Two-in-one overdrive pedals based on classic modules are commonplace in the pedal market (the recent releases of Finding That Tone and Cornerstone are attest to that) but what is decidedly less common is four-One driving pedal that combines classic effects with all-new sounds.
It’s this exact gap in the market that Keeley Electronics sought to address with its no-name Noble Screamer product — a shock-absorbing, boost-pedal package that combines two distinct analog drive circuits with “two brand-new subwoofer-like distortion tones” that no one else has ever used. before “.
As for the pre-existing pedals that Kelly aims to replicate, the clue’s in the name: Noble Screamer offers both Noble’s favorite Ibanez Tube Screamer and ODR-1 circuits in Nashville.
Now, copies of the Tube Screamer are absolutely everywhere, and you may wonder if the pedal market really needs another TS copy when there are countless examples currently available.
Well, we’re inclined to agree, but this isn’t just a standard version of TS. Instead, it brings to the table the sound of the ODR-1 (which is still reproduced with the likes of the Way Huge Super Terrific Overdrive and Browne Amplification Atom, but noticeably lower than the TS) as well as some delicious original engine tones.
For Santana, it’s these additional tonal options that make this Keeley stompbox stand out from its closest competitors. In Kelly’s own words, the Noble Screamer is “almost like a pedal model, except that these are 100% analogue circuits, and you get to decide which tone control or cut section you want to play through.”
Despite the abundance of driving tones on tap, the Noble Screamer has a foolproof control layout that includes two toggle switches, three control knobs, and a single footswitch that remarkably provides true bypass and buffering.
The standard level control (which clearly defines the output) is linked by a multi-function tone parameter, which serves different purposes depending on whether an OD or TS sound is selected on the left toggle switch.
When in OD, Tone acts as a ‘spectrum’ control that goes from a flat EQ to one with treble and bass boost, while TS mode introduces a low-pass filter that tapers off in the high frequencies.
On the right side of the pedal, the drive knob is used to dial or increase the secondary OD or TS modes, which access the hard and soft diode cut-off modes.
The result is a four-in-one hybrid pedal that’s completely unlike any other two-in-one reproduction pedal out there. Sure, the claim that he offers “sounds no one has ever heard before” may seem a bit exaggerated, but we must applaud Kelly for trying to break the mold and bring something new to the table.
Head to Kelly for more information.
