The Anasounds Freq Up is a boost pedal with a clean EQ that can also double as an overdrive. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a "custom boost to push yourself through the mix," built as a clean boost circuit running in parallel with the second clipping setting of the company's Cerberus, followed by another stage of amplification and then an active tonality circuit1. The result is one box that can serve as a clean level boost, a frequency-selective EQ boost, or a Tube Screamer-like overdrive, depending on how its internal switches are set.
Anasounds positions the Freq Up in its Origins range, and all of the company's pedals are handmade in France2. The pedal is housed in a bamboo wood enclosure, measures 11,8 × 6,4 × 5,9 cm and weighs 0,4 kg3.
The Freq Up is discontinued. Anasounds lists it as on sale while stocks last, and the product page shows it out of stock3. A B-stock version, sold with the same audio guarantee but with cosmetic flaws from manufacturing, was offered at 99,00 € (down from an original 199,00 €) and is also out of stock4.
What it does to your sound
The Freq Up is really two pedals in one enclosure. On the clean boost side, it is a level and EQ tool: Anasounds says you can "stay in the middle mode or to select the frequencies you want to add, so bass or trebles"4. That makes it usable as a flat push for solos, or as a targeted lift for a thin-sounding rig, adding low end or presence where you need it.
On the overdrive side, the clipping stage borrowed from the Cerberus gives it a Tube Screamer-like character. Anasounds founder Alexandre Hernandez describes the Freq Up as "including a Tube Screamer like overdrive and a fantastic and powerful clean EQ"5. The Gain control only engages in overdrive mode, so the two functions are clearly separated rather than blended2.
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Freq Up in May 2015 and summed it up as6:
"Anasounds out of France has created an excellent combination of these two types of boost, one that also doubles as a great little overdrive pedal"6
The same review noted that the Out control sets the overall output of the pedal, up to +24dB, and that the Gain control "works when the 3 internal dip switches are set to overdrive, and packs quite a punch"6.
The controls
Externally the pedal keeps things simple with three knobs; the mode changes happen on dip switches inside the enclosure32.
| Control | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| EQ | External | Sets the tonality of the boost through the active EQ circuit |
| Gain | External | Engaged only on overdrive mode2 |
| Out | External | Overall output level, up to +24dB6 |
| Light | Internal dip switch | Controls LED light intensity2 |
| OD_Bypass | Internal dip switch | Bypasses the overdrive stage |
| Voicing | Internal dip switch | A switch to change the tone: bass, medium or treble2 |
The three internal mini switches are what move the pedal from clean boost to overdrive2. In practice you open the back, set the voicing switch to the frequency band you want to emphasize (or leave it in the middle position), decide whether the overdrive stage is in the chain, and adjust the LED brightness to taste. The Gain knob then only matters when the overdrive is engaged.
Power and connections
The Freq Up runs on a standard 9V DC supply with a center negative plug and draws only 6.7mA, light enough that it places almost no demand on a pedalboard power supply1. Anasounds fits a hum and noise filter inside the pedal4. With 250 kΩ input impedance and 11 kΩ output impedance3, it presents a typical pedal-level load to the guitar and the next pedal in the chain.
Inside, the circuit uses OPA operational amplifiers from Texas Instruments and 2N5088 transistors3, components commonly found in boost and overdrive designs.
Where it came from
Anasounds launched the Freq Up as part of its Origins range, drawing the clipping stage from the Cerberus, a pedal the company had already built2. The pedal was reviewed by Pedal of the Day in May 2015, which described it as a boost and overdrive with external knobs plus internal dip switches and trimpots6. Anasounds' own history of the pedal credits it with combining the two boost types, clean and frequency-selective, in one unit614.
Videos
Anasounds
Anasounds
Boutique Sounds
Questions
Is the Anasounds Freq Up discontinued?
Yes. Anasounds lists the Freq Up as a discontinued product, on sale while stocks last, and the product page shows it out of stock. A B-stock version was also offered at a reduced price and is likewise out of stock. Finding one new now means looking for remaining retailer stock or the secondhand market.
Is the Freq Up true bypass?
Yes. Anasounds specifies gold true bypass switching for the Freq Up, so the signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off. Inside there is also an od_bypass internal switch, which is separate from the main bypass and changes how the overdrive part of the circuit behaves.
How do you switch the Freq Up from clean boost to overdrive?
Three internal mini dip switches move the pedal between clean boost and overdrive. The Gain knob only engages in overdrive mode, so in clean boost mode you set your level with the EQ and Out controls. A voicing switch selects bass, medium or treble frequencies to boost.
What power supply does the Anasounds Freq Up need?
It runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, drawing about 6.7mA, which is light enough to share an isolated output with other pedals. Anasounds fits a hum and noise filter inside the pedal. There is no battery option mentioned.
Why does the Freq Up have a bamboo enclosure?
The Freq Up is housed in a bamboo wood enclosure, part of the distinctive look of Anasounds' handmade French pedals. B-stock units shared the same enclosure and carried the same audio guarantee, with only cosmetic flaws from manufacturing.
Sources (6)
- Freq Up by Anasounds, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- freq up | Anasounds, Anasounds, 2019-04-29
- freq up | Anasounds, Anasounds, 2025-01-17
- freq up - b stock | Anasounds, Anasounds, 2022-07-05
- tone quest, Anasounds, 2015
- Anasounds Freq Up Boost / Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-05-21
