The KMA Machines Logan Transcend Drive is a low-gain overdrive pedal from German boutique builder KMA Audio Machines, the company's first entry into low-gain overdrives1. What sets it apart from most drives in that crowded field is its midrange section: a parametric mid EQ with a footswitch to turn it on and off, a switch to place it before or after the gain stage, and an expression input that lets you sweep the mid frequency like a wah21.
Guitar World's Trevor Curwen found it covers a wide range, from clean boost through throaty cranked amp tones that sit well in a classic rock context2. Delicious Audio described its character as smooth and harmonically rich, gaining hair, grit and sizzling depth as you pile on the gain, fit for anything from clean boost and amp-like breakup to indie clang and full-on rock1.
From clean boost to cranked amp tones
The Logan's gain range runs from a clean boost at the low end to cranked-amp drive at the top, which is what makes it usable as more than an overdrive. It has a high-headroom design of up to 25dB, which Delicious Audio says lets you use it as a very versatile preamp1. Guitar.com reported at launch that it can serve as a low- or mid-gain drive, work as a preamp, or deliver a squelching cocked-wah sound3.
The tonal flexibility comes largely from the three-band active EQ4. The Lows and Highs knobs each cut or boost by up to 15dB2. The mid band is parametric: the Mid Freq knob selects a frequency from the low-end thump of 100Hz through to the chimey presence of 2.5kHz, and the Mid Cut/Boost knob cuts or boosts around that selected frequency by up to 12dB21.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Lows and Highs knobs | Cut or boost bass and treble by up to 15dB2 |
| Mid Freq knob | Selects the midrange frequency, from 100Hz to 2.5kHz2 |
| Mid Cut/Boost knob | Cuts or boosts up to 12dB around the selected frequency21 |
| Mid-EQ footswitch | Activates or deactivates the Mid-EQ on the fly4 |
| Post/Pre switch | Places the midrange before or after the main gain stage2 |
The dedicated Mid-EQ footswitch means you can kick the whole mid section in and out while playing, a feature Guitar World flagged as a plus24.
Internal trim pots and expression input
Two controls live inside the enclosure as trim pots. One adjusts the midrange bandwidth to tailor the response; the other blends clean signal in with the overdriven tone for increased tonal options2. Guitar World noted the clean blend is more a set-and-forget adjustment, and that it will suit bass players who want to add a little growl to their clean sound rather than overwhelm it2.
The expression input is where the Logan gets its wah-like trick. Delicious Audio explains125:
"An Exp In lets you control the mid frequencies directly from an expression pedal, with wah-like results."1
Guitar World's review confirms an expression pedal can set the mid EQ frequency on the fly2. Rock the pedal and you sweep the selected mid frequency; park it in one position and you get the cocked-wah sound guitar.com described3. The Desert edition carried the same standard expression input6.
Power and connections
The Logan runs on a standard 9V DC power supply (maximum), center negative, with a 2.1mm barrel connector and an approximate 30mA current draw1. Guitar World lists the same figures and notes the adaptor is not supplied2. Connections are a standard input, a standard output, and the expression pedal input2.
The pedal is powered by a 9V DC adaptor only; the adaptor is not supplied, so plan on a standard center-negative 2.1mm supply21.
History and the Desert White limited edition
KMA announced the Logan Transcend Drive in September 2019, priced at £175 in the UK32. MusicRadar later reported that KMA spent over a year designing the Logan and honing its flexibility for players, while retaining the character of your guitar5. The pedal is built in an indestructible powdercoated die-cast enclosure, and KMA describes every unit as designed, assembled, silkscreened, tested and numbered by hand in its small workshop, using externally manufactured PCBs1.
In May 2020 KMA followed it with the Logan Desert Transcend Drive, an ultra-limited edition in a Desert White colorway with matching anodized red knobs67. Only 100 handmade units were made5. Gearnews called it a "super touch-responsive" overdrive design and noted the basis for the Logan Desert is the Logan drive pedal7.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Trevor Curwen reviewed the pedal and summed up its strengths:
"+ Attention to midrange detail."2
His overall verdict:
"A nicely responsive drive that excels in the role of adding dirt to clean amp."2
He also found a naturally dynamic feel playing through the Logan2. MusicRadar, covering the Desert edition, called the Logan a versatile tool for your pedalboard and noted there is always room for a touch-sensitive overdrive in a collection5.
Videos
The Pedal Zone
Rabea Massaad
Guitarist
Questions
What does the Post/Pre switch do on the KMA Logan?
It chooses where the midrange EQ sits in the pedal's signal path: before or after the main gain stage. With the mids placed before the gain, boosting them drives the overdrive harder; placed after, the EQ shapes the already-overdriven tone. It is a small switch that changes how the mid control interacts with the drive character.
Can an expression pedal control the Logan's mid frequency?
Yes. The Logan has a standard expression input, and an expression pedal can set the mid EQ frequency on the fly. Delicious Audio notes this gives wah-like results, so rocking the pedal sweeps the selected midrange frequency much like a wah, including a fixed cocked-wah position.
Is the KMA Logan Transcend Drive true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review lists true bypass among the pedal's features, so with the pedal switched off your signal passes through without active buffering.
Where is the KMA Logan made?
Germany. KMA Audio Machines is a German boutique pedal builder, and the company describes every pedal as designed, assembled, silkscreened, tested and numbered by hand in its small workshop, using externally manufactured PCBs.
Can the Logan get a cocked-wah sound?
Yes. Guitar.com reported at launch that the Logan can serve as a low- or mid-gain drive, be used as a preamp, or deliver a squelching cocked-wah sound, by cutting or boosting a midrange frequency and leaving it in one position.
Sources (7)
- KMA Audio Machines Logan Trascend Drive, Delicious Audio, 2019-10-10
- KMA Machines Logan Transcend Drive review, Guitar World, 2020-04-01
- KMA Machines transcends drive boundaries with Logan, guitar.com, 2019-09-06
- KMA Machines Logan Transcend Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2023-05-25
- KMA Audio Machines reveal the Logan Desert ltd ed Transcend Drive pedal, MusicRadar, 2020-05-19
- KMA Machines launches “versatile and vibrant” limited-edition Logan Desert Transcend Drive pedal, Guitar World, 2020-05-19
- KMA Logan Transcend Drive: A super-flexible mod in a limited edition, gearnews.com, 2020-05-19
