The Dakota Red II is a two-in-one pedal from the German maker Orion Effekte: a low gain overdrive and a FET clean boost in one enclosure, designed in collaboration with another German manufacturer, Twangtone1. For a player, that means one box that can push an amp gently, add a clean volume lift, or do both at once, with a switch that decides which circuit comes first in the chain. It belongs to the same family as boost pedals and overdrive pedals, and its two circuits can be used separately or stacked.
The controls
The pedal carries five controls, with the German names printed alongside their English equivalents1:
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Pegel (Volume) | Overall output level |
| Klang (Tone) | Tone shaping |
| Verzerrung (Drive) | Amount of overdrive |
| Pre/Post | Changes the order of overdrive and booster via a toggle switch |
| Booster | Level for the clean boost circuit |
The Pre/Post switch is the pedal's distinguishing feature: the order of overdrive and booster is changeable by a toggle switch, so the boost can sit before the drive to keep the overdrive character, or after it to push the drive harder1. A status LED with a two-stage brightness switch lets you set how brightly the pedal indicates it is on1.
Size, weight and power
The Dakota Red II measures 119 x 96 x 50 mm and weighs 317g excluding the battery1. It runs on a +9V supply1. That is a light load by pedalboard standards, easy on any standard 9V supply.
The earlier Dakota Red Classic is a larger pedal: 145 x 123 x 57 mm and 515g excluding the battery, against the Dakota Red II's 119 x 96 x 50 mm and 317g1. If board space matters, the II is the more compact of the two.
Where it came from
Delicious Audio covered the pedal in January 2018, describing it as "a low gain overdrive and FET-clean boost they designed in collaboration with another German manufacturer called Twangtone"1. The same page points to a Sofa Jams demo of the pedal, played through a Fender Telecaster or Fame Forum IV into a Matthews Effects Dual Reverb and a Vox AC301.
Videos
Sofa Jams
Questions
Does the Orion Effekte Dakota Red II run on a battery?
The pedal's weight is given as 317g excluding the battery, which indicates a battery compartment is part of the design. It runs on a +9V supply, and at 5.7 mA of current draw it is light enough that it will not strain a standard pedalboard power supply.
How much current does the Dakota Red II draw?
Delicious Audio lists the current draw at 5.7 mA when engaged and 2.8 mA in bypass. That is far below what most digital pedals need, so the Dakota Red II sits comfortably on a daisy-chained or battery-powered setup.
What does the Pre/Post switch do on the Dakota Red II?
The Pre/Post toggle changes the order of the pedal's two circuits: whether the overdrive feeds the booster or the booster feeds the overdrive. Running the boost after the drive pushes it harder, while boost-first keeps the drive character more intact.
Who is Twangtone and what is their part in the Dakota Red II?
Twangtone is another German effects manufacturer. Orion Effekte designed the Dakota Red II in collaboration with Twangtone, making it a joint design between the two German builders rather than a solo Orion Effekte project.
How big is the Orion Effekte Dakota Red II?
The Dakota Red II measures 119 x 96 x 50 mm and weighs 317g excluding the battery. The earlier Dakota Red Classic is the larger enclosure at 145 x 123 x 57 mm and 515g excluding the battery.
Sources (1)
- Orion Effekte + Twangtone, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-08