The Logan Desert Transcend Drive is a limited-edition version of the Logan Transcend Drive, an overdrive pedal from KMA Audio Machines. It appeared in May 2020 in an ultra-limited Desert White colorway with matching anodized red knobs, and only 100 handmade units were made12. Under the new finish it is the same pedal as the standard Logan: gearnews.com described it as a "super touch-responsive" overdrive whose basis is the Logan drive pedal3.
The controls: active three-band EQ and mids footswitch
What sets the Logan apart from a conventional overdrive is its EQ section. Guitar World reported a three-band active EQ with adjustable mids frequency and a dedicated mids footswitch1. The mids section is parametric, meaning you can choose not only how much midrange is cut or boosted but where in the frequency range that happens, and the Mid-EQ has its own footswitch so it can be engaged as a boost on its own, which MusicRadar called especially useful for lead breaks2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Three-band active EQ | Cuts or boosts lows, mids and highs, with the mids frequency adjustable1 |
| Mids footswitch | Engages the Mid-EQ on its own, as a boost for lead breaks12 |
| Internal clean blend trimpot | Mixes unaffected signal back in under the drive1 |
| Internal bandwidth trimpot | Shapes the EQ's range1 |
| Expression input | Standard expression input for wider control1 |
Because the EQ is active, the pedal can be shaped well beyond a typical drive pedal. MusicRadar's Rob Laing described it as serving as a preamp, a low/mid gain drive, or even a cocked wah tool thanks to KMA's active three-band EQ, and summed it up as "a versatile tool for your pedalboard"2. A cocked wah setting, done by scooping the lows and highs with the EQ, gives a wah-like filtered tone without a rocking pedal, a use covered more broadly on the wah pedal and equalization pedal pages.
"a versatile tool for your pedalboard"
Two further features sit inside the pedal rather than on the panel: internal clean blend and bandwidth trimpots1. The clean blend lets you mix unaffected signal back in under the drive, and the bandwidth trim shapes the EQ's range. Both are set with a screwdriver, not while playing.
The pedal also has a standard expression input1, which MusicRadar noted as a way to further widen the pedal's potential2. See the expression pedal page for how those pair up.
A limited Desert White Logan
The Desert edition is a finish change, not a redesign. MusicRadar's Rob Laing reported that the versatile overdrive is available in a Desert White colourway, and that only 100 handmade Logan Desert overdrive pedals would be made2. Guitar World called it an ultra-limited Desert White colorway with matching anodized red knobs1.
What the Desert edition shares with the standard Logan:
- The same circuit and controls, including the three-band active EQ and mids footswitch13
- The internal clean blend and bandwidth trimpots1
- The standard expression input1
What sets it apart:
Videos
The Pedal Zone
Rabea Massaad
Guitarist
Questions
How many Logan Desert pedals were made?
Only 100 handmade Logan Desert overdrive pedals were made, according to MusicRadar's report on the release in May 2020. Guitar World likewise described the Desert White colorway as ultra-limited and limited to 100 units worldwide. It was a one-time limited run of the Logan Transcend Drive rather than a permanent product line.
Is the Logan Desert different from the standard Logan Transcend Drive?
The basis for the Logan Desert Transcend Drive is the standard Logan drive pedal, as gearnews.com put it. The Desert edition keeps the same circuit and controls, including the three-band active EQ and dedicated mids footswitch, and differs mainly in its finish: a Desert White colorway with matching anodized red knobs, in a run of 100 units.
Does the KMA Logan have a clean blend?
Yes. Guitar World reported that the Logan Desert Transcend Drive has internal clean blend and bandwidth trimpots. These are set inside the pedal rather than on the top panel, so adjusting them means opening the unit up rather than turning a knob while playing.
Can the KMA Logan be used with an expression pedal?
Yes. Guitar World described the Logan Desert as having a standard expression input, and MusicRadar noted the expression input as a way to further widen the pedal's potential. Pairing it with an expression pedal from the expression pedal range is a supported way to expand what the Logan can do.
Sources (3)
- KMA Machines launches “versatile and vibrant” limited-edition Logan Desert Transcend Drive pedal, Guitar World, 2020-05-19
- KMA Audio Machines reveal the Logan Desert ltd ed Transcend Drive pedal, MusicRadar, 2020-05-19
- KMA Logan Transcend Drive: A super-flexible mod in a limited edition, gearnews.com, 2020-05-19
