The Death by Audio/Rainger FX Amp Crash is a collaboration between Death by Audio and Rainger FX. It is a hybrid device: an analog/solid-state amp with a built-in effects unit, a two-inch speaker and a microphone in one box, weighing around one and a half pounds1. A microphone picks up the speaker's sound, and the unit carries controls for gain and tone, as well as DI out (the DI-tapped amp signal) and mic out1. A traditional foot switch turns it all on and off, bypassing the input signal directly to the output1.
The idea is unusual. Instead of only clipping your signal with a fuzz circuit, the Amp Crash amplifies it through a tiny speaker, mics that speaker, and blends the captured sound back into the direct signal. Rainger FX describes the result as a full-range fuzz pedal with a dense, wide-frequency sound and a small amount of sag at the extreme2.
A mini-amp, microphone and effects unit in one box
GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter called it "a wildly inventive hybrid of three-watt solid-state mini-amp, drive pedal, microphone and effects unit"1. The signal path works like this: your guitar feeds the internal amp, the amp drives the two-inch speaker, and the internal mic picks up the sound of that speaker and routes it into your signal and on into any external amp1. The mic also picks up the external amp's signal, which is what makes the feedback behavior possible1.
The maker describes the core sound as a full-range fuzz pedal with a dense, wide-frequency sound and a small amount of sag at the extreme2. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick summarized its contents as "it's got distortion, overdrive, and it's also got reverb, echo, and chorus in it"3.
"An incredibly inventive feedback generator and soundscape crafter, offering near-unlimited creative potential"
Hunter found the unit's strength is in generating bountiful, ambient, semi-random yet semi-controllable feedback1. That is the honest pitch: this is less a conventional dirt pedal and more a tool for players who want to push their sound toward noise and texture.
Controls and connections
The Amp Crash has controls for gain and tone, as well as for DI out (the DI-tapped amp signal) and mic out, with an on/off footswitch1. A traditional footswitch turns it all on and off, bypassing the input signal directly to the output1.
| Control or jack | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain knob | Sets the drive level1 |
| Tone knob | Shapes the frequency balance1 |
| DI out knob | Controls the DI-tapped amp signal1 |
| Mic out knob | Controls the level of the mic'd speaker sound1 |
| Footswitch | On/off, bypassing input directly to output1 |
| Three-way toggle | Selects reverb, echo or chorus on the digital effects unit1 |
| Input jack | Single input1 |
| Output jack | Single output1 |
| External speaker jack | Connects a larger extension cab rated at least eight ohms1 |
| DI Out | Carries the mic'd speaker sound to mix with the directly connected signal path2 |
The DI Out is where the mic'd speaker sound can be fed out to mix with the directly connected signal path2. The external speaker jack lets you connect a larger extension cab, and the maker specifies it works with 8 ohm cabs12.
Power and practicalities
Everything is powered by an external nine-volt DC adapter rated to supply at least 300mA1. Rainger FX lists the current draw as 300mA2.
The 300mA draw means a typical low-current pedalboard output or daisy chain may not be enough. Use a supply rated for at least 300mA on a center-negative 9V DC output1.
There is no battery option in the facts; plan on a mains adapter. The unit measures 6 x 3.75 x 2.85 inches including feet and knobs1, or 93mm wide by 142mm deep by 72mm total height per the maker2, and weighs around one and a half pounds1. It is assembled in the USA1.
What reviewers said
The Amp Crash carries a $395 street price in the US1. Its control set covers gain and tone, plus DI out for the DI-tapped amp signal and mic out, and a traditional foot switch turns it all on and off, bypassing the input signal directly to the output1.
"this gizmo's strength is in generating bountiful, ambient, semi-random yet semi-controllable feedback"
For players comparing it against conventional dirt boxes, the distinction is the mic'd-speaker architecture. A standard fuzz or distortion pedal clips the signal in a circuit; the Amp Crash adds a real speaker being driven hard and captured by a real microphone, which is where its feedback and semi-random character comes from1.
Videos
Death By Audio and Rainger FX
Rainger FX and Death By Audio
Pedal of the Day and Death By Audio
Questions
Does the Amp Crash work as a standalone amp?
Yes, in a sense. It contains a three-watt solid-state amp driving a two-inch internal speaker, so it makes sound on its own. Its internal microphone picks up that speaker and routes the sound into your signal chain, and it can also drive an external speaker cabinet rated at eight ohms or more.
Can I connect an external speaker cabinet to the Amp Crash?
Yes. It has an external speaker jack that lets you connect a larger extension cab, and the maker specifies it works with 8 ohm speaker cabs. The internal microphone also picks up the sound of the external amp you feed it into.
What power supply does the Amp Crash need?
It runs on an external nine-volt DC adapter with a center-negative plug, rated to supply at least 300mA. That current draw rules out a standard low-current daisy chain supply, so plan on a dedicated or high-current output.
What effects does the Amp Crash have?
It is an analog fuzz pedal at heart, described by the maker as a full-range fuzz with a dense, wide-frequency sound and a small amount of sag at the extreme. A built-in digital effects unit adds a three-way toggle to select reverb, echo or chorus.
Where is the Amp Crash assembled?
It is assembled in the USA. It is a collaboration between Rainger FX of London and Death By Audio of New York, with David Rainger of Rainger Effects involved in the design.
How big is the speaker in the Amp Crash?
The internal speaker is two inches across. The whole unit measures 6 by 3.75 by 2.85 inches including feet and knobs, or 93mm wide by 142mm deep by 72mm tall, and weighs around one and a half pounds.
Sources (3)
- Death by Audio Amp/Rainger FX Amp Crash pedal, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2026-09-01
- Amp Crash, Rainger FX
- Jam Tiny Amp Destroyer, Keeley Tube Drive, Death By Audio Amp Crash, Summer School Spring Break, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2026-09-25
