Zvex SHO like?

L

Larry Kehl

Inspired
Didn’t want to piggy back or very recent thread with a very similar topic – but wondering if I’m only one missing the Zvex SHO?

Now that I’m all in “the box” (here I mean the FX III- not the PC) I’ve picked up my board and floor stomp'ers at least 20 pedals plus switchers, cables, LOL I don’t want to go back. I also don’t want to dig back out my actual ZVEX SHO to insert into FX III (insert prior to Amp block). If I do that , then I’ll feel obligated to re-connect my Teese wah’s, and while I’m at it my BrontoBoost which was never off, ever! etc. and before you know, with my FC-6 plus most of my old pedals back out on floor I'd have a net loss of floor space not a net gain - LOL!

Call me lazy, stuck in a rut, aurally deficient, but I I’m having trouble getting that SHO flavor: “just short of completely slamming” front of Amp to bring them right to the very edge like I could with SHO. Still playing around and yes I’ve tired just using a volume block and the included “Esoteric RCB” ( I also use to run a RC but it was very EARLY in chain, the SHO was last thing just before amp) – again I am still "tuning" just waned to ask the experienced users for ideas (or Cliff to think about a SHO drive).
 
Hey, not sure if it was my thread regarding the Preamp/Boost pedals you were referring to, but anyway I’ll try an address your situation. As I was saying in the other thread, I’m a big user of clean boosts/preamps as opposed to drive/od stompers. I don’t have any hands on experience with the SHO but gave a listen to some of the demos on YouTube. Very nice sounding, I can most definitely see why you would want that in your rig, I would too. The Spaceman Mercury III is a highly sought after pedal that now goes for something like $1500 and ya can’t really even find them, I have the newer version the Mercury IV, which I believe just went out of production, maybe not, hard to know, he makes everything by hand in limited runs, anyway that’s not important.. But that pedal is probably close to doing what the SHO is doing with maybe a little more control over the filtering. It also want to be run at the end of the chain that is at the front of the amp. I also have the Atlas III which is a one knob Preamp Boost.
To be honest I haven’t heard anything yet out of either one of these pedals that would be enough for me to go through the trouble of incorporating them into my rig if I was not using any other pedals. If I was already using a pedalboard and had room, they’d be on it.
Now as far as what I use in place of these types of pedals, the SHO included, would be either the FET Preamp or SDD Preamp in the Drive Block. If you want that extra bit of sparkle that SHO sounded like it adds turn the Tone knob up to your taste. On both of these, they both add or can add a ton of level so use the Gain knob sparingly.. I usually find around 2.5-3.5 is pretty good, but that will also depend where you set the Output Level at. You can crank that up and bring down the gain or vice-versa. Also, set your low & high cuts appropriately. They are both defaulted to wide open, so the lows need to be cut to kill the mud & the highs to smooth things out. They both respond beautifully to your guitar vol pot, and can bring an amp from a nice edge of breakup to singing lead with just that. Spend some time with those., also if those are a tad too hot, the FET Boost & The Micro are two other ones definitely worth your time.
Another thing I use all the time is a Filter Block as a Clean Boost. Put that before the Drive block(s), I add about +8dB and set the low & high cut filters., sometimes I’ll add a little mid boost, but usually just the low & high cuts. This adds another bit of gain into the mix, and then ya still have the Amp Block Boost switch.
 
The FET Boost should get you there with some eq tweaks.

You could run a synth block set to pink noise into your SHO and connect the output of the SHO to the RTA block to see what frequencies it's boosting and cutting, and then apply these values in the drive block low/high cut and graphic EQ.
 
Yes Predicament it was your post (again didn't want to hijack) . But thank you and Leon (aka 2112) for suggestions - I'll queue them up and give them a try.


Leon just out of curiosity "2112?"
 
Last edited:
Larry Kehl said:
Yes Predicament it was your post (again didn't want to hijack) . But thank you and Leon (aka 2112) for suggestions - I'll queue them up and give them a try.


Leon just out of curiosity "2112?"
Click to expand...
Ahh, I never mind a good hijack, I know I’m guilty of doing it myself from time to time.
Hopefully you’ll be able to find that magic combo with one of the suggestions..
And btw, you can also use a ParaEQ or EQ block as a Clean Boost as well if ya want more control over fine tuning the boost tone going into the amp, ya just use the Level for your boost amount, up to +20dB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom