Byo

You are describing the journey of every person that has used a Meatbox, me included 🙈 The first time I plugged mine into my amp, I was so underwhelmed. I managed to get one of the OG models from back in the day, and it just didn't do anything for me... that's until I took it to a rehearsal and plugged it directly to the PA via a separate DI. BOOM, literally... Haha. That's when I understood where this shines. Amazing for pop, hip-hop, etc... gigs where you need to either step in for a synth or share low-end duties with a synth/keys player. I have never managed to get a good sound of it through my amp, I prefer to use an octave pedal or even some EQ if I need more support in the low end. It is one of the most misunderstood pedals out there, especially the 1st version, where each knob has weird names 😅

Ditto, same here. @Berserker amazing work!!! Gotta love those Tbird pups on a J. I've always wanted to do a similar build but with a Mustang body.

@maidens97 Martin just replied to an email I sent the other day. Although he closed shop in 2023, he still does a small amount of non urgent repair on selected amps/pedals. Definitely drop him a line, he is a really nice guy to deal with.

The Way Huge Swollen Pickle, which is essentially a moded Muff circuit, has low end and creaminess for days... I have used it a lot with octave pedals to create synth-like tones. Still want to get my hands on the Kasleder stuff, the Albatross sounds amazing... and I am now intrigued by the Freaky Stone!

What are you trying to achieve with the Meatbox? Only asking, as there might be something else that might do the trick for you instead.

Martin Owen, from Owen Electronics, was my guy... he repaired a few pedals for me back in 2017-2018. After a quick search, looks like his website no longer exists... His business email was: [email protected] Not very helpful, but I will follow this thread as I will also need pedals looked at down the line and without Martin, I am not sure who to go to either.

Forgot to mention that the general rule of thumb with the Meatbox, and other variants like the Mantis Density Hulk, has always been to max out the controls and let the pedal do its magic via the PA. Mantis even released the version with the EQ knobs inside the casing as users tend to run the thing maxed out anyways. Beware, you can fry a speaker and even a power amp section if you are not careful! There is so much low end content that amps struggle, hence the PA + Subs approach.

I can't answer for the noise you're experiencing, but regarding the Meatbox itself, I have always found it behaves differently to a regular octave pedal. I have always used mine on a clean parallel signal that is split from my compressor and goes straight to a DI and to FOH. Never in line with my amp or other effects. The intent behind the Meatbox, or at least the meta that Juan Alderete popularised, is to give you that ultra low bass extension that pushes the subs in a venue. Emulating the range of a 808 synth. The eq controls, as far as I recall by memory, were around 30Hz and 60Hz (I could be wrong), which will make any amp sweat a little if you are pushing them. This is essentially killing all your headroom too. Maybe the perceived volume drop is based around the frequencies that are boosted when the pedal is engaged. Not sure if you have access to a second amp or a PA system, but if you can split the signal into two separate rigs, you will really be able to balance your main sound and the sub accordingly.