The Ashdown Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL Pre-DI is a valve driven pre-amplifier pedal for bass, built as a special edition run of Ashdown's popular pre-amp and limited to 50 units. Ashdown describes it as "offering a foot-switchable valve powered overdrive in a single compact unit", shaping, sculpting and optimizing the bass signal before it hits the power stage. In the maker's words it covers both ends of the tonal range: "Crystal clear cleans and powerful overdriven growl, The OriginAL encompasses it all."1
Ashdown built the OriginAL Pre-DI as a strictly limited run of 50 special units1, so it is not a standard catalog pedal, and it uses a 12AX7 powered valve drive rather than an ordinary solid-state circuit1.
Who Norman Watt-Roy is
Ashdown teamed up with "bass legend, Norman Watt-Roy" for this special edition. Watt-Roy is best known as the bass player for Ian Dury and the Blockheads, rising into the spotlight in the late 1970s during the punk and new wave era, and has a successful music career spanning over 40 years. Each of the 50 pedals "will come numbered 1-50 and will be hand signed by Norman himself."1
The controls and jacks
The pedal carries a compact but complete control set for a bass preamp:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive Gain | Lets the player dial in the precise level of gain required1 |
| Drive Level | Allows you to decide just how much of the drive you want1 |
| Output | Regulates the output volume of the preamp pedal1 |
| Valve Drive switch | The 12AX7 powered Valve Drive switch can be selected instantly by foot1 |
| -3dB Pad | Determines whether the pedal is used with a high or low output instrument and sets a clear signal path to the independent input control1 |
| EQ | A "tried and tested, non-gimmicky 5-band EQ, varying the bass, low-mid, middle, hi-mid and treble"1 |
On the connectivity side, "a DI out allows for the pedal to be fed the house, post EQ/Drive", so the venue's front of house receives your equalized and driven tone. A Line Input also "means you can jam along with your favourite tracks"1, which makes the pedal usable away from a rig as a practice front end.
Where it sits on a board
As a preamp with a switchable drive stage, the OriginAL Pre-DI can act as the heart of a bass rig: set your core tone with the 5-band EQ, use the pad to match the pedal to your instrument's output, and bring the valve drive in by foot when a part calls for it. Players comparing it with other options will find it sits among preamp pedals generally, and its drive stage puts it in the same territory as overdrive pedals and bass pedals, with the difference that the drive here comes from a 12AX7 valve rather than solid state clipping1.
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Questions
What power supply does the Ashdown Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL Pre-DI need?
It runs on an external power supply of 15 to 18 volts with the centre pin negative. That is a higher voltage than the 9V supply most pedalboards use, so a standard 9V outlet or daisy chain will not run it. Plan for a dedicated supply that can deliver the voltage the pedal needs.
Does the Ashdown Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL Pre-DI have a DI output?
Yes. A DI out allows the pedal to be fed to the house, post EQ and Drive, so the front of house engineer receives your equalised and driven tone rather than a raw bass signal. There is also a Line Input, which means you can jam along with your favourite tracks.
What tube is inside the Ashdown Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL Pre-DI?
The valve drive stage is powered by a 12AX7 tube, the same dual-triode valve long used in preamp circuits. Ashdown describes the pedal as offering a foot-switchable valve powered overdrive in a single compact unit, with the Valve Drive switch selectable instantly by foot.
How many Ashdown Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL Pre-DI pedals were made?
The pedal was strictly limited to a run of 50 special units. Each unit is numbered 1 to 50 and hand signed by Norman Watt-Roy himself, the bass player best known for his work with Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
Sources (1)
- Norman Watt-Roy Pre-DI, Ashdown Engineering
