I modded my Hot Plate! Footswitched Solo Boost

[BC Audio]

I gave my Hot Plate a footswitch-controlled boost. When you hit the footswitch, the attenuation goes up (down?) one notch, like from -8dB to -4. It works on any setting, basically like turning the attenuation knob one click to the right when you hit the switch. (The knob doesn't actually move; the volume just goes up as if it had.)

What do you think?

 

[stewboy]

Cool ideal.

Any change in tone?

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

You know, for the longest time i have played with the bright and deep switches on... I have noticed however that at -8 or less the amp sounds way better with them off and that it was actually adding a lot of ugly highs to my tone. Am I the only one who found that?

Great Idea though, but I imagine it would be better just to stand out for leads and nothing more seeing as you would have to go over to the amp anyway to adjust volume and would just turn the hotplate knob while there.

 

[BC Audio]

Cool ideal.

Any change in tone?

Thanks. With the boost engaged, the tone is exactly as it would be at the next higher setting. IOW, if I have the HP set at -12dB, and I hit the footswitch, the volume tone and everything is exactly as it would be with the HP on -8dB. Everything on the HP works the same as it always has - the Bright and Deep switches, the bulbs, the line out, the fan, everything.

 

[BC Audio]

You know, for the longest time i have played with the bright and deep switches on... I have noticed however that at -8 or less the amp sounds way better with them off and that it was actually adding a lot of ugly highs to my tone. Am I the only one who found that?

Great Idea though, but I imagine it would be better just to stand out for leads and nothing more seeing as you would have to go over to the amp anyway to adjust volume and would just turn the hotplate knob while there.

Thanks. Yes, the idea is a boost for solos, so you can be heard above the band. It's also great for guitar-only intros, also for those times when you want loud and clean: back of the guitar volume to clean up, and hit the HP boost to bring the volume up a bit. I am one of those blokes who likes to get the dirt from the amp (non-MV usually), where putting a clean boost in front doesn't give you more volume, just more dirt.

 

[glpg80]

congrats dude that is awesome - nothing like seeing your circuit doing its job after tearing into a project

 

[joepete77]

That's pretty cool! I always wondered why all attenuators don't have that option to switch between two volume settings. I have a ho attenuator with that option as he was the only one with the option then.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

what clean boosts do you like for gain in front of your NMV's?

 

[BC Audio]

I don't use a clean boost in front. I like to set the amp to just a bit of overdrive, enough to sound ballsy, but not so much that I loose dynamics. Then I kick in a dirt pedal for leads or high-gain rhythm. This is where the HP boost mod comes in handy - I can do high-gain at a "rhythm" volume level, then hit the boost on the HP for solos. You just can't do that with a single-channel amp and pedals in front.

 

[rupe]

Very cool...great idea. Is the volume boost amount about right?

Can you do the same thing to my Alex?

 

[BC Audio]

I think 4dB is about right. I have used various of my own home-brew devices for volume boosts for years. I was even working on a standalone product (it was switchable between 2.5 and 4dB), but after dissecting my HP, I decided modding it would be much more elegant solution.

As for the Alex, I don't know how it is deisgned, so I don't know if it would be possible to mod it. So far, I've only modded my own HP. My bandmate is planning to get an 8-ohm HP for himself, and I'm going to mod that one next. On my HP, I also replaced that rough and scratchy pot with a 10-position rotary switch. Not that I even use it that far down...