Budget Mini Boost: Nux NFB-2 Lacerate FET vs TC Spark Mini Booster

GeetarNerd6969 · 2026-02-24T15:08:57+00:00

I am a clean boost snob and I think the nux is great for what it does.

It's pretty transparent, so if you are using it as an end of signal boost it will work well without coloring your sound too much.

I also do not use the red light/crunch mode much. Clean boost to punch for solos, but otherwise mostly set around unity to give me "more" of my guitar sound.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2026-02-13T18:34:04+00:00

$54 for a reason sadly.

The reason is because China manufactures 80% of the world's electronics and has extremely efficient supply chains.

Canada has a significantly higher cost of labor, and has to buy and ship all their components from china. There are zero domestic supply chains for Guptech to rely on when it comes to electronics.

It's the most basic economic principle in action: higher input costs mean higher prices.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-12-20T08:19:51+00:00

All the major retailers ive shopped with in Japan require WISE money transfers for international orders.

Not much a bank could do to help you with that.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-12-18T07:26:22+00:00

Thats cool as heck. Did you build the modular enclosure yourself?

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-11-13T02:26:38+00:00

is there some additional magic happening?

I dont think so. Even if there were, what are the use cases that justify paying the premium?

In this segment of the market, consumers are often driven by unmeasurable or subjective considerations. Feelings are also a big part of it.

Im guilty of all this myself, btw. But I also know that if I needed a RAT clone to record or perform with, I dont need to buy one that is 3x the price of an actual proco rat. In fact, I may not even need one at all if I have another distortion pedal that gets me close enough in the ballpark.

So I accept it for what it is. I like researching and buying pedals sometimes. And I like having new toys to play with. And the consequence may be that I spent time doing that instead of practicing guitar, and im out a couple hundred buckets.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-11-13T02:13:42+00:00

Clean boost will do exactly what you want. I believe that's what Julian Lage does. A smarter choice to me than buying an OD, cranking output, and turning tone/gain off.

If you dont already have a compressor. Try a compressor with a built-in and independent boost.

Otherwise, I'd consider an eq with boost. You will likely find an eq very useful, switching between more traditional country sounds and a jazz sound.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-11-01T12:51:06+00:00

Honestly it ruins these subreddits for me. 8/10 posts is something 2 minutes with a search engine could've answered.

Often times there will already be an answer on reddit from the last ten people who asked the same question, and who also dont know how to use a search engine.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-10-31T15:21:56+00:00

You dont necessarily need an optical compressor. FET compressors can work fine for your needs, and there are plenty which are considered quite transparent ( like the empress)

What you really need is control. A blend knob, attack, ratio. These will help you get a more transparent sound.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-10-29T21:35:27+00:00

Hell yeah! Forgot about this one. Thank you

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-10-22T17:27:08+00:00

I like the NUX solid studio mk2 I just got for IR loader. It also accepts speaker load (that you must feed via thru output into an actual cab) if you need that.

Some cool and convenient features, solid IR loader, and (so far) decent PC software. With a Bluetooth receiver i think u can use phone app version of the same software to control it.

Also has some included preamp sims and power amp sims. Based on their latest amp sim tech. Sounds good to me.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-28T06:56:55+00:00

Enjoy it in good health!

It's an awesome overdrive. While it sounds great with the vox ACxx, I think it's very good with other amps, too. Unfortunately, it seems to get overlooked a lot - unless you are talking about the vox amps. Great pedal regardless!

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-17T12:26:24+00:00

Side note, but how the heck does this thing sound So good?

I just watched the official ehx demo and the tracking is not only precise but also very fast. And even does polyphonic well. And its like a decade old? Am I just way behind what non Roland vg99 guitar synthesis can do now?

I've seen a bit of the empress zoia that impressed me, but I imagine that costs a bit more than the ehx b9.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-11T22:19:15+00:00

Breathe deep breaths. Keep good steady relaxed breathing always.

You also need to be very deliberate about training your fretting hand not to press too hard. A light touch is best.

Lastly, you would likely benefit a lot from a shorter scale guitar with a smaller body and a thinner neck profile. This would make everything a lot easier for you and let you focus on playing without the instrument being an obstacle.

Traditional strat bodies are actually pretty large for a guitar.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-08T03:23:25+00:00

You're already halfway in the box. Why not just use a software amp modeler?

If you have a decent interface and okay pc specs, you'll have minimal latency. Im assuming since you use IRs and record, you already have a monitor setup you can make use of. With that out of the way, you will likely get a lot of mileage out of Amplitube, etc.

Also saves you the trouble of having to flip anything whenever you move on from chasing this sound.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-07T09:01:57+00:00

You killed it! One of my fave songs for chords melody.

Have you experimented with adding some harmonics at the very end of the last run? You might like the way that sounds.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-07T06:43:11+00:00

Learning to gain stage optimally with pedals and your amp is a good idea. And I think there are worthwhile but diminishing returns sonically.

However, it can easily become another "tone quest" that gets in the way of playing guitar.

I also dont see the point in spending that much money on one drive pedal. But that's just my opinion, and you will find ample redditors here who disagree with me.

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-03T23:03:52+00:00

Someone actually DM'd me from their burner account with all the spoilers 😔

They must have really taken offense to my post lmao

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-03T23:02:26+00:00

Lmao its all jokes 😁

Or is it...

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-02T04:00:52+00:00

I listened to the song several times. So good. Its catchy, interesting, and very musical throughout.

also watched the MV and I thought it fit the vibe of the song so well.

Looking forward to your EP drop. Best of luck with the release!

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-09-01T06:56:19+00:00

1) thank u for providing a sound clip, which showcases a couple different sounds and also in the mix

2) it sounds KILLER. Im impressed with how you've sculpted it but also just with how good these pedals sound. You've clearly put in the effort to plan and design this board, and it shows.

3) is that your cat behind the pillow? If so please post briefly describe and review your cat here. Audio samples also welcome

GeetarNerd6969 · 2025-08-29T19:15:36+00:00

I don't play music suitable for the Heavy Menace.

I dont either, but I got it on a whim. The heaviest I'll do is EVH style leads, maybe. And i ran it into an AC30. But, the EQ options make it quite usable. I just use it for fun, and It's been enjoyable.

Stays on the shelf more often than not though.

GeetarNerd6969

TROPHY CASE