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Effectrode Blackbird
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Effectrode Blackbird

Tube Guitar Preamp from Effectrode

Public price: $469 incl. VAT
MedicationTime MedicationTime

«  The Swiss army knife of high quality! »

Published on 04/30/14 at 05:59
Guitar tube preamp, 3 JJ 12AX7 - guitar pedal format.
The bias is adjustable via a switch (not hand-foot) 3 positions. So, you can put the lights that you like and manage the bias as you want.

2 channels: clear and saturated. The saturated has an additional switch (hand, not the foot) classic / creamy overdrive to switch to a big distortion.

2 outputs: a "classic" if you want to incorporate into your chain effect and a balanced output (stereo jack) if you want to attack sound card, mixer or power amp.

An input to connect an extern footswitch (like an amp that you could engage the reverb and tremolo separately) to control clean / overdrive and classic / creamy. If you do not with you can only choose between classic and creamy hand and switch between clean and overdrive foot.

UTILIZATION

Configuration is very simple, you select, and you set off you go! No need to book.

I use it in lots of different sauce:
- In a chain effect to my little vox ac4
- Upstream of a stereo power amp Brunetti Silver Bullet (this is especially for him that I bought the various distortion pedals / fuzz I tested to compensate for this lack of preamp never actually held the road)
- Input of a sound card when I record or that I re-processes the sound on computer (this is also why top, no need for emulation behind sound a bit correct)
- With a moog guitar, which may have a somewhat average sound when playing normally (without the strings vibrate) above. Here it gives him a pep sacred both in normal technique with strings that vibrate.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is excellent.
The clean channel (based on the 'Blackface' Fender Twin Reverb) is clean through, super transparent.
Both versions of the overdrive channel is excellent and very complementary. Many different possible colors.
And if that is not enough, you can still play with the bias (Effectrode explains how it impacts on the sound and the overall focntionnement a preamp are on site super interesting).

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 2 months. I have not tried anything else, it gave me the eye for a while.
The sound is huge, super flexible settings and diversity of enormous use.
The price is not negligible but it is like buying a good guitar and a good amp, you will not soon Lacherez. Money very well placed for me!