Technical Specifications

All-tube Analog Signal Path

Engineered for an open, natural sound that's full of warmth & clarity. All our effects pedals are fitted with hand selected JJ premium vacuum tubes and ceramic tube sockets for low microphony and hum. Chrome plated nudge bars protect the tubes and allow easy replacement for experimentation or servicing. These top-quality tubes are extremely reliable both mechanically and electrically. They are immune to damage from to input overload, static electricity and even hard gamma radiation! This design architecture also ensures huge dynamic range and tone of unsurpassed detail & transparency. All-tube means, no opamps, transistors, diodes or DSP chips are used in the signal path - guaranteed. Effectode pedals are powered by "fire bottles" for that extra high-end sparkle and "zing"!

High Voltage Power Supply

The power supply provides fully filtered, smoothed and regulated 300VDC to the tubes for clean and detailed audio performance with stacks of head-room. Additionally, the power supply to the heaters is fully regulated DC ensuring a low noise floor and wide dynamic range. Effectrode effects pedals are designed and audio tested using both Hi-Z humbucking and single coil pickups. The all-tube signal path performs well with high output Lo-Z active pickups such as EMG85's and "LiveWires". The pedal input is even capable of accepting line-level signals and if you do succeed in overdriving our pedals then you'll be experiencing super smooth, pure class-A, tube overdrive!

True Bypass Relay Switching

Audio signal relay with gold plated contacts ensures super quiet switching. True bypass means that when the effect is disengaged, there will be absolutely no loss of tone from your guitar to your amp. These relays are designed specifically for routing audio signals whilst maintaining high integrity. Unlike multi-pole footswitches, which fail easily and were not originally intended for either constant use or audio signals but for switching high voltages, hence their large size. This relay will outlast the three pole true bypass switches in your other pedals. This circuit also shortens the signal path, since the relay is on the circuit board. In bypass, the signal is not routed through any internal wiring which prevent noise from getting into the signal. Finally, all our pedals now feature an active circuit to drastically reduce the well known "thump" noise associated with true bypass switching.

Precision Grade Metal Film Resistors

All our pedals utilize instrumentation grade precision resistors in the signal path. Silver-palladium contacts ensure low, low noise and excellent long term stability. These precision resistors cost several times more than cheaper carbon film resistors which have a tendancy to drift with age and are intrinically noiser.

Omeg Potentiometers

Full size potentiometers with conductive plastic tracks for smoother action and over twice the life of carbon track potentiometers. These pots are hard-mounted directly through the printed circuit board (PCB) and secured with a heavy-duty nut. This arrangement eliminates pot-to-PCB wiring, which is a possible point of failure and keeps induced noise to an absolute minimum. Omeg pots are the industry standard for pro-audio gear and are manufactured in England, UK.

Polyester Coupling Capacitors.

All our pedals feature a 100% analog signal path using audiophile grade resin potted polyester capacitors. These plastic film dielectric capacitors have a very high "figure of merit", whereas electrolytics have tendancy to be more lossy (low ESR), poor initial tolerance and dry out over time causing a reduction of capacitance.

Double sided, fibre-glass Printed Circuit Board

PCB with heavy duty 2oz pure copper reference and power planes for low noise performance. The tracks are tinned and the board is coated with high grade solder resist and silkscreened on one side. Reference (return) plane layout methodologies coupled with meticulous consideration to circuit layout yields studio-quiet performance. More information can be found in Henry W. Ott's well considered paper, "Partitioning and Layout of a Mixed-Signal PCB" which gives a more detailed explanation of the approach, Reference and power plane layout is used by pro-audio companies such as BSS Audio and Klark-Teknik in preference to the older star-earth toplogy because of its superior noise performance.

Housed in a tough, bomb-proof box

Manufactured from diecast aluminium. This is lightweight and has superior sheilding properties over steel. Minimal footprint on your pedal board - we make the most compact (measuring only 5" x 7") tube effects pedals on the planet. Finished in high-quality gloss powder coating. Much more durable and scratch resistant than paint. It's also safer to use and less harmful to the environment.

Hardware

High-quality Neutrik jack sockets are the de facto pro-audio industry standard connector. Heavy duty USA made Carling Technology footswitch.

Wall-Wart

Supplied with switched-mode technology wall-wart power supply adapter for low, low noise.

Design Philosophy

All pedals feature a simple front-panel layout with highly interactive controls, behind which lies an all-tube, class-A, analog signal path. This architecture allows for huge sound shaping capabilities that sonically out-performs transistor, opamp and even the latest modelling technologies. The tube circuitry responds empathically to playing dynamics to reveal a huge palette of tonal possiblities, from subtle to extreme. These pedals always sound natural and musical resulting in a significant reduction in long term ear fatigue.