The Free The Tone Fire Mist FM-1V is an overdrive pedal designed to recreate the sound of the Marshall Plexi amplifiers of the mid to late 1960s, the amps with the gold plexi panel that came to stand for British rock. Free The Tone frames it as one of two ideal drive sounds, alongside the American blues sound of the Black Face era, and says the Fire Mist recreates that ideal British rock sound12. Pedal of the Day's review says the pedal "seeks to replicate classic tones produced by the famous Marshall Plexi amplifiers of the mid-late 1960's"2.
MusicRadar's reviewer Jamie Dickson found "addictive 1967-style Plexi drive sounds" in it, and put it this way: "if this is Marshall inspired, then it's Marshall with the gloves off"3. Pedal of the Day went further, calling the Fire Mist FM-1V Overdrive "a modern masterpiece and marvel in the effects world"2.
The controls
The Fire Mist keeps things simple: three knobs, Level, Tone and Drive. MusicRadar's Jamie Dickson noted that "there are only three controls, with chunky brass (yes, brass) knobs: Level, Tone and Drive"3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume; raised with Drive low, it works as a clean boost2 |
| Tone | Tonal shaping across the pedal's range3 |
| Drive | Amount of overdrive3 |
Pedal of the Day's review found "a broad spectrum in the Volume, Tone and Drive controls, giving you extended dynamic range, brilliant overtones and long sustain throughout its settings"2. The same review points out a second use for the pedal: "Turn the Drive down and the Level up, and you get a magnificent clean boost that brings up the low end and accentuates the mids"2. Players looking at boost pedals as a separate category can see how that overlaps with the boost role on a board.
Enclosure and the HTS buffer circuit
The Fire Mist sits in a custom-designed enclosure with brass knobs3. Free The Tone says that across the Integrated Series, every dimension was worked out to suit the ideal overdrive sound, with the case size determined from that goal1. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick explained how the pedal casing and materials have been chosen with sound in mind, giving the pedal physical heft4.
The pedal also carries Free The Tone's HTS circuit. As That Pedal Show put it, the pedals "feature FTT's latest evolution of the HTS Circuit, which is a unique take on a buffer"4. For a player, that means the pedal's input stage is built around buffering the guitar signal, a topic covered more broadly on the buffer page.
The Fire Mist is part of the Integrated Series, which That Pedal Show noted was created to celebrate Free The Tone's 15th anniversary4. Other overdrives in the company's range include the Red Jasper RJ-1V, the String Slinger SS-1V and the SOV-2.
Where it sits among overdrives
As an overdrive, the Fire Mist belongs to the overdrive family rather than the harder-clipping distortion or fuzz categories, and its Plexi inspiration sets it apart from the Tube Screamer style of circuit compared in Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. Free The Tone lists the FM-1V as an overdrive in its current product lineup5.
Videos
FreeTheToneMovie
FreeTheToneMovie
FreeTheToneMovie
Questions
What amp is the Free The Tone Fire Mist based on?
The Fire Mist FM-1V is built around the sound of the Marshall Plexi amplifiers of the mid to late 1960s. Pedal of the Day's review says it seeks to replicate the classic tones those amps produced, and MusicRadar's Jamie Dickson described it as Marshall inspired, adding that it sounds like Marshall with the gloves off. Free The Tone frames it as recreating the ideal British rock sound symbolized by the gold Plexi panel era.
Can the Fire Mist be used as a clean boost?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review notes that turning the Drive control down and the Level up turns the pedal into what the reviewer called a magnificent clean boost, one that brings up the low end and accentuates the mids. That makes it usable as a volume lift in front of an amp as well as a drive on its own.
Which Free The Tone range does the Fire Mist belong to?
The Fire Mist is part of Free The Tone's Integrated Series. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick noted the series was created to celebrate the company's 15th anniversary, and MusicRadar described it as the company's new Integrated Series of pedals. Free The Tone says case sizes across the series are determined to suit the ideal overdrive sound.
What does HTS mean on a Free The Tone pedal?
HTS refers to Free The Tone's buffer circuit. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick described the Fire Mist as featuring FTT's latest evolution of the HTS Circuit, which they called a unique take on a buffer. A buffer keeps the guitar's signal strong as it passes through long cable runs and multiple pedals.
What are the knobs on the Fire Mist made of?
Brass. MusicRadar's Jamie Dickson noted that the pedal has only three controls, Level, Tone and Drive, with chunky brass knobs, and that the enclosure itself is custom designed. The casing and materials were chosen with sound in mind, according to That Pedal Show.
Sources (5)
- FIRE MIST / FM-1V｜Products 商品紹介｜Free The Tone, Free The Tone
- Free The Tone Fire Mist FM-1V Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2018-09-01
- Free The Tone Fire Mist FM-1V Overdrive review, MusicRadar, 2018-12-07
- Six Cool Overdrives From Terry, Keeley, Free The Tone, Greuter & Greer, That Pedal Show, 2018-07-06
- FIRE MIST / FM-1V｜Products 商品紹介｜Free The Tone, Free The Tone
