NPD: TC Electronic 1140

[braintheory]

I made a thread a few months ago about how impressed I was with my Furman PQ3 (I have 2 now) and have since then also been curious about how the 1140 compares. At first I was preferring the Furman, but after a bit of tweaking and figuring the unit out, I now definitely prefer the 1140. It’s inherently more open, articulate, aggressive on powerchords, and the extra controls allow me to dial in things that I can’t quite get with the fewer controls on the Furman. As others have mentioned, it’s also way less noisy than the PQ3

The PQ3 sounds narrower in comparison and has less detail/clarity to the notes. The only things about it I like better than the 1140 is that it has just a little bit more warmth and a certain midrange juiciness to it that I can’t quite match with the 1140, so both are keepers for now. They’re both amazing units overall!

The PQ3 already sent many boost pedals I had packing including the standout, Timmy V1 and Buxom boost. I bet the 1140 would’ve sent ‘em packing even faster if I had it at the time. It’s gonna send several others I have packing now as well. I’ve owned over 100 boost and/or overdrive type pedals over the years (including the most coveted ones) and the only 4 that are staying now are the TC Electronic 1140, Furman PQ3, Coppersound Broadway and original Klon Centaur. All 4 of them sound super organic and like an extension of the amp rather than like a pedal or toy. Most of the others that have come and gone sounded filtered/neutered and toy-like in AB comparisons. The only boosts I’m somewhat interested to try now are the Highwind Direwolf and Nunez Tetra Fet Drive, but I doubt either would be a keeper. If any of you guys aren’t on a budget and want the best of the best for boosts then one of these 4 is the one to get (depending on style/taste), no need to waste time on the others like the standout, dragon, Timmy v1, airis savage, fortin’s, Cusack Screamer, etc, unless you need the practicality of pedals vs a rack unit. They will all sound filtered and uninspiring in comparison, at least that’s how it was for me when I did the AB comparisons.

I’ve found especially with pedals (but with everything really), that vintage gear tends to have a magical, lively quality to it that make 99% of modern gear sound flat and uninspiring in comparison. It’s amazing to me that the Coppersound Broadway is a current production pedal that has some of that vintage mojo. It’s not really well suited towards metal, but can work in some setups

 

[psychodave]

I owned the 2240 and loved it. Way quieter than the Furmans.

Have you tried the Boss PQ-4? It’s another sleeper pedal.

 

[braintheory]

I owned the 2240 and loved it. Way quieter than the Furmans.

Have you tried the Boss PQ-4? It’s another sleeper pedal.

I have not, but I remember on YouTube Lasse Lammert had a video of it boosting a JCM800 that sounded quite good. I’ll have to try one if I can I find it at a decent price

 

[Beandust]

I obviously need an understanding in comparing boost pedals to rack mount equalizers? So the bi-amp in the eq is the boost part of it? Your hiiting the front end of an amp or post boosting after the pre-amp with the effects loop? The added boost is clean head room or gain/boost?

https://youtu.be/OmBm2D9xEr0. This?

 

[braintheory]

I obviously need an understanding in comparing boost pedals to rack mount equalizers? So the bi-amp in the eq is the boost part of it? Your hiiting the front end of an amp or post boosting after the pre-amp with the effects loop? The added boost is clean head room or gain/boost?

https://youtu.be/OmBm2D9xEr0. This?

I’m just using it between the amp and guitar like when I use an overdrive pedal. It’s like having a really good clean boost with the output knob that can be shaped in many different ways with it eq knobs. What sets the 1140 and Furman apart from other ParaEQ’s like the Empress is that they sound more alive and inspiring, while the Empress one sounded cold and clinical in comparison and couldn’t get the same response or range of sounds

 

[Beandust]

I obviously need an understanding in comparing boost pedals to rack mount equalizers? So the bi-amp in the eq is the boost part of it? Your hiiting the front end of an amp or post boosting after the pre-amp with the effects loop? The added boost is clean head room or gain/boost?

https://youtu.be/OmBm2D9xEr0. This?

I’m just using it between the amp and guitar like when I use an overdrive pedal. It’s like having a really good clean boost with the output knob that can be shaped in many different ways with it eq knobs. What sets the 1140 and Furman apart from other ParaEQ’s like the Empress is that they sound more alive and inspiring, while the Empress one sounded cold and clinical in comparison and couldn’t get the same response or range of sounds

That's cool!! The vid sounding pretty cool too. I picked up this as you mentioned the boost result was better than the BB, which in 2 different amps I have tried it with adds a great deal of gain if needed. The clean boost from the 1140 seems it may add some gain as well? Volume is what it seems you get from a clean boost. So as mentioned I am trying to learn. Maybe using an 1140 or similar I can dump the BB and get a better eq as well? The eq from the BB is solid!! And all the eq in the loop* post was another reason I was checking info on your post. Thanks for the info

 

[braintheory]

I obviously need an understanding in comparing boost pedals to rack mount equalizers? So the bi-amp in the eq is the boost part of it? Your hiiting the front end of an amp or post boosting after the pre-amp with the effects loop? The added boost is clean head room or gain/boost?

https://youtu.be/OmBm2D9xEr0. This?

I’m just using it between the amp and guitar like when I use an overdrive pedal. It’s like having a really good clean boost with the output knob that can be shaped in many different ways with it eq knobs. What sets the 1140 and Furman apart from other ParaEQ’s like the Empress is that they sound more alive and inspiring, while the Empress one sounded cold and clinical in comparison and couldn’t get the same response or range of sounds

That's cool!! The vid sounding pretty cool too. I picked up this as you mentioned the boost result was better than the BB, which in 2 different amps I have tried it with adds a great deal of gain if needed. The clean boost from the 1140 seems it may add some gain as well? Volume is what it seems you get from a clean boost. So as mentioned I am trying to learn. Maybe using an 1140 or similar I can dump the BB and get a better eq as well? The eq from the BB is solid!! And all the eq in the loop* post was another reason I was checking info on your post. Thanks for the info

So you’ve got an 1140 now? If so, that’s great. Yes, it can add gain as well depending how you set it. I was very happy with the Buxom boost for a long time, but I always could hear that filtered/flat sound to it, like a pedal that maybe skimps on higher quality components (the VFE’s are the same way as are most pedals out there today). The 1140 should sound much more organic, lively in comparison like a vintage piece of equipment should. For me at least though, there was a learning curving to dialing in the 1140. I found myself, for example, needing more lower mids dialed in with it than I realized and less higher frequencies to get the sound in my head. With other paraeqs like the empress and Furman pq3 those settings didn’t work for me for whatever reason

 

[Beandust]

I obviously need an understanding in comparing boost pedals to rack mount equalizers? So the bi-amp in the eq is the boost part of it? Your hiiting the front end of an amp or post boosting after the pre-amp with the effects loop? The added boost is clean head room or gain/boost?

https://youtu.be/OmBm2D9xEr0. This?

I’m just using it between the amp and guitar like when I use an overdrive pedal. It’s like having a really good clean boost with the output knob that can be shaped in many different ways with it eq knobs. What sets the 1140 and Furman apart from other ParaEQ’s like the Empress is that they sound more alive and inspiring, while the Empress one sounded cold and clinical in comparison and couldn’t get the same response or range of sounds

That's cool!! The vid sounding pretty cool too. I picked up this as you mentioned the boost result was better than the BB, which in 2 different amps I have tried it with adds a great deal of gain if needed. The clean boost from the 1140 seems it may add some gain as well? Volume is what it seems you get from a clean boost. So as mentioned I am trying to learn. Maybe using an 1140 or similar I can dump the BB and get a better eq as well? The eq from the BB is solid!! And all the eq in the loop* post was another reason I was checking info on your post. Thanks for the info

So you’ve got an 1140 now? If so, that’s great. Yes, it can add gain as well depending how you set it. I was very happy with the Buxom boost for a long time, but I always could hear that filtered/flat sound to it, like a pedal that maybe skimps on higher quality components (the VFE’s are the same way as are most pedals out there today). The 1140 should sound much more organic, lively in comparison like a vintage piece of equipment should. For me at least though, there was a learning curving to dialing in the 1140. I found myself, for example, needing more lower mids dialed in with it than I realized and less higher frequencies to get the sound in my head. With other paraeqs like the empress and Furman pq3 those settings didn’t work for me for whatever reason

No sir, I wish seems, like a good item to have in the signal. I have a BB, and yes it has some disadvantages in some cases. But for being able to run the amp with less gain and retain the amps tone when pushed iits perfect. I agree I could do way more with a rack unit.