Ep Booster Schematic

21-04-2021 by



Boost pedals are a fantastic way to add a little something extra to your guitar tone to stand out for solos or key parts of a song. We can also use them to boost our signal in a long signal chain.

It’s fair to say that every pedalboard should have at least one type of boost pedal but which type of boost should you choose?

  1. I currently have my Mosky XP Booster (a very inexpensive Xotic EP Booster copy/clone) in front of my other drive pedals, and it is almost always on. I keep it set very low, and I find it drives my other pedals/amp mildly, but in a really nice way - it just adds 'that something extra'. But today, I tried the XP Booster AFTER my drive pedals.
  2. The Xotic EP Booster is based on the pre-amp circuit of the legendary EP-3 tape echo; The discrete FET circuit allows a volume boost of up to 20 dB; The internal DIP switches allows for the selection of different boost frequencies and EQ settings; The EP Booster can be operated from 9 -18 V (power supply not included).
  3. Project description The legendary echo machine EP-3 pre-amp as designed by Xotic. The EP Booster provides up to +20dB of boost with shimmering highs and lows. The DIP switches let you choose the boost frequencies, and EQ settings.

The EP-3 circuit was modified slightly after serial #9450 to add a bypass capacitor to the FET stage. (There are a couple of other tweaks but this one has the biggest effect on the tone.) I made this capacitor switchable so you can easily choose between the two versions.

While people may assume that all boost pedals are the same, they come in many different formats, styles and types.

A few different types of guitar boost pedals are:

  • Volume Boost Pedals
  • Full Range Boost Pedals
  • Treble Boost Pedals
  • Mid Boost Pedals
  • Gain Boost Pedals

Before taking the time to rush into building a boost pedal, let’s run through a few different types of boost pedals that are available.

By running a boost pedal into your guitar amps effects loop, you can take advantage of a cleaner type of boost without any other tonal impact. This will help you boost your volume instead of pushing your amp into overdrive and impacting your guitar tone.

A few great volume boost pedals are:

  • Electro Harmonix Linear Power Boost
  • Keeley Katana
  • Xotic EP Boost

Full range boost pedals are sometimes referred to as ‘dirty’ boost pedals as they colour the tone of your guitar. These pedals will have a tone stack of some sort which will allow you to boost certain frequencies. This can be anything from a simple tone knob through to a three-knob EQ.

A great example of a full range boost pedal are the Xotic AC & RC Boosts.

First made popular in the 1960s, treble boosters are used to boost the volume and higher frequencies of your guitars’ signal.

Most notably used by guitarists like Brian May, Tony Iommi & Rory Gallagher to push darker sounding amps like Vox AC30’s or Marshall Bluesbreakers/Plexi’s.

A few great examples of a treble boost can be found here:

  • Vox Treble Boost
  • Dallas Rangemaster Treble Boost
  • Brian May Treble Boost

Boosting your mid frequencies can really help you stand out in a mix and Eric Clapton made his mid-boost a key component of his tone. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for us.

While you could use an EQ pedal to boost your mid frequencies or use something like a Tubescreamer to get this sound, why not build a standalone mid boost pedal for your board.

A great DIY mid boost pedal can be found with the JHS Haunting Mids.

As previously mentioned, you can put a boost pedal in your effects loop to boost the volume of your guitar without affecting any other facets of your tone. However, putting similar pedals in front of your amp will have a very different effect on your tone.

Placing a boost pedal in front of your amp will allow you to not only boost the volume but also drive your amp into overdrive.

A few great DIY gain boost pedals can be found here:

  • MXR Micro Amp
  • Zvex Super Hard On
  • Colorsound Power Boost

Now that we’ve covered all of the different types of boost pedals, let’s cover some of the awesome kits you can buy and start working on to help enhance your tone.

If you’re just starting out on your DIY pedal building journey or would prefer a build that’s a little easier to complete, check out one of the below kits.

Ep Booster Schematic

You should be able to complete these builds in a couple of hours as they don’t contain too many components and they’re fairly simple circuits.

The MXR Micro Amp is an awesome one-knob boost pedal that can work in front of your amp to push your signal into a gentle overdrive or in your effects loop to provide a substantial volume boost for standing out in the mix.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/product/microamp

Just like the Micro Amp, the Linear Power Boost is a one-knob boost pedal that works really well either in front of your amp or in your effects loop

Originally released in the late 60s, this circuit has been through a few different revisions over the years, but there’s one thing that they’ve never changed. The awesome effect this pedal has on your sound.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/LPB_Boost__Treble_Boost__Shouting_Bird/p847124_6164908.aspx

Based on the original Vox treble booster circuit, this pedal adds a volume control to help dial in how much boost you actually want. However, if you’d prefer to stick to the classic sound, you can remove the volume knob and run this as a simple on/off booster.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Vox_Treble_Boost/p847124_14539354.aspx

Ep Booster Circuit

Made famous by players like Eric Clapton and Richie Blackmore, this classic circuit has been shrunk down to fit on your pedalboard with an added footswitch (which the original didn’t come with).

The Dallas Rangemaster treble boost is the original treble boost circuit and has to be heard to be believed.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Range_Master_Germanium_Treble_Boost/p847124_7396874.aspx

Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You & We Are The Champions. Need I say More? Brian May’s guitar tone is legendary and his signature treble boost plays a good part in his sound. Any guitar player that is a fan of Queen and wants to get closer to his tone, needs one of these pedals on their boards.

Xotic Ep Booster Schematic

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/May_83_Treble_Boost/p847124_19972110.aspx

An incredible single knob transparent booster, the Super Hard On circuit by Zvex will push your amp. Hard!

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Boner_Boost/p847124_6343638.aspx

If you’ve been building pedals for a while or know your way around a soldering iron and want a bit more of a challenge, why not test your skills with one of the below DIY booster pedals:

Based on the legendary preamp of the Echoplex 3 (EP 3) echo unit, this single knob circuit will boost your sound and add a little something to really make you stand out. With the addition of the ‘Bright’ and ‘Fat’ switches, you can really use this to shape your sound.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/EPic_Boost/p847124_9589757.aspx

The Katana boost pedal from Keeley is a high headroom clean boost that is favoured by players like John Mayer. This pedal will also drive your amp into overdrive with the flick of a switch by enabling the FET & diode clipping stage.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/product/samuraiboost

The haunting Mids pedal by JHS allows you to dial in the exact mid-frequency you want and then boost it or cut it to really stand out in a mix. The addition of the toggle switch adds even further tonal opportunities for you to explore.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Spooky_Mids_Filter/p847124_18761368.aspx

For those of you who are looking for a real challenge and want to put your skills to the test, check out the below boost pedals which are a little more difficult to build. However, if you take your time and triple check your work, these will be very rewarding pedals to create.

The AC & RC boosters are fairly similar pedals but the main difference is the amount of gain on tap.

Ep Booster Pedal Schematic

The RC Booster is full range clean boost that doesn’t break up until the last few notches of the gain knob.

The AC Booster is slightly more overdriven than the RC Booster but still offers a huge amount of clean boost headroom.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Acti-Boost_-_Type_A_and_Type_R/p847124_10449859.aspx

The Colorsound Power Boost or Overdriver, were favoured by legendary guitarist David Gilmour and appears on tracks like ‘Have a Cigar’ and ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamon’. These pedals are essentially guitar preamps with treble and bass boosts.

This kit can be found here:

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Vintage_Pow_-_Colorsound_Overdriver__Power_Boost/p847124_7448353.aspx

If you have any questions on boosts or would like any further information on anything in here, please get in touch. I always love to talk about guitars and pedals.

PeteBoosterI have been a guitar and effects pedal enthusiast since 2005 and electronics tinkerer since 2017.Read More

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more... Gear • Reviews • Xotic Effects • Effects • BoostXotic Effects, makers of such pedals as the popular RC and AC Boosters, Robotalk and BB Plus, have graced the effects world once again with a small box that packs quite a punch, the EP Booster. Providing 20db of volume boost, the EP Booster is a FET-based volume booster that is designed to sit comfortably on the player’s pedal board without taking up too much room. However, after delving into the EP Booster, I discovered quite a bit more in the ways of tonal functionality.
The circuit itself is based on the preamp circuit of the famed Maestro EP-3 Echoplex, which was used in line by famous players such as Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. At first glance, one of the strongest traits of the EP Booster is very apparent: it is really small. The device fits easily on even highly populated pedal boards, taking up only 1.5 inches of real estate. The no-frills approach really lends itself to quick and simple volume boosting. Only one footswitch, a super-bright blue LED and a single control knob grace the front panel of the pedal, but more tonal options lie inside the guts.
After removing the back plate, two tiny DIP switches are located in the upper right corner of the unit, controlling top and bottom end response. One switch flips between either a high-end frequency boost or flattened EQ, and the other provides a increase in the low end spectrum. Using a 2009 Paul Reed Smith McCarty into a 1973 Marshall Super Bass head with a Bogner 4x12 cabinet, I was pleasantly surprised at just how effective the EP Booster was at shaping the overall tone. Not only was the volume boosted, but also the sound was thicker and more defined than before, with no overbearing frequencies. To me, it seemed like having the volume boost option on top of the tonal shaping was like icing on the cake. With the instrument coil-tapped, the boosted tone reared a grittier head, but kept the smooth definition that I had heard only moments ago from the full humbucking mode.
The Xotic EP Booster is more than a simple volume boost; it’s a tonal shaping tool that pushes out all of the right frequencies that are pleasing to the ear. Its diminutive size and easy use makes it a clear winner, but I would like to see the bass and high-end internal switches moved to the front of the unit. Having them in push-button form would be ideal. For its size and set-and-forget attitude, however, the EP Booster is perfect addition to just about any player’s arsenal.
Buy if...
You’re looking for a fantastic sounding booster with warm tonal qualities.
Skip if...
You need more features, such as built-in overdrive or an additional separate boost.
Rating...

Ep Booster Pedal


Ep Booster Manual

Street $116 - Xotic - xotic.us




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