“By no means half-ass two issues. Complete-ass one factor.”
That’s the sage recommendation Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson offers to Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope in an episode of Parks and Recreation. It may be the mantra behind CopperSound Pedals’ easy however glorious Technique V2, an up to date, 2-channel model of their flashy Technique preamp pedal. This revamped Technique comes with an overdrive mode that may be chosen through a swap on the facet of the housing. CopperSound additionally added a momentary latching function by means of a proprietary new relay-based switching system.
CopperSound says the Technique is predicated round one “audiophile-grade” op amp—manufactured by the now-defunct Burr-Brown Company—and that the pedal can add as much as 30 dB to your sign. These further decibels can increase your sign in delicate methods or hit your amp’s front-end to drive it to colourful breakup.
Simple on the Eyes
The primary and most rapid impression the Technique V2 makes is with its enclosure, which mimics the look of a Stratocaster’s tone pots, pickguard, and enter jack. It’s eye-catching, however it’s additionally a super-simple, 2-knob setup. One knob controls quantity in preamp mode or drive in overdrive mode. The opposite is a tone management, which is likely one of the pedal’s most spectacular options. In any respect factors of its sweep, it produces tones which might be usable and interesting. At one finish, it darkens and thickens your sign with out shedding a lot selecting definition. Cranked within the different course, it helps the Technique perform as a reasonably scorching treble booster. There are many nice tones in between these extremes too.
The distinctive enclosure design does come at a price. The choice to copy the Strat’s angled enter jack makes it surprisingly annoying to situate the unit on a pedalboard. The patch cable to the enter juts out awkwardly, and the jack is shut sufficient to the bypass swap that I anxious I might step on the patch cable whereas activating the pedal. Clearly, there are cables on the market which might be extra conducive to routing the Technique than the right-angle connector I used. However that added consideration is a major trade-off for an fascinating look. On the upside, the helpful momentary latching function can create cool moments of drama and tone variation relying on how scorching and trebly you set the Technique.
Punch it, Chewie!
The choice so as to add a second channel to the Technique is usually a bit complicated, given how comparable the 2 modes sound. By way of my Dr. Z combo, it was difficult to discern vital variations between the overdrive and preamp modes in any place. This isn’t a giant deal, although, as a result of each modes, comparable as they’re, sound pleasant. The Technique’s overdrive is chewy, thick, and clear, and when the quantity/acquire management is on 10—my most popular setting—it rips and lends thunder to first place and energy chords alike whereas preserving definition. Neck-position humbuckers require that you simply pay extra consideration to the tone management to maintain issues clear. That’s, until darkish overdrive tones are your factor. If that’s the case, the Technique does that effectively, too, although you lose a few of that crisp response.
The Technique V2 is vintage-sounding within the sense that it actually appears to favor and encourage the sound of a guitar run proper right into a loud-as-hell tube amp working at breakup ranges. That is evident in its general tonal character. In most configurations, the circuit’s drive and presence are booming and broad, with a extra totally fashioned backside finish than your common drive or preamp pedal. It’s the proper tone machine for rock, blues, and nation, and stacked with different items, it may carry distinctive colour and depth to heavier riffs.
The Verdict
Given the physique and character it may carry to a rig, the Technique V2 lives as much as CopperSound’s declare that it makes an excellent always-on pedal. Given its simplicity, I’m unsure if the pedal lives as much as its hefty price ticket of $279, however I additionally don’t bear in mind the final time I heard a pedal with this a lot bottom-end and readability, if ever. If that’s your factor, the Technique will earn its maintain.
From Your Web site Articles
Associated Articles Across the Internet
