Ben

The original lead Rat

 

 

 

The Ben distortion rack effect module has configurations that compare to all the major versions of the Proco Rat.  Rat distortion is often the standard by which other distortion pedals are judged.  it provides perhaps some of the best straightforward distortion tones available and is certainly one of the most popular pedals of all, particularly for rock and metal.  Goes very well with Aqua Net and eye liner.

 

Description

Willard and Danny both knew that Ben was the leader of the Rats and found Ben to be an unstoppable force.  That was in 1971 and 1972, a few years before the Proco Rat debuted and became the new lead Rat.  Decades later, the Rat is still an unstoppable force, among the most popular effects pedals ever released.  It has been used by countless artists on countless albums and is a pedalboard staple for many that enjoy its overdrive and distortion tones.  If has become one of the classic ingredients of rock 'n' roll in its many forms and derivatives.

There have been multiple versions of the Rat thoughout the years.  The primary ones being the original Rat, You Dirty Rat, Vintage Rat, Turbo Rat, and Rat 2.  There were other versions, but they mostly repackage one or more of the five versions listed above.  The Deucetone and R2DU are examples.  Several versions of the Rat are still in production today.  All versions of the Rat sound similar, but they are different.  Beyond cosmetics, there are some slight circuit differences, component value differences, clipping differences, and op amp differences between them.  There's a small problem in that what precisely is in a particular Rat circuit doesn't match up with the various changes in appearance and cosmetics.  Two Rats that look identical can have slightly different circuits and components.  However, there is sort of a main configuration for each of the various enclosures, graphics, and names.  We follow those with our configuration choices.  Our configurations and options should cover any specific Rat you may have in mind, along with a few popular Rat mods.

Ben is back.

 

Configurations

  • Ben - compares to original Proco Rat

  • Ben 2 - compares to ProCo Rat 2
  • Dirty Ben - compares to ProCo You Dirty Rat
  • Turbo Ben - compares to ProCoTurbo Rat
  • Vintage Ben - compares to ProCo Vintage Rat

 

Options

  • Change Op Amp - Until sometime around 2002, Rats used the legendary LM308N op amp.  In 2002, ProCo started using the OP07 in the models that were/are still in production.  Dirty Ben gets the OP07, which it appears has always been used in You Dirty Rat.  Since there is so much hype about the LM308N, we just go with the flow and use it in the other configurations by default.  Here's some more op amp info to consider.  We cannot find any significant audible difference between vintage, original LM308N chips and more modern LM308N chips in side-by-side comparisons.  There may be some tiny differences between any two identical Rats you can find, but those differences are more likely to be caused by differences in component tolerances and minor circuit differences than production date of the LM308N chips.  How about LM308N vs OP07?  Difficult to say, since there were some small circuit tweaks that came with later Rat models that (often, not always) use the OP07.  Those OP07 Rats still sound like Rats, but a bit different from the older Rat circuits with LM308N chips.  If you have a preference, you can have either.  You could also choose another pin-compatible op amp, but the specs of these op amps contribute to the Rat tone.  Choosing a different op amp may yield something less Rat-like.
  • Change Transistor - By default you will get the same JFET 2N5458 as is used in all the Rat variations.  Other JFETs will work if you have some preference, but there's probably not much reason to switch unless you just want to change it up a bit.
  • Change Clipping Diodes - The clipping diodes are part of what makes different models of Rats sound different.  We use the same diodes in our configurations as the corresponding version of Rat.  Here is what they are:
    • Ben - (2) 1N914 silicon
    • Ben 2 - (2) 1N4148 silicon
    • Vintage Ben - (2) 1N4148 silicon
    • Turbo Ben - (2) red LED
    • Dirty Ben - (2) 1N34A germanium

You can choose any of those or other diodes out of the many we have.

  • Clipping Switch - You can also get (2) sets of clipping diodes that you can switch between.  You can have a third setting on the switch that removes the clipping diodes completely, like one of the settings on the DeuceTone.  That's not as Ratty, but is still a good tone option.
  • Dual Clipping Switches - If you just can't make up your mind, you can add a second clipping switch for a total of (4) clipping options, actually (5) options since the middle position on both switches will result in the no clipping diodes setup.
  • Smooth Mod - This is the popular Reutz Mod, made always on.  The mod lowers the gain, limiting it more to overdrive than lots of distortion.  It also flattens out the frequency response, adding a bit of low end that makes the tone smoother and less aggressive.  Of course, this changes the character quite a bit.
  • Switched Smooth Mod - Same as the Smooth Mod, but on a switch so you can have either the original sound or the Smooth Mod sound.
  • Smooth Mod Control - Same mod as the Smooth Mod, but instead of having a fixed smoothness value, you can adjust it.  The stock Rat sound is still there when this control is adjusted to all off.
  • Components - We use metal film resistors and a selection of capacitors that provide good tone and low noise. 

 

Front Panel

  • On/Off indicator LED
  • Distortion
  • Filter
  • Volume
  • (optional) Clipping Switch
  • (optional) 2nd Clipping Switch
  • (optional) Smooth Switch
  • (optional) Smooth Control

 

Rear Panel

  • Audio In
  • Audio Out
  • On/Off Footswitch
  • On/Off Override
  • DC Power
  • DC Power LED

 

Module Width

  • 1.5" standard
  • 2.0" with options
  • 2" left wing available for (3-4) control configurations
  • 1.5" right wing available for (3-4) control configurations

 

Power Consumption (aprox)

8 - 13mA

 

Base Configurations

Part # Description List Price
MOD-BEN Ben module $224
MOD-BEN2 Ben 2 module $224
MOD-DBEN Dirty Ben module $224
MOD-TBEN Turbo Ben module $224
MOD-VBEN Vintage Ben module $224

 

Options

Part # Description List Price
MOPT-BEN-OPA Change Op Amp $0 - TBD
MOPT-BEN-TRANS Change Transistor $0 - TBD
MOPT-BEN-DIODES Change Clipping Diodes $0 - TBD
MOPT-BEN-CLIP1 Clipping Switch $19
MOPT-BEN-CLIP2 Dual Clipping Switches $39
MOPT-BEN-SM Smooth Mod $0
MOPT-BEN-SMSW Switched Smooth Mod $19
MOPT-BEN-SMC Smooth Mod Control $19
MOPT-BEN-CC Component Changes $0 - TBD