Boost Pedal Shootout: Fortin 33 vs. Airis Nemesis vs. Airis Mid Screamer

[FourT6and2]

Tried these boosts in my other amp (JMC800 Jose) and they rip. This amp gets along better with boosts. I gotta crank the bass/depth, but I'm getting that tight boosted sound I hear in videos now. The 33 is good, albeit only has one sound. The Airis Mid Screamer is really cool because you can tailor the mid frequencies that get boosted and it a thicker lower mid-range than the brighter 33. The Nemesis is ok. A little dark. The Mid Screamer can get the same exact sound if you want. Will keep the 33 and MS. Nemesis is going bye bye.

 

[dead-pan]

The Blade is definitely worth a thought.

I have one and the 33. The Blade can do the 33 and a ton more. I don't use the 33.

 

[braintheory]

Yeah boosts can be great if used appropriately and as you heard the boosted high gain amp sound is its own unique sound and feel in and of itself vs modded Marshall’s or already very saturated, compressed high gain amps that don’t like boosts

I’d definitely recommend trying a Klon type pedal. By far my favorite still. I like some things about those pedals you currently have, but for my taste they sound more plastic-y, not as organic as what I prefer. The klons to me come across more like an extension of the amp, but they still do ultimately sound like a pedal too as good as they are, not that it’s a bad thing

 

[FourT6and2]

Picked up a Fortin Grind to compare with the 33. Everybody says they're basically the same. But I notice a big enough difference to where the Grind is my new favorite, followed by the Airis Mid Screamer. The 33 is too bright overall. The Grind has... well... more grind. The 33 is just so bright and clanky in comparison. Not a bad thing if you set your amp up to be super dark with practically no treble/presence.

Grind is similar but has more body and more of that chainsaw sound. The 33 is akin to a wall of bright, clanky distortion. The Airis Mid Screamer is thicker, juicier, and more saturated. But not as "grindy" as the Grind.

I'll post two clips soon.

 

[mnemonic]

I think there may have been a couple versions of the grind, but the one I saw traced was one resistor different from the 33, basically equivalent of the tc pre with treble at 1:00-ish, or treble at 10:00-ish. I still prefer the regular tc pre so I have control over the bass and treble knobs.

 

[DanTravis62]

I think there may have been a couple versions of the grind, but the one I saw traced was one resistor different from the 33, basically equivalent of the tc pre with treble at 1:00-ish, or treble at 10:00-ish. I still prefer the regular tc pre so I have control over the bass and treble knobs.

Same, one of the reasons I LIKE the tc pre is being able to dial the treble differently

That's probably why I don't get along with the fortin versions

 

[FourT6and2]

Yeah I know everybody says they're basically the same. And I don't disagree. But the Grind and 33 I have here do sound different enough to where I'm pretty sure I'll be using one and not the other.

 

[griff10672]

I think there may have been a couple versions of the grind, but the one I saw traced was one resistor different from the 33, basically equivalent of the tc pre with treble at 1:00-ish, or treble at 10:00-ish. I still prefer the regular tc pre so I have control over the bass and treble knobs.

yup ...... one resistor difference ......... I've built a few Fortin Grind / 33 's ..... I just put the resistor change on a switch

 

[fearhk213]

Picked up a Fortin Grind to compare with the 33. Everybody says they're basically the same. But I notice a big enough difference to where the Grind is my new favorite, followed by the Airis Mid Screamer. The 33 is too bright overall. The Grind has... well... more grind. The 33 is just so bright and clanky in comparison. Not a bad thing if you set your amp up to be super dark with practically no treble/presence.

Grind is similar but has more body and more of that chainsaw sound. The 33 is akin to a wall of bright, clanky distortion. The Airis Mid Screamer is thicker, juicier, and more saturated. But not as "grindy" as the Grind.

I'll post two clips soon.

Glad the Grind is working out for you. I was hesitant to get too into the weeds that I'd end up overselling the differences, but perhaps I undersold them lol. They're there, but yeah not massive. My Grind is actually a touch brighter than my 33, but that could possibly just be the 33 I have or down to components variance. At one point I had two 33's and kept the one I thought was better sounding - it was the warmer of the two.

 

[napalmdeath]

One thing me and @SmuggNorris have discussed is the lengths a player has to go to find the right boots to match a given amp. Fortunately a lot of guys these days are making nice boots that don't necessarily boots mids or cut bass. I am not much of a pedal junkie but in the early 2000's I went through quite a few boots to find something decent for stage and studio. There weren't that many great options at the time.

Things have changed a lot since then. There are so many great boots offerings now it's mind boggling. If your amp already has a goodly amount of gain consider some lower gain boots like a Blue Note or as Brain Theory suggested, a Klon. A goodly amount of amp gain and a dash of pedal gain on top makes an organic sounding combination. It's worth the hassle once you find something you like but it might take some experimenting, some $$$, and some messing around for a while. Good luck brougham.

Right now, I'm using an EQ. My OD's are collecting dust.

 

[FourT6and2]

Here's an amp I just built, boosted with the Grind. I guess I didn't record one with the 33, but it's much brighter. Less grind and more of a bright clanky sound. And then a clip of the Airis Mid Screamer.