The Grace Design ALiX is an analog floor unit that combines a preamp, equalizer, booster and DI in one chassis. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as bringing "open, musical and nuanced sonic character to any performance situation," and it is built for players who need clean tone shaping and a balanced output to the PA alongside a signal to a stage amp1. It belongs to the same family as the maker's larger preamp pedals, and it sits alongside the equalization and boost categories in what it does.
The ALiX draws 500mA at 9V DC1. That is more than a standard daisy-chain output supplies, so it needs a dedicated output from a pedalboard power supply.
The controls and footswitches
The EQ section is where the ALiX concentrates its features. Grace Design voices the fixed low and high controls for "musical shading of bass and treble," while the parametric midrange covers from 70Hz all the way to 8KHz1. A Mid Q control adjusts the midrange Q factor, determining the sharpness of the bandwidth being adjusted, so mid cuts and boosts can be broad or surgical2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Low / High | Fixed controls voiced for musical shading of bass and treble1 |
| Parametric Mid | Sweepable from 70Hz to 8KHz1 |
| Mid Q | Sets the sharpness of the midrange bandwidth being adjusted2 |
| HPF / Notch | High pass filter cutting 12dB per octave from 20Hz to 1kHz; also sets as a notch filter for feedback or rumble1 |
| Ground/Lift | Switch for isolating the balanced output2 |
The dual-use filter is a practical stage tool: the high pass filter cuts unwanted bass frequencies and helps control feedback, and the notch mode targets problem frequencies across the same 20Hz to 1.0kHz sweep12. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the midrange to be the standout: "the Mids here are what really make ALiX shine, allowing specific and exacting mid settings"2.
Two footswitches handle performance duties:
- Boost: gives +10dB of clean boost, follows the FX loop, and affects both the DI and Amp outputs2
- Mute/Tune: mutes all outputs except the dedicated Tuner Out for silent tuning2
Using it on stage
The ALiX's outputs let one unit feed the whole rig. The Amp Out sends an unbalanced, isolated signal to a stage amp, while the DI path carries the signal to the PA, with a Ground/Lift switch to deal with ground hum2. An FX Loop insert, buffered and unbalanced, lets you plug other effects into the ALiX's signal path2.
Country players have put it to work that way. In Premier Guitar's rig rundown with Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, John Bohlinger noted that Hensley uses the Alix "for some EQ and mainly a boost; I'm bypassing it as a DI"3.
The ALiX and the FELiX
Grace Design positions the ALiX as the smaller unit in a two-model family. The maker's product page describes the FELiX as its "big sibling," and both are built into the same roadworthy floor unit chassis, portable enough to throw in a bag or strap to a pedalboard1. The shared chassis means the ALiX carries the same build approach as the FELiX in a more compact, single-instrument format1.
Videos
Sweetwater
Shawn Tubbs
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What power supply does the Grace Design ALiX need?
The ALiX runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 500mA of current. That draw is well beyond what a typical daisy-chain supply output provides, so it needs its own dedicated output on a pedalboard power supply rather than a shared chain.
Can the ALiX be used as a DI?
Yes. Grace Design lists the ALiX as a preamp, DI, equalizer and booster, and it includes a Ground/Lift switch for the balanced output. Guitarist Trey Hensley, interviewed by Premier Guitar, said he uses the ALiX for some EQ and mainly a boost, bypassing it as a DI.
How much boost does the ALiX give?
The Boost footswitch provides up to +10dB of clean boost. Pedal of the Day notes that the boost follows the FX loop and affects both the DI and Amp outputs, so whatever the boost adds reaches the front of house as well as your stage amp.
What does the high pass filter on the ALiX do?
The high pass filter cuts 12dB per octave across a sweep from 20Hz to 1kHz, removing unwanted low frequencies from the signal. It can also be set as a notch filter for chasing down problem feedback or rumble areas, which makes it useful on stage with acoustic instruments.
Does the ALiX have an effects loop?
Yes. The ALiX has an FX Loop insert that is buffered and unbalanced, allowing you to plug other effects into the ALiX's signal path. The Boost footswitch follows the loop, so boosted level applies to everything after it.
What is the difference between the ALiX and the FELiX?
Grace Design describes the FELiX as the ALiX's big sibling: both are built into the same roadworthy floor unit chassis. The ALiX is the smaller, single-instrument unit, combining preamp, EQ, boost and DI in that shared enclosure design.
Sources (3)
- ALiX by Grace Design, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Grace Design ALiX Preamp EQ DI, Pedal of the Day, 2019-04-17
- Rig Rundown: Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Premier Guitar, 2023-02-08
