Excellent NEW High Gain Pedal

[psychles]

A few months ago, I was converted to a fan of Empress Effects when I picked up a Para EQ. Last week, I noticed that they released their first "high gain" pedal (called "Heavy") and, honestly, wished I hadn't found it because I knew it would be expensive and, since the list of pedals I have bought (and sold) claiming to be "high gain" has become obscenely long, I had sworn off shelling out more money, just to lost a chunk selling it online...

Anyway, I caved and very glad I did. Serial number 4 and I'll never sell it. This one is true to the ads and demos and also rendered my noise gate obsolete (no sh*t!) because both channels (heavy and heavier) have their own, independent gate which can be adjusted via a toggle and fine tuned with a trim pot on the side.

Highly recommended!





*edit*

I decided to give someone a good chuckle and include the list of pedals I've tried - I am sure I left a few off, but this is fairly comprehensive...

• Amptweaker TightMetal
• AMT E1
• AMT E2
• AMT D2
• AMT California
• Blackstar HT-DISTX
• Bogner Uberschall
• Boss Metal Core ML-2
• Boss Metal Zone
• Boss Metal Zone – Monte Allums
• Digitech
  • The Weapon *
  • Metal Master *
  • PDS 1550
  • Black 13
  • Death Metal
  • DF-7 Distortion Factory *
  • GSP 2101 (Rack)
• EH Big Muff Pi (Modified )
• EH Metal Muff *
• Emma PisdiYAUwot
• Greenhouse Effects NoBrainer *
• Jacques Mercer Box
• Joyo Extreme Metal (Modified ) *
• Joyo California Sound
• Metal Pedals Hard Core
• MI Audio Megalith Delta
• Mi Audio Crunch Box v.2
• MXR FullBore Metal
• Okko Dominator
• Providence Stampede DT
• R3FX Resistafier (now modified) *
• Wampler Triple Wreck
• Wampler Triple Recstortion (early TW)
• Wampler Sovereign
• Weehbo Effekte Morbid Drive
• Weehbo Effekte Bastard
• Yerasov 9000 Volt *
• ZVEX Box of Metal
• ZVEX Box of Rock
  
  

* = the ones I kept

[DonP]

Wow, quite a list. I guess my problem is that I'm lazy. I have a TS10 from 1990, a Metal Zone, and a DS-1 I purchased along with a Model 6 to get extended financing at GC LOL!! It was a promo that if you bought a BOSS product, the financing was for 12 months on everything with the purchase. I haven't taken it out of the box in 2 years.

I never use any, just to lazy to cable everything up and find batteries, etc.

I'm glad you found the "one", at least for now LOL!

[Axewielder]

Interesting. Is the noise gate a true gate that cuts on and off, or does it operate in noise reduction mode at all times?


EDIT: Looks like it's a regular noise gate and not a suppressor

[roodyrocker]

This thing looks interesting. I'll have to check it out at NAMM in January thanks for the info on it!

[jgcable]

Damn that's an expensive distortion pedal!

[leftykingv2]

A buddy of mine swears by these stomp boxes. He loves Empress.

[psychles]

Hey - sorry for slow reply...

It's a regular gate and a really good one, IMO. It can be adjusted for sensitivity, by a trim pot they were kind enough to expose so the pedal doesn't have to be taken apart. It can be used on either channel, so the adjustment will work for both. I have only used it on the "natural" setting, so far, and it works really nicely... haven't even touched the adjustment.

Yeah, I have really grown to like Empress, as well. The Para EQ is also a phenomenal pedal and everything is built very well. While testing all those in the included list, there were several that I THOUGHT were keepers, but after a few days they turned out to be either too thin sounding or just too one-dimensional. I have had the Heavy for about a week and feel like I have barely tapped into the evil goodness.

Admittedly, it's pricey, but there are MANY out there that are just as expensive (or more) and really aren't half the quality of this one. Also (and a big one for me), I've found that many of the high end "high gain" pedals (like the Okko or the MI Audio Megalith) require an amp with lots of headroom - probably 50+ watts - or they just feedback and croak. I'm using the Heavy on the 40w mode of an Alchemist (through a THD Hot Plate), so it's not a true test of its capacity to handle a lower wattage amp... but it sure doesn't complain about what I'm using.

[kmanick]

what did you think of the AMT pedals?

[dimobag]

Latest addition to my board is mooer Rage Machine and i really have to say that it is worth of trying for. Highly recomend. It works with my Orange like a charm.

[psychles]

what did you think of the AMT pedals?

I bought the E1 as soon as I could find one and liked it enough to use it as the core of an amp I built out of a table I had laying around... haha. The tone is great, but (personally) I didn't find that it played well with my tube amp - no matter how I tried to implement it. I had a similar experience with the D2, which was disappointing, because I had high hopes for that one.

However, my current situation is such that I am not able to lean on my amp at all. I'm heavily relying upon my Hot Plate (attenuator) to help me squeeze tones from my amp... if you have an amp with plenty of headroom (and can use it), I think you could probably get some good use out of the AMT products. They seem to have tons of promise, but I just haven't had a chance to really get one of their products to shine.

[euronymous]

I used to have a Blackstar Gus G pedal, which is the best distortion pedal i have ever owned. Perhaps i should also give this one a try

[psychles]

UPDATE on the Heavy: I got a chance to stretch the legs of the "Heavier" side, today, and found the aggressive setting on the gate to be UNBELIEVABLY responsive and almost intuitive. It doesn't just slam shut at a pre-determined level or load, it's freakishly intuitive and responds very well to palm muting/stops. I was playing with some decent volume, today, with the new SL2 (changed out the stock pups for DiM D'Activator & Liquifire) running through Keeley comp > Empress Heavy > Empress ParaEq > Analogman Chorus > Buffer > Hot Plate and didn't even have to touch the adjustment on the gate.

Over two weeks and I still give this pedal A+.

Hope this helps someone!

[Hellbat]

This pedal seems to have eq options out the wazoo. Is the para just being used as a solo boost?

[Eric_kv2]

Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjVi38qIaVg

I own or used to own most of the pedals on your list. We have similar tastes for sure.

[BenoA]

Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjVi38qIaVg

I own or used to own most of the pedals on your list. We have similar tastes for sure.

Sounds pretty killer for a pedal. And that guitar at the beginning sure looks awesome.