HOT TUBES
TUBE AMP OVERDRIVE SIMULATOR
At least it’s here! – The one device available which actually gives you the sound most sought after by guitarists around the world – the sound of the overdriven tube amp.
Not to be confused with the furstune type unit which gives a raspier, synthetic sound, HOT TUBES has a vitality which crackles in every note producing a razor sharp edge and a searing, full-bodied sound that is every guitarist’s dream. Virtually a STACK-IN-THE-BOX.
Operation
Plug the HOT TUBES line cord into an AC outlet. Connect your guitar to the INPUT jack and your amp to the EFFECT OUT jack. The DIRECT OUT jack provides a unity gain, buffered, low impedance output that can be used to drive other effects without loss of highs. THE FOOTSWITCH selects either the DIRECT or EFFECT jack. There is no power switch; the unit is on when powered in.
The OVERDRIVE control controls both gain and harmonic content. In the counterclockwise position, the unit acts as a pre-amp with a slight gain over the straight signal and produces a smooth, clean sound. The middle settings produce a “ballsy” singing sound with a great proportion of even harmonics. The extreme clockwise settings produce a raspier sound with nearly infinite sustain and great possibilities to play with feedback of the fundamental, octave, and fifth tone.
The TONE control can give anything from a biting treble to a deep, mellow bass, and anything in between. In the middle settings you get a rich bass without losing the treble edge. Whenever a sound is passed through a tone control, some of the body is unavoidably lost. The TONE BYPASS switch allows you to bypass the TONE control, thereby giving you the full spectrum of the guitar’s signal.
The VOLUME control controls the output level. It interacts with the OVERDRIVE control in such a way that as the OVERDRIVE is turned up, the VOLUME control should be turned down to maintain the same output level. It is advisable to turn the volume down before playing set the overdrive level and then gradually turn the volume up in order to find the most suitable volume level for your playing.
It is notable that the overdrive level can be controlled from your guitar as follows: set your lead guitar sound on HOT TUBES with the guitar volume control turned up. In order to get a clean rhythm guitar sound, all you need to do is turn down your guitar’s volume control.
A nice jazz sound may be obtained by turning the overdrive fully counterclockwise and turning the tone anywhere from bass to about ½ of the pots rotation in the clockwise direction.
Electro-harmonix
