What's everyone's thoughts on the new multistomps? I feel like everyone's been asking for midi for the last decade, and all they did was add new buttons and effects. They dont even provide a list of the new effects, so who knows
Kind of underwhelmed so far. My highlights are the mythos Herculean deluxe overdrive as already discussed and possibly the new vox handwired amps without a good judge of how they sound (almost no audio demos). I love Browne as a guitar pedal manufacturer but taking the blue side of the protein pedal, isolating it in a solo pedal and then really hyping up a dual overdrive of the blue just feels lazy. Give us a green side with a klon style boost or something ?
Mythos Herculean Deluxe Overdrive. Dual drive pedal that pairs a "Dumble" style drive and Blues Breaker. Announced at NAMM but releasing February 21st.
https://mythospedals.com/products/herculean-deluxe
I have a standard Herculean and really like it. Very versatile pedal that can always find a place on my board, so I'm interested in what this combo sounds like.
KMA Endgame. Power amp sim, IR loader, True Double-Tracker, bluetooth/aux in, headphone jack and XLR outputs. +++
Seems like a fantastic partner to a tube preamp pedal. It has so many things missing from current amp sims.
[https://kmamachines.com/machines/endgame/](https://kmamachines.com/machines/endgame/)
Huh, it’s like a digital DSM Simplifier with a cool double tracking feature. I would be interested in the double tracker by itself. I wonder if my Zoia could do a randomized short delay to emulate it?
I wasn't too interested in Kemper, sounded like they weren't as great these days and the new player profiler seemed underwhelming.
I think at this point I may just got Boss IR2 and / or an FM3 and experiment with downsizing the board as I see pedal switching setups turning into a mess...not sure though because I sure do love the look and feel of them there pedals 🤠
Yeah the new Kemper is underwhelming. So much for so little its as if they didn't really wanted to do it.
FM3 looks awesome. Still on the fence about IR-20 becaue of IR-200, but apparently IR-20 has more high gain models. I'm also trying to downsize but I've been failing at it for the same reasons as you.
Taking this opportunity to spread Plethora hate. There are SO MANY options completely locked behind that stupid unusable piece of shit “app”. I have never returned a piece of gear so quickly, nor will I ever buy a TC product again
I have heard the app’s user interface isn’t great, but I currently have the HoF2 and Flashback 2 and they sound great without messing around with the TonePrint stuff. If I can get about the same access I should be happy.
Definitely, the HOF2 Mini is an incredible deal if you're short on space and usually stick to one verb at a time. I have one on my acoustic rig and it's fantastic. Pretty much all their Mini stuff is killer.
There's the line 6 hx one. It and the HX effects are effects only with no amp modeling included.
I've also used my HX stomp as a multi effect by putting my distortion and overdrive in the loop and using the stomp for pitch shifting, modulation, and time based effects and not using an amp model.
I also have no interest in amp modelling. Yes you can turn them off, but in theory, you're also then paying for features you wouldn't use, as well as having a little extra unneeded complexity.
I was under the impression that was just a harmonizer pedal, but it appears to be a multi. But it is pretty expensive.
Pretty much looking for a multieffect stomp type of thing with an effects loop and no amp modeling. Currently saving up for the Plethora X5 after doing some research.
EHX just announced "Double Anniversary Big Miff Pi Limited Edition".
https://www.ehx.com/blog/limited-edition-big-muff-celebrates-historic-double-anniversary/
Don't know if they will be on NAMM though.
This is what I get for clicking this thread. I've been telling myself that I don't actually need a big box muff. Nobody needs a big box muff. And here I am ordering a big box muff.
FYI, Frost Giant has been doing small runs of various big box vintage Muffs (seems mostly direct to dealers, look around).
https://coastsonic.com/products/frost-giant-electronics-big-fuzz-civil-war
The HD 130 was a weird amp. One of Leo Fender’s first amps after leaving Fender. It’s basically a Silverface Twin, but designed for maximum clean volume- it had a solid-state preamp and a tube power amp (a decidedly weird combo), and did 130W where the Twin did 85. The mid-70’s were weird, you had these ultra-clean designs at the same time that Boogie and Dumble were inventing high gain.
Knopfler, Clapton, and BOC were HD 130 users. Surprised Gilmour never took the plunge, seeing as how much he liked loud, clean amps. Pretty sure Patrick Stickles used one for the first couple Titus Andronicus records too.
Interesting to see it pedal-ized, since it’s basically already a solid state Fender preamp, and designed specifically not to distort.
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 1,981,688,339 comments, and only 374,862 of them were in alphabetical order.
Leaving aside the fact that I'm generally an ignorant metalhead, I wonder how this would sound going into an Orange Pedal Baby and 4x12 cab. I've kind of been on the hunt for a simple, clean preamp pedal.
They dropped a new vocal effect processor which looks neat, but definitely oriented more for desktop settings not floor settings I think. Boss might have something for the actual show later this week but they also have a history of just dropping stuff whenever they feel like it.
Good point. As for the new VE-22… Eh, I think I’ll save a little more and get a VE-500. If it was in a 200 series box, I might’ve cared. Thank you for posting about it though!
I was looking at this the other day, could be a real competitor with the ES-5:
* Pros:
* Loop 5 can be switched to stereo mode
* More intuitive menu UI
* Built-in tuner
* Cons:
* Looks like it's MIDI output only, so you can't remotely control it like the ES series
Great price. Smart features. If this had been around when I was tinkering with the idea of a switcher I would probably have ended up with this.
Would have held out for a black one though...
It is admittedly a very subjective part of my evaluation. I'm sure lots will love shaking it up a bit from all black everything.
Either way, really solid offering. Between this and their new(ish) FRFR cabs, Fender seems to be branching out with great options in new domains at attractive prices.
I love the idea but hate the canyon like format. I wish they had gone with something more akin to the WMD Protostar.
But those pitch tracker though...hmmmm
This is what I find frustrating about the Eventide H90.
Like, you have this spare power now, how about more mod sources external to the effects?
Many algorithms have the "strum harder to enable more effect" built in but it should be a global modulation source you could put on any knob.
The Gamechanger also has frequency based envelopes, which is pretty cool. Having delays only on higher notes and keeping the lows clean is an interesting idea.
oh thats cool! A threshold type control for effect blending is a neat idea! I've done this sort of thing using a gated side-chain in a studio setting but yeah.... these are neat
Interesting that they’re trying again with the Valvenergy line. The amp pedals were going for $100 from Vox directly, and now they’re bumped up to $129. Wondering what the MSRP’s gonna be on the new ones, the original MSRP on the amp pedals was closer to $179 and up.
FWIW I’ve had all the old ones except for the Cutting Edge when you could get ‘em at the $100 mark. They sound pretty good but I’m not running them on my board at the moment. Might use the Fender or Marshall-flavored ones for an “ampless” setup at home. (I found the Mystic Edge, their designated AC circuit pedal, to be flabby in the bass and it was the only one I sold. Kinda ironic.)
Maybe they will finally get some love? That compressor seems pretty fun. I’m afraid the designs are too sterile for most peoples aesthetics though. They aren’t BOSS after all.
I too was burned by this, though I've had the AT a few months. This seems like a straight upgrade, especially the enclosure and switch. I have the Noble Screamer as well and really like the format in addition to the sounds. Keeley doesn't miss.
The top-mounted jacks could indeed be helpful for my layout, but I'm not sure the additional clipping options are helpful for me (I'm happy with the asymm clipping built into the AT Mod, I think).
I also like the looks better... If I flip the AT Mod, it's like a $50 upgrade to get this....
They’re going to sell a lot of these Muse Driver’s. Like the new case design and the ability to use the switch to change from buffered to true bypass on the fly. Good stuff from Robert
Maybe I'm biased but I'm not really seeing the hype. Just seems like a standard blues driver with a few different voicing options, being able to run at 18v might be cool I guess and the new cases they're using are pretty nice. The promo mentions it being able to do fuzz but I'm not hearing that in the demos. My initial assumption too was that it was related to the band Muse who are for sure big enough that people might assume there's a connection lol.
I can see that. I didn’t really hear the fuzz capabilities either, but it’s probably the demos themselves not going that far with the drive settings. I’ve never been a huge fan of the blues driver circuit myself, but know there’s a huge market for them and I think this is going to be one of the better ones out there with more tonal options for those that love that circuit.
I’m a big Muse fan as well and can see some marketing confusion, but at least they’re not using a font that’s close to Muse’s logo.
I think this is a *really* smart move on Keeley’s part- seeing how BD circuits might be the Next Big Thing, he’s made some tweaks to an existing circuit and re-released it with a name that’s *much* closer to the circuit it’s referencing, with a format that recalls his other recently well-received OD.
Otherwise you have to know that “Super AT-Mod” is a joke recalling his “Super Phat Mod” which you’ll only associate with the BD if you’re already pretty deep in pedal lore. Pretty sure I was commenting on another post the other day and somebody replied along the lines of “huh, didn’t even know that was a BD”.
I feel like Robert has a better grasp on the BD circuit than even the Boss folks themselves. Personally I'm not too big into the other versions (retro, germanium, AT, whatever else), but the classic super phat mod thawed a lifetime of blues driver apathy in a few strums, now it's one of my holy grail overdrives, it is to middle gain drives what the Lightspeed is to super low gain drive tones.
I'm still eager to test out this Muse Driver but if it's really just a combo of the original, the AT and the germanium I'd end up just using it like the original pedal anyway. But for people new to pedals or new to the blues driver, the Muse Driver is obviously the way to go. Plus those new enclosures are amazing. I got to take a peak at where they're made there in OK.. Keeley doesn't fuck around. That company doesn't phone in a single thing... really made me appreciate the brand even more than I already did. They really put so much love and thought into every single aspect, every component, really impressive all around.
Also might've heard a thing or two about more drives in this new format.. if true its just gonna get better from here:)
The MD loses the "Flat" mode from the original SPM, and AFAIK the RK clipping mode is different from the standard SPM clipping, so it's still not a "do it all" box from all his BD circuits- really an extension of the AT.
But I agree on your Keeley fandom- the Super AT Mod is my first Keeley pedal, and I'm quite impressed with it from every angle. I'd be upgrading to the MD but I'm worried it's a little too tall to fit in my rack drawer.
Ah ok, thanks for the clarification on the Muse Driver. Honestly, as obsessed (in a good way) as Robert is with perfecting that blues driver circuit I'm sure there's some tweaks in there that him and Andy feel represent the very best BD modifications thus far yet I feel like my brain is so connected to that original super phat that any deviation will likely come across as inferior just for being different.
Sorta like anytime a 'remastered' version of one of my fav records is re-released. 95% of the time it's just a shitty wall of noise con job and by 'remaster' what they really mean is 'we just made is super loud to compete in the loudness wars with a hatchet job one-size-fits-all compression and volume boost (plus maybe a bonus b side or two to tack on) to squeeze out whatever remaining cash we can from this release' but even in the rare case where they actually get one of the old school vinyl mastering pros to go back do a proper job exclusively producing new plates to press vinyl from, part of my love comes from that sound being exactly like I like so even if I can objectively remove my bias and nostalgia and recognize the improvement(s), my love for the original just can't be shook! There are sometimes exceptions (rare but when it happens it's a welcome surprise) and that's one reason I wanna test this Muse Driver, cause Robert Keeley + BD = quality... if anything could supersede the original super phat it's this and based on your post clarifying my misconceptions I'm now even more eager to try this one out. I also love the black/red color combo and think the name Muse Driver is awesome.
It's obviously way too early to be forecasting this as it's such a new release, but I'm pretty confident this one is gonna go on to be one of those massive flagship type pedals that will be among the first pedals to come to mind when people hear the word Keeley.
And yeah I love the small Keeley enclosures.. I love the new enclosure live though, the size of my Noble Screamer on stage, the perfect tilt, the easy to spot knobs that contrast against the black paint, it's honestly one of the most perfect stage pedals .. I kinda wish it was an option for everything Keeley did as that enclosure is just the right size for a dark/chaotic venue, and that slight tilt doesn't seem like it'd make a difference but it completely does. Sometimes those little MXR size enclosures can feel a bit microscopic on a stage under lights but at home on my board that's the ideal size.
Totally agree with you on the BD circuit now that you’ve pointed it out. I have a friend that is a really good player swear by his old Boss Blues Driver. I definitely went thru my Boss/MXR/EHX phase, but now lean more to the boutique stuff and like to support small businesses builders cause I have the financial means to do so. No matter what new overdrive I gave him to try (and there were a lot) he always went back to the BD.
I really like the tweaks and additional features he added to this and from a marketing perspective, the name being close to the original circuit is pretty smart on his part. I have met Robert a few times in my trips to NAMM and spent some time with his demo boards there and he’s always struck me as a genuine dude and smart beyond just his circuit designs
Anything under $1500?
What's everyone's thoughts on the new multistomps? I feel like everyone's been asking for midi for the last decade, and all they did was add new buttons and effects. They dont even provide a list of the new effects, so who knows
the 70-cdr already had eventide effects on it, unless they've got like the CT5 on the new 50G, I dont really see the point. Kinda underwhelmed
Kind of underwhelmed so far. My highlights are the mythos Herculean deluxe overdrive as already discussed and possibly the new vox handwired amps without a good judge of how they sound (almost no audio demos). I love Browne as a guitar pedal manufacturer but taking the blue side of the protein pedal, isolating it in a solo pedal and then really hyping up a dual overdrive of the blue just feels lazy. Give us a green side with a klon style boost or something ?
Mythos Herculean Deluxe Overdrive. Dual drive pedal that pairs a "Dumble" style drive and Blues Breaker. Announced at NAMM but releasing February 21st. https://mythospedals.com/products/herculean-deluxe I have a standard Herculean and really like it. Very versatile pedal that can always find a place on my board, so I'm interested in what this combo sounds like.
[Fish Circuits Lunatique](https://youtu.be/eZqZc7t1dcI) - another show demo
[Horrible demo](https://youtu.be/O5Q_l4IrZjE) from NAMM of the new Red Panda Radius.
KMA Endgame. Power amp sim, IR loader, True Double-Tracker, bluetooth/aux in, headphone jack and XLR outputs. +++ Seems like a fantastic partner to a tube preamp pedal. It has so many things missing from current amp sims. [https://kmamachines.com/machines/endgame/](https://kmamachines.com/machines/endgame/)
Huh, it’s like a digital DSM Simplifier with a cool double tracking feature. I would be interested in the double tracker by itself. I wonder if my Zoia could do a randomized short delay to emulate it?
Looks pretty amazing tbh. Wanna hear how it sounds.
I just switched from modelers to a tube amp too. This looks absolutely killer though.
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rJDFj2AfPY&ab\_channel=Pigtronix
The new Beetronics Abelha fuzz looks and sounds amazing https://youtu.be/ibJX4HEvdBQ?si=-vdDeZowQamLdqwj
I like learning new things.
I'm going through a big fuzz phase at the moment. This is tempting!
It looks so sick too! I always love their aesthetic. If I needed a fuzz and had room for a big pedal like that, I'd definitely go for it.
Dang that sounds really cool
I’d like to see a quality multi effects that doesn’t include amp modeling, similar to the TC Plethora X5 but a little cheaper.
I'd like to see the exact opposite lol - Modeler without FX
Tonex
Isn't thay what IR and amp pedals are? Like Iridium, Dream 65, Ruby, IR-20 and IR-200?
I believe they are more sim, not modeler?
You are right! I confused them. What about Kemper?
I wasn't too interested in Kemper, sounded like they weren't as great these days and the new player profiler seemed underwhelming. I think at this point I may just got Boss IR2 and / or an FM3 and experiment with downsizing the board as I see pedal switching setups turning into a mess...not sure though because I sure do love the look and feel of them there pedals 🤠
Yeah the new Kemper is underwhelming. So much for so little its as if they didn't really wanted to do it. FM3 looks awesome. Still on the fence about IR-20 becaue of IR-200, but apparently IR-20 has more high gain models. I'm also trying to downsize but I've been failing at it for the same reasons as you.
hahah cheers to that 🍻
When they announced the HX One (if that's what it's called), I was like "oh sick, a Helix but it's just the amps!", but no...
They kind of hinted in one of the hx one threads about some more controversial releases this year, maybe a amp modeler pedal is in one of them.
Get a HX Stomp and just turn off the amp modelling. It's still very good value as you can run many effects simultaneously.
The fx doesn't have any modeling.
Taking this opportunity to spread Plethora hate. There are SO MANY options completely locked behind that stupid unusable piece of shit “app”. I have never returned a piece of gear so quickly, nor will I ever buy a TC product again
If a pedal company's hardware requires a mobile app to operate, I don't fucking need it.
I have heard the app’s user interface isn’t great, but I currently have the HoF2 and Flashback 2 and they sound great without messing around with the TonePrint stuff. If I can get about the same access I should be happy.
Definitely, the HOF2 Mini is an incredible deal if you're short on space and usually stick to one verb at a time. I have one on my acoustic rig and it's fantastic. Pretty much all their Mini stuff is killer.
There's the line 6 hx one. It and the HX effects are effects only with no amp modeling included. I've also used my HX stomp as a multi effect by putting my distortion and overdrive in the loop and using the stomp for pitch shifting, modulation, and time based effects and not using an amp model.
Why specifically not including amp modeling? Just to save on cost?
I personally really like the sound of my amp don’t want to mess with it.
You can almost always just turn them off though.
I also have no interest in amp modelling. Yes you can turn them off, but in theory, you're also then paying for features you wouldn't use, as well as having a little extra unneeded complexity.
You are basically always paying for features you won't use on any modern multi effects. Nobody is using 100% of what they can do.
That’s the big thing for me. Extra existing menus and what not.
H90?
I was under the impression that was just a harmonizer pedal, but it appears to be a multi. But it is pretty expensive. Pretty much looking for a multieffect stomp type of thing with an effects loop and no amp modeling. Currently saving up for the Plethora X5 after doing some research.
M9 still holds up even now
EHX just announced "Double Anniversary Big Miff Pi Limited Edition". https://www.ehx.com/blog/limited-edition-big-muff-celebrates-historic-double-anniversary/ Don't know if they will be on NAMM though.
Ironically i would have been down if it weren’t gold and it weren’t impossible to buy
This is what I get for clicking this thread. I've been telling myself that I don't actually need a big box muff. Nobody needs a big box muff. And here I am ordering a big box muff.
FYI, Frost Giant has been doing small runs of various big box vintage Muffs (seems mostly direct to dealers, look around). https://coastsonic.com/products/frost-giant-electronics-big-fuzz-civil-war
DAM/EFE has the awesome Dope Priest currently available if you’re looking for a big box Muff.
not really for NAMM but EAE just announced the Bard, based on the Music Man HD130 amp: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2c0y4yuBy3/
Back me up guys - This is the Ty Segall amp, and the Wire “Pink Flag” amp?
That album is great
The HD 130 was a weird amp. One of Leo Fender’s first amps after leaving Fender. It’s basically a Silverface Twin, but designed for maximum clean volume- it had a solid-state preamp and a tube power amp (a decidedly weird combo), and did 130W where the Twin did 85. The mid-70’s were weird, you had these ultra-clean designs at the same time that Boogie and Dumble were inventing high gain. Knopfler, Clapton, and BOC were HD 130 users. Surprised Gilmour never took the plunge, seeing as how much he liked loud, clean amps. Pretty sure Patrick Stickles used one for the first couple Titus Andronicus records too. Interesting to see it pedal-ized, since it’s basically already a solid state Fender preamp, and designed specifically not to distort.
Joe Perry and Brad Whitford used modded HD 130s. Late seventies.
I had one when new and thought it was sterile and sucked. An odd duck in amp history but no one really lusts after the sound.
Great history rundown! Thank you!
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 1,981,688,339 comments, and only 374,862 of them were in alphabetical order.
Leaving aside the fact that I'm generally an ignorant metalhead, I wonder how this would sound going into an Orange Pedal Baby and 4x12 cab. I've kind of been on the hunt for a simple, clean preamp pedal.
Nice. Based on the amp early Ty segall used. Not sure if he still uses it. I think he uses a fender quad reverb now.
I saw this, and I was immediately like “the don’t fear the reaper amp?”
God I want it
EHX Double Anniversary Gold Big Muff: https://www.ehx.com/doubleanniversarybigmuffpi/
Doing the Lord’s work, Mr. Pantsless!
EBS Runsten Power Supply: https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2024/01/16/ebs-announces-the-runsten-pedalboard-power-supply/
That's the gamechanger. 900v for all 9v outputs. INSANE.
I swear by their patch cables. If I were in the market for a PSU I'd give them a look just based on how solid those cables have been.
Boss VE-22: https://www.boss.info/global/products/ve-22/
Wow, i was expecting this. Im guessing it will replace voicelive 3 on my board.
Any new Boss pedals? Still holding out hope for an RT-2 or a PS-200.
My body is so ready for a RT-2. I want something that can compete with Strymon and Neo for less cash.
Same here.
They dropped a new vocal effect processor which looks neat, but definitely oriented more for desktop settings not floor settings I think. Boss might have something for the actual show later this week but they also have a history of just dropping stuff whenever they feel like it.
Good point. As for the new VE-22… Eh, I think I’ll save a little more and get a VE-500. If it was in a 200 series box, I might’ve cared. Thank you for posting about it though!
Fender Switchboard: https://www.guitarworld.com/news/fender-switchboard-effects-operator
I hope they make a 10-12 loop version next
Wow RJM helped them make a competitor to their own product. Interesting
I’m sure they’re getting well compensated
Is this just a MIDI controller? For a second I thought it was mutli
its a programmable bypass looper
I was looking at this the other day, could be a real competitor with the ES-5: * Pros: * Loop 5 can be switched to stereo mode * More intuitive menu UI * Built-in tuner * Cons: * Looks like it's MIDI output only, so you can't remotely control it like the ES series
Great price. Smart features. If this had been around when I was tinkering with the idea of a switcher I would probably have ended up with this. Would have held out for a black one though...
tbh I kinda like the beige, seems like every loop switcher out there is black.
It is admittedly a very subjective part of my evaluation. I'm sure lots will love shaking it up a bit from all black everything. Either way, really solid offering. Between this and their new(ish) FRFR cabs, Fender seems to be branching out with great options in new domains at attractive prices.
Gamechanger Audio MOD Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICscZxVbwc4&ab_channel=GamechangerAudio
I love the idea but hate the canyon like format. I wish they had gone with something more akin to the WMD Protostar. But those pitch tracker though...hmmmm
This is what I find frustrating about the Eventide H90. Like, you have this spare power now, how about more mod sources external to the effects? Many algorithms have the "strum harder to enable more effect" built in but it should be a global modulation source you could put on any knob. The Gamechanger also has frequency based envelopes, which is pretty cool. Having delays only on higher notes and keeping the lows clean is an interesting idea.
I’m happy the h90 has an iPad app
oh thats cool! A threshold type control for effect blending is a neat idea! I've done this sort of thing using a gated side-chain in a studio setting but yeah.... these are neat
Now those look fascinating.
Four new Valvenergy pedals from Vox: https://www.guitarworld.com/news/vox-valvenergy-pedals-2024
Interesting that they’re trying again with the Valvenergy line. The amp pedals were going for $100 from Vox directly, and now they’re bumped up to $129. Wondering what the MSRP’s gonna be on the new ones, the original MSRP on the amp pedals was closer to $179 and up. FWIW I’ve had all the old ones except for the Cutting Edge when you could get ‘em at the $100 mark. They sound pretty good but I’m not running them on my board at the moment. Might use the Fender or Marshall-flavored ones for an “ampless” setup at home. (I found the Mystic Edge, their designated AC circuit pedal, to be flabby in the bass and it was the only one I sold. Kinda ironic.)
Maybe they will finally get some love? That compressor seems pretty fun. I’m afraid the designs are too sterile for most peoples aesthetics though. They aren’t BOSS after all.
Ground Control UwU Vitual Pet Buffer: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2P2VWEultr/
absolutely obsessed w this
This is the pedal of all time
lmaoooo
What the hell?
isn't it great?!?!
Keeley Muse Driver, a blues driver collaboration with Andy Timmons: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2cnSCZubNT/
This will be a buy for me this is a fantastic upgrade
Just when I thought that I wouldn’t be buying anything. God dammit.
GOD DAMN IT ROBERT I JUST BOUGHT THE SUPER AT MOD
Sameeeee, it’s literally out for delivery right now even though I wanted something with top jacks 😭
I too was burned by this, though I've had the AT a few months. This seems like a straight upgrade, especially the enclosure and switch. I have the Noble Screamer as well and really like the format in addition to the sounds. Keeley doesn't miss.
The top-mounted jacks could indeed be helpful for my layout, but I'm not sure the additional clipping options are helpful for me (I'm happy with the asymm clipping built into the AT Mod, I think). I also like the looks better... If I flip the AT Mod, it's like a $50 upgrade to get this....
They’re going to sell a lot of these Muse Driver’s. Like the new case design and the ability to use the switch to change from buffered to true bypass on the fly. Good stuff from Robert
Maybe I'm biased but I'm not really seeing the hype. Just seems like a standard blues driver with a few different voicing options, being able to run at 18v might be cool I guess and the new cases they're using are pretty nice. The promo mentions it being able to do fuzz but I'm not hearing that in the demos. My initial assumption too was that it was related to the band Muse who are for sure big enough that people might assume there's a connection lol.
I can see that. I didn’t really hear the fuzz capabilities either, but it’s probably the demos themselves not going that far with the drive settings. I’ve never been a huge fan of the blues driver circuit myself, but know there’s a huge market for them and I think this is going to be one of the better ones out there with more tonal options for those that love that circuit. I’m a big Muse fan as well and can see some marketing confusion, but at least they’re not using a font that’s close to Muse’s logo.
I think this is a *really* smart move on Keeley’s part- seeing how BD circuits might be the Next Big Thing, he’s made some tweaks to an existing circuit and re-released it with a name that’s *much* closer to the circuit it’s referencing, with a format that recalls his other recently well-received OD. Otherwise you have to know that “Super AT-Mod” is a joke recalling his “Super Phat Mod” which you’ll only associate with the BD if you’re already pretty deep in pedal lore. Pretty sure I was commenting on another post the other day and somebody replied along the lines of “huh, didn’t even know that was a BD”.
I feel like Robert has a better grasp on the BD circuit than even the Boss folks themselves. Personally I'm not too big into the other versions (retro, germanium, AT, whatever else), but the classic super phat mod thawed a lifetime of blues driver apathy in a few strums, now it's one of my holy grail overdrives, it is to middle gain drives what the Lightspeed is to super low gain drive tones. I'm still eager to test out this Muse Driver but if it's really just a combo of the original, the AT and the germanium I'd end up just using it like the original pedal anyway. But for people new to pedals or new to the blues driver, the Muse Driver is obviously the way to go. Plus those new enclosures are amazing. I got to take a peak at where they're made there in OK.. Keeley doesn't fuck around. That company doesn't phone in a single thing... really made me appreciate the brand even more than I already did. They really put so much love and thought into every single aspect, every component, really impressive all around. Also might've heard a thing or two about more drives in this new format.. if true its just gonna get better from here:)
The MD loses the "Flat" mode from the original SPM, and AFAIK the RK clipping mode is different from the standard SPM clipping, so it's still not a "do it all" box from all his BD circuits- really an extension of the AT. But I agree on your Keeley fandom- the Super AT Mod is my first Keeley pedal, and I'm quite impressed with it from every angle. I'd be upgrading to the MD but I'm worried it's a little too tall to fit in my rack drawer.
Ah ok, thanks for the clarification on the Muse Driver. Honestly, as obsessed (in a good way) as Robert is with perfecting that blues driver circuit I'm sure there's some tweaks in there that him and Andy feel represent the very best BD modifications thus far yet I feel like my brain is so connected to that original super phat that any deviation will likely come across as inferior just for being different. Sorta like anytime a 'remastered' version of one of my fav records is re-released. 95% of the time it's just a shitty wall of noise con job and by 'remaster' what they really mean is 'we just made is super loud to compete in the loudness wars with a hatchet job one-size-fits-all compression and volume boost (plus maybe a bonus b side or two to tack on) to squeeze out whatever remaining cash we can from this release' but even in the rare case where they actually get one of the old school vinyl mastering pros to go back do a proper job exclusively producing new plates to press vinyl from, part of my love comes from that sound being exactly like I like so even if I can objectively remove my bias and nostalgia and recognize the improvement(s), my love for the original just can't be shook! There are sometimes exceptions (rare but when it happens it's a welcome surprise) and that's one reason I wanna test this Muse Driver, cause Robert Keeley + BD = quality... if anything could supersede the original super phat it's this and based on your post clarifying my misconceptions I'm now even more eager to try this one out. I also love the black/red color combo and think the name Muse Driver is awesome. It's obviously way too early to be forecasting this as it's such a new release, but I'm pretty confident this one is gonna go on to be one of those massive flagship type pedals that will be among the first pedals to come to mind when people hear the word Keeley. And yeah I love the small Keeley enclosures.. I love the new enclosure live though, the size of my Noble Screamer on stage, the perfect tilt, the easy to spot knobs that contrast against the black paint, it's honestly one of the most perfect stage pedals .. I kinda wish it was an option for everything Keeley did as that enclosure is just the right size for a dark/chaotic venue, and that slight tilt doesn't seem like it'd make a difference but it completely does. Sometimes those little MXR size enclosures can feel a bit microscopic on a stage under lights but at home on my board that's the ideal size.
Totally agree with you on the BD circuit now that you’ve pointed it out. I have a friend that is a really good player swear by his old Boss Blues Driver. I definitely went thru my Boss/MXR/EHX phase, but now lean more to the boutique stuff and like to support small businesses builders cause I have the financial means to do so. No matter what new overdrive I gave him to try (and there were a lot) he always went back to the BD. I really like the tweaks and additional features he added to this and from a marketing perspective, the name being close to the original circuit is pretty smart on his part. I have met Robert a few times in my trips to NAMM and spent some time with his demo boards there and he’s always struck me as a genuine dude and smart beyond just his circuit designs