Crowther Audio Hot Cake

Crowther Audio's Hot Cake is a super 'clean' distortion pedal that is designed for electric guitar. The pedal is made out of analog components, and has standard 1/4" connections for your input and output. The pedal is really compact, as it's smaller than a Boss pedal. This isn't a rack mountable piece of gear as it's a stomp box.

UTILIZATION

There's really not much to the make up of the Crowther Audio Hot Cake pedal. The three parameters that it has are for level, drive, and presence. These are definitely pretty common parameters for a distortion pedal, so if you have any experience at all using overdrive and distortion pedals, the make up of the Hot Cake should seem familiar to you. A manual shouldn't be necessary, but I haven't seen one for this pedal so I can't comment on it's make up.

SOUND QUALITY

The Crowther Audio Hot Cake pedal is one of the best overall sounding distortion pedals that I've used to date. It has probably the 'cleanest' sound for a distortion pedal that I've heard, meaning that it doesn't give you much noise at all and you can really hear every note being played - even when you're cranking it. This is an incredibly versatile pedal, as it's capable of getting all sorts of sounds and can be used in a variety of situations. It's awesome for give you some lighter overdrive, but also excels as a simple booster and for heavier distortion. You also won't lose any signal whatsoever with this pedal.

OVERALL OPINION

If you're doing a lot recording with a distortion/overdrive pedal, the Crowther Audio Hot Cake is going to be one of your best bets. It's got such a clean sound to it that it's possible to throw it in your line and use it only when you want to without losing any of your signal. Even for other uses, it excels very well as it's versatility is a huge plug in any setting. The price of the Hot Cake pedal is definitely above average, but it isn't outlandish for a pedal of this caliber. If you're a professional or just a tone snob looking for a really clean distortion pedal, the Hot Cake is a must try.

This is an analog overdrive pedal that is relatively straightforward in nature (no midi, audio connections, not rackable).

UTILIZATION

The sound editing is really simple with this pedal, which makes it ideal for someone like me who doesn't like his pedals too complicated! The setup is pretty straightforward. It has three knobs (level, presence, and drive) which are easy to use. Newer models have two settings, “Normal and Bluesberry”. Bluesberry is a less buzzy sound that is really pretty. It can run on a 9V battery or a standard power supply. The manual explains everything pretty clearly, though I confess I didn't even open it until I started writing this review (more because of the simplicity of the pedal than the quality of the manual).

SOUND QUALITY

I have only tried this pedal with my electric guitar ('67 Strat reissue). Arguably my favorite feature of this pedal is its ability to distort the guitar sound without polluting it. More specifically, it gives it a nice, thick distortion sound but doesn't obscure the melodic/harmonic content of what you are playing. Thus the dissonance that can sometimes unexpectedly occur when using fuzz boxes is reduced or omitted entirely. I think that every sound I've achieved with this pedal is pretty great. It's not the most versatile pedal out there but every tone is a winner in its own right.

OVERALL OPINION

This pedal is great for players who want a less distorted but still powerful sound. I personally use it with a Fender Strat and a Fender Twin Reverb and have no complaints. I get a great tone that is reminiscent of Clapton or Nels Cline of Wilco on his less experimental work. In fact, Nels is the first person to mention it that I knew of, and was the reason I checked it out in the first place. I've bought a few overdrive pedals over the years, and each one is different. I can't recommend one over the other but I will say that this pedal is great for what it does. It doesn't sound like lesser pedals which make it clear that they have flaws or defects, or color the sound a really awful way. The sound is so crisp and clean yet still powerful. I would definitely replace it if I had to.

Classic overdrive pedal (although ...): A switch and 3 knobs (Volume, Gain and PRESENCE! Tone and not like many of his little sisters.)

Here we do not mean simply tone becaufe the pedal colors but then not the sound of your guitar, but let me explain a little further.

Apart from AC input output jack, a plug-type boss (Optional battery powered), all in a package not much larger (smaller than boss / Ibanez etc ...) and a cream finish / white simple but quality. A red LED (shame we like when it changes) and that's it.

UTILIZATION

Super simple setup: A volume output gain level and the presence of the effect.

Editing sounds is accurate, you really handled gently and be patient (the knobs are hard which really helps refine the sound gradually and after that you can not move on their own.)

SOUND QUALITY

Then come to the point. These probably overdrive the cleanest that I have been able to hear. It is in light year overdrives industrial type TS-9, SD, or others. Personally I think it would more than a match has effects mounted hands.

It covers a range of impressive gain, the slight boost up the bass distortion Hard rock or even slightly fuzzy after the guitar amp you use and the settings you made.

Personally I use in boost (with a high output level and gain assé very little light present) I found some more clean boost pedals that I've tried (MXR, BBE). On my mustang which outputs a signal weakling she catches the output level but let appear the gain which gives a sound almost stratocaster. On my Telecaster fitted with micro deluxe handle that boost the sound by adding a small drive if I put a lot of attack or not ideal for a power ballad that starts softly and gradually gets upset that his own varied to suit my intentions of play

I never had the opportunity to try the Klon Centaur or RockBox which are known as the most transparent overdrive the market, but I can assure you that you will be bluffed by the hot cake that respecterat your guitar as very few overdrive.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 2 years now, and I have always has a lot of industrial overdrive but also hands. The Hot Cake is truly the most transparent that I had the opportunity to hear.

I like that simplicity, excelente finish and absolute transparency for me it is a great effect to get a good drive without pushing the amp while maintaining the bottom his guitar. So perfect for home and studio, the scene is often spoiled by all microphones, speakers and console poor quality so good ...
After all, all tastes are in nature some will like and others do not.

For $ 180 = 150 euros on the internet, I can assure you that this is a very good value for money especially compared to a much more expensive klon centaur or a TS-9 certainly cheaper but less so clean.

And honestly it is useless to pay a good scratch and a small American tube combo if it is to ruin it with a drive to 50 euros.

Finally a short video demo: