Electronic Audio Experiments OBSTRUCTURES 0xEAE Boost User manual

Technical Manual
0xEAE / Boost
Version 0
April 8, 2021
John W Snyder

1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the 0xEAE Boost, the first collaboration pedal from Elec-
tronic Experiments and Obstructures. This manual is an in-depth guide for properly
understanding and enjoying your pedal. Below is a bit of context. If you would like
to skip ahead to how the pedal works, begin reading at the Operation section on the
next page.
The 0xEAE collaboration began in late 2017, seemingly an eternity ago, with the
goal of creating an effects pedal housed in an indestructible aluminum block. Most
of our work, and that of our industry peers, is housed in die-cast project boxes of
standardized sizes, made unique through paint and printing. For this project we
sought to create an enclosure that is purpose-built as an indestructible object of
musical performance, blending Obstructures’ distinct neo-Brutalist visual aesthetic
with an homage to the iconic sloped enclosures of Sola Sound, WEM, Interfax, and
more.
The stark, imposing character of the enclosure inspired the direction of the elec-
trical design. In keeping with the spirit of maximum reliability, we developed a
modular platform based on an over-built power supply and a robust buffered relay
bypass scheme. Within this modular platform is a drive/boost circuit consisting of a
discrete op amp fed by a high-gain treble booster. The primitive op amp circuit has
an asymmetrical clipping waveform and produces many higher-order intermodula-
tion products when driven hard. The result is a densely textured sound in the upper
register, with a sharp attack and a massive volume boost on tap. A combination of
active and passive tone controls allows for a wide variety of tonal configurations. For
all the harsh tones this pedal can dish out, it can take just as much abuse from the
road, stage, and studio.
We are extremely proud of this pedal and hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading!
John Snyder (EAE)
Matt Hall, Brian Johnson, Nathan Matteson (Obstructures)
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2 Power and I/O
To power your Boost, use a standard, reliable 9VDC center-negative supply with a
2.1mm barrel tip. The pedal has a current draw of approximately 100mA when
active. An isolated power supply is preferred when using the Boost in a signal
chain with several pedals. Recommended brands include Truetone™, Voodoo Lab™,
Cioks™, etc.
The power input is protected against over-voltage, under-voltage, and reverse
polarity conditions up to ±60V. The unit will not turn on if an incorrect power supply
is used. Please note that all Electronic Audio Experiments products do not use
batteries.
Use standard 1/4” patch cables to patch the 0xEAE Boost into a pedal chain, as
normal. The input jack is on the top right and the output jack is on the top left.
3 Controls
The controls are as follows:
Master Sets the output volume level, from -∞dBu to an excess of +20dBu when
the Gain control is turned up. Use judiciously.
Filter Controls a passive, variable frequency low pass filter. Slide right to cut high
frequencies. The cutoff frequency ranges from outside the audio range at min-
imum to 480Hz at maximum.
Gain Sets the main gain stage from approximately +26dB to +46dB. Slide right to
increase gain.
Focus Input treble boost, from +0dB to +26dB for high midrange frequencies, with
a peak in the 1-2KHz range depending on the specific setting. Slide right to
add saturation and harshness.
Footswitch Activates the effect. Red indicates bypassed, green indicates engaged.
The 0xEAE Boost has soft-touch electronic switching with buffered bypass. When
the Boost is disengaged, your signal passes through a high-headroom op amp buffer
to preserve its integrity over long cable runs and ensure a consistent high-impedance
load to your instrument.
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4 Detailed Operating Instructions
When applying power to the Boost, allow the power supply about half a second to
stabilize. Once this process is complete the bypass LED will turn red. This confirms
the pedal is operational.
Start with all of the sliders centered. Press the footswitch to engage the boost
circuit. The LED will turn green to indicate the effect is active. The tone should
be relatively balanced with a light saturation. You may need to adjust the Master
slider to an optimal volume level. Use the Filter slider to set the desired level of
treble content. Slide right to cut treble and make the tone darker, or slide left to
increase high frequency content. At darker settings, some perceived volume loss
may occur. Use the Master slider to compensate.
The Gain and Focus sliders each contribute their own type of signal overload.
The Gain slider has a wide frequency response, producing a fuzzy driven sound at
maximum. It also increases the signal level substantially, so the Master level may
need to be reduced to compensate. The Focus slider adds a narrower gain boost in
the high midrange to tighten up the attack and add extra high frequency content.
Using these controls in tandem, you can achieve bright and cutting tones or a dark,
crackling overdrive. As before, the Filter slider can be used to tame harshness or
even concentrate the output into the low midrange.
The Boost responds differently when used with an already overdriven amp (or
when placed in front of a drive pedal in a signal chain). The high output level of
the Master control is excellent for pushing amps and pedals further into distortion
territory, and the Focus control can be used to keep the highs in check.
Ultimately, the best use case for a specific rig is best found through experimen-
tation. Different combinations of slider settings yield vast possibilities.
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Revision History
Version Changes
0 Draft Copy
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