分享:對Vox Ice 9的新發現

本文由 紫貓2015-04-02 發表於 "效果器、Amp、DIY" 討論區

  1. 紫貓

    紫貓 Active Member

    註冊日期:
    2011-04-03
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    最近在割肉換現金,賣了一堆效果器。前天在櫃子裏翻到一顆漏網之魚,是我本來不怎麼喜歡的Vox Ice 9。
    這是我剛摸電吉他時買的,以前不懂,所有eq設定都是從12:00試,試來試去,一直都覺得它的音色圓圓軟軟,說糊也不是糊,很難形容,反正不討我喜歡就是了。想說登出來賣之前,先找幾篇review給買家參考,結果看到這篇提供一些參考設定,抽空試了一下,我改變主意,不賣了。因為,調對了之後,它剛好搔到我的癢處,補到了我缺的一塊音色,amp設成即將要破的臨界,用這顆boost,要毛邊、要彈性、不要太銳利,統統都有了。

    說到底,原來是我不會調啊。

    簡單歸納底下這一篇,就是先從unity setting開始:gain=0, tone=max值的2/3, bass=0, vol=9:00,大約就是原來音色音量不增不減的樣子,以這裏為出發點去微調到喜歡的gain與音色。
    它的bass調整是pre-gain,和一般post-gain的bass調整感覺不太一樣。tone則是post-gain的treble調整。
    大概這樣,與大家分享。

    Vox Ice 9 overdrive review By Chris-hOT.v on 8/7/2011 on Musician’s Friend
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...itar-effects-pedal#pr-header-back-to-top-link
    (這位老兄在6/12/2011發過一篇riview,對這顆評價不怎麼高,時隔兩個月,評價卻大不相同,應該很有參考價值。)
    A Few New Tricks
    Comments about Vox Joe Satriani Ice 9 Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal:
    I have used a BOSS sd-1 for years, and this pedal solves the main problems I had with that pedal. The Ice9 can sound really smooth and fat at low gain settings (not "farty" or grumbly), and when used as a tone mod with your lead channel, it avoids that icepicky over-enhanced mid.

The ICE 9 also gives me a bunch of gain versatility. I set the cruch channel of my Peavey XXX at low gain, and use the two levels of the ICE9 for progressive amounts of gain. I tweak the tone and bass so that all levels of gain sound round and smooth. Kept engaged with the clean channel, it fattens and rounds out an otherwise sterile clean channel, and the "more" switch lets me bring up the level of my single coils to that of the humbuckers so my sound doesn't drop out of the mix when playing clean. This pedal is pretty amazing.

Before getting the ICE9 I was using a Radial Tonebone Trimode fro low/mid gain, which despite all the knobs and settings, sounded smaller and harsher than the ICE9. It also surprisingly didnt give me the same level of versatility. It was more of a preamp than an overdrive designed to work well with an amp's channels. The ice9 is much better. 
This pedal works like a normal 3-knob tubescreamer, excepts its got a couple tricks up its sleeve. The first is the bass knob, and the second is the dual footswitches.

Unity setting is to turn the bass all the way down, put the tone knob at about 2/3rds (facing the toggle), and volume facing west (9 oclock), gain at zero. With this setting, turning the pedal on/off will alter the tone almost imperceptibly. 

The two footswitches can be used for progressive amounts of clean boost into a drive channel. Turn the level up a bit past unity. If you set the gain low on your tube amps lead channel, engaging the Ice9 gives you a nice medium gain tone, and hitting "more" gives you a high gain tone. This pedal will effectively turn a single channel amp into three channels of progressive gain. I dont know of any other overdrives that can be used to add two levels of clean gain.

Used into a fender style amp, you can use the gain knob to add another gain stage. So you have the option to add an additional gain stage, or push the existing stages harder, for lots of tone options.

Used with a clean channel, the gain can be used to add the slightest bit of warmth (for a jazzy sound),or some grumble, all the way to a nice med/hi gain rock tone. When used with a clean channel, the "more" switch will add a bunch of clean boost, about the amount of difference between a humbucker and a single coil. So the more switch is great way to bring up the level of single coils to the level of your humbuckers, when used this way.

The bass knob is pre gain, so when added, it has a tendency to fatten and round out the tone. It lets you get some very liquid and smooth lead tones at apparent low volume. This solves the problems that most overdrives have when used at low gain, where they sound grumbly or "farty". This pedal is a smooth, low gain "monster."

The bass knob when used in contunction with the tone knob, it gives you a nice range of tonal options, although the majority of the sweep will make the tones darker and fatter. The tone knobs are not that versatile by themselves, and errs on the side of "doing no harm" versus ultimate flexibility. But together they are very effective and more versatile than a single tone pedal. When adding treble with the tone knob, it avoids that "wah mid" cutting tone you might get with an SD-1 or TS9, I think the frequency boost is lower and/or wider.

The vintage/mod toggle adds another dimension to the tone. In the vintage setting the pedal is more transparent, and in modern seems to add some mid push.
     
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  2. 聰明的木頭

    聰明的木頭 Well-Known Member

    註冊日期:
    2004-10-24
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    推個舊文來補充一下關於這顆的資訊:
    • Input > Input Buffer、Output Buffer > Output這部分是跟Boss SD1在常數構成上是相同的。
    • Drive跟Tone的電路是Tube Screamer系但Gain有提升。
    • 電晶體全部都是MPSA18,所以整體來說偏Powerful & Fat。
    • Gain段的截止頻率是340Hz與TS9、SD1的720Hz不同,等於低一個八度
    • Tone段是一般常見的Tube Screamer系常數構成。
    • Bass段額外添加於Gain段用來調整Low gain & 截止頻率。
    • More段使用MPSA18的Boost電路用於Gain段之前來調整Gain量、同時也對Tone段後半段來增幅音量並調整相位。
    • Vintage mode為1S1588x1&1S1588x1的對稱Clipping設計。
    • Modern mode為1S1588x2&1S1588+1N60(?)的非對稱Clipping設計。
    簡單來說這顆是強化過的TS-9,但截止頻率卻低一個八度,結果成了爆肥的Tube Screamer。
    會改成這樣主要是搭配Joe本身偏細的音色,所以我覺得搭單線圈會比雙線圈適合,也因為是TS系、推破音應該會比單獨使用好。
    或者也可以考慮Mod,國外有人Mod過後音色大提升,基本上TS系應該也不會太難改,有興趣的人可以試看看。
     
    Last edited: 2016-12-20
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  3. 紫貓

    紫貓 Active Member

    註冊日期:
    2011-04-03
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    感謝木頭兄詳細解說,很棒的資訊!
     
  4. 聰明的木頭

    聰明的木頭 Well-Known Member

    註冊日期:
    2004-10-24
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    我也是剛好朋友把這顆借放在我這裡,才會對這顆有興趣進而去搜尋資訊。

    不喜歡它過多低頻的人可以這樣改看看,日本那邊的改法是這樣:http://dinkiest.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-101.html
    • C447nF(ECQ-V?) → 100nF(ECQ-V)
    • C110.22uF(ELNA RE2?) → 0.33uF(鉭質電容)
    • C130.47uF(ELNA RE2?) → 0.22uF(鉭質電容)
    • C110: 無→ 100uF(電解電容)&0.1uF(積層陶瓷電容)追加
    • D51S1588 x1 → 1N4148 x3
    • D61S1588 x1 → 1S1588 x2
    • 其它電解電容: ELNA RE2? → 鉭質電容&Sprague 517DNichicon MW
    重點在C13,它把原本較低的截止頻率調回到一般TS系的720Hz,砍不夠的部分則在拉低"輸入部分C4"跟"Bass增幅部分C11"的下限來填補。
     
    Last edited: 2016-12-26

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