DryBell Introduces The Engine Foundation Preamp

June 3, 2020 · 1 sources

DryBell announced the Engine Foundation Preamp, a preamp pedal built around two very strong and independent sections, designed to work with a variety of musical gear. The pedal draws on a distinct voicing inspired by 60's British amps and sounds, and its two halves can be reordered on the fly with a single button¹.

Side A provides what Pedal of the Day described as "an extremely British-flavored, tube-like distortion, one that's very open-sounding and touch sensitive"¹. Its controls are straightforward:

• Level, Gain and Tone, working as a player would expect
• Shape, an additional control adjusting the overall character and level of the mid frequencies¹

Side B takes a different role. As the reviewer put it, "Side B produces a high-headroom and distortion-free clean boost, along with a Low & High EQ section"¹. In effect it is a boost and EQ in one, which Pedal of the Day noted mirrors DryBell's Unit67 minus the compressor, and can be used to drive an amp or to push the distortion on Side A¹.

The two sections are connected by an Order button, letting a player instantly select which of the two sides comes first in the signal chain¹. Pedal of the Day's overall take on the design was that it makes for "a wonderfully versatile addition to any rig or recording setup"¹.