The Anasounds FX Teacher Tape Preamp is a preamp pedal that, in the maker's words, "pushes your amp to its limits and gives it the gorgeous sonic depth of a tape echo." It began as an FX Teacher project: Anasounds wanted a simpler circuit than their Ego Driver and Tremolo for teaching masterclasses, and development started with the transistor preamp from a famous US-made tape echo that existed between 1970 and 1991. Anasounds describes the result as keeping "that big warm original JFET sound instead of turning it into a tame clean boost like other pedals do."1
It sits in the preamp, booster, overdrive and distortion categories on the maker's site, so it can be read alongside the Preamp Pedals, Boost Pedals, Overdrive Pedals and Distortion Pedals pages.1
The controls: Louder, Dynamic and the low-cut switch
The pedal keeps its control set deliberately small, which fits its origin as a teaching circuit1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Louder | Controls the volume of the boost1 |
| Dynamic | Controls the headroom: a high setting gives "a nice dynamic sound," a lower setting "muddies up the sound and gets you the sag of a cranked-up smaller tube amp"1 |
| Three-position switch | Progressively cuts the low frequencies so the boost does not become too overbearing on an amp that is already pushing a lot of air1 |
The two knobs work together. Louder controls the volume of the boost; Dynamic controls the headroom, going from a high setting with a nice dynamic sound to a lower setting that muddies up the sound and gets you the sag of a cranked-up smaller tube amp. The three-position switch progressively cuts the low frequencies so the boost does not become too overbearing on an amp that's already pushing a lot of air1.
Buying it: assembled pedal or DIY kit
The page covered here is the assembled version, sold as "One Tape Preamp pedal assembled, tested, adjusted. In short, completely finished."1 Anasounds also sells the same circuit for builders, with the maker pointing DIY players to the kit route: "To build it yourself, it's this way."1
- Anasounds Tape Preamp electronic kit1
- Anasounds Tape Preamp PCB only
- Anasounds Tape Preamp enclosure kit
The assembled pedal is listed on the maker's product page dated 16 September 2026.1
Videos
Tone Factory
shnobel
Questions
What does the three-position switch on the Anasounds Teacher do?
The three-position switch progressively cuts the low frequencies. Anasounds explains it is there so the boost does not become too overbearing on an amp that is already pushing a lot of air. In practice, you use it to thin out the bottom end as you add more level, keeping the boost from overwhelming a cranked amp.
Does the Teacher come as a DIY kit?
Yes. Anasounds offers the Tape Preamp both as an assembled, tested and adjusted finished pedal and as a full DIY kit for players who want to build it themselves. The kit route is available in several forms, including an electronic kit, a PCB-only version and an enclosure kit.
What is the Anasounds Teacher based on?
Development started with the transistor preamp from a famous US-made tape echo that existed between 1970 and 1991. Anasounds kept the JFET character of that circuit rather than turning it into a tame clean boost, aiming for the sonic depth a tape echo preamp adds to an amp.
How much does the Anasounds FX Teacher cost?
The assembled Tape Preamp pedal is listed by Anasounds at 179,00 EUR as of the maker's product page dated 16 September 2026.
What is the difference between the Louder and Dynamic knobs?
The Louder knob controls the volume of the boost, so it sets how much level the pedal sends to your amp. The Dynamic knob controls the headroom: a high setting gives a dynamic sound, while a lower setting muddies up the sound and gets you the sag of a cranked-up smaller tube amp.
Sources (1)
- Tape Preamp, Anasounds, 2026-09-16
