DSM & Humboldt Simplifier MK-II

The DSM & Humboldt Simplifier MK-II is an all-analog, zero-watt stereo amp and cabinet simulator: a pedalboard-sized box that stands in for a guitar amp, speaker cabinet and microphone, feeding a PA, interface or headphones instead of moving air. It sits in the preamp pedal family but does more than shape gain, combining preamp voicings, a stereo cab sim, a plate reverb and a power amp drive stage in one unit. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as taking "the analog amp simulation to a new stage of realism," with more options while keeping "the instant touch and dynamics that only an all analog device can manage"¹.

The DSM & Humboldt Simplifier MK-II is an analog amp and cab simulator pedal, combining a preamp, cab sim, DI, reverb and overdrive in one unit¹. It runs on 9V DC, center negative, drawing 150mA¹.

What it does

The MK-II is built around analog amp simulation. Where a modeling unit converts your signal to digital, the Simplifier keeps the guitar signal in the analog domain through the preamp and cab sim stages, which the maker credits for its touch and dynamics¹. The reverb is the exception: it is a side-chained digital plate reverb, added after players asked for a sense of ambience the original lacked²³.

Guitar World's Michael Astley-Brown reported at launch that the new onboard plate reverb "will be a welcome addition for players who missed that sense of ambience from the original"³.

The main sections of the unit:

The Power Amp Drive control is one of the MK-II's distinguishing features. A dedicated control sets the amount of power amp compression, letting a player find what the maker calls the tube amp sweet spot where the output stage starts to compress and sag². Guitar World noted it "promises to help dial in the level of power amp compression, and features a clip indicator to help nail the balance"³.

The cab sim is the other big change from the original. The Simplifier Classic let you dial two independent cabinet simulators panned left and right, each with a MIC POSITION control⁶. For the MK-II, DSM Humboldt completely redesigned the Cabsim section, replacing the MIC position control with a three-profile speaker control, based on research on hundreds of response curves from renowned speakers⁵. The cab sim is now stereo².

Where it sits in the Simplifier line

The Simplifier family has grown into several distinct units, and the MK-II sits in the middle of them:

• Simplifier MK-II: an analog amp and cab simulator combining a preamp, cab sim, DI, reverb and overdrive in one unit¹.

The original Simplifier also carried connections that set the template for the line: a stereo FX loop, a headphone amp with aux input for monitoring or silent practicing, two XLR DI outs, and two bypassable 1/4-inch jacks⁴. A Bass version of the original was also offered⁴.

The Simplifier MK-II sits in DSM & Humboldt's line as an all-in-one analog unit, combining cab sim, preamp, DI, reverb, amp and overdrive functions in one box¹. It runs on 9V DC, center negative, drawing 150mA¹.

What reviewers said

Published coverage of the MK-II has focused on its core idea: an analog amp and cab simulator that combines a preamp, cab sim, DI, reverb and overdrive in a single pedal¹.

For the DLX sibling, Premier Guitar's reviewer found the two channels voiced differently, with channel B mellower and smoother on top, and highlighted the flexibility of the right and left reverb mix controls⁷.

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