EAE and Benson Amps release Halberd + Germanium Boost combo pedal

September 1, 2024 · 1 sources

Electronic Audio Experiments released the Halberd + Germanium Boost, a two-in-one combo pedal made with Benson Amps, in fall 2024. The maker lists it as V1, the initial release, and describes it as a commemoration of Benson Fest 2024 and of the two companies' relationship¹.

The pedal combines the Halberd, an overdrive in EAE's lineup, with the Germanium Boost, a boost pedal from Benson. Both sides switch individually. By default the Boost feeds the Halberd, and the maker says the Boost's output is normalled to the Halberd's input, but separate inputs and outputs are broken out for each side so they can be routed in any order, with other pedals between them, or in parallel in a dual mono configuration¹.

The Halberd side has Pre, which sets overall signal gain; Depth, an adjustable low frequency shelving filter at the input; Tone, an adjustable high shelf cut at the output; Post, which sets output level and is buffered; and a three-position Voice switch. Voice settings are Clang (up), described as increased upper midrange gain for an aggressive sound and sharp attack; Standard (middle), moderate gain with a gentle mid push, identical to Halberd V1; and Deep (down), a full range gain boost with woolly saturation and a fuzzy note attack. The Boost side has one unlabeled level control. The maker notes the Germanium Boost takes about 10 to 20 seconds to stabilize when first powered on¹.

Specifications, as listed by the maker:

The pedal does not accept batteries, and the maker recommends a regulated, isolated power supply rated for 100 mA minimum¹. The US list price is $349.00. The product page showed it as temporarily unavailable at the time of writing¹. The artwork, by Bryan Aiken, applies a medieval treatment to the Benson amps floral tolex pattern¹.