Main Ace FX Dante

The Dante is an overdrive pedal from Main Ace FX, shown as a prototype at the 2018 NAMM show. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as an op-amp based overdrive with a two-band EQ and, unusually for an overdrive, a momentary ring modulator footswitch¹. For players browsing overdrive pedals, that last feature is what sets it apart: a ring modulator produces metallic, clangorous tones, and having one on a momentary switch means it can be stamped on and off mid-phrase rather than used as a permanent effect.

What it does

As an overdrive, the Dante sits in the same broad family as the pedals covered on our overdrive type page: a gain stage that pushes an amp or models that push, generally softer-edged than distortion or fuzz. The Dante's circuit is op-amp based rather than transistor based, a design choice many overdrive makers use for consistency and headroom¹.

The two-band EQ gives players control over the tone shaping around the drive, and the momentary ring modulator footswitch adds a second, very different sound on the same box. Because it is momentary, the ring modulation only sounds while the switch is held, which suits accents and transitions rather than sustained textures. Ring modulation on its own is usually found on dedicated octave and pitch pedals or filter pedals, so its inclusion here is the Dante's distinguishing feature¹.

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