https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com Hand-built guitar pedals, amplifiers, and modifications from Kansas City, MO. 118710963 SPD100 - Sammy Duet signature 100W amplifier *PREORDER DEPOSIT* PRICE ABOVE REFLECTS 50% OF FULL PRICE ($3,595) AND SERVES AS PREORDER DEPOSIT The SPD100 guitar amplifier is the result of approximately 4 years of designing, prototyping, testing, touring and refinement. The continued collaboration with Sammy Duet (Goatwhore, Acid Bath) represents a milestone in purpose-designed heavy guitar amplification. It is a single-channel amplifier for both simplicity and proof of confidence in its performance. While simple in interface, the SPD100 is uniquely flexible in tone and feel across tones and genres. It utilizes 4x12AX7, 4xKT77, and a meticulously voiced set of controls to not only help Sammy achieve his tones, but also those of players like myself and even perhaps you. The effects loop is also a new design, and is made to be foolproof, transparent, and retain the lowest noise floor imaginable even in the most obnoxious 4CM rigs. Components represent not only those required for our tonal goals, but also longevity and reliability. The chassis is stainless steel with welded corners. Construction is old-school eyelet/turret board and is fully hand-wired and assembled. Lastly, the heart of this amplifier is a custom-design transformer and choke set from the legendary Mercury Magnetics. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Unquestionably yes. Simply put, no corners were cut, no expenses spared in our pursuit of perfection. Michael has once again collaborated with KSR Amps, who helped design and are manufacturing the incredible headshells. They feature carbon fiber tolex, custom machined grilles in durable matte black coating, and recessed Penn-Elcom handles for comfortable transport. Michael and Sammy are proud that even the headshell is a reflection of the care, attention to detail, and lofty expectations of this project. PREORDER AND BUILD PROCESS Payment is 50% of total ($3,595), and puts your name as the owner of an SPD100 in process. Assembly is particularly time consuming, so expect 10-12 months for completion and delivery. I will provide you with updates and progress pictures as relevant. Out of respect for my privacy, family, and time, PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR UPDATES OR TIMELINES. You can ask my thousands of customers over the years - I will take care of you and keep you informed. Please allow me the space to do just that. Remaining 50% and shipping (usually $70-90) will be required at the time of completion. 1797.50 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/mwk-spd100-sammy-duet-signature-100w-guitar-amplifier https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/84f52ac4-3c4e-4afa-b445-5cb76d1dce41/mwk-spd100-sammy-duet-signature-100w-guitar-amplifier.jpg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/ced3b917-4881-4e9b-b7af-64336b3a9be7/mwk-spd100-sammy-duet-signature-100w-guitar-amplifier.jpg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/249be781-931d-4630-910c-007c977ed500/mwk-spd100-sammy-duet-signature-100w-guitar-amplifier.jpg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/007515a6-297e-438f-9742-0b3238afee62/mwk-spd100-sammy-duet-signature-100w-guitar-amplifier.jpg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/452e8b55-7fb4-4d42-b466-5f05e28e22a6/mwk-spd100-sammy-duet-signature-100w-guitar-amplifier.jpg 118710963 new preorder 118706319 mwkUltra 4x12 guitar speaker cabinet The mwkUltra is a collaborative design between mwk Audio Design and KSR Amps. Michael and Kyle worked together to develop a truly unique cabinet that would perfectly compliment the SPD100 amplifier. It is similar in construction to the KSR RCS/412, although features different internal bracing and rear panel. It also features a custom machined grille in durable matte black and is covered in carbon fiber tolex. In addition, it uses recessed metal side handles and high-quality removable casters. This cabinet is equipped stock with Celestion G12H-150 Redbacks/G12H-75 Creambacks in an X-configuration. It also employs a Plug’N’Play jack allowing 4 Ohm or 16 Ohm mono @300W, or 8 Ohm stereo with each side @150W. Dimensions are 31” H x 31” W x 14”D, and shipping weight is approximately 115lbs. All mwkUltra 4x12s will be built to order. Construction is already underway, but please allow 1-2 months for completion. Shipping will be billed at the time of completion. 1495.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/mwkultra-4x12-guitar-speaker-cabinet https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/28bfc7c9-aa25-4d86-a486-75681091bc02/mwkultra-4x12-guitar-speaker-cabinet.jpg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/d146ee49-c73a-4b59-8106-4ab50e6d0b89/mwkultra-4x12-guitar-speaker-cabinet.jpg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/5ed4447a-20e8-468d-a7e1-a190d62b6972/mwkultra-4x12-guitar-speaker-cabinet.jpg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/b8d882b0-21eb-48cd-808f-b14cf30fca77/mwkultra-4x12-guitar-speaker-cabinet.jpg 118706319 new out of stock 116903283 Lonely Ghost Delay+Reverb+Boost (MARRY CHUNGUS) The unit uses a pretty cool design that I've not seen before, especially in a unit of this size. It utilizes a DSP chip dedicated per effect (in this one, each effect has a dedicated Spin FV-1 controlled by a 24LC32A EEPROM). This maximizes the DSP power per effect, which gives the best sonic results. Despite all the digital sorcery going on, your dry signal remains 100% analog and tonally transparent. Each effect is mixed back with the dry signal using an analog mixer, with noon being a 50/50 mix. Delay module and controls Lonely Ghost’s delay tone was inspired by the TC Electronic 2290 unit. Clear, pristine but warm, and just a hint of modulation. TIME adjusts the delay length (from slapback to way longer than you need), FEEDBACK adjusts the number of repeats. MIX adjusts how loud the Delay line is compared to the dry signal. Note that as you increase the Mix beyond noon, the delay signal is actually LOUDER than the dry bypassed signal. I doubt you'll ever use it this way, but just know it is part of the mix design. My idea was that if you went for a super wet sound with very little dry signal, having the delay slightly louder than the reverb sounded better and less messy. Reverb module and controls I was shooting for kind of a Lexicon MP1 hall-type sound for the reverb. You'll notice some subtle modulation on the ambiance, which is intended to add texture without cheesiness. DWELL adjusts how long the reverb decays out. TONE adjusts the high frequency content of the reverb only. NOTE: reverb Tone behaves like a dampening control, so as you turn it clockwise the sound becomes darker and warmer. Fully counterclockwise is brightest. This might be counter intuitive, but it worked best to do it this way in the reverb algorithm, and I didn't like the way "Dampening" looked on the faceplate...so "Tone" it is. MIX adjusts how much reverb signal there is relative to your dry signal. I'm particularly happy with the reverb voicing. With a decent amount of distortion going into it, I think you'll notice it has a tendency to help notes bloom into octave harmonics. Stadium vibes! BOOST Also, the hidden bonus is the clean boost which is adjusted on the control mounted on the left side of the pedal. Fully counterclockwise is unity gain. As you turn the control clockwise, you'll be greeted with a healthy amount of boost. NOTE - FOR BEST RESULTS PLACE IN YOUR AMPLIFIER'S FX LOOP! 295.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/lonely-ghost-delayreverbboost-marry-chungus https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416121750/xmas+lonely+ghost.jpeg 116903283 new out of stock 116903238 Blood Ritual Chorus+Delay+Boost (MARRY CHUNGUS) The unit uses a pretty cool design that I've not seen before, especially in a unit of this size. It utilizes a DSP chip dedicated per effect (in this one, each effect has a dedicated Spin FV-1 controlled by a 24LC32A EEPROM). This maximizes the DSP power per effect, which gives the best sonic results. Despite all the digital sorcery going on, your dry signal remains 100% analog and tonally transparent. Each effect is mixed back with the dry signal using an analog mixer, with noon being a 50/50 mix. Chorus module and controls I was shooting for kind of an ‘80s rackmount chorus unit vibe. You'll notice some nice voicing in the modulation that will help you add texture without cheesiness. RATE adjusts how quickly the chorus signal is modulated. DEPTH adjusts how dramatically the modulated signal swings. MIX adjusts how much chorus signal there is relative to your dry signal. You’ll find a lot of variety by counter-parting the Depth and Mix controls for all sorts of tuneage. I’m very proud of how this chorus voicing turned out! Delay module and controls Blood Ritual’s delay tone was inspired by the TC Electronic 2290 unit. Clear, pristine but warm, and just a hint of modulation. TIME adjusts the delay length (from slapback to way longer than you need). FEEDBACK adjusts the number of repeats. MIX adjusts how loud the Delay line is compared to the dry signal. Note that as you increase the Mix beyond noon, the delay signal is actually LOUDER than the dry bypassed signal. I doubt you'll ever use it this way, but just know it is part of the mix design. My idea was that if you went for a super wet sound with very little dry signal, having the delay slightly louder than the reverb sounded better and less messy. BOOST Also, the hidden bonus is the clean boost which is adjusted on the control mounted on the left side of the pedal. Fully counterclockwise is unity gain. As you turn the control clockwise, you'll be greeted with a healthy amount of boost. FOR BEST RESULTS, PLACE IN YOUR AMPLIFIER'S FX LOOP! 295.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/blood-ritual-chorusdelayboost-marry-chungus https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416121654/xmas+blood+ritual.jpeg 116903238 new out of stock 116903208 Pony Boy Overdrive (MARRY CHUNGUS) Pony Boy is my humble interpretation of the frequently copied Klon Centaur. “Why u make moar u dumb?” you ask? Lemme get wordy…. I’ve been asked for years to make my take on this circuit, and I have agreed only for a handful of friends. The response is always resounding, and it’s only because I understand and pay attention to details. After increasing demand, I decided to put something out there that honored the original while putting my own spin on it…without adding unnecessary controls or features. To best capture the personality of the circuit, I searched across the world for NOS Panasonic metalized poly film caps, NOS Panasonic M-series electrolytic caps, and individually tested, measured, and plotted germanium diodes with performance ACCURATE to the original. It has turned into a complete labor of love, and I hope you enjoy it! Top row controls GAIN – this control sets the amount of overdrive in the circuit. True to the original, this circuit is a dual-ganged pot that controls the blend of a massaged clean circuit and a clipping circuit utilizing the germanium diodes. TREBLE – is again self-explanatory, and fine tunes the high frequency content of the pedal. Turn this control up to increase treble frequencies. You’ll notice this control is particularly suited to adjusting the emphasis of your pick attack. OUTPUT – and again, quite simple. This is the volume control for Pony Boy. Unlike many overdrive pedals, there is an incredible amount of gain in the output stage. This allows you to hit any amplifier hard enough to overdrive it…even with Gain at minimum. Bottom row toggles CLARITY – Have you ever played a Klon and felt it was a bit squishy and congested in the low mid harmonics, especially into a high gain amp? If so, this is my fix. Rather than common voltage or diode switches, we’re actually reconfiguring the gain stages and how they interact with the germanium diodes. The result is more articulation, perceived clarity in the lows, and a faster response WITHOUT loss of bottom end. Toggle down is stock, and toggle UP engages the Clarity mode. SHIFT – I’ve always wished the Treble control was more vocal, especially above noon. Shift (toggle UP) increases the midrange of the circuit without greatly augmenting the voice. It’s a nice change if you like more OUGH. SLVR/GOLD – legitimately and accurately switches between earlier “Gold” (toggle DOWN) and “Silver” (toggle UP) circuit variants. It’s worth noting that there are subtle differences across the history of the Klon. That being said, in the reversing of 3 originals I was able to compare to the documentation of a good friend of mine. This allowed me to corroborate these more prominent differences. Sonically, the Gold circuit has a more prominent low mid emphasis. The Silver circuit is a bit more articulate and clearer in the upper mids. Construction and connections The construction uses components that are accurate to the originals – carbon film resistors, metal film resistors in the feedback loop of gain stages, NOS Panasonic poly film capacitors, and NOS Panasonic M-series electrolytic capacitors. It also uses Taiway high quality switches and Lumberg jacks for high reliability and consistent performance. 275.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/pony-boy-overdrive-marry-chungus https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416121498/xmas+pony+boy.jpeg 116903208 new out of stock 116887332 Torture Rack Multi-Chorus/Detune Overview Like many of my time-based effects, the Torture Rack utilizes the Spin FV-1 controlled by a 24LC32A EEPROM to create a warm, rich, and complex chorus and detune pedal. Moreover, your dry signal importantly remains 100% analog and tonally transparent. Each effect is mixed back with the dry signal using an analog mixer (more below), with noon being a 50/50 mix. HEY! The center toggle on the lower row of controls switches between MULTI-CHORUS (UP) or MULTI-DETUNE (DOWN). In the up position, the upper row of controls corresponds to the labels on the left of the “/”. In the down position, the upper row of controls corresponds to the labels on the right of the “/”. CONTROLS MULTI-CHORUS (toggle UP) RATE affects the chorus modulation. RATE controls the speed at which the chorus is modulated. At low RATE settings, the modulation can still be quite subtle even with dramatic DEPTH settings. As RATE is increased, the reverb is modulated more quickly, and not only becomes more noticeable but more “seasick”. DEPTH adjusts how dramatically the chorus is modulated. At low settings, the modulation is subtle. As DEPTH is increased, the modulation becomes more prominent, and the pitch is shifted more dramatically. EXPAND This unique control actually blends in a second chorus line, which serves to add complexity and richness to your tone similar to the amazing rackmount units of the mid and late 1980s. As EXPAND is increased, the secondary chorus line becomes more prominent. MULTI-DETUNE (toggle DOWN) + adjusts the amount of detune (or pitch shift) for the secondary harmony that is increased in pitch. At minimum, there is no increase in pitch. As the control is increased, the secondary harmony is gradually increased in pitch. For traditional detune sounds (think EVH, George Lynch, ‘80s fusion) set around 9:00 o’clock. - adjusts the amount of detune (or pitch shift) for the tertiary harmony that is decreased in pitch. At minimum, there is no decrease in pitch. As the control is increased, the tertiary harmony is gradually lowered in pitch. For traditional detune sounds as above set around 9:00 o’clock. DELAY adjusts the delay between the dry signal and the secondary (+) and tertiary (-) harmonies. Think of it like a pre-delay on a reverb. At minimum, there is negligible delay between the dry signal and the harmonies. As DELAY increases, the time between the dry and pitch shifted harmonies increases. For traditional detune sounds as mentioned above, set around 9:00-11:00 o’clock. SHARED (bottom row) MIX is a true analog mixer that sets the balance of dry to chorus signal. At minimum MIX settings, your signal is 100% dry. At noon, the balance is essentially 50/50. At maximum MIX, the output is 100% modulated chorus (toggle up) or pitch shifted harmonies (toggle down). The MIX control is incredibly helpful in getting the right balance, and I recommend this control around noon for the intended experience. TOGGLE not to sound like a broken record, but this mini toggle switches between MULTI-CHORUS (UP) or MULTI-DETUNE (DOWN). In the up position, the upper row of controls corresponds to the labels on the left of the “/”. In the down position, the upper row of controls corresponds to the labels on the right of the “/”. VOL controls the global output level of the pedal. This can be easily set to be slightly quieter, the same level, or louder than your bypassed signal volume. Again, this can be used to help achieve the intended feel when the Torture Rack is in use. If you are trying to set the pedal at the same volume as when disengaged, I recommend turning the MIX control all the way down, which will be only your dry signal. Then turn on the pedal and set the VOL control so it is the same as when the pedal is off. Frequently, this is around 10:30-11:30 o’clock. NOTE my preferred placement is in your amp FX loop, although great, old-school results can be achieve before the amplifier input. 225.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/torture-rack-multi-chorusdetune https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069658/image0.jpeg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069661/image1.jpeg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069664/image2.jpeg 116887332 new out of stock 116887299 STULL Modulated Reverb Overview Like the Lonely Ghost, the STULL modulated reverb utilizes the Spin FV-1 controlled by a 24LC32A EEPROM to create a complete, rich, and hopefully atmospheric reverb. Moreover, your dry signal importantly remains 100% analog and tonally transparent. Each effect is mixed back with the dry signal using an analog mixer (more below), with noon being a 50/50 mix. STULL gets its name from a small town in Kansas not far from where I grew up. It is notorious for being home to one of the gateways to Hell and is consequently controlled by demons. This allegedly gateway is found in the Stull Cemetery. The STULL graphic on the pedal was inspired by and largely pulled from a stone monument in the Stull Cemetery. The name was selected as Sammy Duet asked if I could build a reverb pedal that sounded like you were walking into Hell. CONTROLS DWELL Adjusts how long the reverberated signal decays out. At minimum settings, the reverb is short, and as DWELL is increased the reverb last longer. DEPTH Because STULL is a modulated delay, there are controls for the modulation depth and rate (much like on a chorus pedal). DEPTH adjusts how dramatically the reverb is modulated. At low settings, the modulation is subtle. As DEPTH is increased, the modulation becomes more prominent. RATE Like with DEPTH, the RATE control affects the reverb modulation. In this case, RATE controls the speed at which the reverb is modulated. At low RATE settings, the modulation can still be quite subtle even with dramatic DEPTH settings. As RATE is increased, the reverb is modulated more quickly, and not only becomes more noticeable but more “sea sick”. MIX Is a true analog mixer that sets the balance of dry to reverb signal. At minimum MIX settings, your signal is 100% dry. At noon, the balance is essentially 50/50. At maximum MIX, the output is 100% modulated reverb. The MIX control is incredibly helpful in getting the right balance, along with DWELL and RATE settings. VOL Controls the global output level of the pedal. This can be easily set to be slightly quieter, the same level, or louder than your bypassed signal volume. Again, this can be used to help achieve the intended feel when STULL is in use. NOTE My preferred placement of STULL is in the amplifier FX Loop, although cool results can be achieved before the amplifier input. 225.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/stull-modulated-reverb https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069622/image0+_1_.jpeg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069625/image1.jpeg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069631/image2.jpeg 116887299 new out of stock 116887287 Spire Overdrive (gold/black/black) Overview Spire is my response to a large portion of high-gain amplifiers which can sound harsh with too many mids in the wrong places and not enough in the right places. While these amplifiers are extremely popular and TONS of great guitarists get phenomenal tones with them, I never felt comfortable playing through most of them myself. I sought to design a boost that could address what I don’t like about these amps without losing what so many players love. The result is a pretty unique pedal and control set that really allows one to sculpt the tone of ANY amplifier, but particularly high gain amps with “cold clipping” stages in them. Top row controls Note – these are all FOCUS controls. In other words, each of these controls serves to focus the applicable frequency range. Approaching these controls with that mindset might help your knob turning experience. LOW FOCUS – This control sets the low-frequency content going into the amplifier, and therefore influences how thick and slow chuggin’ or how tight and percussive the response is. Essentially, this control is a high-pass filter and the control sets the frequency which cuts lows. Fully counter clockwise, the lowest frequencies are only mildly attenuated and the pedal has the maximum amount of bass frequencies. As the control is turned clockwise, the frequency knee increases, which causes the bottom end to focus and become trimmed and precise. Simply, turn down low focus for the thickest low end, and turn it up for the tightest low end. MID FOCUS – Spire has an inherent midrange boost, and the MID control sweeps through the frequency that is boosted. At minimum, low midrange frequencies are boosted. Halfway, approximately 430Hz is boosted (OUGH), and at max approximately 1kHz is boosted. If you’ve played a Maxon ST9 Pro+, an Ibanez Super Tube Screamer, or a Pearl OD-05…this works somewhat similarly. Compared to those pedals, this is voiced differently and placed in a section of the circuit that makes it sound a bit more natural to the amplifier in my opinion. I like to use this to balance the midrange voice of amplifiers. For example, I might use this to increase the low mids that are kind of missing in a 5150, or the high mids that are missing in a Rectifier. Or, you can push this control from 2:00 onward to get extremely aggressive and add even more articulation to your sound. HIGH FOCUS – Again, my approach to this control was to add definition and bite without necessarily accentuating unpleasant high frequencies. Different than most pedals, this high control is usable throughout the range. As this control is turned up, you’ll hear the treble frequencies pop up in a musical manner. Bottom row controls LEVEL – This sets the output volume of the pedal. There is ample output on Spire, so don’t be surprised if you like this control less than maximum. I frequently find myself setting this around 1:00-3:00. HARMONICS – In the process of designing Spire, I struggled most with this control. I sought to have the ability to reduce the odd-order harmonics generated by cold clipping stages that can sound grating or harsh to some of us. After about 4 months on this control exclusively, I came up with something that does just that. Maxed out, the Harmonics control is neutral and all of your amplifier’s inherent harmonic content…or possibly sizzle/hash….is left untouched. As you turn this control down, those harmonics gradually soften and clear up without neutering the high frequency content. GAIN – I wanted to add a musical, tube-like clipping to the circuit that can be used to modify the clipping character of an amplifier. After many revisions and an embarrassing amount of rolling, I settled on an obscure vintage Telefunken diode that does just what I want it do. Feel free to start with this control at a minimum and go from there. Approaching your first dialing session Start with the controls set as below: - Low: minimum - Mid: 1:30 o’clock - High 12:00 o’clock - Level: maximum - Harmonics: maximum - Gain: minimum First, set the Midrange control until it adds the character you find best suited to your amplifier and guitar. Second, use Low to set how thick or percussive you like your attack. Remember, minimum = thick, maximum = tight. Third, accent your treble frequencies with the High control. Again, this control is intentionally usable through its range so don’t be surprised where you end up. Fourth, use the Harmonics control to clear up any harsh harmonics in the high frequencies that may (or may not) accompany your amplifier and speaker cabinet. Go between the extremes on this control, and then slowly find where things set best to your ears. Lastly, use Level and Gain to balance the added compression and clipping you desire. 225.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/spire-overdrive-goldblackblack https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069595/image0+_1_.jpeg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069598/image1.jpeg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069604/image2.jpeg 116887287 new out of stock 116887254 Spire Overdrive (gold/black/gold) Overview Spire is my response to a large portion of high-gain amplifiers which can sound harsh with too many mids in the wrong places and not enough in the right places. While these amplifiers are extremely popular and TONS of great guitarists get phenomenal tones with them, I never felt comfortable playing through most of them myself. I sought to design a boost that could address what I don’t like about these amps without losing what so many players love. The result is a pretty unique pedal and control set that really allows one to sculpt the tone of ANY amplifier, but particularly high gain amps with “cold clipping” stages in them. Top row controls Note – these are all FOCUS controls. In other words, each of these controls serves to focus the applicable frequency range. Approaching these controls with that mindset might help your knob turning experience. LOW FOCUS – This control sets the low-frequency content going into the amplifier, and therefore influences how thick and slow chuggin’ or how tight and percussive the response is. Essentially, this control is a high-pass filter and the control sets the frequency which cuts lows. Fully counter clockwise, the lowest frequencies are only mildly attenuated and the pedal has the maximum amount of bass frequencies. As the control is turned clockwise, the frequency knee increases, which causes the bottom end to focus and become trimmed and precise. Simply, turn down low focus for the thickest low end, and turn it up for the tightest low end. MID FOCUS – Spire has an inherent midrange boost, and the MID control sweeps through the frequency that is boosted. At minimum, low midrange frequencies are boosted. Halfway, approximately 430Hz is boosted (OUGH), and at max approximately 1kHz is boosted. If you’ve played a Maxon ST9 Pro+, an Ibanez Super Tube Screamer, or a Pearl OD-05…this works somewhat similarly. Compared to those pedals, this is voiced differently and placed in a section of the circuit that makes it sound a bit more natural to the amplifier in my opinion. I like to use this to balance the midrange voice of amplifiers. For example, I might use this to increase the low mids that are kind of missing in a 5150, or the high mids that are missing in a Rectifier. Or, you can push this control from 2:00 onward to get extremely aggressive and add even more articulation to your sound. HIGH FOCUS – Again, my approach to this control was to add definition and bite without necessarily accentuating unpleasant high frequencies. Different than most pedals, this high control is usable throughout the range. As this control is turned up, you’ll hear the treble frequencies pop up in a musical manner. Bottom row controls LEVEL – This sets the output volume of the pedal. There is ample output on Spire, so don’t be surprised if you like this control less than maximum. I frequently find myself setting this around 1:00-3:00. HARMONICS – In the process of designing Spire, I struggled most with this control. I sought to have the ability to reduce the odd-order harmonics generated by cold clipping stages that can sound grating or harsh to some of us. After about 4 months on this control exclusively, I came up with something that does just that. Maxed out, the Harmonics control is neutral and all of your amplifier’s inherent harmonic content…or possibly sizzle/hash….is left untouched. As you turn this control down, those harmonics gradually soften and clear up without neutering the high frequency content. GAIN – I wanted to add a musical, tube-like clipping to the circuit that can be used to modify the clipping character of an amplifier. After many revisions and an embarrassing amount of rolling, I settled on an obscure vintage Telefunken diode that does just what I want it do. Feel free to start with this control at a minimum and go from there. Approaching your first dialing session Start with the controls set as below: - Low: minimum - Mid: 1:30 o’clock - High 12:00 o’clock - Level: maximum - Harmonics: maximum - Gain: minimum First, set the Midrange control until it adds the character you find best suited to your amplifier and guitar. Second, use Low to set how thick or percussive you like your attack. Remember, minimum = thick, maximum = tight. Third, accent your treble frequencies with the High control. Again, this control is intentionally usable through its range so don’t be surprised where you end up. Fourth, use the Harmonics control to clear up any harsh harmonics in the high frequencies that may (or may not) accompany your amplifier and speaker cabinet. Go between the extremes on this control, and then slowly find where things set best to your ears. Lastly, use Level and Gain to balance the added compression and clipping you desire. 225.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/spire-overdrive https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069460/image0+_1_.jpeg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069466/image1.jpeg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069469/image2.jpeg 116887254 new out of stock 116887224 Slimer Overdrive Overview Slimer is my favorite modifications to the good old TS-808. I have been messing around with this circuit for over 20 years, and I’ve come up with some simple adjustments that to me keep the flare of the original but make it more useable and sound it’s best. To reflect that this to my taste is the circuit's apex, I’ve intentionally kept it very simple. No diode selections. No low voicing. No frequency shifting. Just the same 3 controls that made the original easy and intuitive. Compared to a typical TS, Slimer has a shifted input impedance so that it interacts in a more pleasant way with the guitar pickups. I’ve also completely eliminated any high-pass roll-off in the input. The clipping stage uses NOS Toshiba IS1588 diodes in an “asymmetric” arrangement. I have slightly adjusted the frequency of the high-pass filter in this stage so that it is slightly less nasal, but still very mid-forward. The tone control is left untouched, as it is critical for the character of the TS. That being said, both the clipping stage and the tone control are driven by a Burr-Brown OPA2134 for lower noise, wider frequency bandwidth, and less compression. The output driver is again slightly adjusted, and is coupled downstream with a NOS Nichicon Muse capacitor. A subtle difference for sure, but in the process of trying to make this my favorite, it is a necessity. Controls LEVEL - this is just the volume control for the pedal. TREBLE – adjusts the high frequency content of the pedal. At minimum is somewhat dull, and as increased it becomes more aggressive and biting. SLIME - this controls the amount of internal clipping the pedal has. As mentioned above, the diodes and opamp used help make this section lower noise and more naturally combine with your amplifier. 175.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/slimer-overdrive https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069244/image0.jpeg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069250/image1.jpeg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069253/image2.jpeg 116887224 new out of stock 116887134 Dybbuk Overdrive Overview Dybbuk is the result of a long collaboration with Sammy Duet, and by design is made to allow him to capture and refine his signature tone into a wide variety of amplifiers. It was also important that Dybbuk also be versatile enough to allow any guitarist to sculpt their sound with this carefully voiced overdrive pedal. Controls LOW: this is an active EQ control that allows for both boost and cut of a narrow band around 110Hz. With the control at noon, this EQ is essentially neutral. In other words, it isn't adding or subtracting anything to Dybbuk's sound. As the control is increased, it adds a girth to the bottom end without getting overly woofy or muddy. As the control is decreased, it can help add clarity and definition (without neutering the tone) if the tuning, guitar, and/or pickups push a lot of lows for a particular amplifier. It's worth mentioning that Dybbuk has an inherent midrange focus to it (like many overdrives/boosts), and a neutral setting on LOW does not necessarily mean Dybbuk is tonally neutral. USURP: this is a dual-function control. First, it is an active midrange boost. Second, as it is increased it also slightly compresses and "thickens" the pick attack. The frequency at which the boost occurs is a very specific band inherent to Sammy’s signature sound. Fortunately, it’s a highly effective frequency in a variety of applications. With USURP all the way off, it has no impact on frequency/transient response. As it is turned up, it starts to bring in low mid frequencies and thicken up the pick attack (especially on fast picking or palm mutes). With the control in the higher-to-max settings, Dybbuk starts to take on a very…frosty…type tone. Fun fact - "Usurp" was inspired by the song on "To Mega Therion" and means "to take by force", which is what this control does tonally. HIGH - this is an active EQ control that sets the balance between a "softened treble" at minimum, to a "boosted treble" at maximum. Compared to some High or Treble controls, this is able to still sound pretty clear as the control is turned down. As it's turned up, pick attack gets emphasized as is a more familiar sound for thrash-type tones. LEVEL - this is just the volume control for the pedal. GAIN - this controls the amount of internal clipping the pedal has. It's by no means a distortion pedal, but it is voiced to meld well with an amplifier's natural distortion if needed. POWER (internal slide switch) - this changes the internal operating voltage of Dybbuk from 9VDC to 18VDC, all while running on a standard 9VDC, 2.1mm "Boss-style" power adapter. The POWER switch does not necessarily affect tone as much as feel. With the pedal in 9V operation (left position), the feel is a bit softer and a bit like playing at higher volumes. In 18V mode (right position), there is increased headroom, so changes in picking dynamics and technique are better translated to the output. 265.00 USD https://mwkaudiodesign.bigcartel.com/product/dybbuk-overdrive https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416121945/IMG_2803.jpeg https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069181/image1.jpeg,https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/416069184/image3.jpeg 116887134 new out of stock