Aclam upgrades Dr. Robert to V3 with external EQ and Lo/Hi Gain mode

December 1, 2025 · 2 sources

Aclam upgraded the Dr. Robert to V3 in late 2025, adding external controls for the Bass/Treble EQ and the Mach Schau! Gain, plus a global Lo/Hi Gain mode¹². The pedal is a replica of the Normal channel of Aclam's Vox UL730, serial number 3042¹.

The Dr. Robert is built around the UL730's solid-state preamp, followed by a custom FET circuit that Aclam says emulates the saturation of the amp's EL84 tube power stage¹. The Mids control sits after the first gain stage and before the volume pot, as on the original amp, with the Bass and Treble controls in a gain stage that follows; turning Mids counterclockwise scoops the midrange, and turning it clockwise boosts mids and gain¹². The Mach Schau! section is a footswitchable extra saturation stage with its own volume control, and it works only when the pedal's bypass switch is engaged¹. With MS Gain all the way down, Aclam says it adds only a barely noticeable amount of saturation, letting it serve as a clean volume boost¹. Pressing both footswitches together switches the pedal into HI GAIN mode, with the LEDs turning orange; Aclam says it slightly tamed the FET section's saturation for the default Lo Gain setting so humbucker-equipped guitars can reach cleaner tones¹.

Aclam says the circuit was also tuned for bass, describing it as "a perfect preamp and distortion tool to plug directly to the desk or into an amp"¹. The artwork is signed by Klaus Voormann, who designed the cover of The Beatles' Revolver¹. The pedal uses relay true bypass, which Aclam says switches itself to bypass if the supply voltage drops sharply and blinks both LEDs if input voltage exceeds 11V¹.

Aclam warns the pedal must not be powered above 9V DC, saying 12V or 18V will damage the circuit and void the warranty¹. The enclosure has side thumb screws for locking it to Aclam's Smart Track pedalboards¹. The two sources differ on the original amp's production: Aclam says around 20 to 30 UL730 units survived, while Pedal of the Day says only 100 units of the amp were produced and most were destroyed¹². No US price was given in either source.