Source Audio SA271 ZIO Analog Front End + Boost Pedal

General

Designed and built by boutique stompbox master, Source Audio, the ZIO preamp/boost is a front line, 'always on' pedal that simply makes everything sound better. Developed with the help of Christopher Venter, the engineer behind SHOE Pedals, this is Source Audio's very first fully analogue pedal, and what it offers is a tasty selection box of four distinct preamp circuits: JFET, Low-Cut, Studio and E-Plex, each with a +20dB output boost. Set it up in front of your amplifier to colour everything in; place it after your overdrive or distortion stompboxes to sweeten up the output; stick it at the very end of your effects chain to function as a jack-lead-length buffer; or link it through the effects loop to give the power amp section of a valve amplifier a chunky yet refined boost.

The ZIO - Impedance (Z) Input (I) Output (O)

The ZIO has been tweaked and calibrated to pull the very best performance out of your guitar sound. Electric guitars have a high impedance signal, so to keep that signal as pure and clear as possible, a set of 'Burr-Brown' op-amps have been selected. Renowned for delivering flawless transparency, these noiseless op-amps also ensure excellent dynamic response that costs your tone nothing in terms of the original body and warmth of your guitar. Meanwhile, the JEFT preamp circuit retains transparency while giving the signal a completely uncoloured, clean boost. The Low-Cut preamp efficiently cleans up the lower frequencies to prevent your output from getting in the way of elements like the kick drum or bass guitar. The Studio preamp essentially simulates a Pultec studio trick to trim away any of the more 'muddy' frequencies to leave enhanced mid-range definition. And to finish, the E-Plex preamp convincingly mimics the legendary EchoPlex preamp made famous by the EchoPlex tape Delay. Pick the one that best matches your amp, tweak and season to taste, then never switch it off.