The Nordstrand Audio Starlifter is an analog bass preamp and DI pedal: a preamp that shapes a bass guitar's tone and a direct input that sends a clean signal to a mixing desk or recording interface. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as offering "top notch sound quality with a simple accessible feature set with clear and easy to use controls"1. It sits among preamp pedals and the wider field of bass pedals.
What the Starlifter does
The Starlifter combines two jobs in one box. As a preamp, it gives a bass player tone shaping on the pedalboard: a 3-band EQ whose midrange control is sweepable, meaning the player can pick both the amount and the center of the midrange cut or boost, plus a contour switch1. As a DI, it provides what RockBoard's PedalPedia calls "a killer clean DI signal that can either bypass the EQ or take advantage of the powerful tone shaping" of the pedal1. That choice matters in practice: a player can send the front of house an untouched signal while still shaping the tone heard on stage, or send the fully EQ'd sound instead.
The pedal also has a line out. RockBoard's PedalPedia says "The line out provides plenty of gain to make any amp or powered cabinet sweat," so it can drive an amplifier input or a powered cabinet directly1.
Power requirements
The Starlifter runs on 15V DC with a center negative plug and draws 300mA1.
At 15V DC and 300mA, the Starlifter needs a supply output rated for that voltage and current. A shared daisy chain will not run it.
Related pedals
Nordstrand Audio also makes the Seratone, and the Starlifter appears on the site as the Nordstrand Audio Starlifter and Nordstrand Audio Nordstrand StarLifter Bass Preamp/DI listings.
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Questions
Is the Nordstrand Starlifter analog or digital?
The Starlifter is an analog circuit. Nordstrand Audio describes it as a bass preamp/DI pedal built around a 3-band EQ with a sweepable midrange control, and its circuit type is listed as analog. That matters for players who want the response and simplicity of an analog front end on a pedalboard rather than a digital modeling unit.
What power supply does the Nordstrand Starlifter need?
The Starlifter runs on 15V DC, center negative, and draws 300mA. That is a higher voltage and current draw than many pedals, so it needs its own suitable supply output rather than a shared daisy chain. A standard 9V pedal supply will not run it.
Can the Starlifter's DI signal bypass the EQ?
Yes. Nordstrand says the Starlifter provides a clean DI signal that can either bypass the EQ entirely or take advantage of the pedal's tone shaping, which includes the contour switch and the 3-band EQ. That lets a player send a flat signal to the front of house while still shaping the stage sound.
Does the Starlifter have a sweepable midrange?
Yes. The Starlifter's 3-band EQ features a sweepable midrange control, so a player can choose not only how much midrange to add or cut but also which part of the midrange to affect. Nordstrand describes the pedal as offering top notch sound quality with a simple, accessible feature set and clear, easy to use controls.
Sources (1)
- Starlifter Bass Pre/DI by nordstrand audio, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
