The Glou-Glou Steak is a 100% analog distortion pedal from Glou-Glou FX, built around two independent gain stage channels arranged in parallel. Rather than a single dirt circuit, the maker positions it as a "parallel routed effects workstation", and gearnews.com called it a "dual-voice distortion station" with "a whole heap of ways to twist and tweak your sounds"12. It sits in the distortion category but reaches well beyond a conventional dirt box, adding filters, analog octaves and an LFO to each voice12.
What it does
Each of the two distortion channels is a complete voice of its own: a distortion module, a pre-distortion band-pass filter and a post-distortion low-pass filter1. Because the channels run in parallel rather than in series, you can shape two different distorted voices at once and combine them, blending either against the dry signal with the Mix control12. Premier Guitar's press release summed the architecture as "Dual independent analog gain stage channels arranged in parallel + blend with dry signal"2.
The filters are playable controls in their own right, with Freq, Mod and Peak settings on each1. The Mod setting ties into the pedal's LFO, which has two internal speed settings, Slow and Fast, and whose speed can also be controlled by an envelope up response, an envelope down response, or an external expression pedal1.
The controls and modes
| Control or mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Two distortion channels | Independent analog gain stages arranged in parallel12 |
| Soft/hard mode | Available on both distortions1 |
| 6 modes/voicings per channel | Per-channel voicing selection2 |
| Pre-distortion band-pass filter | Shapes what feeds the distortion module1 |
| Post-distortion low-pass filter | Tames the distortion output1 |
| Freq, Mod, Peak | Filter settings1 |
| LFO, Slow/Fast | Two internal speed settings1 |
| LFO speed source | Envelope up, envelope down, or external expression pedal1 |
| Octaves | Square, -1 Oct, -2 Oct, +1 Oct, analog per channel12 |
| Sustain and level | Per-channel controls2 |
| Mix | Blends the distortion with the dry signal1 |
The octaves are analog and are voiced per channel, so each of the two voices can carry its own octave setting2.
Price and availability
The Steak launched in July 2020 at an RRP of USD 4701, with Premier Guitar reporting a street price of $470.002. It was available at select retailers and directly from the Glou-Glou online store2.
What reviewers said
gearnews.com's Jef came away impressed by the scope of the pedal while noting the price1:
"This is a monster of a dirt box with seemingly limitless possibilities for distortion and drive tones."
His verdict framed the Steak as expensive but generous: a lot of tools in one compact pedal, with overall value and capability to match1.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Glou-Glou Steak analog or digital?
The Steak is fully analog. Glou-Glou FX describes it as a 100-percent analog parallel routed effects workstation, and gearnews.com's coverage likewise calls it a 100% analogue pedal. Its two gain stage channels, filters and octaves all run in the analog domain, with no digital processing in the signal path.
Can the Glou-Glou Steak's LFO speed be controlled with an expression pedal?
Yes. The LFO's speed can be controlled by an envelope up response, an envelope down response, or an external expression pedal. There are also two internal speed settings, Slow and Fast, for setting the LFO range without external control.
Does the Glou-Glou Steak have octave settings?
It does. Each channel has onboard analog octaves that can be set to Square, -1 Oct, -2 Oct or +1 Oct, giving sub-octave and octave-up voicings alongside the distortion itself.
How much does the Glou-Glou Steak cost in US dollars?
The Steak carried an RRP of USD 470 at launch, and Premier Guitar reported a street price of $470.00. It was available at select retailers and directly from the Glou-Glou online store.
Can you blend the Glou-Glou Steak's distortion with the dry signal?
Yes. The Steak's two analog gain stage channels are arranged in parallel, and a Mix control lets you blend the distortion with the dry signal. That makes it possible to keep low-end clarity while adding distortion on top.
Sources (2)
- Is Glou-Glou Steak the most insane distortion box ever?, gearnews.com, 2020-07-08
- Glou-Glou Releases the Steak Distortion Station, Premier Guitar, 2020-07-10
