Until recently I really had no interest Digitech pedals. I guess their marketing never really work on me. Maybe it is the name is reminiscent of digital. Not very appealing if you like analog goodness. I like my digital Holy Grail pedal which does a good job of faking spring reverb. And that convinced me to try the Digitech’s Bad Monkey which does a good job of faking a slightly overdriven tube amp.
So, Digitech earilier this month released Hardwire series I did not imediatley dismiss them. We could have been easy to do thinking there silly in the this one goes to 11 kind of way.
Here is their sales pitch:
The HardWire Guitar Pedals feature true bypass and constant high-voltage operation (15-volts) from a single 9-volt battery or power supply. True bypass allows a guitar’s true tone to pass unaltered when in bypass mode. Constant high-voltage operation prevents undesired distortion when used with high-output pickups and allows effects pedals to work flawlessly in amplifier effects loops. The HardWire Guitar Pedals are crafted from premium, all-metal components to perform night after night, tour after tour.
Each HardWire pedal also features an assortment of tourworthy accessories like green gaffer tape common to pro pedalboards, Stomplock knobguards to maintain pedal settings, and a hook & loop pad to fasten the pedal to a pedalboard.
The HardWire lineup consists of the seven distinct pedals: the HT-2 Chromatic Tuner (a guitar tuner with tuning references including flat and double flat), the CM-2 Tube Overdrive featuring a Classic mode and a Modern, higher-gain overdrive mode, the SC-2 Valve Distortion with Crunch mode and a Saturated mode for modern hard rock tones, the TL-2 Metal Distortions with a percussive Tight mode and a Loose mode for detuned guitars, CR-7 Stereo Chorus featuring seven chorus types from classic Analog to modern Multi-Voice settings, the DL-8 Delay Looper with ten delay types from Tape to Digital and a 20-second Looper, and the RV-7 Stereo.
OK, the higher constant voltage does kind of sound like a this one goes to 11 kind of thing. But I can see it purpose in theory(OK and not for the tuner.) I am not sure if it translated in practice though but more headroom is generally a good thing. I am not a high output pickup kind of guy so may some people could really benefit from this? Whatever the benefit I thought it was an interesting idea when most new pedals have no new ideas. The have a sharp modern look which suits them well.
I think we are going to see more non-boutique pedals like these be true bypass also. While true bypass can be great I don’t think it is necessary for a non-tonesucking quiet pedal. And you if you have a zillion true bypass pedals it is just like connecting a zillion cables together. Buffered switch can be a good think. I have never had any problem with my very un-exotic Boss pedals buffered switching.
None the less interesting pedals.
I know this article was wrote a while back but I just helped me when looking for a 3ed party’s review of these Hardwire pedals not just the presentation at the digitech site. I was only going to buy Metal Dist as a addition after I read about it HERE. More interest and positive reviews as well as a unexpected discounted price offered to me if I got 3. A week ago I purchased 3 of the Hardwire line pedals: Metal Distortion, Stereo Chorus and Delay/Looper. There is nothing consumer or pro/sumer about them. They are rugged and have features and tone that most Boss users haven’t experienced yet. The clairity of the effect and quiet operation is so good, it can’t be missed. You won’t be finding a delay looper anywhere near with the perf of this one either. A indisp. tool, I can harmonize with myself on the fly and write single note lines and/or full on leads along to the riff I just popped in with one click and hold of the pedal. So addictive you must know by now ANY of these Hardwire pedals are steal at the current street price.
Thanks for your thorough honest review and the hard work on your great website SS and his fatcat, USA
This is right here, in the present, not the future.
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