The AMT Electronics S2 is an analog preamp pedal from AMT Electronics that puts a high gain amp's front end on a pedalboard. AMT describes it as reproducing the five-stage preamp circuit Mike Soldano created in the early 90s, the design whose lead-channel approach also shaped the Soldano, Mesa/Boogie Rectifier and H&K Triamp amplifiers. The company says the S2 delivers that solid and bright high gain sound, and it lists the pedal as available now.1
It is a two-channel design: a clean channel and an overdriven channel, switched by footswitch. Beyond the preamp itself, AMT and the RockBoard PedalPedia describe it as combining preamp, cab sim, booster, equalizer and distortion functions in one box, offering what the PedalPedia calls "huge tube-style saturated tone in the styles of all of your favorite high gain modern and classic amp heads."234
Where it sits in the Legend Amp series
The S2 belongs to the LA2 line of AMT's Legend Amp series of pedals. The PedalPedia introduces the LA2 line as the next generation of that series, an enhanced upgraded "PRO" version accompanying the original series.2 Players comparing it with related AMT preamps will find siblings in the same family, including the AMT Electronics S1, AMT Electronics P1, AMT Electronics P2, AMT Electronics D2 and AMT Electronics R2. For the wider category, see Preamp Pedals.
Controls and channels
The S2's front panel covers the usual preamp duties. AMT's product page describes the controls as follows1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| OD LEVEL | Adjusts the overall loudness of the pedal output |
| TREBLE | Adjusts high frequencies of the Drive channel |
| MIDDLE | Adjusts mid frequencies of the Drive channel |
| BASS | Adjusts low frequencies of the Drive channel |
A footswitch moves between the clean and overdriven channels. AMT also lists a Noise Gate as a global setting on the pedal, and optional clean level and clean boost controls that operate when the pedal is bypassed, available only with the CAB SIM OUT and PREAMP OUT outputs.13
Outputs and bypass behavior
The S2's three outputs are what set it apart from a straightforward drive pedal. AMT lists CAB SIM OUT, PREAMP OUT and DRIVE OUT, and states that all three can be used simultaneously.1 That lets one pedal send a cab-simulated signal to a PA or audio interface, a preamp-level signal to a power amp, and a drive signal elsewhere in the rig at the same time.
On bypass, AMT is explicit that this is not conventional true bypass. In the company's words, "When in effect mode the series uses 'partial' active bypass, which reduces the need to minimize the length of used cab"1. AMT presents this as reducing cable length requirements and retaining the instrument's original sound when the pedal is off.1
In effect mode, AMT states that the OD GAIN control and the Clean Mid-Boost switch have no effect on the sound passing through the bypass.1
Power and practicalities
The S2 runs on 9 to 12V DC with negative center polarity, from an adapter or a battery, and AMT describes its power consumption as low.1 The pedal measures 110 x 62 x 58 mm, which AMT describes as small size, so it fits a crowded board.1
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Questions
Does the AMT S2 run on a battery?
Yes. AMT Electronics specifies 9 to 12V DC power with negative center polarity, supplied either by an adapter or by a battery. The company also describes the pedal as having low power consumption, so it is not a heavy load on a power supply.
Is the AMT S2 analog or digital?
The S2 is an analog circuit. AMT's product information and the RockBoard PedalPedia entry both describe it as analog, and it combines preamp, cab sim, booster, equalizer and distortion functions in one pedal.
Can the AMT S2 outputs be used at the same time?
Yes. The S2 has three outputs, CAB SIM OUT, PREAMP OUT and DRIVE OUT, and AMT states that all three can be used simultaneously. That makes it possible to feed a amp-style preamp signal, a cab-simulated signal and a drive signal to different parts of a rig at once.
Is the AMT S2 true bypass?
No, not in the usual sense. AMT says the series uses what it calls partial active bypass when in effect mode, which the company says reduces the need to minimize cable length and retains the instrument's original sound when the pedal is off.
What amp is the AMT S2 based on?
AMT describes the S2 as reproducing the sound basis of the five-stage preamp Mike Soldano created in the early 90s, the design that also shaped the lead channels of Soldano, Mesa/Boogie Rectifier and H&K Triamp amplifiers.
Sources (4)
- AMT S2 | AMT Electronics official website, AMT Electronics, 2026
- Preamp S2 by AMT Electronics, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- AMT Electronics : S2 Preamp & Effects Pedal, AMT Electronics Media Center
- AMT S2 - Media center of AMT Electronics, Media center of AMT Electronics
