Metropoulos Forum

Spent some time away from playing and hooked up all my pedals in my GCX rack unit.Hooked them up in this order:

MXR Flanger (vintage)
MXR '74 Phase 90 (reissue)
Boss GE-10 EQ
ClinchFX EP-PRE
EP-3 Echoplex

The GCX is nice because you can choose to have, for example, loop #1 turn on any number of pedals in the rack.

After trying out the EP-PRE, I've come to the conclusion that it actually REDUCES noise in the signal path.

The original Echoplex, while very cool, added a lot of noise. Even when the EP-3 was turned off, it actually STILL passed signal through it. Kinda like a pedal with a dead battery. Noisy, distored, ect.

I set my EP-PRE to around 12 o'clock. Turning the volume knob all the way down actually resulted in noise in the signal path, returning. As you turn it up, noise goes away!

I was hoping for a min there that you'd had enough of that damn EP Pre and I was about to offer you more than you payed for it to take it off your hands
What the hell has happend to Peter, said he'd only be out of action for a week!!! I neeeeeeed on of these.

I've got a GCX in my rack, nice piece of kit, been meaning to do what you've done for sometime... just waiting for the EP Pre

I am going to be getting one of those Xotic EP-Boosters. Its pretty much the same thing but you can adjust the bass and treble from the inside. Vanhalen5150 has one and he seems to like it a lot!

unfortunately they aren't quite the same thing. Peter of Clinch FX has confirmed this as well. Here's a basic schematic of the EP-Pre drawn by Peter:


and here's schematic for the Xotic EP-booster:
http://freestompboxes.org/download/file ... &mode=view

as you can see the Xotic has an output buffer, as well as bass and treble controls. it also doesn't run off of 18volts internally like the EP-Pre does, though I've heard it is designed to handle 18volts.

more info here:
http://freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7881" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

motrock wrote:Its pretty much the same thing

From what I've read the clinch seams to be the one to get, not read a negative yet about it.

I am just going by what some other people I know have said about the Xotic pedal. It will handle an 18 volt adapter btw! Trying to get one of those Clinch EP-Pre's sound like a pain in the butt. Besides... the guy is out of the picture for a while. Don't know whats up with that. The only thing I can do is wait for one to show up on ebay or something!

spaceace76 wrote:unfortunately they aren't quite the same thing. Peter of Clinch FX has confirmed this as well. Here's a basic schematic of the EP-Pre drawn by Peter:


and here's schematic for the Xotic EP-booster:
http://freestompboxes.org/download/file ... &mode=view

as you can see the Xotic has an output buffer, as well as bass and treble controls. it also doesn't run off of 18volts internally like the EP-Pre does, though I've heard it is designed to handle 18volts.

more info here:
http://freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7881" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, I just read that thread! Darn... looks like the EP=Pre would be better. Man.. how am I possibly going to find one of those?

Yeah, Peter's health has gotten in the way of production. It seems like he's in sick or in surgery every 6-8 months. I wish him a speedy recovery!

You could always build an EP-Pre yourself. Pretty low parts count, even with the charge pump. Search my posts for more info, as I've posted advice for people to do this themselves before.

Man , I have 2 of em'.. they are sweet...even on a 9 volt battery they kick.....somehow it takes your tone and makes it thicker...and not in some chorus kind of way. Just awesome....Thanks Peter.....

spaceace76 wrote:Yeah, Peter's health has gotten in the way of production. It seems like he's in sick or in surgery every 6-8 months. I wish him a speedy recovery!

You could always build an EP-Pre yourself. Pretty low parts count, even with the charge pump. Search my posts for more info, as I've posted advice for people to do this themselves before.

Well... unfortunately I am not an electronics person. I wished I knew how to do this stuff! As a matter of fact... if there is someone on this board that could build me one... or send me to someone that could build me one... let me know. I would like one!

spaceace76 wrote:Yeah, Peter's health has gotten in the way of production. It seems like he's in sick or in surgery every 6-8 months. I wish him a speedy recovery!

You could always build an EP-Pre yourself. Pretty low parts count, even with the charge pump. Search my posts for more info, as I've posted advice for people to do this themselves before.

I did manage to get most of the parts but haven't gotten to assembly yet. Believe it or not, I was in line to get one but passed it up when I scored on a real EP-3. Whoever was behind me in line can thank me

rgorke wrote:

spaceace76 wrote:Yeah, Peter's health has gotten in the way of production. It seems like he's in sick or in surgery every 6-8 months. I wish him a speedy recovery!

You could always build an EP-Pre yourself. Pretty low parts count, even with the charge pump. Search my posts for more info, as I've posted advice for people to do this themselves before.

I did manage to get most of the parts but haven't gotten to assembly yet. Believe it or not, I was in line to get one but passed it up when I scored on a real EP-3. Whoever was behind me in line can thank me

awesome! if you ever put one together, i think a comparison post would be in order, even if you can't record them.

The EP3 preamp is another piece in Ed's early tone.

It's a very simple FET preamp that colours the tone in a sort of 3D way.

Ed had 2 EP3 preamps on ATBL (2 delays on ATBL) and maybe had 2 Echoplexes hooked up for the whole of VH1 but mostly used just one Echoplex for delay while the other was mostly in bypass but the EP3 preamp is still doing it's thing in bypass or when the delay is off.

Combine the EP3 preamp(s) with the MXR Phase for leads and they would all be enhancing the tone.

It makes more sense to have the Phase and the EP3 preamps in front of the amp IMO as Ed said he did.

The EP3 preamp is pretty easy to make.

leadguy wrote:The EP3 preamp is another piece in Ed's early tone.

It's a very simple FET preamp but it just so happens to shift the phase of some frequencies therefore colouring the tone in a sort of 3D way.

Ed had 2 EP3 preamps on ATBL (2 delays on ATBL) and maybe had 2 Echoplexes hooked up for the whole of VH1 but mostly used just one Echoplex for delay while the other was mostly in bypass but the EP3 preamp is still doing it's thing in bypass or when the delay is off.

Combine the EP3 preamp(s) with the MXR Phase for leads and they would all be enhancing the tone.

It makes more sense to have the Phase and the EP3 preamps in front of the amp IMO as Ed said he did.

The EP3 preamp is pretty easy to make.

Well, lets have a discussion on this! I know nothing about building pedals. However... my dad is an electrical engineer! What do I need? Where do I get the parts? Where do I get the board? Input jacks? Is there a guitar pedal do-it-yourself company where I can get all of this stuff? Any gut shots of the inside of the EP-Pre?

I am willing to learn this stuff! All you have to do is point me in the right direction and my dad could build this thing!

Well it depends on how well someone wants it made.

Someone can design and build their own pedal case or just use a cheap already made pedal and use it as a shell.

Someone can design and etch their own circuit board or just use a bit of stripboard.


If someone isn't set up to make their own pedal case and to design and etch their own circuit board then it can be hacked together by using a pre existing pedal and a bit of stripboard and a bit of hacking knowhow.

Using stripboard

http://www.eleinmec.com/article.asp?11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The EP3 is a simple one FET circuit and designing a PCB circuit board for it is very similar to this EH LPB-1

http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schematics/lpbschem.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/pcbs/lpbpcb.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/pcbs/lpblayout.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schematics.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The EP3 is 18 volts so a simple voltage doubler circuit can take a 9 volt battery into supplying 18 volts or two 9 volt batteries connected in series also can supply 18 volts.

The parts are just standard electronic shop parts and a 2N5457 FET is one FET I've seen recommended.

It's pretty hard to explain to a complete novice but it's really not that hard either for someone with minor experience in soldering and playing around with transistors.

The pedal forums are the best place to go get advice.