The Daring Audio Laser Cannon HD is a distortion pedal aimed first at bassists, covering everything from overdrive through distortion to fuzz in one box. Premier Guitar's reviewer summed it up as supplying "an excellent range of overdrive, distortion, and fuzz tones, though you may need to invest time in learning how its controls operate and interact."1
Where it came from
The HD is a revamped take on the original Laser Cannon, which Daring Audio introduced in 2011 as a bass distortion and fuzz pedal. The original was controlled by a Wave knob for the distortion and fuzz, with an Attack control adjusting the high end between sharp and round, an Energy switch to choose the diode type for either a tight precise overdrive or a classic compressed fuzz, and a blend knob that Daring explained gives the ability to emulate a studio mix by adding clean and heavy distortion together at once.2
The HD keeps that circuit as its base but reworks it: Premier Guitar notes it "adds an assignable boost function, state-variable filters, and an FET clipping mode."1
The controls
The Laser Cannon HD carries a lot of control for a single pedal, and the interaction between the controls is where the learning curve comes in1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Everything from mild overdrive to raging fuzz, via a tweaked version of the original Laser Cannon distortion circuit1 |
| Three-way diode selector | Germanium, silicon, and FET distortion colors1 |
| Filter switch and pre-EQ | Work in tandem to set the hi-pass, low-pass, or band-pass frequency1 |
| Post-EQ | Sets the amount of upper harmonics in the overdriven signal, for smoother or harsher tones1 |
| Blend | Adjusts the balance between the wet (distorted) and dry signals1 |
| Boost switch | Dual-purpose: can be set to increase either volume or distortion1 |
"The pre- and post-EQ controls are indispensible for fine-tuning highs and lows."
A few points worth knowing before you plug in:
- In FET mode, the tones take on a more tube-like, yet less compressed, character.1
- The blend knob does more than mix. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that moving it away from its noon position in either direction boosted the actual volume of the signal, rather than only altering the blend ratio.1
- With the boost switch set to add more distortion in silicon mode, the reviewer "achieved vicious industrial fuzz reminiscent of Paul Barker, Paul Raven, and Thrones-era Joe Preston."1
Premier Guitar's reviewer flagged a "relatively steep learning curve" as the pedal's main drawback. The filter switch, pre-EQ, diode selector and boost all interact, so expect to spend some time with the pedal to learn how its controls operate and interact.1
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review listed the pros as a solid and attractive build, useful filters, and a huge tonal range, against the relatively steep learning curve as the con.1 For bass players, the through-line from the original Laser Cannon holds: a distortion and fuzz design built around keeping low end and clean signal under your control, now with more filtering and clipping options on the surface.12
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Questions
What is the difference between the Laser Cannon HD and the original Laser Cannon?
The HD is a revamped version built on a tweaked version of the original Laser Cannon distortion circuit. Premier Guitar's review notes that the HD adds an assignable boost function, state-variable filters, and an FET clipping mode on top of the original design. The original Laser Cannon was introduced as a bass distortion and fuzz pedal.
What diode options does the Laser Cannon HD have?
A three-way diode selector offers germanium, silicon, and FET distortion colors. In FET mode, Premier Guitar's reviewer found the tones take on a more tube-like, yet less compressed, character. The original Laser Cannon used an Energy switch to choose the diode type, giving either a tight precise overdrive or a classic compressed fuzz.
What does the boost switch do on the Laser Cannon HD?
It is a dual-purpose boost switch that can be set to increase either volume or distortion. With the boost set to add more distortion, Premier Guitar's reviewer achieved what he described as vicious industrial fuzz in silicon mode.
How much does the Laser Cannon HD cost?
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $199 as of its April 2021 review.
What does the blend knob do on the Laser Cannon HD?
The blend knob adjusts the balance between the wet (distorted) and dry signals. Daring has described the blend concept on the original Laser Cannon as the ability to emulate a studio mix by adding clean and heavy distortion together at once. Note that Premier Guitar's reviewer found moving the blend knob away from noon in either direction also boosted the overall signal volume.
Sources (2)
- Daring Audio Laser Cannon HD Review, Premier Guitar, 2014-04-20
- Daring Audio Debuts with Bass Effects Pedal Line, No Treble, 2011-02-17
