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Thread: Volume boost pedal question

  1. #26
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    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    I have talked with K&K several times about a preamp more suited to the mandolin/violin frequencies, but I think they think the market is not there. The K&K pre is definitely more suited for guitar. I have had the K&K, Baggs para, Orchid and RedEye. Been using the RedEye for a couple years now and the others are sold or sitting around. I liked the Orchid, but no battery and needed 48 volt phantom, so not as simple as no phantom, no problem the battery will handle it. Or a lower voltage phantom, and it will still power the battery pre's.
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  2. #27

    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    Yep, that's the other thing about the Red Eye--flexibility. I have played on stages with ample phantom power, and I have played with none. I have played when my battery died and we had phantom. I like the piece of mind knowing that it will work. The newer versions of the Red Eye also gain more headroom when running on phantom, and they already have a ton.

  3. #28

    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    This thread has made me very interested in the Redeye for both fiddle and mandolin, but I haven’t been able to find any videos for either instrument that is using one. Does anyone have links for either instrument especially with and without it?

  4. #29

    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Bradford View Post
    This thread has made me very interested in the Redeye for both fiddle and mandolin, but I haven’t been able to find any videos for either instrument that is using one. Does anyone have links for either instrument especially with and without it?
    You'd be a prospect for the RedEye Twin then. The RedEye works because of its very linear amplification characteristics. I had a chat with the owner/designer, and he said most pres need EQ due to peaks and valleys in their gain stage.

    It is all too true that the end consumer (audience) mostly could care less. Heck, from what I've seen, most players could care less.
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  6. #30

    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    I also use K&K pickups. I found that using an overdrive pedal with low drive (or gain) settings gives a very nice boost to the signal and you end up with a "fatter" sound. You can then use the volume knob on that pedal to balance it all. Some overdrive pedals also come with treble settings that you can also adjust.
    One other thing I can recommend is switching from the Para to the DI Venue. The venue gives you more control over the overall sound, comes with a mute/tuner option, and also has a boost button in addition to the volume and gain knobs. It gives you the option to regulate how much boost you want when engaged. It is a more expensive preamp, but it's one of the best investments I've made in pedals. Hope this helps.

  7. #31
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    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    Interesting to revisit this thread nearly two and a half years later. I bought a Red Eye somewhere in 2019 and have probably played close to a hundred gigs with it since then. It solved every issue I previously had with the Baggs DI and Boss EQ set-up I was struggling to use. We play in a lot of loud environments, and everyone plays through DIs, so I put the boost up pretty high but leave the treble off completely. I've received multiple compliments on the tone, including from sound guys. I always tell them I had nothing to do with it. My set-up guy did a great job installing a K&K Twin and the Fire-Eye folks made a great piece of equipment. I have recently become somewhat tempted to explore some more para DI options like the Grace Bix or Tonebone, but for the foreseeable future I have no plans to switch up from the Red Eye which has worked great and is so simple to use that even a guy like me who doesn't understand the first thing about matching impedances, wring, circuitry, and such finds it nearly impossible to screw it up.

  8. #32
    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    I'll often use a tube screamer with the gain turned down as a volume boost. Simple, very affordable, and the old green boxes are everywhere on the secondhand market.
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  9. #33
    Registered User Kevin Briggs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    The Red Eye gets my vote too, since you already have the K&K installed. I don’t use a K&K for mandolin, but I use the Pure Mini and the Pure Mini preamp for my guitar and it sounds great.

    On the mandolin, I use Schertler products, specifically the DYN-M and the Yellow preamp. It is not piezo technology so it is fundamentally different. The pick click and those types of noises are much less, although feedback can be an issue if you just have the DYN-M. The Yellow takes this into account and has a feedback reducer that works really well. It’s not perfect technology but I’m not sure there is perfect acoustic pickup technology. What I can say is the DYN-M captures sound subtleties and once tweaked with the Yellow sounds very good, natural, and rich. The catch is it’s about $1200 in gear. However, I’ve used them a ton for years and always love the sound. So, for me, at some point paying more is worth it.

    With that said, I think K&K makes great pickups and combined with the Red Eye can sound sound and perform awesome.

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  10. #34
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Volume boost pedal question

    Quote Originally Posted by Alex Orr View Post
    Again, thanks for the responses. I think I'll give the Fire Eye Red-Eye a try. I've spent a solid hour reading the archives and it seems to get universal priase around here both for its sound and ease of use. I've seen video of the TD and have read many threads discussing its brilliance...BUT...I am intimidated by the set-up process. Hell, the mic I have isn't even that great (a Shure 57 that a buddy of mine with more gear knowledge than I described as "a lemon") so I'm not sure I'd want to train a TD to replicate it.
    I like mine. Got it after a couple of others disappointed me.
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