MAS Effects Dark Commotion

The MAS Effects Dark Commotion is a limited-run distortion pedal that clones the Ibanez Sound Tank BN-5, known as the Black Noise. MAS Effects describes the original as "a highly underrated gem of a distortion pedal" and notes it is "relatively hard to find on the market," which is what prompted the clone¹². The first run comprised 21 unique units, each one different, and it sold out².

For a player, the Dark Commotion is a three-knob distortion in the lineage of a 1990s Ibanez Sound Tank. MAS Effects says you can get "a pretty wide variety of sounds out of this pedal," and points to two demo recordings made in a deliberately lo-fi 90s garage band style as examples³.

The circuit it copies

The Black Noise is an Ibanez Sound Tank series distortion, and the Dark Commotion reproduces its circuit. The build documentation lists the active parts⁴¹⁵:

¹

The JRC4558D is the same dual op-amp family found in many classic Japanese pedals, and here it works alongside a pair of 2SC1815 general-purpose transistors. Beyond the active parts, the design includes an LED visual indicator and a 25k optional trimmer, VR2, which "acts in series with R22 to limit the current to the LED," letting a builder set how hard the indicator lights without changing the audio path¹.

The three controls are straightforward:

• DIST: A100k potentiometer, sets the amount of distortion¹
• LEVEL: A100k potentiometer, sets the output volume¹
• TONE: B20k potentiometer, shapes the frequency response¹

Construction-wise, the pedal uses a main board and a footswitch daughter board joined by a 6-conductor ribbon cable, a layout that keeps the switch wiring tidy inside the enclosure¹.

Limited runs and the second batch

The Dark Commotion was never meant to be a catalog product. The first run was 21 unique, extremely limited clones, and MAS Effects has stated plainly that they are sold out². A second batch was announced on the product page:

So the second batch exists mainly to fill pre-orders, with only "a very small number of extras" expected beyond that². The maker's own account of the project suggests the runs were small by design rather than by accident: the manual opens with the line "once in a while a special circuit lands on my bench and I just have to share it," and notes "I built a couple batches of them and everyone loved them"¹.

MAS Effects has also listed a one-of-a-kind Custom Black Noise, a unique build of the same circuit, among its one-of-a-kind shop items⁶.

Building it yourself

MAS Effects sells the Dark Commotion PCB separately for DIY builders. The board is a clone of the Ibanez Sound Tank BN-5 distortion pedal, and the maker's page for it notes: "This is not likely to be an ongoing product. These are extra boards from a small pedal run"⁷. In other words, the PCB exists because the pedal run left spare boards, not as a permanent kit.

The PCB has itself sold out⁷, and availability has moved with each batch. Build documentation is published as a PDF covering the parts list, assembly, and a link to a higher-resolution schematic image¹⁸. For players who would rather not solder, the PCB page points back to the pre-built pedal: "You can buy a pre-built pedal here if you'd prefer"⁸.

Contacting MAS Effects

For custom order information, MAS Effects directs inquiries to mark@mas-effects.com⁵. That is the route for asking about one-off Black Noise builds like the Custom Black Noise, or about pre-order availability for any further batch.

Questions