blue box mxr 6 band eq vs. newer mxr 6 band

[griffid]

I think it was in the 6 band mod thread that someone mentioned that the guts of the older 6 bands were the same as the newer ones...is this the general consensus, or is that a reference to the blue box and blue box reissue? Looking for that vh1 ITO tone that some have gotten really close to. Ive seen a few blue boxes on ebay, but wanna know if its worth taking a leap of faith, or would i get close with a new one and a bit of tweaking...

[stusixtysix]

I've often wondered this too. The new ones have the added bonus of a bypass switch. guess there's only one way to find out

[Tone Slinger]

I have seen pic's of Ed back in the day, and yes, there was sometimes a blue 6 band there. Also, by the '78 tour, there was pics of a boss 10-band. Leadguy, as well as others , have noticed that these eq's were mainly bypassed, and in truth were really only used to bump up the input of the tone robbing Univox echo unit that Ed ONLY used on Eruption.

Ed's BEST tone (arguably the first album) would have been recorded under ED's best choice for tone,, in other words,, his fav. amp head (the 12xxx) and his fave 4/12 (which was said to be a slant cab) being cranked and variaced to his perfection.

Ed got his tone without the use of the eq, though live, a simple set up like his could present certain problems depending on certain variables, resulting in the use of an eq for only certain situations.

I have several eq's and can say that I hear Ed going STRAIGHT into a great sounding Marshall, because the blue eq gives off a smoother nassally type vibe that takes one FURTHER away from Ed's tone (Strat78 notices this too) The Boss ge-10 is much more usable, though still takes a certain 'ATTACK' away from going straight in.

Experience is the best Teacher so like stu said above, "Only one way to find out ".

[rgorke]

Tone Slinger is right, BUT, one can see Ed using the blue MXR 6 band in the studio for VH2.

Also, there seems to be a lot of variations between the blue eqs. The lettering on some is different than others, the caps used vary, so, as TS says, there is one way to find out.

I personally love my MXR blue EQ and use it quite a lot.

But to your question...I would think that the black MXRs are a better choice (some might say much better) than the Boss GE-7s.

The Boss GE-10s are fantastic but are a different animal.

Hope that helps.

[leadguy]

Those VHII studio photos are pretty meaningless.

They were not real and were just Zloz doing some publicity image making shots with imported garbage for the floor even.

[rgorke]

Those VHII studio photos are pretty meaningless.

They were not real and were just Zloz doing some publicity image making shots with imported garbage for the floor even.

Ok, let's think about this. I think calling them "meaningless" is a bit of a broad statement. Some, maybe even Zloz said they are "posed" or "set up" but do show a set up that has the band playing; cabinets are mic'd, headphones are on, etc. The set up was probably more of all the beer cans and having Dave and Mike singing next to umpteen cabinets.

If you are going to set up your gear to play, regardless of the reason, wouldn't you set it up to get the tone that you usually play with or at least like. We also see the echoplex in there, do we disregard that as well. You aren't going to go into a studio JUST to shoot some pictures. So, they "set up" the room for some photos, then get to work actually doing some tracks.

Hearing is extremely subjective and that is why there are many opinions on what and when certain gear is used. I don't think Ed used the blue eq on all of the songs and that is why he has it hooked up to a "customized fuzz box" switcher.

I really like my eq because it add sizzle to my tone without changing any of the fundamental tone of the plexi.

[nitro]

I dont believe that at all that those photos are meaningless,more rumours and BS.

[leadguy]

Goodness me, If anyone thinks that VH could record like that, all huddled into one corner of the studio then they should try reading some recording things.

The bleed over would be impossible to deal with and nothing is set up properly in the photo.

It would sound like a garage band.

Even the Sex Pistols could not record like that http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep04/a ... tracks.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They are just some publicity shots, nothing more.

The most useful thing in the photos is being able to see the back of Ed's amp.

[dazzlindino]

The new black boxers have itty bitty committee circuitry...only would matter if u were going to try to mod it...
the new black ones sound just as good a several vintage ones that I have......

[rgorke]

No one is saying that is how they recorded and completely understand that would not work. But, they are in the studio to record and take some pictures while they are there NOT take some pictures in a studio and record while they are there.

It does not make sense to set up your entire rig JUST to take a picture. It makes sense to set up your whole rig to record then have your singer come in and throw some cans on the floor and take some pictures.

[Good Guest]

The pic evidence speaks for itself regarding what Ed used....everything else is all conjecture and guessing ..especially when you consider Ed had many if not all his gizmos customized..which in itself says all assumptions are out the window as many are basing their opinions on stock products ,and we all know or rather should know Ed doesn't do stock anything.

So the differance between old 6 bands and new 6 bands doesn't really matter..what matters is what did he do to the ones he had...same with everything else he had...and if you haven't figured it out yet ..he is remaining silent on those details, just saying they were all customozed by Rudy or Jose.... except for possibly the stock amp theory despite lack of pic evidence to contradict it.

[dirtycooter]

I had a new mxr 10 band. Suprisingly it worked well to wake up my mojave peemaker. It took it to another level of grind and gave the ballsy mid honk it was lackin some more goodies and a bit more gain. But still, while an improvement in that aspect, it creates other problems such as increase in noise to a degree and and increase in volume, which with a 100watt the last thing you want is it any louder
But the attack didn't quite seem the same as being straight in quite, but having those frequencies boosted gave some serious smack to pick attack while being less......immediate I guess is the word I am looking for.
The more punchy mid thing was great though. It kinda solved the lack of that coming from my sd 59. But with a dimarzio super d, I can kinda hear where that p/u is more full and pronounced in this area of the mids than the 59 was. All while nit generating noise like any e.q. will.
I listen to eruption, and in that pause after the big divebomb and there is nothing for a brief moment, you can hear hiss that someone quickly pulls down from the board. Is this the e.q.? Univox? Amp noise?

You can't hear it in mp3 like you can tape or good c.d. copy, but it is there.

[leadguy]

It looks to me like the roadies just dumped the gear at one end of the studio for the photos.
The studio position VH are in, all up one end of the studio, is totally useless for anything and of course a photographer wandering around the studio taking photos is just what Ted and Donn would have liked while they were recording
I don't know when the photos were done, it could have been after recording VHII just as they were leaving the studio.

VH1 was probably recorded in a similar way to the Sex Pistols http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep04/a ... tracks.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as it's basically the Pistols playing and recording live just like VH but maybe Ed's amp was also in a booth.
Just replace Johnny Rotten in the booth with DLR and replace Steve Jones with Ed and replace the Pistols drummer and bass player with Mike and Alex for the recording spread out positions in the studio for isolation reasons.

Eruption would be the MXR and Univox and Echoplex and there is a lot of noise on the Eruption GH track when Ed stops playing.
Playing loud gets over the noise but of course the noise appears when the playing stops.

[Tone Slinger]

I think Leadguy has been right about a few things here, and I think you can hear certain things on the bootlegs.

For example, listen to the 10/30/77 gig. Ed has a problem with a cable shorting, etc, BUT, during ERUPTION (Univox engaged) you can hear a very 'slight' reduction in gain (maybe volume). You still hear those very 'focused' palm mutes on the 4-5-7 G string. The band then goes into D.O.A. Ed's guitar just doesnt have the same drive as the rest of the show. I think it was because he had the Univox engaged on these two songs. The next song was YRGM and Ed played the Destroyer.

Now by the '78 tour Ed got a sound on ERUPTION that was very slightly less focused and more hairy (like on the Appolo 5/78 Manchester gig for ex.). Those 4-5-7 palm mutes in Eruption had lost that 'zip'. This sounds like he may have indeed had an eq in his chain (but only on this track).


I think the studio version of Eruption was without an eq . I have only seen pics of the mxr 6 band from the White with black stripes era Franky. This would have been post 1st album. I think Ed started messing with the eq's to 'standardize' a certain live set up, since in '78 they (VH) were playing big gigs consistantly.



I also think that Ed's pedals were stock, like he later admitted.

[wjamflan]

This just never seems to stop. Take a month or two off and come back repeating the same old tired and disproven nonsense.

Ed had access to all of his effects regardless of setup. He did not switch to a different setup until AFTER Eruption. The third setup is for backup. The six band was in pics from the club days and was used extensively from the end of '76 - '79 (at least). There was no gig on 10/30/77 that we have audio evidence of. The 10/15/77 (nightmare) boot has audio evidence of everything I've just stated, including the use of the six band in other songs besides Eruption, as Dave F. has himself stated. Please stop perpetuating nonsense. It's really getting old.

Regarding the original question, I think the newer 6 bands sound just as good as the old. Those who say they don't think it brings the sound close to Ed's are not setting it right and have yet to produce a clip with the same tone shape as Ed's - period. They're only close in that they have the plexi foundation and some gain. Otherwise, no dice.

My .02.

PS - the only pics that are going to be ok are the ones that are LG approved