The Glou-Glou Steak Distortion Station is a 100-percent analog, parallel routed effects workstation from Glou-Glou FX, released in July 2020. Instead of a single distortion circuit, it puts two independent analog gain stage channels side by side, arranged in parallel with a blend for the dry signal, so you can run two gain voices at once or mix them with your clean tone. Glou-Glou frames it as a way of combining different gain stage voices with filters, fuzz, modulation and oscillation1.
Two channels in parallel
The Steak's core idea is parallel routing. Each channel is its own analog gain stage, and the two run side by side rather than in series, with a blend control for mixing in the dry signal. In practice that means you can stack two different gain voices, or keep a portion of your clean tone underneath the distortion, without chaining two separate pedals1.
Each channel offers six modes or voicings, and the voicings reach beyond straight distortion: Glou-Glou lists analog octaves, pre- and post-gain filters, sustain and level controls among the per-channel features1. That puts the Steak in territory shared by fuzz pedals, octave and pitch pedals and filter pedals, all inside one enclosure.
Controls and enclosure
Per the release announcement, the Steak's feature set includes:
- Two independent analog gain stage channels, arranged in parallel1
- A blend with the dry signal1
- Six modes or voicings per channel1
- Analog octaves1
- Pre- and post-gain filters1
- Sustain and level controls1
The pedal sits in what Glou-Glou calls a "distinct, ergonomic, custom-made enclosure"1.
Power and bypass
The Steak runs on 9-volt operation with a standard center-negative DC input, the common format used by most pedalboard power supplies1. It is true bypass, so the pedal is removed from the signal path when off1.
Price and availability
At its July 2020 release, the Steak carried a street price of $470.00. Glou-Glou stated it was available at select retailers and directly from the Glou-Glou online store1.
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Questions
Is the Glou-Glou Steak Distortion Station analog?
Yes. Glou-Glou FX describes the Steak as a 100-percent analog parallel routed effects workstation. Both of its gain stage channels run in the analog domain, and the voicings combine analog octaves, filters, fuzz, modulation and oscillation rather than digital modeling.
Is the Steak Distortion Station true bypass?
Yes. The Steak Distortion Station is true bypass, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes straight to the output without passing through the pedal's gain stages or filters.
What power does the Glou-Glou Steak need?
The Steak runs on 9-volt operation with a standard center-negative DC input. That is the same format as most standard pedal power supplies, so a typical 9V center-negative supply will run it.
Is the Steak Distortion Station center-negative?
Yes. Glou-Glou specifies a standard center-negative DC input, which matches the common Boss-style power connector used by most pedalboard power supplies.
How many voicings does each channel have?
Each of the Steak's two independent analog gain stage channels offers six modes or voicings. The channels are arranged in parallel and can be blended with the dry signal, so you can stack or combine different gain voices.
How much does the Glou-Glou Steak cost?
At its July 2020 release, the Steak carried a street price of $470.00, according to the Premier Guitar announcement. It was available at select retailers and directly from the Glou-Glou online store.
Sources (1)
- Glou-Glou Releases the Steak Distortion Station, Premier Guitar, 2020-07-10
