps with super high end pickups, cables, maybe even different speakers, it would be more noticeable.

2) To go along with that and my possible solution, is the output buffered perhaps similarly to a BBuff?

Or, am I magically going to get the answer to all of this if I upgrade my cables? (I currently have old Monsters for Guitar>board and board>amp with Livewire pedal connector wires.

[David Barber]

I have and love a Tone Press. I have several questions for users, and makers alike.

1) How much treble loss is there when using the Tone Press? I ask this because after years of using one, I'm still baffled by some of the comments I read about them. I saw comments by Dave (here or at TGP) addressing this several years ago, but can't remember what he said. It seems that a FEW people feel the treble loss is so bad as to be a deal breaker on the TP. One friend of mine is emphatic that it cut so much treble that he wouldn't even compare it to other cheap comps. He has serious boutique gear, and is a professional musician (orchestra) who works in a music store. He owns or auditions more gear in a month than most of us do in a lifetime. He HATES the Tone Press. I've heard several other comments at TGP about guys who really liked them but said the treble loss was a problem.

The thing is, I either don't, or barely do, notice ANY treble loss. And it's not my ears. I'm into high end home audio and I know how to listen carefully. One thing I wondered, is there perhaps a small rolloff, but maybe the output being buffered has made up for that in my setup. I have used it with 4 different amps, currently an Egnater Rebel 20 and Tweaker, and an AX84 High Octane. The TP always sits first in my chain is is almost always on. After listening to him describe again his experience with the TP last week in another forum, I went home and pointed my speaker right at my ear and turned the TP on and off in squeaky clean settings with single coil pickups. The brightest setup I could use. I didn't hear it.

Perhaps with super high end pickups, cables, maybe even different speakers, it would be more noticeable.

2) To go along with that and my possible solution, is the output buffered perhaps similarly to a BBuff?

Or, am I magically going to get the answer to all of this if I upgrade my cables? (I currently have old Monsters for Guitar>board and board>amp with Livewire pedal connector wires.

I can't hear the "high end treble loss" either, but what do you expect from TGP?? I gave that place the boot because of all the rumor trolls and horrible mismanagement (Scott and Mike are inept at understanding their own rules, in my opinion). I would say just find other more rational pro forums that are run better and enjoy your Tone Press, Guitar Player magazine did not hear the "treble loss", either did Electronic Musician magazine, both excellent mags gave the Tone Press their highest award.

TGP is famous for the "builder wars", there is plenty of negative talk from certain members who are allowed to consistently down products redundantly while pushing the brand they are pimping, it's a sales gig at TGP, even if they try to act like it's not, that's why you have to pay to be a "supporting member" to use the emporium. Have you noticed how many members there claim to be "reviewers for a blog/internet mag"?

[DreamTheaterRules]

Do you think something was wrong with the one my friend tried? I do, and have told him so. He goes through boutique pedals like candy, and he likes your other stuff a lot, but he said it was a BAD treble rolloff. He in fact bought the pedal (a trade in at his shop) without even listening too it due to my recommendation. He said he knew the guy he sold it too flipped it already too. I'm betting it had something wrong with it.

What I was referring too about about your comments... I remember you mentioning the RIAA like EQ that you like but can't remember if that comment you made was in reference to the TP or another of your pedals. In any event, if you tell me there is no rolloff built into the pedal, that's good enough for me!

[David Barber]

Do you think something was wrong with the one my friend tried? I do, and have told him so. He goes through boutique pedals like candy, and he likes your other stuff a lot, but he said it was a BAD treble rolloff. He in fact bought the pedal (a trade in at his shop) without even listening too it due to my recommendation. He said he knew the guy he sold it too flipped it already too. I'm betting it had something wrong with it.

What I was referring too about about your comments... I remember you mentioning the RIAA like EQ that you like but can't remember if that comment you made was in reference to the TP or another of your pedals. In any event, if you tell me there is no rolloff built into the pedal, that's good enough for me!

The adjustable RIAA circuit is my OD recovery stage trademark...until somebody else steals it like my adjustable parallel compression pedal idea!

That does sound like he purchased a used unit that somebody screwed up, there is no accounting for what people do to their audio devices before they sell them off as "lightly used".