Any Turbo Rat love?

Johnnyseven · February 2014

I always hear people raving about the Proco Rat, but rarely hear praise for its younger brother the Turbo Rat. I personally love mine, I have 2 on my board. Anyone else feel the same?

Johnnyseven · February 2014

Just realised I posted this in the wrong section. Can a mod move it for me?

Johnnyseven · February 2014

I've worked out how to do it myself, panic over.

ICBM · February 2014

I must admit I don't like the Turbo, but I feel the same about the You Dirty Rat - silly name and graphics aside, it's a great pedal. I also much prefer the RATII to the original ('vintage') Rat, although a lot of people don't seem to make the distinction at all.

I find both the original and the Turbo too smooth and midrangy - I prefer the grittier RATII and the rough, 'violent' as someone else put it, sound of the YDR. I must actually get around to modding my RATII to (switchable) YDR spec.

They certainly aren't all the same even though they use the exact same basic circuit with just a few minor differences, so if the Turbo is the one for you...

Johnnyseven · February 2014

I've had a YDR too, it wasn't for me either - but each to their own.

Where do you stand on the LM308N debate? I swapped the chip in one of my TR's yesterday to an LM308N and it now definitely sounds different in a good way. Some will tell you the chip makes no difference though.

ICBM · February 2014

I haven't A/B'd the chips directly in the same pedal, but to me the newer Rats don't sound quite as good as the old ones - whether it's to do with the chip or other subtle differences I don't know. I wouldn't find it surprising if it makes a difference… or possibly if it didn't!

For what it's worth the chip in a Tube Screamer definitely makes a difference, but only at higher drive levels (there is a good technical reason this should be so), so it wouldn't be unlikely that the same is true in the Rats - and probably most people use more drive with the Rat than they do with a TS. The big factor in the Rats is the clipping diodes anyway - while there are a very few small circuit differences as well, most of the differences between all four versions is the diodes.

This is very handy if you haven't seen it already!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MESaAjA9MPg/UKUT8iMC64I/AAAAAAAAC_4/xuq0idDa59s/s1600/Multi-RAT.jpg

(Which interestingly states that the YDR never used the LM308N.)

Personally I don't like the newer Rats anyway because they use a 3PDT switch - the older ones starting with the RATII used a clever bypass scheme which allows true bypass and an LED while still using a high-quality DPDT footswitch. The 3PDTs are unreliable by comparison. This change happened around the same time as the LM308 was replaced, although Im not sure if it's exact, there may be transition versions either way round, although I've never seen one.

Johnnyseven · February 2014

Do you know if there have been any changed in the TR circuit, other than changing the LM308? I have 2 TR's, neither had an LM308 but one is an older type with the switch you mention and the other has a 3PDT. both have different colour PCB's with different layouts. Although i've put LM308's in both, they do sound different.

ICBM · February 2014

Not sure if there's any change in the circuit (apart from dropping the bypass operating part, which shouldn't affect the sound) but changes in layout can affect the tone as well.

monquixote · February 2014

I like the Turbo RAT. I wonder if it didn't sell as well because it was marketed as a 'metal' RAT when actually it is smoother with more headroom. It is part of the radiohead sound along with the shred master.

It works really well as an overdrive as you can keep it fairly clean with masses of boost.

I like the sound of the YDR a lot and is almost half way between a dist and a fuzz but it was so compressed it just didn't cut through live so I sold mine on.

Johnnyseven · February 2014

One thing I like about the TR is it sounds good through most amps. I'm not able to use my own amp when I rehearse with my band, so I rely on studio amps. The YDR sounded good through my amp at home but rubbish through the studio amps I used it with. Maybe it's the less compressed nature of the TR that helps it shine through.

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Any Turbo Rat love?

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