The Magnetic Effects Zola is a clean boost pedal with a two-band active EQ and a switchable buffer, released by the London maker in December 2016. Magnetic Effects describes it as "an ultra high headroom clean boost with a linear response, active EQ and switchable buffer"1. It sits in the boost family alongside the maker's earlier Vortex boost/echo and Satellite overdrive/booster, and the later Sonic Tailor overdrive12.
What the Zola does
The Zola is built around two ideas: a clean volume lift and tone shaping. The EQ flexibility comes from a two-band active design, offering boost and cut ability to the treble and bass response, so the pedal can shape tone as well as raise level1. gearnews.com's report refers to 20 dB of boost on tap2.
The headroom comes from the power design. A voltage multiplier inside the pedal raises a regular 9V input to 30V internally. As Magnetic Effects puts it, "The incredible 30V of headroom means the boost stays totally clean at all levels and can handle large input signals"1. For a player, that means the Zola is intended to push level and shape tone without adding grit of its own; it is not an overdrive, and the maker's description is of a linear response throughout1.
Controls and bypass
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Treble (active EQ) | Boost and cut of treble response1 |
| Bass (active EQ) | Boost and cut of bass response1 |
| Buffer mini-switch | Selects true bypass or buffered bypass2 |
The buffer switch is the Zola's other distinguishing feature. When the effect is off, the player chooses between true bypass and "a high quality, high headroom buffered bypass"1. gearnews.com framed it the same way: "The Zola can be either true-bypass or, of course, buffered if you choose to add in that 20db of Boost"2. That makes the Zola usable as a boost, as a tone-shaping preamp-style pedal, or partly as a board buffer, a role covered more broadly on the Buffer Pedals page.
The Zola is 9V adapter powered, with no battery mentioned in the maker's announcement1. Because the internal charge multiplier needs supply headroom to generate 30V, a regular 9V power supply is what the design expects2.
Price and availability
Magnetic Effects released the Zola in December 2016 at £109 plus shipping1, a figure gearnews.com repeated as the UK RRP when it covered the launch in January 20172. The pedal is hand-built, according to gearnews.com's report2.
What reviewers said
Published comment on the Zola is limited to the launch coverage. gearnews.com's Jef wrote: "I think the Zola looks like a well-priced pedal for players that are concerned about keeping their guitar signal intact," going on to describe it as a tonal boost for squeezing the most from the guitar's natural tone overall2.
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Questions
Is the Magnetic Effects Zola true bypass?
Yes, and it offers more than that. A mini-switch lets you choose between true bypass and a high quality, high headroom buffered bypass when the effect is off. gearnews.com notes the Zola can be either true-bypass or buffered if you choose to add in the 20 dB of boost, so players can set it up to suit the rest of their board.
What does the buffer switch on the Zola do?
The mini-switch selects how the pedal behaves when it is off: true bypass, which takes the Zola entirely out of the signal path, or a high quality, high headroom buffered bypass, which keeps the signal driven through longer cable runs. It is a choice the player makes, not an either-or limitation of the pedal.
Does the Zola add any distortion?
Magnetic Effects describes the Zola as an ultra high headroom clean boost with a linear response. The company says the 30V of internal headroom means the boost stays totally clean at all levels and can handle large input signals, so it is built to boost without breaking up.
What power supply does the Zola need?
The Zola is 9V adapter powered and runs off a regular 9V power supply. A charge multiplier inside the pedal raises the internal operating voltage to 30V, which is where the extra headroom comes from, so no special supply is needed.
How much boost does the Zola give?
gearnews.com's report on the Zola refers to 20 dB of boost, engaged alongside the pedal's two-band active EQ. The boost is designed to stay clean at all levels thanks to the pedal's internal 30V operation.
Sources (2)
- Magnetic Effects Launches Zola & Updates Electrochop, Premier Guitar, 2016-12-19
- Magnetic Effects Zola: A boutique boost for decent money?, gearnews.com, 2017-01-24
