Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Xotic Effects Essentials - Personal Capsule Collection
So there are 8 pedals featured here, while I own those mini pedals in the top row in duplicate - with both original unadulterated editions and the Alchemy Audio Modded ones featured (with dip-switches externalised as toggles) - so in truth I own 11 Xotic pedals overall!
The second key fact here is that most of the overdrives here are derived from the original AC Booster circuit - Xotic’s original Smooh Overdrive - now in expanded V2 edition (It apparently gets its moniker from the Vox AC30). The ’Booster’ monikers here are something of a misnomer really - as all those pedals are really mostly and principally different editions of overdrive - exemplified by the fact that several of these have a further ’Boost’ Channel / Function..
The RC Booster (’Rig Conductor’ supposedly) was initially developed as a much requested higher headroom version of the AC - which was then also significantly lower gain overall in its core nature. Then we have the BB Preamp (Big British Stack) edition which came about as Scott Henderson loved using the AC Booster with his humbucker-loaded guitar, where he wanted a similar impact for his signature Single Coil guitar - and hence Xotic made a higher-gain beefier take of their AC Booster to make Scott Henderson’s Single Coils sing like his Humbuckers!
And then we have the 4th AH / Allen Hinds Booster iteration / variation - where Allen preferred having less compression in the mix - where the AH setting on the Compression switch cuts the Compression. Cutting the compression makes for a significantly softer variant (less bite). This means the AH, BB, and RC were all derived in some way from the original AC Booster circuit. There are parts differences that took place also - meaning you get 4 distinct styles of overdrive - each with their own distinct character.
And I’ve ended up getting each of those classics. As my BB Preamp is the Custom Mid-Boost edition - it does overlap a little with the Soul Driven - while the Soul Driven is a much smoother experience - with the BB MB significantly more textured!
With the exception of the Soul Driven - these are all somewhat extended range and custom editions!
I had already decided I wanted the new AC Booster V2, and I decided at around the same time - that I should complete the set with the AH / Allen Hinds Booster too - which I acquired from Thomann for a very good price! The AC Booster V2 came from Andertons - where I felt I had to chase them up more than once as it was a delayed pre-order. There have been occasions when Andertons has sold those recently arrived pedals to later customers - as some of the pre-orders have been overlooked - it’s happened once or twice to me over the years - and I was determined it would no happen again!
Both those pedals landed in the nick of time, in fact the Thomann one arrived before the AC V2 - as the latter was obviously held up;
Here listed are the 8 Essential Xotic Effects pedals as far as I’m concerned. :
- SP Compressor Alchemy Audio Modded Edition (Ross OTA Compressor) - $184 > $147 +$70 Alchemy
- EP Booster Alchemy Audio Modded Edition (Echoplex Preamp Boost) - $162 < $139 +$60 Alchemy
- SL Drive Plexi Alchemy Audio Modded Edition (Super Lead / Super Bass Plexi) - $174 > $139+$70 Alchemy
- AC Booster V2 Smooth Overdrive - $225 > $180
- AH Booster / Allen Hinds Smooth Overdrive - Compression Fine-Tune Edition - $265 > $212
- BB Preamp MB Mid Boost Custom - Higher Gain / Crunchy / Harmonic Overdrive - discontinued - c$225 when new
- RC Booster V2 Lower Gain Dual-Boost Smooth Drive - $225 > $180
- Soul Driven Mid Boost Overdrive - $225 > $180
Those 8 are my chosen favourites, and are all now in the reference collection, I’ve considered the two more recent boosters - the Super Sweet, and Super Clean Buffer. I already have my preferred buffer of choice - the Sitek Cristal (x2) - so I don’t need another buffer, and I’m not sure how useful the Super Sweet would before me - without a single knob!
There are some very fetching editions of the core Mini Trifecta - with silver / mirror-like facias currently - while I would only get those personally as Alchemy Audio Modded editions - or wait for when Xotic externalise those dip-switches also!
The latest AC Booster V2 has 4 external dippers - which are fine - I kind of prefer the toggles though - they’re easier to use and more visible. While the slightly older AH Booster has 2 internal dippers still - which I mostly have set in the up / boosted positions!
There are some further discontinued signature artists editions which are interesting - and for which I may pick up one or two much much later on. For now I’m satisfied that I have all the Xotics I need!
Furter details below on each device! :
SP Compressor Alchemy Audio Modded Edition - $184 > $147 +$70 Alchemy
Controls - Volume, Blend, Sustain / Compression : Hi / Lo / Mid.
Dips / Side-Switches - 1. Attack / Release 1 | 2. Attack / Release 2 (Off is longer, On is shorter) | 3. High Cut Filter | 4. Input Pad / Low Cut.
A cool Ross-style OTA Compressor - my very first compressor actually - before it got replaced by the similar but more expanded Wampler Ego Mini - and then a long lineage of excellent editions - including the Jackson Audio Bloom, and Becos FX CompIQ Pro Stella in partcular, and now twith a brace of DryBell Compressors in the chain!. The SP Compressor is a great little first / mini-board compressor - a really cool somewhat transparent Ross / Keeley / Wampler Ego type!
EP Booster Alchemy Audio Modded Edition (Echoplex style) - $162 < $139 +$60 Alchemy
Controls - Single Gain Knob (+3dB)
Dips / Side-Switches - 1. ↑ +3dB | 2. ↑ Bright Switch.
By chance - my very first boost pedal too - long before I discovered the further delights of Germanium Boosters. This boost adds a good degree of warmth and dynamics - a proper tone-enhancer for sure!
SL Drive Plexi Alchemy Audio Modded Edition - $174 > $139+$70 Alchemy
Controls - Drive, Tone, Volume.
Dips / Side-Switches - ↑↓↓↑ : Super Lead | ↑↓↑↑ : Super Lead High/Mid Cut | ↑↑↓↓ : Super Lead + More Highs | ↓↓↓↑ : Super Bass.
My favourite Mini Plexi - delivers superb Super Lead and Super Bass voicings - and for me it's essential to have those switches on the outside - to be able to rapidly tweak and tune things up - I use those toggles a lot! This is a really rich and punchy sounding Plexi - surprisingly good for its size!
AC Booster Smooth Overdrive V2 - $225 > $180
Controls - Gain, Boost, Treble, Volume, Bass.
Side / Dip-Switches - 1. : Add Compression | 2. : ↑ On is Classic - 2 ↓ Off is Modern | 3. ↑ is Lo Mid Boost | and 4. ↑ is Hi Mid Boost.
The V2 edition is excellent - it is smooth and sustaining with a definite degree of AC30 chime and sparkle. Now in an even more piton V2 Added Booster edition - with 4 easily accessibly shaping Dippers on the side. This is a wonderful overdrive - slightly Screamer esque in some regards - with plenty of bite and even a degree of presence sizzle. I did not feel the need to deploy any of the Dippers here. On both this one and the Allen Hinds I end to have the Bass up quite a bit, with the Treble rather knocked back - more of that for the AH edition! The additional Booster here takes this pedal into eve more expanded territory - if you only have one of the overdrives - then this is probably the handiest version overall - where the others are rather more specialist in application.
AH Booster / Allen Hinds Smooth Overdrive - Compression Edition - $265 > $212
Controls - Gain, Treble, Volume, Compression : Normal (Some) / Comp Off / Comp On (Lots), Bass
Internal EQ Dips - ↓↓ : Boost Off / Flat | ↓↑ : Presence Boost >4.8kHz | ↑↓ : Treble Boost >2.4kHz |↑↑ : Treble Boost >1.5kHz
For the Compression - I tend to prefer the Allen Hinds No Compression Middle Setting. Minus the compression the circuit renders somewhat softer, even more smoother, and with a somewhat rolled-off top end - much less Bite by default than the others. This is the Smoothest / Softest variant of the circuit - and you can power it at 18V for even more headroom. I tend to offset the dampening effect on the circuit by engage both the internal Booster Dip-Swiches - and then I roll the Treble control back to around 9 o'c. Adding in more Treble and Presence Boost gives you more bite obviously. I like the soft smooth approach - but want better controls of hose highs - and hence they are augmented for my preferred settings. This is a really interesting variant of the AC family - I find I have use for all 4 of them - while I mostly lean into the AC V2 and BB MB Preamp!
BB MiB Mid-Boosted Preamp Higher Gain / Crunchy / Harmonic Overdrive - discontinued! - c$225 when new!
Controls - Gain, Mid Boost, Treble, Volume, Bass.
I see this harmonic / crunchy overdrive as being along somewhat similar lines to a Blues Driver - really chunky, deep, and rich sounding overdrive - one of my favourite stand-ins for a BD-2 in many ways. Has a wonderful crunch to it! It also adds in some really cool harmonics - and is more textured than the other smoother overdrives featured here!
RC Booster V2 Lower Gain Smooth Drive - $225 > $180
Controls - Gain 1, Gain 2, Treble, Volume, Bass, Gain 1+2 Footswitch, Bypass Footswitch.
This is a classic Low Gain overdrive / Dual Boost - somewhat adjacent to say a Greer Ligtspeed - really elegant and tasteful - and one that you can ramp up nicely courtesy of the Gain 2 control and Footswitch. Really smart Smooth Boost / Overdrive - for those who like more Headroom and slightly lower gain overall!
Soul Driven Mid Boost Smooth Overdrive - $225 > $180
Controls - Gain, Tone, Volume, Mid Boost.
There's a slight degree of overlap here between this and my also Custom MB Mid Boosted BB Preamp - but that one is quite a bit more textured and crunchier - while the Soul Driven fully retains its smoothness throughout. At lower gain settings the Soul Driven and BB Preamp can sound a bit similar - but as soon as you crank the gain - they become distinctly different - smooth vs textured etc! The AH Booster is softer than this, but weirdly not necessarily smoother - this one always felt particularly smooth to me! I guess it's all by degrees here really. I feel the need to own all the variations - while others might just make do with their one or two favourites from this selection! Regardless though - these are all pretty impressive - some will obviously appeal more typical types of players - while the original AC Booster - here in V2 edition is probably the most universal of those smooth overdrive types!
