The Cog Effects Knightfall 66 Bass Overdrive is an analog overdrive pedal for bass, released in 2016 alongside the compact Mini 66 as part of Cog Effects' expanded drive range1. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as capable of "fat cleans, old school mid-heavy growl, all the way through to high gain overdrive"2, and MusicRadar's coverage of the launch placed its range from overdrive to distortion3.
What it does to your sound
The Knightfall 66 is built around two separate drive channels rather than one. Each Gain control has its own Level control, so the two settings can be balanced against each other, and the A/B footswitch switches between them2. MusicRadar described the pedal as offering "two different overdrive/distortion settings"3, which makes it a two-sound drive: a lower-gain setting for one part of a set and a higher-gain one for another, on the same pedal.
Around the drive stages sit two tone-shaping controls:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain (x2) | Sets the drive amount for each of the two channels2 |
| Level (x2) | Balances the volume of each drive setting against the other2 |
| Voice | Adjusts pre-gain low end, shaping the character of the overdrive2 |
| Tone | Cuts high end after the clipping circuit, sweeping from dark through to very bright2 |
The Voice knob is the control most aimed at bass players. Premier Guitar's release coverage explained that it "alters the low end content prior to the clipping circuit"1, and Guitar Interactive Magazine's Jonathan Graham likewise wrote that it "alters the amount of low end into the clipping circuit"4. Because it works before the drive stage, it changes how the overdrive itself responds to your low frequencies, not just how much bass survives afterwards.
Clean blend
Like many bass-oriented drives, the Knightfall 66 keeps a clean signal under the driven one. RockBoard's PedalPedia says the clean channel is "filtered in a similar way to the Grand Tarkin's clean channel and designed to properly blend with the drive channel"2, tying it to the approach Cog Effects used on the Grand Tarkin Bass Fuzz. For a player, the point of a blended clean channel is that the fundamentals of the bass note stay in the mix while the drive adds harmonics and grit on top.
Power and construction
The Knightfall 66 runs on a 9V DC, center negative supply, and RockBoard's PedalPedia notes it "can be powered up to 18v for increased headroom and dynamic feel"2. Premier Guitar's coverage of the launch described a "9-18 volt standard DC input on the Knightfall 66"1. The 18V option is a choice, not a requirement: at 18V the pedal has more headroom before it clips.
The pedal accepts 9 to 18V DC, center negative. If you power it at 18V, check that your supply and any daisy chain you use are rated for it; a standard 9V center negative supply is all it needs to run.
On the hardware side, gearnews.com reported that Cog Effects use "jack plugs which are not mounted on the PCB, which should make them very robust"5. Both the Knightfall 66 and the Mini 66 offer true bypass switching3.
Where it came from
Videos
MrExcane
SonnyBassPlayer
Bass Stuff
Questions
Can the Cog Effects Knightfall 66 run on 18V?
Yes. The Knightfall 66 takes a standard 9V DC, center negative supply, and Cog Effects says it can be powered up to 18V for increased headroom and dynamic feel. Premier Guitar's release coverage likewise describes a 9 to 18 volt standard DC input on the pedal. Running at 18V is optional, not required.
What does the A/B footswitch do on the Knightfall 66?
The A/B footswitch toggles between the pedal's two separate Gain controls, each of which has its own Level control so the two drive settings can be balanced against each other. That lets you set up two different overdrive or distortion sounds and switch between them during a song.
Is the Knightfall 66 analog or digital?
The Knightfall 66 is an analog circuit, according to the maker's product information. It is a dedicated bass overdrive pedal with true bypass switching, so when it is off, your signal passes through without conversion.
What does the Voice knob do on the Knightfall 66?
The Voice knob adjusts the low end going into the clipping circuit, before the drive stage. Premier Guitar describes it as altering the low end content prior to the clipping circuit, and the maker says it provides additional control over the shape of the overdrive. In practice it shapes how the drive reacts to your bass's low frequencies.
Does the Knightfall 66 keep a clean signal in the mix?
The pedal has a clean channel that is filtered in a similar way to the clean channel of Cog Effects' Grand Tarkin and is designed to properly blend with the drive channel. That clean blend is what lets the low end stay present under the driven signal.
Sources (5)
- New Knightfall 66 & Mini 66 Overdrives by Cog Effects, Premier Guitar, 2016-05-27
- Knightfall 66 Bass Overdrive by Cog Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Cog Effects unveils Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 bass overdrive pedals, MusicRadar, 2016-05-31
- Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrives Released by Cog Effects, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2016-06-01
- Cog Effects Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrives: Double the dirt, gearnews.com, 2016-05-30
