The Nabla 1987 v2 is a two-channel amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal from Nabla, an Italian boutique builder. Amp-in-a-box means the whole pedal is voiced to imitate one amplifier: in this case a Marshall Plexi that has received the popular Hot Rod mod, done to amps like the JTM45 or the 1989 Super Lead to make them sound more aggressive. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes the pedal as designed to sound like a Plexi hot-rod pushed to the max1.
What it does to your sound
The pedal's Drive control runs, in Delicious Audio's description, from semi-clean rich in harmonics and sensitive to touch through to the saturated crunch of many records1. Because the circuit is built around a single amp voicing rather than a generic distortion curve, the controls behave like the knobs on the amplifier they imitate: drive, tone and output level, with the toggles standing in for the internal voicing choices a modded amp would make.
The two channels share a similar character, but the Eleven channel, quite appropriately in De Gregorio's words, offers more gain1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | From semi-clean, rich in harmonics and sensitive to touch, to saturated crunch1 |
| Level | Sets the output level when the 11 indicator is off1 |
| Eleven | Sets the level of the second, higher-gain channel; Level and Eleven independently control the volume of the two channels1 |
| Tone | Tone control used together with the Tight toggle provides a very varied palette of sounds1 |
| Tight toggle | Voicing switch that works with the Tone control1 |
| Mids toggle | Three-position switch for the level of mid frequencies1 |
The Mids toggle is the pedal's midrange shaper. In the up position it gives humped mids, like the earlier 1987 V1. The center position gives flat mids for a more neutral tone, and the down position gives lightly scooped mids, which Delicious Audio suggests for matching mid-heavy cabinets or amps, or for entering metal territory1.
Switching channels
The right footswitch alternates between the two channels, engaging the Eleven knob setting when the 11 red LED is on1. In practice that means the Level knob carries the volume of the first channel and the Eleven knob carries the second, so the jump between them is set by balancing the two knobs rather than by a single master level.
The 1987 family
The 1987 v2 sits in a family of Plexi-voiced overdrives. Nabla's later Volta 1987 V2 is a related two-channel design, also described as built to sound like a Plexi hot-rod pushed to the max, with a foot-switchable boost whose gain is set by its own Eleven knob, plus a Mids toggle that interacts with a Mids knob to deliver more or less pronounced mids2. Delicious Audio's buying guide to Plexi-style pedals notes that in that family the Mids toggle interacts with the Mids knob to deliver humped, scooped, or flat mids3.
The Mids toggle up position is the one that reproduces the humped mids of the earlier 1987 V1, so players coming from the original pedal should start there1.
Videos
R.J. Ronquillo
Jack JD
Jack JD
Questions
What amps is the Nabla 1987 v2 modeled on?
It is not a digital modeler but an amp-in-a-box overdrive built around the character of hot-rodded Marshall Plexi amps. Delicious Audio describes the reference as Plexi circuits like the JTM45 or the 1989 Super Lead that have received the popular Hot Rod mod, which makes them sound more aggressive, with the pedal designed to sound like a Plexi hot-rod pushed to the max.
What does the Eleven knob do on the Nabla 1987 v2?
The Eleven knob sets the volume of the second channel. The Level and Eleven knobs independently control the volume of the two channels, so each can be balanced against the other. When the 11 indicator is off, the output level is set by the Level knob; when the right footswitch engages the Eleven channel, the level is set by the Eleven knob.
What does the Tight toggle do?
The Tight toggle works together with the Tone knob, and the two together provide what Delicious Audio calls a very varied palette of sounds. It is a voicing control for tightening or loosening the low end and sharpening the attack rather than a simple tone cut.
How do you switch channels on the Nabla 1987 v2?
The right footswitch alternates between the two channels. It engages the Eleven knob setting when the 11 red LED is on, and returns to the Level knob setting when it is off. The two channels share a similar character, but the Eleven channel offers more gain.
How do you get the humped mids of the 1987 V1 on the v2?
Set the three-position Mids toggle to its up position. Delicious Audio notes that the up position gives humped mids, like 1987 V1. The center position gives flat mids for a more neutral tone, and the down position gives lightly scooped mids to match mid-heavy cabinets or amps or to enter metal territory.
Sources (3)
- Nabla 1987 V2 Dual Channel Hot Rodded Plexi Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2020-11-13
- Volta 1987 V2 Dual Plexi Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2022-09-09
- 2024 Best Plexi Pedals & Marshall-Style Distortions: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-16
