The Piod Effects What You Want 2 is a mid- and high-gain distortion and preamp pedal, announced in August 2014. Piod Effects describes it as natural tube amp sounding, with no diode clipping stages, and focused and touch-sensitive1. Alongside the full-size pedal, the company announced a smaller version, the What You Want 2 Micro1.
Sound and circuit
Piod Effects positions the What You Want 2 as a clear and natural-sounding mid- and high-gain distortion/preamp pedal with a highly versatile EQ section1. The circuit avoids diode clipping stages, the approach many distortion pedals use to shape gain, and is instead described as natural tube amp sounding, focused and touch-sensitive1. According to the announcement, the pedal is very touch sensitive and delivers a focused sound with excellent articulation, especially suited to dropped guitar tunings and fast riffing1.
One design detail Piod Effects highlights is how the output level is handled: a boost is applied instead of the common voltage divider. With this output, the company says, you can load the booster as much as you need without loss of frequency1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| FREQ, Hz (500/700) switch | Shifts the mid frequency notch center. 500 Hz gives a more open-sounding tone; 700 Hz delivers a deeper, darker tone1 |
| Pre EQ (TINY/LOW) switch | Sets the amount of low frequency before the gain stages1 |
The two switches give the pedal its EQ flexibility: the Pre EQ shapes what goes into the gain stages, and the FREQ switch shapes where the mid notch sits1.
Using it with an amp
Piod Effects lists three ways to use the pedal, and the same applies to both versions1:
- In conjunction with clean amp channels
- Via the effects loop section of amps, as a preamp
- As an independent distortion pedal
That preamp role is what separates the What You Want 2 from a straightforward distortion pedal: placed in an amp's loop, it can act as a second preamp into a clean channel1.
Power and switching
The pedal has no battery supply, so it needs an external power supply, and it includes reverse polarity protection1. Switching is handled by what Piod Effects calls a soft and silent true bypass relay switch system, providing silent switching without popping1.
Because there is no battery supply, the What You Want 2 will not run from a battery clip and needs a power supply on the board.
Versions and price
At the August 2014 announcement, the What You Want 2 carried a retail price of $220, and the What You Want 2 Micro was listed at $180 retail1.
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Dmitry Andrianov
Questions
Does the Piod Effects What You Want 2 take a battery?
No. According to the announcement, the What You Want 2 has no battery supply, so it runs from an external power supply only. The pedal does include reverse polarity protection, which guards the circuit if a supply with the wrong polarity is connected.
Is the What You Want 2 true bypass?
Yes. Both versions of the pedal use what Piod Effects calls a soft and silent true bypass relay switch system, which provides silent switching without the popping noises that some mechanical bypass switches can produce.
Can the What You Want 2 go in an amp's effects loop?
Yes. Piod Effects says the pedal can be used in conjunction with clean amp channels, placed in an amp's effects loop section to act as a preamp, or used as an independent distortion pedal in front of an amp.
What does the FREQ switch do on the What You Want 2?
The FREQ, Hz switch shifts the centre of the mid frequency notch between 500 Hz and 700 Hz. The 500 Hz position gives a more open-sounding tone, while the 700 Hz position delivers a deeper, darker tone.
How much does the What You Want 2 cost?
When Piod Effects announced the pedal in August 2014, the What You Want 2 carried a retail price of $220, with the smaller What You Want 2 Micro listed at $180 retail.
Sources (1)
- Piod Effects Launches New What You Want 2 Series, Premier Guitar, 2014-08-19
