Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor

Hughes and Kettner is a German guitar amp company that started in the mid 80s. Today they make a wide range of guitar related things from amps to accessories. This is a Hughes and Kettener overdrive pedal called the Tube Factor. The Tube Factor features two gain modes which make it more versatile. It has a softer mode called Factor 1 and a heavier mode called Factor 2. The Tube Factor uses a 12AX7 preamp tube for the Factor 1 voicing. Factor 2 uses a diode circuit for more gain. The Tube Factor has 3 knobs One for Drive another for Output and the last for voicing.

UTILIZATION

The Tube Factor is strongly built using medium gauge metal with plastic side panels. The design has a recessed area for the controls so it is very hard to break a knob or pot if you drop the pedal. If you open up a side panel you can see that the Tube Factor’s design is based off of two circuit boards: one to hold the preamp tube socket and related components, the other for the primary circuit itself. The Tube Factor is designed so that you cant really change the tube inside it because the electronics inside are quite delicate.

SOUND QUALITY

Maxing out the Voicing knob produces a sound that sounds like a modern scooped gain amp with most of the mids removed from the sound. If you turn the voicing knob the opposite way you can get a more bluesy sound. Factor 1 produces a nice gradual overdrive that is dynamic with your attack. At some settings Factor 1 can sound a lot like an Ibanez Tube Screamer. Factor 2 produces more modern overdrive sounds. The Factor 2 distortion is very smooth and it is not noisy.

OVERALL OPINION

This is not a "one good sound" only pedal. Blues, rock, and metal players will all find great sounds from the Tube Factor. The Tube Factor is well designed and sounds good in all of the settings.

The Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor is a tube based overdrive pedal for use with electric guitar. It has two separate channels which produce both a cleaner tube sound and a saturated tube sound. Tube Factor has standard 1/4" connections and comes with a power supply, the voltage of which I'm not sure. It isn't rackable as it is a stomp box.

UTILIZATION

Using the Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor is a very simple process. There aren't very many parameters that you need to know about, and those that you do are simple enough to figure out after a minute or two if not right away. The parameters that are on the Tube Factor are as follows: a knob for drive, a knob for output, and a knob for voicing. The voicing knob allows for different types of blends of overdrive. It has two buttons - one for on/off, and one for choosing between the two different tube channels. I don't think that anyone will need a manual, regardless of experience.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality of the Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor makes it one of the best overdrive pedals I've ever heard. I have used the pedal for a recording session where I was the engineer and not the performer. It was the guitarists pedal, so while I didn't get a chance to play around with it too much, we got some seriously killer sounding guitar tracks that day. We were using the pedal with a Gibson Les Paul and a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb. The pedal simply put sounds thick, realistic, and full of life and color. You can get a very wide range of different overdrive sounds with the pedal as well between the voicing knob and the two different channels.

OVERALL OPINION

While expensive, if you're in the market for a top of the line overdrive pedal, the Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor is definitely one of the pedals that you should be considering. If you're a professional who has a bit more money than the average person to spend on an overdrive, it is absolutely worth the extra money. While I'm a big fan of the Ibanez Tube Screamers for the money, the Tube Factor blows even the best Tube Screamer out of the water in terms of versatility and sheer tone quality. Absolutely recommended for anyone who wants a high end overdrive pedal.

What are the effects or types of effects available?
Distortion with 2 switches: 1 on / off and adjust the 2nd half or full.

What technology is used? (Analog, digital, tube ...)
analog tube!

Are they edited?
3 knobs: Gain - Volume - Voice
Gain increases distortion.
The volume augment the output level can become impressive.
Voice highlights a hollow in the middle to leave a little more room to voice, supposedly.

What is the connection?
6.35 jack input and output, and there's even an entry for a remote control but I never used it.

UTILIZATION

The general configuration is it simple?
Yes, you plug is pressed, it sets the gain and volume, a little edge with the voice ... this is classic and very warm distortion, and the distortion in background, the receiver can larsener if we play with a level of rocker ...

The manual is clear and sufficient?
Bought secondhand without the manual, it would be helpful to have the reference of the lamp inside.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality is there. There's the bass and treble, rich and warm sound.

OVERALL OPINION

How long have you use it?
Since 2010.

What is the particular feature you like best and least?
Pros: sound, metal look with the little blue light robustness.
The less the difference in level between 1/2 and full ... if one chooses a crunch for half the full typed will necessarily metal, and if you chose a classic rock distortion sound full, 1/2 will be a pauv 'clear its weaker than the pedal bypass ... 2 settings 2 channels it would have been top notch.

Have you tried many other models before buying it?
I have 2 Marshall Shred Master sounding a bit like the two shreds, we already reports that according to the series, the components are not calibrated same, we seem to get the same sound but with different settings ... I love this distortion and Tube Factor sounds a little similar but more serious and more heat. The grave is fun when you play bass and warmth is nice when you play rock.

How would you rate the quality / price?
Not bad.

With experience, you do again this choice?
I'm a little disappointed because I only use one setting, but what a sound! I would probably do it again this choice or I will directly see Okko Super Tube Factor whose modification rule the small problem of inequality between the channels.

The Tube Factor is causing a great overdrive pedal lamp, soft wish. Unfortunately, despite the possibility to pass up a "Factor" to the other (the first is a very natural overdrive, little compressed, and fully respecting the grain of the instrument, the second a more focused overdrive lead more Compressed and modern), it is almost impossible to find a balance between the two channels, the settings are common.
This is where Okko, and very coherent mod consists of adding an additional volume, and two switches to vary the voicings of the two channels. It is then possible to set, eg, F1 and F2 clean boost to distortion incendiary, which was originally unthinkable. This is only one of many possibilities open to us the update "Okko Super Tube Factor" is essential!

UTILIZATION

This pedal has finally become usable in real live conditions. Far from being a gas plant, the Tube Factor Okko mod is really intuitive and easy to use.

SOUND QUALITY

Let's be clear: Okko does not change on the integrity of the sound. The Tube Factor is still a mod Okko Tube Factor. However, additional settings can really draw the quintessence.
The Tube Factor is not a universal OD, and may not be suitable for all configs (it can be anything slimy), but with my Strat and my Hiwatt vintage U.S., it is perfect for a creamy overdrive and bluesy!
In clean boost, this pedal is unanimously not buy much for that.

OVERALL OPINION

I use the Tube Factor since 2003. Suffice to say that I've been around since a long time, it was my only OD (since I caught
I waited nine years before discovering Okko and his mod, and I could not be happier!
With experience, not only I would do this choice, but I would sooner!