Pigtronix unveils Philosopher's Tone 2 compressor with footswitchable Grit

January 30, 2024 · 3 sources

Pigtronix unveiled the Philosopher's Tone 2, a second-generation version of its compressor pedal, during NAMM 2024, with coverage published on January 30, 2024¹². The pedal adds an independent footswitch for the Grit section and a choice of two clipping modes, silicon or germanium, selected via the Voice switch on the front of the enclosure¹².

The Grit circuit is the overdrive circuit first heard in the limited-edition Gold version, which Pigtronix says it has refined². The germanium mode is described as delivering "smooth top end and rich midrange response"¹². Guitar World describes the germanium side as adding smoother, more rounded vintage overdrive to the compressed tone, and silicon as giving a sharper, more contemporary sound³. The Blend control mixes the uncompressed signal into the affected path and is only active when the Grit stage is disengaged¹²³.

The controls are Volume for overall output, Treble with 6dB of boost or cut at 2kHz, Blend, Sustain and Grit¹². Jacks are top-mounted, and LEDs indicate when the pedal and Grit stages are engaged¹². The pedal runs at 18V from a pedalboard power supply, which the makers say provides greater internal headroom, and draws 100mA¹². Guitar World notes the enlarged double pedal format, full-size knobs and a new paint job³.

The Philosopher's Tone 2 is available now at $199¹²³. MusicRadar's report gives the price line as "The Philosopher's Stone 2 is available now, priced $199"¹.