Valves plates truly run at high voltage, thanks to an internal charge pump that converts the external adapter’s 12VDC into clean 224VDC.
Although the current is way lower than in a power amplifier, it’s still harmful and can be dangerous.
If you have not been trained to work with high voltage, never remove the valves or touch the inside of the chassis, even when powered off, since some components may still be charged at high voltage.
You can find more info about service here.

On the Hotburst, all stages were designed exclusively using valves triodes.
Semiconductors are only used in the PSU to provide protections, soft-start and a reliable stable power rail.
On single valve pedals, one depletion mosfet operating at high voltage might be used as a signal booster or output buffer, operating in full linearity and not affecting tone or distortion at all.
In all valve powered gears, all you hear is pure valves overtones.

Yes, however, depending on the model, a mod to the existing circuitry might be necessary, due to the higher level signal fed into the pedal and different EQ requirements.

On the Hotburst, for example, guitar signal is gradually compressed through the stages, but a Hammond would heavily overdrive every stage, producing an exuberant fizzy tone.
The mod would increase the overall headroom and still add plenty of overtones.

The mod is also a great option for velvety, expressive guitar styles, playing on the edge of break-up, and bass players that fancy adding a rich, bright texture to the mix.

For more info, please fill the enquiry form on this page.

Yes and it features a miniature signal relay to avoid loud clicks on the signal and keep whole audio path on the main board, without flying wires.

Yes, however, you may need a phase inverter in one of the FX chains.

Yes, operating valves fully warm up in few minutes and irradiate heat to metal parts.
Chassis and knobs reach a contact-safe temperature.
Do not touch the valves during or right after operation: they’re hot, they may get damaged and you may burn your fingers.

Yes, like the vast majority of electronic devices, this pedal must not be exposed to any liquid or excessive moisture.

Power adapters must be audio-grade, regulated, and meeting the specific pedal requirement.

Dual valve pedals work at 12VDC @ 500mA – center positive
Single valve pedals work at 12VDC @ 350mA – center positive
All other pedals work at 9VDC @ <50mA – center negative, unless specified.

If unsure, check the symbol at bottom of your adapter and pedal, to match voltage, polarity and current requirements. Here’s an example:

The Hotburst is protected against polarity inversion and over-voltage, which means it will simply shut down in order to prevent damage to its components.
However, prolonged over-voltage exposure is not recommended, since components will turn the excess into heat and that might affect protection performance on long term.
If the pedal doesn’t power on, unplug and check the PSU rates and polarity.

You may be using the wrong polarity or exceeding the maximum voltage allowed.
Please check that your adapter meets the pedal requirements.
If you’re still having issues, please get in touch here.

That means the external power adapter hasn’t enough power to feed the valves heaters, so the adapter cuts and restarts to avoid overload in a sort of intermittent loop.
Please make sure your adapter meets the pedal requirements.
If you still have issues, please get in touch here.

The internal power supply operates way above the highest audible thrill.
The pedal will not add 50/60Hz hum to signal, however it cannot remove it from other sources, like pure single-coil pickups, ground loops, defective external power adapters.
On high gain settings, these other sources may become more noticeable because both noise and signal are amplified in the process.

White noise is mainly and inherently generated by the resistors in every circuit.
Albeit the oversized metal-film-type used in the pedal reduces this effect, a high-gain circuit inevitably amplifies it to a noticeable level when no input signal is applied, thus the signal-to-noise ratio drops.

This side effect can be even more noticeable when there are other “gainy” gears already present in the signal chain: the signal keeps being amplified, then lowered back to guitar’s level, whilst the noise floor keeps raising, to the point a noise gate is required.
If you’re using multiple gears to get to the distortion you like, you may consider moving to heavier pickups and a simpler FX chain: bigger sound, less noise (and effort).

No. We strongly believe there are more efficient ways to power multiple pedals up rather than selling a dedicated PSU.
Once fitted on a pedalboard, it’s likely an isolated multi-output power supply will be used.
A dedicated power adapter would become redundant and it’s non-disposable.
Ciocks DC7 is currently a great choice when using valve pedals on pedalboards, as it requires just one 12V outlet, with no need for double outlets adapter.

Yes, the pedal is covered under 2 years warranty.
Warranty doesn’t apply for improper use. Find more info here.

Custom features may be offered in some occasions, where compatible with the existing circuitry. Fill the form to discuss your project.

These units are entirely designed and hand-crafted in Trieste, Italy.