RE-LAUNCHED: The OriginAL Valve Pre-DI Pedal
The OriginAL Valve Pre-DI Pedal is a valve driven pre-amplifier pedal like no other.
After a trivial name change, Ashdown are pleased to introduce: The OriginAL Valve Pre-DI Pedal.
It’s all about the tone shaping with a preamp pedal. Shaping, sculpting and optimising bass tone before it hits the power stage is something that Ashdown are well versed in, having provided bassists with the best possible tone for two solid decades.
With their long spanning legacy in British bass amplification, Ashdown have taken things back to the key fundamentals of everything that makes a great bass amp with The OriginAL bass head. Offered in a beautifully formatted pedal form, The OriginAL Valve Pre-DI Pedal is a valve driven pre-amplifier pedal like no other.
Like all good pre-amp pedals, The OriginAL beautifully shapes the bass player’s clean signal whilst offering a foot-switchable valve powered overdrive in a single compact unit. Setting it apart from others, The OriginAL delivers superb quantities of both clean and overdriven bass tone, without one feature outshining the other. Crystal clear cleans and powerful overdriven growl – The OriginAL encompasses it all.
Starting in the top right corner, the -3dB Pad switch determines whether the pedal is being used with a high or low output instrument and sets a clear signal path to the independent input control. With the signal at its optimal level, you then hit a defined set of features designed to enhance your tone. The OriginAL features a tried and tested, non-gimmicky 5-band EQ, varying the bass, low-mid, middle, hi-mid and treble.
The ‘Drive Gain’ control lets the player dial in the precise level of gain required, whilst the ‘Drive Level’ knob allows you to decide just how much you want. Dependent on your playing style and attack, by tweaking the Drive Gain and Level controls in harmony, you can range from a subtle gritty valve depth that can be used regularly, to a fully responsive bass overdrive for when those moments strike.
Whatever your desired output, the 12AX7 powered Valve Drive switch can be selected instantly by foot.
The output control regulates the output volume of the preamp pedal, whilst on the rear-end of the pedal, a DI out allows for the pedal to be fed the house, post EQ/Drive. A handy Ground Lift on the front of the pedal reduces the associated noise when connecting two signal paths.
Rounding off the feature-set on the 18-volt OriginAL pedal is an extremely useful headphone socket allowing for silent practice during those late night hotel room rehearsals, whilst the Line Input means you can jam along with your favourite tracks – the perfect practice device.