Niche Devices Humboldt Preamp SE

Delay is the best effect out there, hands-down…BUT, I do love a good compressor and a good preamp, too. Fortunately, today’s pedal, the Niche Devices Humboldt Preamp SE combines both of these effects into one brilliant effect, with broad range and total tonal control. Conceived over the course of two years, this original circuit offers optical compression coupled with a high headroom preamplifier, and features the unique usage of a vintage audio transformer…

The Humboldt’s circuitry is very low noise and has ultra-transparent gain staging with practically no risk of op-amp clipping due to the power provided by the built-in charge pump circuit. The compressor side is a classic two knob style that is forgiving, natural and warm. The preamp section has a tasteful shelving equalizer to cut or boost high frequencies subtly without affecting tone in any other stage.

The signal is fully blend-able from 100% compression (wet) to 100% preamp (amplified dry) and everywhere in between, providing unrivaled parallel compression and bringing the studio to your stage rig in an intuitive and user-friendly package. The transformer featured in Humboldt was carefully reclaimed from a vintage mixing console. This high quality unit has a 1:4 step up ratio with mu-metal core. Engaging the transformer adds boost and color to the final sound, breathing life into your tone. It is a capable tone shaper that can subtly and transparently sweeten tone in an “always on” configuration. It can also be pushed to extremes and used more as an effect. The headroom and volume capabilities of Humboldt can be utilized as a clean booster or even overdrive a low wattage tube amp.

There’s also true bypass switching in three different locations, for a wide range of flexibility. Bypass the whole pedal at the footswitch; bypass the transformer with the face mounted toggle; or bypass the high impedance input buffer with the top mounted toggle and experience the warm, vintage inspired 70k Ohm input impedance of yesteryear. Head to YouTube below to check out our full demo video for the Humboldt Preamp SE, as we run through a variety of settings and tones. Be sure to check out Niche Devices website and Reverb shop as well, and don’t forget to follow them on all the socials. You can also hear the Humboldt in action LIVE when ever Rob Compa and Dopapod come through your town…Cheers!!

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