The Secret efx Secret-1 Standard is an overdrive pedal from Secret efx, announced in February 2014. It carries the same circuit as the company's Secret-1 Ltd, the pedal it is a variant of, but in a different, more common case. Secret efx described it as "the most 'fighting' overdrive on the market... back in new tight suit and a sound that's really close to the LTD version"1. For players, that means the Standard is the way to get the Ltd's circuit without hunting down the limited version.
What it does and how it differs from the Ltd
The Standard is built on the same circuit as the Secret-1 Ltd, and the published description of its sound is that it is really close to the Ltd version1. The practical difference is the enclosure and the price: with reduced assemblage times and a more common case, Secret efx was able to present the Standard at a lower price than the Ltd1. The first 30 pre-release units were listed at 250 Euro1.
"with reduced assemblage times and a more 'common' case, we're able to present the new Secret-1 at a lower price than the"
Background
The circuit documentation for the Standard came about through the DIY community: the schematic was provided by YuGi from freestompboxes.org and the fennecelectronics.it forum1. Guitar FX Layouts published a stripboard layout for the circuit and later confirmed a verified build, reporting: "Verified. Used standard value resistors, RC4558D, and C546B for Q1 & Q2"1. That verification, dated March 2014, means hobbyists building the layout have a confirmed working parts list, which is also a useful reference for anyone trying to understand what is inside the pedal.
The Secret-1 Standard is a small-run pedal: the announced price applied only to the first 30 pre-release units1.
Videos
SoloDallas
Musicoff - Where Music Matters
Vintage Stompboxes
Sources (1)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Secret efx, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-02-10