The Black Clouds Lead Tone Machine is a distortion and preamp pedal from DSM Humboldt, unveiled in February 2023. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described it as "a fully featured boost and distortion with comprehensive EQ", and noted that it promises high gain with a low noise floor thanks to its onboard X-Gate noise gate technology1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, writing when the pedal launched, said it was designed from scratch and features "a powerful 3-band EQ, tons of gain on tap, plus a dual boost function", with three operation modes that can adapt to virtually any setup2.
DSM Humboldt frames the pedal plainly on its own product page: "Our new Black Clouds translates a clear vision of what a Lead Tone Machine should be into stark reality."3
Controls
The pedal's controls cover gain, level, tone shaping before the drive circuit, and full EQ after it234.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Controls the gain, ranging from crunch to high gain mayhem2 |
| Level | Controls the output volume3 |
| Pre Tone | Balances the amount of high or bottom end entering the drive circuit and compensates for different pickup characteristics. Clockwise, low end is reduced and top end enhanced, for tighter, more aggressive chugs; counterclockwise, bottom end is enhanced and top end reduced, for fatter, fuller single lines34 |
| Bass | +/- 10dB of boost or cut to frequencies below 300Hz1 |
A three-way mini-toggle selects between the Normal, Preamp and Mid Boost modes1.
The X-Gate
The onboard X-Gate is DSM Humboldt's noise gate technology, included to keep the noise floor low at high gain settings1. MusicRadar reported that the company says the X-Gate can also add a "crossover distortion" which can be used to add texture to electric guitar tones1. For players comparing this pedal against a separate gate in their chain, it is worth knowing that noise gate functionality is built in here rather than added afterward.
Modes and how it fits a rig
The three operating modes, Normal, Preamp and Mid Boost, are the pedal's main flexibility feature, and both MusicRadar and Delicious Audio highlight them as a way to adapt the pedal to different setups12. As a preamp-style pedal, it can sit at the front of an amp or, in Preamp mode, take on more of the amplification role itself; players weighing that approach may also want to look at the broader field of preamp pedals.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in March 2023 as the Black Clouds High-Gain Distortion, and its reviewer described the sound as "aggressive and articulated, yet it is quiet", crediting the X-Gate for much of that low noise floor5. The same review found a wide tonal range on the pedal that the reviewer found fun to explore, and confirms the Distortion section carries Level and Gain controls, repeating that the three modes of operation can adapt to virtually any setup5.
Availability
MusicRadar reported the Black Clouds Lead Tone Machine as available now at launch, priced £239 in the UK as of February 20231.
Videos
DSM / Humboldt
Jack JD
Pedal of the Day
Sources (5)
- DSM Humboldt unveils the Black Clouds Lead Tone Machine, the “ultimate distortion” for high-gain adventure, complete with an onboard noise gate, MusicRadar, 2023-02-03
- DSM Humboldt Black Clouds Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2023-02-15
- BLACK CLOUDS, DSM/HUMBOLDT, 2026
- BLACK CLOUDS, DSM/HUMBOLDT, 2026
- DSM & Humboldt Black Clouds High-Gain Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2023-03-19
