The Cusack Music Scream is a compact overdrive pedal and the "Never-Off" version of the Cusack Screamer. Cusack describes it as a "clean" overdrive with about twice the gain of an average tube screamer-style pedal, offering much more clarity than a typical overdrive, so that the individual notes of complex chords stay audible1. It is built to be left on all the time as a foundation tone rather than switched in and out.
A clean overdrive with extra gain
Cusack positions the Scream in a family of overdrives that began with the Screamer. The Screamer is described by the maker as their take on a classic overdrive, and the Screamer V2 and V3 share the same basic description as the Scream: a "clean" overdrive with about twice the gain of a typical Tube Screamer and more clarity than a typical overdrive34. The Screamer line's enhancements over the classic circuit include lower noise, increased clarity, more gain, and a clipping selector2.
Because the Scream is meant to stay on permanently, it leaves out the parts of a standard pedal that exist for switching. Cusack states that "Never-Off" pedals do not come equipped with true bypass switches or batteries, and that these products are meant for use with switcher systems1. If you run your board by hand rather than through a loop switcher, that is the main practical difference from the Cusack Screamer.
Guitar World's 2008 review of the Screamer line noted one trait players may recognize: "These overdrives don't clean up all the way when you back off your guitar volume, but they sure sound great when you turn it up5."
"These overdrives don't clean up all the way when you back off your guitar volume, but they sure sound great when you turn it up."
The controls: Drive, Level and Clip Selector
The Scream keeps the control set simple, with two knobs and one toggle1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Gain, the amount of overdrive1 |
| Level | Volume1 |
| Clip Selector | 3-way clipping toggle: left silicon, center asymmetrical LED, right Schottky1 |
The Clip Selector is the feature the Scream shares with the Cusack Screamer V2: it lets you select either silicon, LED, or Schottky clipping1. Cusack's manual for the Scream describes the toggle's job simply as selecting the type of clipping diodes6.
Cusack's manual points out that different diodes cause the overall level to change, so you may have to adjust the Level after moving the Clip Selector6.
Power and size
The Scream runs on a standard center negative 9V DC supply, which is not included, and draws about 9mA1. Cusack's manual for the Scream lists power consumption at about 8mA, and the maker's earlier figure and current page figure differ slightly; either way it is a light load that any isolated 9V supply handles16. The manual also advises using a filtered supply, especially with high gain overdrive and distortion pedals, since they tend to amplify power supply noise6.
Because the Scream has no battery compartment and no true bypass, it needs a 9V supply and a place in a switcher's loop, or it simply stays in the signal path full time, which is the intent1.
The pedal's footprint is 3.67 inches long by 1.75 inches wide by 1.75 inches high1, so it takes up little more room than a standard single-width enclosure despite the extra toggle.
The Scream in the Cusack range
The Scream sits alongside other overdrives in the Cusack range. Cusack describes it as the "Never-Off" version of the Cusack Screamer, its take on the same overdrive idea1. For players after a similar clipping-choice overdrive from another maker, the Tru-Fi Scream to Eternity Compact Series is a related design7.
Questions
Does the Cusack Music Scream have true bypass?
No. The Scream is one of Cusack Music's 'Never-Off' pedals, and those do not come equipped with true bypass switches or batteries. The design is intended for use with switching systems, where a loop switcher handles the bypassing instead of the pedal's own footswitch.
Does the Cusack Music Scream take a battery?
No. Like the other 'Never-Off' pedals in the Cusack range, the Scream has no battery compartment. It runs from a standard center negative 9V DC supply, which is not included with the pedal.
What power supply does the Cusack Music Scream need?
A standard center negative 9V DC supply, which is not included. The pedal draws about 9mA. Cusack's manual for the Scream also recommends a filtered supply, especially for high gain overdrive and distortion pedals, since those circuits tend to amplify power supply noise.
What do the three Clip Selector positions do?
The Clip Selector is a three-way toggle that chooses the type of clipping diodes in the circuit: silicon on the left, asymmetrical LED in the center, and Schottky on the right. Cusack's manual notes that different diodes change the overall level, so you may need to adjust the Level knob after moving the toggle.
How is the Cusack Music Scream different from the Cusack Screamer?
The Scream is Cusack Music's 'Never-Off' version of the Cusack Screamer. It keeps the Screamer's Clip Selector, which lets you pick silicon, LED, or Schottky clipping, but drops the true bypass switch and battery so it can sit permanently in a switching system's loop.
How big is the Cusack Music Scream?
The Scream measures 3.67 inches long by 1.75 inches wide by 1.75 inches high, according to Cusack Music's product page, which makes it a compact pedal that fits easily on a crowded board.
Sources (7)
- Scream Never-Off Screamer Overdrive, Cusack Music
- Screamer v3 single, Cusack Music, 2022
- Screamer V2 Tube Style Overdrive Pedal, Cusack Music
- Screamer V3 Tube Style Overdrive Pedal, Cusack Music
- Cusack Screamer & Screamer Fuzz, Guitar World, 2008-03-27
- Scream.pdf, Cusack Music, 2010-07-16
- NEW Scream to Eternity Compact Series, tru-fi.com
