The circuit is based on the our Chimera 30 watt guitar amplifier, but substitutes FET transistors for the vacuum tubes. The result is an extremely amp-like and versatile clean boost/overdrive/fuzz pedal that imparts rich harmonics and a very musical EQ to your signal chain.
Designed to be the perfect complement to our distortion circuits, the flexibility and portability of the Harmonic Booster is also the perfect one-stop solution for gigging musicians in search of a precise and harmonically rich clean preamplifier.
The Microtubes Vintage is our tribute to some of the most legendary sounds in rock history. It provides warm tube-like tones with a natural dynamic response that echoes the organic compression of old tube amps and reel-to-reel tape machines.
The Blackbird 'Tube Tone Engine' is a genuine all-tube preamp in a compact pedal. It’s designed for great versatility; to add additional clean/drive/distortion channels to vintage/boutique guitar amps or use as a professional stand-alone direct recording tube preamplifier.
I've been very excited to collaborate with Ariel Posen to produce the Broadcast-AP. It's an evolution of the Broadcast, designed to integrate with Ariel's unique sound.
At the heart of the Broadcast-AP -- as the name may suggest -- is the same circuitry as the Broadcast. A class-A discrete transformer-coupled circuit, designed to saturate in a unique way reminiscent of certain recording and broadcast consoles.
We took the lower-gain side of the standard Broadcast as a starting point. Together, Ariel and I exchanged the germanium transistor for a silicon and used an OEP transformer. The OEP transformer saturates and distorts less below 100Hz compared to the Triad transformer used in the standard Broadcast. These two changes together give the Broadcast-AP a darker, smoother, more powerful tone compared to the standard version. Greater weight in the lows, whilst retaining the open highs and upper-mids, giving the Broadcast a "3D" effect.
The control layout features both LEVEL and GAIN TRIM potentiometers and a switchable high-pass / low-cut filter -- 100Hz @ 6dB/oct. The GAIN TRIM control has 12dB more gain than the low-gain side of the standard Broadcast, allowing the Broadcast-AP to cover ground from clean boost through to medium gain overdrive tones. In addition, the gain of the pedal can be increased via an internal trimmer and -- when pushed to the max -- the sound becomes overloaded, broken and fuzzy. The high-pass / low-cut filter can help keep the low end together, especially when driving amps at higher gain and volume levels.Current draw: 20mA
- Pair of selected silicon transistors
- OEP transformer selected to give less THD on low frequencies
- BI Technologies potentiometers
Lumberg jack sockets (rated for >5000 cycles)- Heavy duty Alpha foot switches (rated for >30,000 cycles)
- Individually hand-built on to a high-quality PCB, assembled, hand-wired, tested and packaged all by Michael Hudson
- LEVEL - controls the overall volume of the pedal.
- GAIN TRIM - controls the gain level of the Broadcast-AP.
- LOW CUT (switch) - Activates a low-cut filter which reduces the gain of the low frequencies. Position 1 (switch-down) the low-cut filter is out of the circuit, position 2 (switch-up) the low-cut filter is engaged.
- Internal trimmers - The Broadcast-AP features three internal trimmers - one to increase the overall gain of the pedal and two to fine tune each of the positions of the LOW CUT switch.
- DC socket - The Broadcast-AP requires a DC power supply unit (PSU) and can run at voltages between 9VDC abnd 24VDC; running the Broadcast-AP at voltages higher than 9VDC gives it more headroom, output level and clarity. This is great for use with higher output instruments (bass guitar, synth, studio line level equipment) or when using the Broadcast-AP as a clean pre-amp boost. Please ensure your PSU can supply between 9VDC and 24VDC, a minimum current of 20ma and has a 2.1mm negative centre barrel plug. Any other type may damage your pedal. If you plan on sharing the same PSU with other pedals, we recommend using a PSU with isolated outputs.
This limited edition version of Ariel's signature Broadcast-AP features a stunning blue livery with a gorgeous dark read marbled nameplate.
At the heart of the Broadcast-AP - as the name may suggest - is the same circuitry as the Broadcast. A class-A discrete, transformer-coupled circuit, designed to saturate in a unique way reminiscent of certain recording and broadcast consoles.
We took the lower-gain side of the standard Broadcast as a starting point. Together, Ariel and I exchanged the germanium transistor for a silicon and used an OEP transformer. The OEP transformer saturates and distorts less below 100Hz compared to the Triad transformer used in the standard Broadcast. These two changes together give the Broadcast-AP a darker, smoother, more powerful tone compared to the standard version. Greater weight in the lows, whilst retaining the open highs and upper-mids, giving the Broadcast a "3D" effect.
The control layout features both LEVEL and GAIN TRIM potentiometers and a switchable high-pass / low-cut filter -- 100Hz @ 6dB/oct. The GAIN TRIM control has 12dB more gain than the low-gain side of the standard Broadcast, allowing the Broadcast-AP to cover ground from clean boost through to medium gain overdrive tones. In addition, the gain of the pedal can be increased via an internal trimmer and -- when pushed to the max -- the sound becomes overloaded, broken and fuzzy. The high-pass / low-cut filter can help keep the low end together, especially when driving amps at higher gain and volume levels.Current draw: 20mA
- Pair of selected silicon transistors
- OEP transformer selected to give less THD on low frequencies
- BI Technologies potentiometers
Lumberg jack sockets (rated for >5000 cycles)- Heavy duty Alpha foot switches (rated for >30,000 cycles)
- Individually hand-built on to a high-quality PCB, assembled, hand-wired, tested and packaged all by Michael Hudson
- LEVEL - controls the overall volume of the pedal.
- GAIN TRIM - controls the gain level of the Broadcast-AP.
- LOW CUT (switch) - Activates a low-cut filter which reduces the gain of the low frequencies. Position 1 (switch-down) the low-cut filter is out of the circuit, position 2 (switch-up) the low-cut filter is engaged.
- Internal trimmers - The Broadcast-AP features three internal trimmers - one to increase the overall gain of the pedal and two to fine tune each of the positions of the LOW CUT switch. Full details of how to adjust these [are linked from the web site].
- DC socket - The Broadcast-AP requires a DC power supply unit (PSU) and can run at voltages between 9VDC abnd 24VDC; running the Broadcast-AP at voltages higher than 9VDC gives it more headroom, output level and clarity. This is great for use with higher output instruments (bass guitar, synth, studio line level equipment) or when using the Broadcast-AP as a clean pre-amp boost. Please ensure your PSU can supply between 9VDC and 24VDC, a minimum current of 20ma and has a 2.1mm negative centre barrel plug. Any other type may damage your pedal. If you plan on sharing the same PSU with other pedals, we recommend using a PSU with isolated outputs.
Sadly, the London model sounds boxier and smaller than a real JTM45, as if the Bass knob were all the way off and the cab a 1x10. Perhaps Walrus wanted to tighten it up for a better defined overdriven sound when cranked? I haven't yet cranked it for the AC/DC test.
The Dartford model also sounds smaller and honkier than a real AC30. A Vox is a chimy mids and treble machine, for sure, but they also have a broad-shouldered impact that here is reduced to more of a 1x10 or 1x8 combo vibe. Remember, Brian May uses a treble booster to make his AC30 sound that way.
Avalon U5
Effectrode Blackbird
Kingsley Juggler, new version?
Kingsley Squire BF
Fractal Audio Axe-FX MKII?
Fractal Audio FM3?
Neural DSP Quad Cortex?
Strymon Iridium?
Two Notes Torpedo CAB M+