TIGHT/EDGE Boost: VFE Focus/Standout - Airis SD - Others?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Wanting to add some grit, slight gain boost, and really tighten my Marshall modded amps. Splawn, BFG, Friedman. I have the Buxom Boost and TC Spark Boost and dig both of those, but found out about the VFE Focus and Standout as well as the Airis Savage Dragon. Thinking to just try something different.

I don't play super Djent crazy metal. About as far as I go would be Black Album Metallica, Tool, AIC and Pantera.

I was really intrigued by the VFE pedals and then heard about the SD. Looking for something quiet that doesn't add a lot of hiss. I heard the VFE Standout is a more versatile, refined and quieter version of the Focus.

I know these pedals can really tighten for rhythm, but how do they do when you solo on single notes?

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[braintheory]

The Standout is incredible for what it is and way better than the focus. I wouldn’t recommend it though for grit or added gain like you asked for, but it smokes everything else I’ve had for tightness and attack including the savage drive. Once I got the Standout, I sold my fortin 33, grind and precision drive. The Standout was much better than those.

I’d recommend also the VFE Dragon Overdrive. It might be my favorite od pedal right now (and I also have an original klon and Landgraff if that says anything). I have a buxom boost too, which I also love, but prefer almost everything about the Dragon over it, except the buxom boost is still capable of more bottom end. The Dragon is definitely my favorite od pedal for playing leads of everything I’ve tried (I’ve owned almost 60 od pedals in the past and have 7 now). The Standout can be good for leads too (especially faster leads), but the Dragon is my go to. The Dragon is my go to for liquidy leads, more saturation, and growl. It can get pretty tight too, but not like the Standout. Both terrific pedals imo

 

[mchn13]

The Standout is incredible for what it is and way better than the focus. I wouldn’t recommend it though for grit or added gain like you asked for, but it smokes everything else I’ve had for tightness and attack including the savage drive. Once I got the Standout, I sold my fortin 33, grind and precision drive. The Standout was much better than those.

I’d recommend also the VFE Dragon Overdrive. It might be my favorite od pedal right now (and I also have an original klon and Landgraff if that says anything). I have a buxom boost too, which I also love, but prefer almost everything about the Dragon over it, except the buxom boost is still capable of more bottom end. The Dragon is definitely my favorite od pedal for playing leads of everything I’ve tried (I’ve owned almost 60 od pedals in the past and have 7 now). The Standout can be good for leads too (especially faster leads), but the Dragon is my go to. The Dragon is my go to for liquidy leads, more saturation, and growl. It can get pretty tight too, but not like the Standout. Both terrific pedals imo

Does the standout take a battery? I need to just get a decent power supply for my pedalboard.

 

[mchn13]

Wanting to add some grit, slight gain boost, and really tighten my Marshall modded amps. Splawn, BFG, Friedman. I have the Buxom Boost and TC Spark Boost and dig both of those, but found out about the VFE Focus and Standout as well as the Airis Savage Dragon. Thinking to just try something different.

I don't play super Djent crazy metal. About as far as I go would be Black Album Metallica, Tool, AIC and Pantera.

I was really intrigued by the VFE pedals and then heard about the SD. Looking for something quiet that doesn't add a lot of hiss. I heard the VFE Standout is a more versatile, refined and quieter version of the Focus.

I know these pedals can really tighten for rhythm, but how do they do when you solo on single notes?

Thoughts? Thanks!

I don’t have one yet, but as soon as I get an opportunity I’m gonna grab a standout, so my opinions are just that. It looks like you can dial it in tight as hell or a little loose, and as much output as they have probably more gain boost than ever needed as well. When I messaged him on reverb, he told me the standout is an improved version of the focus circuit.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

So, I'm still torn. Sounds like Standout doesn't add any grit or saturation, but it will add the tightness. However, the Dragon doesn't get as tight as the Standout, is this correct?

 

[mchn13]

So, I'm still torn. Sounds like Standout doesn't add any grit or saturation, but it will add the tightness. However, the Dragon doesn't get as tight as the Standout, is this correct?

Nah look up videos on it. It will add more boost than what’s available on a tubescreamer. I’ll try to find it but someone here did a video with a dsl and was just crushing!

 

[mchn13]

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=192632&hilit=Vfe+focus
Cheack where he has the pedal off for the first few seconds vs where he turns it on.

 

[braintheory]

The Standout has plenty of output or boost on tap, but even with everything dimed, the clean channel on my mark iic+ doesn’t get any grit or breakup. It just gets a lot louder, tighter and punchier, which works perfectly on the lead channel. The dragon can get tight, but not nearly as much as the Standout, but is my favorite for adding growl and saturation to my sound. I’m not sure if they take batteries or not

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

Hmmm... So, the Standout is SUPER Tight, but it doesn't add grit and saturation? So the standout doesn't act as a mid-boost pedal or OD pedal where it will help saturate a gain channel?

...And the Dragon IS an OD pedal that get's tight, not SUPER tight, but it will make an audible and pleasing effect in tightness, AND it will add growl and the saturation of an OD pedal?

Cheers!

 

[braintheory]

Hmmm... So, the Standout is SUPER Tight, but it doesn't add grit and saturation? So the standout doesn't act as a mid-boost pedal or OD pedal where it will help saturate a gain channel?

...And the Dragon IS an OD pedal that get's tight, not SUPER tight, but it will make an audible and pleasing effect in tightness, AND it will add growl and the saturation of an OD pedal?

Cheers!

I would say so. The Standout is more of a mid-boost. It can maybe seem more saturated just because of the added boost, but it doesn’t really add growl or hair to your sound like the dragon. Both pedals also have somewhat of a midrange thing going on that may or may not work for some guys. If you didn’t like the 33 or precision drive, you may not like the Standout. VFE has a 14 day return policy though, so you may as well try both and return them if you don’t like them

Also, the Standout doesn’t have to be super tight. It depends how you dial it in, but it is very tight with everything on it at noon

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

Hmmm... So, the Standout is SUPER Tight, but it doesn't add grit and saturation? So the standout doesn't act as a mid-boost pedal or OD pedal where it will help saturate a gain channel?

...And the Dragon IS an OD pedal that get's tight, not SUPER tight, but it will make an audible and pleasing effect in tightness, AND it will add growl and the saturation of an OD pedal?

Cheers!

I would say so. The Standout is more of a mid-boost. It can maybe seem more saturated just because of the added boost, but it doesn’t really add growl or hair to your sound like the dragon. Both pedals also have somewhat of a midrange thing going on that may or may not work for some guys. If you didn’t like the 33 or precision drive, you may not like the Standout. VFE has a 14 day return policy though, so you may as well try both and return them if you don’t like them

Also, the Standout doesn’t have to be super tight. It depends how you dial it in, but it is very tight with everything on it at noon

OK, thanks. How quiet are these pedals? ...Also, I've never tried the 33 or Precision Drive. Those seem geared to SUPER tight Djent sounds and I'm after something less than than. Again, Pantera would be as tight as I get.

Anyone try the Savage Drive?

 

[Devilinside]

VFE boost was awesome, but nothing has dethroned my koko boost.
It’s just perfect in every way

 

[braintheory]

Hmmm... So, the Standout is SUPER Tight, but it doesn't add grit and saturation? So the standout doesn't act as a mid-boost pedal or OD pedal where it will help saturate a gain channel?

...And the Dragon IS an OD pedal that get's tight, not SUPER tight, but it will make an audible and pleasing effect in tightness, AND it will add growl and the saturation of an OD pedal?

Cheers!

I would say so. The Standout is more of a mid-boost. It can maybe seem more saturated just because of the added boost, but it doesn’t really add growl or hair to your sound like the dragon. Both pedals also have somewhat of a midrange thing going on that may or may not work for some guys. If you didn’t like the 33 or precision drive, you may not like the Standout. VFE has a 14 day return policy though, so you may as well try both and return them if you don’t like them

Also, the Standout doesn’t have to be super tight. It depends how you dial it in, but it is very tight with everything on it at noon

OK, thanks. How quiet are these pedals? ...Also, I've never tried the 33 or Precision Drive. Those seem geared to SUPER tight Djent sounds and I'm after something less than than. Again, Pantera would be as tight as I get.

Anyone try the Savage Drive?

They seem quieter than the others I have, but I’m gonna play them again tomorrow to comfirm. They’re both quieter than my buxom boost. The Standout can get even tighter and djentier than the 33 and precision drive (if dialed in to be), but i don’t think it was intended for that it; just has the ability. It’s a versatile pedal. If you don’t need to get tighter than Pantera then I think the Dragon should be fine. I like my Dragon much better than the savage. The savage can maybe get a little tighter than the dragon, but I like the Dragon a lot more otherwise. Both these pedals though are sensitive with the knobs and need to be dialed in imo

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

I'm gonna throw a wrench here, but I just read the KHDK GHould Screamer is good at adding tightness, grit, and saturation, but it's not exactly the same thing as the VFE's or the Airis.

Any experiences with the GS in this application?

 

[maddnotez]

VFE boost was awesome, but nothing has dethroned my koko boost.
It’s just perfect in every way

This is what I came for. Idk if I would say tight, but for transparent grit the Koko is the best pedal I've tried.

 

[braintheory]

I'm gonna throw a wrench here, but I just read the KHDK GHould Screamer is good at adding tightness, grit, and saturation, but it's not exactly the same thing as the VFE's or the Airis.

Any experiences with the GS in this application?

Yeah I used to own that too. It was more tube screamer-ish. I liked the savage better, but the GS wasn’t bad. The savage was the tighter of the 2 and also more gritty, but the GS has plenty of saturation and bottom end. I don’t miss it though

For grit and saturation the dragon is still my overall favorite and it may be as tight if not more than the gs, but can’t really say for sure unless I AB’ed them. I also love my Thorpy gunshot and lazy j cruiser for saturation and grit, but they’re not tight at all and better suited for rock or bluesy stuff, but top notch for that

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the Savage. ...Is it pretty quiet? I'm not looking to play with tons of high gain, just get into 80's to 90s territory and tighten things up a little bit.

Cheers!

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Vfe standout is perfect pre distortion eq for an amp that has enough gain. You CAN however boost the input for more gain until headroom runs out. You dial in the frequency resonse to match your other gear.

Dragon is primarily the same BUT has a mosfet clipping circuit and can ADD gain.

I dropped OD pedals for eq with boost a decade ago. Again primarily high gain amps.

I first had vfe rocket then focus then standout as well as a plethora of other eq pedals.

Airis is a modified TS.

 

[stephen sawall]

The Precision Drive is nice because it has clicks as you change the bass. The VFE pedals slight adjustments made it sound different and could not get the same sound twice.

For my taste all these pedals just cut too much bass and made the sound too bright. I think they are great pedals... Just not for me.

The tightness comes from using a HPF with all these pedals. I have amps that are tight enough for my taste.

I thought about putting a HPF on my guitar to get these type of sounds....

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Precision Drive is nice because it has clicks as you change the bass. The VFE pedals slight adjustments made it sound different and could not get the same sound twice.

For my taste all these pedals just cut too much bass and made the sound too bright. I think they are great pedals... Just not for me.

The tightness comes from using a HPF with all these pedals. I have amps that are tight enough for my taste.

I thought about putting a HPF on my guitar to get these type of sounds....

I grabbed the Airis Savage Drive. We'll see how we go.