Demedash 112+ – Super Versatile Distortion

I’ll be honest, whilst I had heard of the company, prior to getting my hands on the 112+ I wasn’t really aware that Demedash produced a drive pedal. This had completely slipped under the radar for me.

And what a pleasant surprise it was. The 112+ has been designed to stack with other overdrives and distortion. This is how I used it and how to my ears it sounds best. It has a lot of versatility and enough options to satisfy most players. A three band EQ, (which is a welcome addition on a distortion) makes it very easy to tweak the 112+ to work with any other drive pedals. The voice selection switch which essentially boosts or cuts the bass is a good starting point, select the voicing that appeals to you the most and tweak the EQ and Drive to suit. I personally prefer the left voicing option with drive at around the 2-3 o clock position this gives a gnarley punchy overdrive, that with the utilisation of the EQ is still able to cut through the mix.

If required the 112+ can get very heavy indeed. Whilst not fuzz it is definitely in the distortion category. It doesn’t conform to any usual categories, it’s not a tube screamer or a bluesbreaker, but a sound all of its own. I guess this is because it has its origins in a pre amp circuit. It’s refreshing to see something unique. I guess it can’t be pigeonholed as it is very useful. There are enough combinations within that one box that you are bound to find a distortion sound that works well with your rig.

The 112+ is handmade in Canada, and it’s a beautiful presentation. I’ve yet to try any of Demedash’s other effects but so far the 112+ has impressed. Top mounted jacks and power socket mean that it will fit on the smallest of boards.

Internally the 112+ boosts the 9v input to 32v for tons of headroom. Honestly there aren’t many drive pedals I can think of that have an active three band EQ, versatile voicing options and an internal voltage boost. I would highly recommend the 112+

This one is short and sweet. If I am being completely honest, the 112+ didn’t grab me quite in the same way that the Thorpy FX Bunker did. But after spending a little more time with it, I would say that it has won me over with its versatility and the way that it plays with other drive pedals. Give it a try if you’re missing something on your board.

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Little chunk of big metal – Donner Giant Metal

This isn’t a pedal that I would normally review, I certainly wouldn’t buy one myself. I don’t play metal, and don’t usually go for the higher gain sound.

My friend left a couple of pedals that he had bought and doesn’t use, telling me to review them and let him know what I think. So here we are. I’ll start by saying that it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I really did expect this to be absolutely diabolical. The very first pedal I bought myself about 15 years ago was a Danelectro FAB Metal, one of the ones housed in a very robust (not) plastic housing. It was awful, and I firmly believe that this is the reason that I stayed away from pedals for so long. I still don’t know to this day why I opted for the metal version over the standard overdrive, having never played metal guitar.

This pedal whilst not absolutely lighting my world on fire is actually somewhat useable. It can do that ridiculous mid scooped high gain ear-splitting sound if you so desire, but it can also be used for quite a crunchy overdrive, especially when using the low boost mode. This is not a pedal that will make you sound like a classic rock guitarist, but it will do a pretty passable Sabbath sound. I completely understand that this will be fantastic for some guitarists, but it is not really for me. Obviously what guitar and amp you use with this will change your perception of it, it doesn’t work amazingly well with my setup.

I did find that the Giant Metal was very flat, and not at all lively when used on its own. I ran it through my EQ pedal and there was a night and day difference, if you have an EQ pedal or a decent EQ on your amp, a pedal like this can be made useful for more than just metal. With the distortion turned down to around the 9 o’clock mark and using either no boost or the low boost mode it can be an albeit heavy but usable distortion. Any other settings make it quite unusable for what I normally play.

It’s also worth noting that the additional noise from this pedal is shocking. I will take a guess that it is due to the cheaper components in a pedal at this price point (around £20 retail). I used an isolated power supply, and decent cables. I get a little noise from my fuzz, which is to be expected, but nothing compared to this.

Check out the sound clips below – I used my Made in Mexico strat with the stock pickups, bridge and middle, a Boss GE-7 EQ, a Zoom MS-70CDR for hall reverb, all going into a Laney Cub 12 (Reverb in the effects loop)

First off Donner Giant Metal, boost off, around 1 o’clock on distortion, same on tone with the hall reverb. Next section I turn the EQ on, and it stays on for the duration of the clip.
Then Clean signal, GE-7 and reverb. Turn Giant Metal on, distortion around 11. No boost. Followed by low boost, and then high boost. Then a play a little bit of Dio’s Holy Diver with the distortion back up to 1 o’clock. No boost, hight boost and then low boost. Then I turn the distortion up to 2/3 o clock with high boost for a lead tone.

In conclusion:

Pros –

• Tiny footprint
• So cheap if you left it on the bus you probably wouldn’t care
• Can do that one sound pretty well, but does benefit from an EQ to make the sound more lively
• It’s black so obviously that helps you sound bit more like Metallica, and it will match nicely with whichever patch covered jean jacket you decide to wear

Cons –

• It is cheap for a reason, the toggle switch is flimsy, I don’t hold out much hope for it lasting all that long with even semi regular use
• The name and graphics leave a lot to be desired, I would genuinely like it more if it was called “Metal Pedal”
• Ridiculous amount of noise – presumably cheap un isolated components
• Limited applications, can only do metal

 

 

 

Hudson Electronics Sidecar

As often is the case this pedal was loaned to me by the fantastic Northern Stompboxes. It is like all of the pedals that Northern Stomps stocks hand-made in the UK.

If you have read any of my other reviews of Hudson Electronics effects pedals you might know that I really like them. I may be a little bit biased as I own a Broadcast but I will try to be as impartial as possible.

Firstly I will start of by saying that the Sidecar is a bit of an unknown, the Broadcast seems to draw a lot of attention in the media, and for good reason, it is a fantastic boost/overdrive. The Sidecar is I would say the refined older brother to the Broadcast. It has a little bit more sophistication and I think it is a little bit more transparent and cleaner than the broadcast even when pushed to its limits. I think the Sidecar has a fair bit more clean headroom over the Broadcast. The Broadcast has a lot more bass and a fuzzy growl at lower settings when compared to the Sidecar. The Sidecar is a little simpler in what It can do, but don’t let that put you off. If you want a top quality overdrive, look no further.

The Sidecar has a two band EQ which gives a good amount of tweakability especially when compared to the Broadcasts single low-cut pot. And as with most if not all Hudson pedals it can be run at voltages between 9v-24v giving you even more clean headroom at higher voltages.

As I have come to expect with Hudson Electronics, the built quality of the Sidecar is second to none. The neatness of the internals is almost pornographic, and all of this done on vero board. The finish to the Sidecar is textured, which makes it stand out from the other Hudson pedals and although it doesn’t  affect anything about the operation of the pedal it is a point of difference. I don’t believe that anyone would buy the Sidecar just because of the finish but it is nice and I would imagine it would be extremley hard-wearing. I think that the finish is supposed to mimic the finish of a Studer recording console, as that is what it draws some inspiration from.

That it feels so well-built, gives a sense of satisfaction and makes it more worthy of the slightly hefty price tag. It not bank breaking money for most at £155 and could easily be the only overdrive you need. But it also wouldn’t be a whim purchase. If I didn’t have a Golden eagle to boost the Broadcast, and I had the choice of this or the Broadcast i’m not quite sure how that decision would fall. As it stands I am more than happy with my board, and if the Broadcast is a little too muddy, I have an EQ pedal and the boost to sculpt it a little more. If I was to start my board again I would possibly opt for the Sidecar over the Broadcast and in a world where money was no object I would have both. They both sound fantastic with my amp. I fell in love with the sound of the Broadcast as soon as I played it, but I equally did the same with this. It is classic rock tone in a box. I’m sure it is a lot more versatile than classic rock riffs, but I found myself playing some Sabbath whenever the Sidecar was on.

I had to keep reminding myself that I don’t need another dirt pedal. I have enough… honest. And this was one of the more difficult pedals to give back. I think the Sidecar deserves a little more recognition. Yes the Broadcast is fantastic, and is touted as the overdrive for people who don’t like overdrives. Equally I would say the Sidecar is the overdrive for people who love overdriven amps and it deserves as much recognition as the Broadcast. It’s an always on kind of deal, once you’ve stomped on that switch you won’t want to turn it off.

In Conclusion:

Pros –

• Built like a tank, could probably survive the apocalypse
• Classic rock tones in a box
• Has old school cool looks

Cons –

• On the pricey side
• Prefer the graphics on the other Hudson Electronics pedals

 

Light the Beacons: Hudson Broadcast Dual Footswitch

This is my Christmas present to myself. I was so blown away with the original Broadcast that I reviewed a few months ago, that after a discussion with my friendly neighbourhood pedal distributor Northern Stompboxes I had ordered this beauty. I didn’t originally intend for it to be a Christmas present but with the long lead times that the Hudson pedals require it was delivered around that time of year. I can’t complain about the lead times for a few reasons. Number one, this is the most beautifully made pieces of pedal art that I have ever seen. And number two it gave me enough time to get the cash together to be able to purchase it.

I probably don’t need to reiterate how fantastic the broadcast is. But i’m going to anyway. I will also tell you why I believe that the dual foot switch version is better. And why I’m glad that I paid extra for it. That being said the switch on the standard version is so tactile and heavy duty that if given the chance I would spend all day just flicking that switch.

You may ask, “Joe what are the differences between the standard and dual footswitch”. Well the clue is in the name, this version has two footswitches, so that the two gain stages in the pedal can be switched on and off via the footswitches. In the standard version this is done via the toggle switch that I have previously mentioned. It also means as there is no toggle switch that there is room for another knob to twiddle on top. This comes in the form of a separate level pot for each gain setting. Meaning you can use this pedal more effectively as a boost with a further boost if you desire. On the standard version you are limited to one single level pot, meaning both gain stages are going to be the same volume level. There are a couple of other small differences, the dual footswitch version has internal trim pots, which I think is a fantastic addition. Mine came set up a little bit too harsh for my tastes, at least the high setting was. So I was able to reduce the overall gain on the high and increase the gain on the low just slightly enough to make a difference. This means that the single gain pot is still enough on the front because chances are once you have got it set how you would like it that you won’t ever touch the trim pots again but can increase the gain level on the fly with the pot on the front.

I don’t think I can state how well this pedal is made. The attention to detail is simply stunning. The internals are a work of art. and the plaques on the front and surrounding the power socket are a thing of beauty. This pedal has received praise left right and centre and it is for good reason. It delivers on so many levels, not only is it a fantastic drive pedal, but it is a beautiful object to own.

I can’t speak as if I know how to make a pedal, I’ve put one very simple kit together and it was an ok job at best that I made. Looking inside something like this really gives you an appreciation for what an art form electronics can be. It’s made on perfboard not that this is a bad thing. Just surprising considering that most manufacturers these days use printed PCBs made for their own designs. There are some really neat little touches such as the ground on the pot being bent back and soldered. This must be quicker, but also is neater and it is more than likely a stronger connection. The little things like this are what I will take away when I finally get around to making my other kits. If my own pedals turn out even half as well made as a broadcast I’ll be extremely happy with them. I believe you can see that there has been care taken in its assembly and a quiet confidence in the makers work. There is pride in producing something to a high standard and Hudson have knocked it out of the park here.

I’ve tried the Broadcast set up a few different ways, originally I had my Fredrics Golden Eagle driving it which sounds ok, but is a bit too treble heavy. When I swapped these two in the chain, I noticed a difference to the overall sound. I still get a boost from the Golden Eagle but theres a little bit less of the harsh treble. I’m not 100% sure how I prefer the pedals. I still love the sound of the Golden Eagle, but the lower gain of the broadcast has been my always on for a while. This used to be the Golden Eagle role. One thing I have noticed is that It depends on the guitar and pickups I’m using. The single coils in my strat prefer the Hudson on its own and the boost of the high gain. Wheras the P90’s in my Les Paul sounds a huge amount better with the Golden Eagles treble boost stacked after the Broadcast, this is because the P90s can be quite muddy with a lot of overdrive, the Golden Eagle remedies this.

It is worth noting I asked for the standard knobs from a single footswitch rather than the console knobs that normally come with the dual footswitch version.

In conclusion:

Pros –

• Beautifully made
• Sounds warm
• Pushes my amp into a natural drive
• Looks to die for
• Versatile – more so over the single footswitch
• Sounds fantastic when boosted with my Klon clone.

Cons –

• None that spring to mind
• Price may put some people off (£165 retail)

 

 

Fredric Effects Accomplished Badger

I borrowed this pedal from Northern Stompboxes. I was not paid for this review.

Marc from Northern Stompboxes let me borrow the pedal as he has one on his board. I don’t think he thought it would be something I would be interested in. It isn’t particularly. But just because it isn’t something I would like or need doesn’t mean that I can’t give my honest opinion of it.

It is a Germanium Pre Amp/Boost. It is housed in the standard Fredrics housing, which I absolutely love due to the size and ingenious construction. As always seems to be the case with Fredric Effects the construction is top notch and the components are of the best quality.

The Badger works tremendously well as a somewhat clean boost. It isn’t going to be as clean as say the Magnetic Effects Zola. The Badger will always colour the sound, but only slightly. It has its own gain characteristic which is no bad thing. It is excellent as a boost for a chorus or solo especially when using the gain stage of your amp. The Badger will push this into a nice saturated overdrive.

The Badger is perfect at turning a single channel amp into a two channel amp. Your amp as channel one and the Badger as your dirt channel. The Badger is not quite as effective when using it to boost overdrive pedals. It works but I don’t feel that for me it does anything that I can’t get by using a second overdrive or distortion pedal, as I currently have. By using my effects pedals I have a 3 channel amp. I have the clean of the amp itself. The overdrive/ boost of the Golden Eagle and then a further overdrive of the Blues Driver or if I decide I can switch the order of the two pedals. This is more than enough choice for me.

In conclusion I can’t say that I would find the need for an Accomplished Badger but I could see why it might be a pedal for some people. It does have a good sound all of its own. If you’re in the market for a boost, give this a try should you get the chance.

Pros:

• Fantastic enclosure
• Top quality components
• Warm overdrive boost

Cons:

• Not much, just not for me.
• Could be a bit pointless if you have plenty of pedals to use as a boost, but if you need one it’s fantastic.

 

 

Pass the Mids – Magnetic Effects Midphoria

I will start out by saying as I have done previously I borrowed this pedal to review from Marc at Northern Stompboxes. That being said this review will be impartial. I don’t have any affiliation with Magnetic Effects and I haven’t been paid to write this. So rest assured the impressions here are unbiased.

What is the Midphoria? It is a fixed wah boost pedal. In other words it is like having a wah pedal set at one particular interval without the foot pedal to create the wah effect.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first plugged it in, and after playing with it for a while, I’m still not convinced that I understand what it does.

Side note: I don’t really understand how a traditional wah alters the signal, and this is a fixed filter part of a traditional wah, you effectively move the treadle by moving the sweep knob on the Midphoria for the same effect. You could make a wah sound by turning the sweep left and right.

As far as I can tell it alters the mids meaning you get a thicker sound. Think the intro to Money for Nothing by Dire Straights. To me it sounds quite brittle and choppy with a distinctive roundness to the sound.

I unfortunately found that to me the Midphoria sounded quite compressed (which I guess it’s supposed to) but as I didn’t know what to expect this was quite disappointing. I did also find that the Midphoria got quite lost within the sound so I must not have had the volume turned up enough (actually I put it after drive not before, which I should have realised was wrong, as you put a wah as close to the front of your chain as you can). The sweep is effectively how open or closed the foot switch is on the effect and the frequency range can be altered using the toggle switch. I found that on zero the sweep sounds like the pedal is closed and when dimed it is fully open. I didnt particularly prefer either of the frequency ranges over the other, they just sound different.

The Midphoria can work as a boost and it is fairly effective, if you turn the wah effect down and crank up the clean knob you get a nice clean unaffected boost which is how I found myself using it. I did let a little of the wah creep in, but just couldn’t see myself using it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is I don’t like about it. Maybe it’s that if wanted a fixed wah, I would probably purchase a wah pedal and leave it fixed in position when I wanted this sound and then I could use it as a standard wah effect when I wanted.

I can understand why someone would want this pedal, it is a boost when needed and a fixed wah might only be used for one song in your set, so having one pedal that does these two things is in advantage if you’re a gigging musician. You may also really want that fixed wah sound and have no intention of using a traditional wah, therefore a standard sized stomp box will fit much better on your board than a big bulky wah. I however am not a gigging musician, so I have a nearly unlimited amount of space on my board. If I wanted a boost and a wah pedal I would probably purchase a Magnetic Effects Zola (which I have tried but not reviewed) that I found to be a lot nicer than the boost in the Midphoria. It has a better EQ and gives a ridiculous amount of clean headroom. I would then purchase a cry baby so that I can use the wah as intended. This is all hypothetical as I am not in need of either of those things.

I don’t want this review to sound negative as the Midphoria does what it’s supposed to and I’m sure it does this very well, but it just not something I would want or need.

If I were only to review the looks and build quality of the Midphoria it would get top marks all around. The enclosure is solid, the graphics are top notch and the internals are well put together and hand made. There are top mounted jacks which for most is a massive plus, as you can cram in many more pedals. On my board this is actually more difficult than side mounted jacks due to the layout. It is worth noting that the enclosures that Magnetics use are quite tall compared to other manufacturers, so it might not sit very well next to some pedals, and could potentially get in the way of other foot switches, if for example you had this next to a boss pedal you might catch the side of the midphoria before hit the footswitch of the boss pedal as it is a bit taller.

If I ever decide to start a Dire Straights cover band (which I can’t see happening as I can’t play half as well as Mark Knopfler) then I suppose the Midphoria is something I would have to look to be able to get that famous sound.

In conclusion –

Pros:

• Top quality hand made pedal
• Very nice graphics
• Good clean boost, can be run at higher voltages (9-18v)
• Good fixed wah sound

Cons:

• Can get lost if used with too much drive in front of it (should put it before drive)
• Could get in the way of other pedals as its a tall enclosure