The Audiostorm Grand Classic is a high gain distortion pedal from Audiostorm, built around three amp voicings: EL84, EL34 and 6L6. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described the range it covers as moving "from Upper-Mid-Range / Honky EL84, through Classic Lower-Mids Crunchy Rock EL34, and onto fatter, warmer" 6L6 voicing, in other words from a tighter upper-mid character to a fatter, warmer, more doomy one1. It sits among distortion pedals rather than overdrive pedals, and its basic concept, as Karlsson put it, is "a High Gain Distortion"1.
Controls and dynamics
The pedal carries a set of controls that goes beyond the usual gain-and-tone arrangement: Level, an Amp Voicing selector stepping EL84 to EL34 to 6L6, Drive, Mids, High, Lo-Mids, Growl (a bass boost) and Crunch (a mid control)1.
What sets it apart for most players is how it responds to playing dynamics. Karlsson found that "Despite its High Gain Credentials - the pedal is incredibly dynamic, as Lydia designed it to be fully reactive", and noted that it is "designed to clean up via the guitar volume and includes EXP/CV access"1. Cleaning up with the guitar's volume knob is a trait players usually associate with lower gain circuits, so a high gain pedal that does it is worth knowing about.
In his end-of-year look at distortion pedals, Karlsson's verdict was that "Lydia Sean's Grand Classic is a fantastic execution of a great amp-like distortion - where the full experience comes in"2.
Versions and accessories
The Grand Classic came in two versions: a standard artwork edition and an NMB (None More Black) special edition. Karlsson backed the pedal's Kickstarter campaign and received the NMB edition, while saying he "really like[d] the" standard artwork1.
The pedal's EXP/CV access port is the doorway to Audiostorm's daughterboard circuits, and the pedal was sold in three configurations1:
| Configuration | Price (as of June 2024) |
|---|---|
| Grand Classic pedal alone | £149 GBP1 |
| Grand Classic + MDK Moogy LPF Daughterboard | £199 GBP1 |
| Grand Classic + Moogy + MXP-1 Switchable Expression Pedal | £239 GBP1 |
The MDK Moogy LPF is a low-pass filter daughterboard that connects through the EXP/CV port, and the MXP-1 is Audiostorm's own switchable expression pedal, which also belongs to the wider family of expression pedals1.
Background
Audiostorm offered the Grand Classic through a crowdfunding campaign, with tiers that included just the Grand Classic pedal (£149), the Grand Classic plus the MDK Moogy LPF daughterboard (£199), and the Grand Classic plus the Moogy and the MXP-1 switchable expression pedal (£239)1. Writing for Guitar Pedal X, Karlsson described the pedal as designed by Lydia to be fully reactive: "Despite its High Gain Credentials - the pedal is incredibly dynamic, as Lydia designed it to be fully reactive"1.
Videos
Audiostorm
Audiostorm
Audiostorm
Questions
Who designed the Audiostorm Grand Classic?
The Grand Classic was designed by Lydia Sean Mandrake of Audiostorm. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer described her as someone who is not one to follow the crowd or do things by halves, and credited her with designing the pedal to be fully reactive, so it responds to the guitar's volume knob in a way few high gain pedals do.
What is the NMB edition of the Grand Classic?
NMB stands for None More Black. It is a special edition version of the Grand Classic that was offered alongside the standard artwork edition. The Guitar Pedal X reviewer backed the pedal's Kickstarter campaign and received the NMB special edition, while noting he also liked the standard artwork.
What is the EXP/CV port on the Grand Classic for?
The EXP/CV port gives the Grand Classic expression and CV access, and it is the connection point for Audiostorm's daughterboard circuits, such as the MDK Moogy LPF. It can also be used with the company's MXP-1 switchable expression pedal, which was sold in a bundle with the pedal and the Moogy daughterboard.
What does the Moogy LPF daughterboard do?
The MDK Moogy LPF is a daughterboard circuit that plugs into the Grand Classic's EXP/CV access port. Audiostorm sold it as an add-on to the pedal, and it was available in a bundle with the Grand Classic and again in a three-piece bundle with the MXP-1 switchable expression pedal.
Sources (2)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-17
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-17
