The Edge Activator HD is a bass pedal from Daring Audio that combines a high-headroom preamp with harmonic excitation and natural overdrive. Announced in January 2012 as a higher-definition version of the company's original Edge Activator, it keeps the "new string" character of the first pedal while adding more excitation and overdrive on tap1. It is built entirely from analog circuitry and includes true bypass switching1.
The Edge Activator is a bass pedal from Daring Audio, a maker the site No Treble covered as offering "one such ingredient with the Edge Activator" for bass players building their sound21. An updated version, the Edge Activator HD, was announced with pricing set at $199, with shipping set to begin in March 2012 and pre-orders being taken at the time of the announcement1.
A high-headroom bass preamp with harmonic excitation
The HD is a preamp pedal at its core, with excitation and overdrive blended on top. No Treble reported that the circuit is 100% analog, with a high-headroom preamp and constant volume for the wet/dry blend between the two signals1. The HD version adds enhanced harmonic excitation and natural overdrive while maintaining the original's "new string sounds", overtones, and frequency response control1.
The original Edge Activator was already a popular pedal for bassists, used to accentuate slapping, tapping, and harmonics techniques1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pedal very musical overall:
"Daring Audio has created a very musical pedal that does a nice job enhancing the tone of the electric bass2."
The same review noted the pedal could be useful when slapping, or for a hi-fi tone, but that its features may not appeal to bassists who prefer old-school sounds2.
The controls
The HD carries over the control set of the original Edge Activator and expands two of its controls. On the original, the Edge knob determines the frequencies that will be enhanced, working with a Gain pot that controls the level of boost to those selected frequencies. The EQ knob cuts high mids, or boosts those frequencies to add presence, and the Volume and Mix controls handle balancing the output and blending the effect into the signal. A Full switch selects either a full- or half-rectified signal, with an LED indicator showing the chosen rectification level2.
The HD version changes and adds to that set1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Expanded to enable line level signals for re-amping and more boost; on the original this required the Pad switch |
| Range | Expanded to add differing amounts of excited or overdrive frequencies, covering some of the range of the Particle Beam overdrive |
| Blend | Goes 100% wet to 100% dry, so the preamp can be used with or without blended overdrive and excitation |
| Crisp/Smooth toggle | Crisp allows full range 20 to 20K Hz for active bright sounds; Smooth provides high-end roll-off for vintage or classic rock overdrive settings, particularly useful on guitar signals |
| EQ-Hi / EQ-Lo toggle | Two-position midrange switch: EQ-Hi for high midrange cut or boost, EQ-Lo for low midrange cut or boost, with frequency centers for slap, pop, tapping, and harmonics |
The Blend control is the biggest functional change: because it sweeps the full range from all wet to all dry, the preamp section can run clean on its own, with the overdrive and excitation layered in only as much as wanted1.
Power: 9V battery or 18V headroom
The Edge Activator HD delivers 18V high headroom while running on a single 9V battery, or on a standard center-negative, Boss-style 9V adapter1. For a player, that means the extra voltage swing that gives a preamp clean headroom comes from an internal step-up rather than from a special dual-voltage supply, so the pedal drops onto an ordinary pedalboard power arrangement.
The 18V headroom is internal. The pedal still takes a standard 9V input, either a battery or a center-negative adapter, so no 18V power supply is needed.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Daring Audio Edge Activator HD analog?
Yes. No Treble reported that the pedal uses 100% analog circuitry, built around a high-headroom preamp with constant volume for the wet/dry blend. It sits in Daring Audio's original line of pure analog bass pedals launched in 2011.
Does the Edge Activator HD run on a battery?
Yes. The pedal delivers 18V high headroom from a single 9V battery. It can also be powered by a standard center-negative, Boss-style 9V adapter, so it works with the power supply most pedalboards already use.
Is the Edge Activator HD true bypass?
Yes. No Treble's announcement of the HD version states that it includes true bypass switching, and Premier Guitar's review of the Edge Activator also describes it as a true bypass pedal.
What does the Crisp/Smooth switch do?
Crisp allows the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range for active, bright sounds. Smooth provides a high-end roll-off for vintage or classic rock overdrive settings, which No Treble noted is particularly useful on guitar signals.
Can the Edge Activator HD be used for re-amping?
Yes. The HD version expands the Gain control so it can handle line level signals for re-amping. On the original Edge Activator this required the Pad switch, which the expanded Gain control replaces.
Sources (2)
- Daring Audio Introduces New HD Bass Pedal, No Treble, 2012-01-23
- Daring Audio Edge Activator Bass Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-10-20
