The Ram is a buffer pedal from Non-Human Audio with a little extra on board: the maker describes it as "a buffer with some boost/cut and EQ"1. A buffer (a circuit that preserves your tone through long cable runs and crowded pedalboards) usually does nothing to your sound. The Ram adds two knobs, so it can sit on a board as a always-on tone shaper and signal cleaner at the same time. It lists for $150.00 USD as of 26 October 20261.
What it does for a player
The Ram's core job is buffering, and the two knobs sit around that. The top knob turned up or down gives a boost or cut. The bottom knob is a tilt, big muff style EQ: turn it up to accentuate highs and cut some lows, turn it down to accentuate lows and cut some highs1. A tilt EQ works from a single pivot point rather than separate bass and treble bands, so one knob moves the whole tonal balance bright or dark.
The maker also points at a second use: "You can turn the EQ and volume up a little and use it like a tube screamer to boost and tighten up a high gain amp"1. In that role it works like the overdrive pedals players already use in front of a hot amp, pushing the front end for more sustain and a tighter low end. For more on that approach, see Overdrive Pedals and Boost Pedals.
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Top knob | Turn up or down for a boost or cut1 |
| Bottom knob | Tilt, big muff style EQ: up accentuates highs and cuts some lows, down accentuates lows and cuts some highs1 |
The tilt EQ's big muff reference is a nod to the EQ curve of the Fuzz Pedals family, where a single tone control sweeps between a darker, low-forward sound and a brighter, mid-cut one. Kit Rae, writing about Ram's Head style Big Muff pedals, describes that family's character as "Dark, scooped mid tones, smooth grit, and a thick bottom end"2, which gives a sense of the curve the Ram's tilt knob leans toward.
"Put both knobs at noon and you will get as neutral a sound as possible, basically just the buffer with a slight eq tweak"
That noon setting matters in practice: set both knobs straight up and the Ram behaves as a straightforward buffer, leaving your tone alone apart from a slight EQ tweak1.
Power and handling
The Ram runs on standard 9v center pin negative DC power ONLY. It has no battery, and Non-Human Audio warns that running it at 18v or with a center pin positive supply "could/will break the pedal"1.
- Power: 9v DC, center pin negative only1
- Battery: none, DC power only1
- Adapters: any standard "boss style" pedal power adapters will work1
- Manual: a PDF manual is linked from the maker's product page1
Because each pedal is made by hand, every enclosure will be slightly different and may not look exactly like the photos on the maker's site1.
Buying from outside the United States
Non-Human Audio ships the Ram everywhere in the world, but the maker sets out a clear condition for international orders: if a package is lost and a refund is requested, it will be for the cost of the pedal ONLY, with no refund of import, customs or tariff fees. The maker states that customers outside the US purchase at their own risk1.
Videos
Non-Human Audio
Questions
Does the Non-Human Audio Ram take a battery?
No. The Ram has no battery option and runs on standard 9v center pin negative DC power only. Non-Human Audio says any standard Boss style pedal power adapter will work, but the pedal must never be run at 18v or with a center pin positive supply, because that could or will break the pedal.
What happens if I use the wrong power supply with the Ram?
The Ram takes 9v DC, center pin negative only. Running it at 18v or with a center pin positive adapter could or will break the pedal, according to the maker. A standard Boss style pedal power adapter is fine, so most pedalboard power supplies with a 9v center negative output will suit it.
Can the Ram be used like a Tube Screamer in front of a high gain amp?
Yes. Non-Human Audio says you can turn the EQ and volume up a little and use the Ram like a Tube Screamer to boost and tighten up a high gain amp. With both knobs at noon it instead gives as neutral a sound as possible, basically just the buffer with a slight EQ tweak.
What sound does the Ram give with both knobs at noon?
With both knobs at noon, the Ram gives as neutral a sound as possible: essentially just the buffer with a slight EQ tweak, according to Non-Human Audio. Turning the top knob up or down gives a boost or cut, and the bottom knob is a tilt style EQ that accents highs or lows.
Does Non-Human Audio ship the Ram outside the United States?
Yes, the Ram ships everywhere in the world. Non-Human Audio notes that if a package is lost and a refund is requested, it will be for the cost of the pedal only, with no refund of import, customs or tariff fees, so customers outside the US purchase at their own risk.
Sources (2)
- Ram <br /> (buffer/boost/eq), Non-Human Audio
- Big Muff Inspired Pedals and Clones, Kit Rae's Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page (kitrae.net), 2011
