Night Owl Industries released the Oscar in July 2018: an all-tube EF86 preamp built into a pedal1. It puts a pentode tube stage, the kind of circuit associated with classic amp preamp sections, on a pedalboard, and it is aimed at players who want tube warmth and drive without a separate amp head. Guitar World reported it as shipping at launch, with an MSRP/MAP of $1501.
What it does to your signal
Pedal of the Day describes the Oscar as adding warmth and presence to anything it touches, with no internal transistors, chips or digital emulations of any kind2. The tube itself matters: the reviewer noted the quality of the tube having an impact on the quality of the sound produced, and their unit carried a new old stock Svetlana EF862.
The control layout is minimal. One lone knob lets you set the output, and the range from quiet to loud is remarkable, according to Pedal of the Day2.
Boost, overdrive or preamp?
The Oscar is designed to boost your signal, overdrive a distortion pedal, bring out the best in your amplifier and more, in Pedal of the Day's words2. The uses they list include:
- a boost before a dirt pedal
- in the FX loop of an amp as a power amp boost
- as a preamp for tracking, re-amping or distorting studio signals
In their demo they showed how Oscar sounds as a clean boost, and as an extra driving force coming after a pedal, in this case the Dumble Drive from CNZ Audio2. If you are comparing it with dedicated boost pedals or overdrive pedals, the difference is the tube stage: the Oscar is a preamp pedal first, with boost and drive roles built on top of that.
The Oscar runs at 18V DC specifically. Pedal of the Day warns that there will be signal loss with lower power and an oversupplying of the tube filaments at higher voltages, so the supply voltage matters. Guitar World notes it can be fed by an 18V supply or two chained 9V supplies for easy adaption12.
Size, build and availability
The pedal is compact for a tube design: at just 3.5" x 3.5" x 3.5", Pedal of the Day said it packs a big punch while taking up minimal real estate on your pedalboard2. Guitar World reported that the patent-pending design is housed in unique batches of custom finishes, so appearance varies between production runs1.
Night Owl Industries followed the Oscar with the Edison Preamp.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict was short and favorable:
"Small. Powerful. Tone-enhancing. Wicked awesome-sounding."
Videos
Night Owl Industries
Night Owl Industries
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What tube does the Night Owl Industries Oscar use?
The Oscar uses an EF86 or EF806 pentode tube. Pedal of the Day's review unit carried a new old stock Svetlana EF86, and the reviewer noted that the quality of the tube has an impact on the quality of the sound produced, so swapping tubes changes the pedal's character.
Is the Oscar a boost or an overdrive?
It is a preamp that can do both jobs. Pedal of the Day describes it as designed to boost your signal, overdrive a distortion pedal, bring out the best in your amplifier and more. In their demo they showed it as a clean boost and as an extra driving force after a pedal, in that case the Dumble Drive from CNZ Audio.
Can the Oscar go in an amp's effects loop?
Yes. Pedal of the Day lists the effects loop among its uses, where it acts as a power amp boost. They also suggest it before a dirt pedal, as a preamp for tracking, re-amping or distorting studio signals, and other roles.
How big is the Oscar pedal?
Pedal of the Day measured it at 3.5 inches by 3.5 inches by 3.5 inches, and noted that it packs a big punch while taking up minimal real estate on your pedalboard.
Sources (2)
- Night Owl Industries Releases Oscar Preamp, Guitar World, 2018-07-03
- Night Owl Industries Oscar All-Tube Preamp, Pedal of the Day, 2018-08-01
