JUNIORVERB DELUXE PLUS

JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ (JUNIORVERB DELUXE PLUS)

The JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ is based on the JUNIORVERB DELUXE guitar “amp in a box” module. The “plus” version allows you to tweak some of the “under the hood” settings for even more tones!

JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ handles mono or stereo inputs / outputs, and the stereo image is maintained throughout. If you’re using a guitar, route it to the left or right input, and use both outputs in stereo to get a room sound “spread” effect.

As you’ll most likely be using JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ with an electric guitar, we’ve added a handy monitor LED next to the input jacks. For optimal setup, the LED should typically only be blue if you’re playing otherwise too much background noise is being amplified - in which case reduce your input level. Also, the LED should only flash red when your playing is at its hardest / most aggressive. If the LED is red nearly all the time, then again, back off your input level.

The left side of the interface is very similar to the standard version (*), and with everything on the right side at the default settings, the standard and plus version will sound exactly the same.

Let’s focus on the left hand side first. If you’re familiar with the standard version, you can skip this bit!

(*) The standard version currently does not have switchable reverb and ADT processing.

The POWER switch toggles JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ between active and bypass mode.

Next up, we have a CAB SIM switch. When lit, this brings in our guitar cabinet simulator designed to mimic the frequency response of a guitar speaker.

BUZZ KILL. This is a noise reduction system aimed specifically at mains hum, switchable between 50 and 60Hz depending on where you are in the world. Due to the way it works, you might have to tweak your tone controls to compensate for the offending buzzy frequencies being attenuated. The centre position bypasses the noise reduction. Please note, if you’re using a humbucker pickup guitar, you’re unlikely to need this function.

BOOST is a switchable boost. Increasing this control also increases the amount of overdrive.

VOLUME is a master volume control designed to mimic the dynamics of a tube amp. Depending on the type of guitar you use, the sound will stay reasonably clean up until around half way, then break-up in a fairly undignified way!

The BASS and TREBLE controls are based on a fairly traditional guitar amp tone stack. Please note that as per the amp on which the JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ was based, the overall tone is slightly scooped around the midrange.

The switch in the centre of the BASS and TREBLE controls can be used to bypass the tone stack entirely when not lit.

The TREMOLO has a dedicated ramped / soft bypass switch and SPEED and DEPTH controls.

REVERB adds a spring reverb effect, which is also switchable. Just like an amp, the reverb feeds into the “power amp” so will distort if you really push the volume. We think this can sound great!

ROOM allows you to bring in a bit of ambience, adding to the illusion of a guitar amp in an actual physical space. This control also helps spread your sound out a bit, avoiding that “pin point” / dead-centre DI type effect.

The SMALL / MEDIUM / LARGE switch sets the size and damping characteristics of the ROOM ambience, from recording booth to large hall.

ADT adds a subtle amount of stereo simulated “automatic double tracking” processing.

Attention tweakers, now we take a look at the controls on the right side!

The SPEAKER section allows you to change the SIZE and CHARACTER of the CAB SIM guitar speaker. Typically, larger speakers have more low end and smaller speakers tend to sound a bit brighter. Again, generally speaking, US speakers can be a bit brighter with a “relaxed” midrange, whereas British speakers can often be “warmer” with a more aggressive or focussed midrange response.

The BOOST switch toggles between a DRIVE or PEDAL type boost. In DRIVE mode, this is similar to having additional gain applied at the preamp stage in a master volume amp. The PEDAL boost is based on a famous green overdrive pedal and also boosts midrange.

BREAKUP mode determines the onset and amount of “power amp” distortion and is inspired by the cleaner “Silverface” amps of the 60’s vs. the dirtier grind of “Tweed” combos from the 50’s.

SAG, when switched on, is an effect similar to compression and in a real amp, is caused by the power supply struggling to deliver maximum power on initial transients, which results in a “sag” effect after the initial attack, then a recovery “bloom” phase similar to a compressor with a slow attack and release.

AMOUNT varies the amount of compression / sag. The LED above the switch will light when “sagging”.

RECOVERY sets the release time of the sag effect from 100-2000ms. At high gain and SAG AMOUNT settings, this is the time it takes for chords to “bloom”. It can take a little while to dial-in properly, but we think the results can be very rewarding and tube amp-like!

The TREMOLO L/R PHASE knob varies the phase of the right channel tremolo relative to the left. At the minimum default setting, both channels are in phase. As you increase the amount, the right channel phase is shifted gradually, up to 180 degrees, i.e. totally out of phase. The resulting stereo effect ranges from subtle to dramatic! The speed of the tremolo will also appear to double when L/R PHASE is set to maximum.

TREMOLO SHAPE varies the modulation waveform from triangle (left) to smooth vintage (centre) and choppy square to the right.

REVERB SIZE varies the virtual length of the spring reverb tank between short (S) medium (M) and long (L).

The REVERB ORDER switch changes the position of the reverb to either before the tremolo (left) or after the tremolo (right). Vintage amps typically have the tremolo after the reverb although more recent conventions tend to have reverb last in the chain.

The REVERB TONE knob controls the brightness of the reverb effect. As the control is turned down, the reverb becomes darker, with less high frequency content.

The switchable FX LOOP allows additional effects to be added via the send (SND) and return (RTN) jacks to the signal chain in an effects loop, just like a real guitar amp. This can achieve very different results compared to running effects before or after the module as it places the effects chain between the internal amp’s components. With the switch to the left (PREAMP) effects in the loop come after the preamp and boost sections, but before reverb and tremolo. With the switch to the right, the effects are inserted just before the power amp section, after the preamp, boost, reverb and tremolo. Please note that any power amp distortion will be applied after your effects, which might be just the thing for a bit of added realism! Enabling TRAILS will continue to merge any signal appearing at the RTN jacks even when SND is switched off. This is useful for allowing delay “trails” to continue to sound even though the delay is no longer being sent any signal.

The CV TRIG IN section allows CV trigger / switching control (+1V pulse or more) of the BOOST, TREMOLO, REVERB and FX LOOP SND functions. Used in conjunction with one of our switching modules (MIDISWITCH-3 for example) you can turn JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ into a foot-switchable two channel amp.

Ultimately we wanted to keep the JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ pretty simple, but add enough tweakable features so you could use it to get a wide variety of guitar tones easily and quickly for recordings or even for playing live, especially when using the CV TRIG IN options.

We hope you’re tempted to give the JUNIORVERB DELUXE+ a go!