What is the Para-Rat Parallel Distorition and who is it for? Great for Electric Guitar or Bass, Para-Rat Parallel Distortion is a versatile and uniquely-featured true bypass rat-style distortion pedal. It features a clean blend, master volume (capable of boost and cut), and three different low cut modes for adjusting the low-end distortion response. As its name implies, the pedal splits the incoming signal into clean and distorted parallel signal paths which are blended together at the output.
What does it sound like and how do you use it? The distortion circuit is tuned for a modern sound and high clarity while the parallel clean circuit delivers an unaltered clean tone. Blending the two enables a myriad of tonal options ranging from bright and articulate light distortion, to balanced distortion with rich low end, to full-on distortion EQ'd to be either cutting or thick. Rich pinch harmonics with strong sustain are possible. And, it can be powered by 9V DC or up to as much as 18V DC for improved clarity and smoother distortion.
The top three knobs "Volume", "Distortion", and "Tone" control the rat-style distortion. The "Blend" and "Master" knobs allow you to mix in clean signal and boost or cut the final output. The "Low Cut" switch provides three EQ settings for tuning the low-end of the distortion signal only.
A rat-style pedal with no high pitched whine: One common issue for many rat-style pedals is that they often will oscillate with a high-pitched whine at higher gain settings if connected directly to a guitar, or when chained only after true-bypass pedals, when nothing is being played. To solve this problem, the input on the Para-Rat Parallel Distortion is double-buffered. (Note: the pedal is true bypass when disengaged so no buffers are active when the pedal is switched off) The footswitch PCB contains an entirely separate power supply circuit and secondary input buffer to eliminate the oscillation. So, you can crank every knob without fear of that excessive noise! Even with all that extra circuitry on the footswitch PCB, there is still a user selectable LED brightness switch with two intensity settings, easily accessible by removing the back plate!
Reduced switch pop: High gain pedals are frequently known for having a bad case of "switch pop". Simply engaging a high gain pedal with a true bypass footswitch will often cause an audible pop to be sent through the amp. The Para-Rat Parallel Distortion has a uniquely-designed true bypass footswitch circuit which targets and eliminates this pop noise. It does this by cleverly slowing down only the illumination of the LED when the pedal is engaged to better control the sudden change in current flow through the pedal which would otherwise be picked up by the sensitive high gain circuit. Immediately after engaging the switch, you may notice a very slight, but almost imperceptible, delay of the LED; however, the audio signal is not delayed so the effect is immediately active as soon as the foot switch is pressed.
Features:
- Top mounted jacks with 125B enclosure.
- LED brightness switch, accessible internally for low and high settings.
- Rubberized knobs, anti-glare and high contrast.
Specifications:
- Power: 9-18V DC 2.1mm jack only, center negative (no battery connection available)
- Input/Output: 1/4" jack (top mounted)
- Dimensions (approx.): 5.0"L x 2.6"W x 2.3"H
- Weight (approx.): 0.70 lbs
Ordering Info:
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