The Heroine Deluxe is a high gain distortion pedal from Shotmaker Industries, a Canadian/Polish builder. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "a high gain distortion that, through its three gain stages, can deliver a wide range of dirty tones."1
Controls
The pedal's three gain stages are fed by two gain controls and shaped by tone controls aimed at fitting the pedal to your amp1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pre | Controls the input gain going into the circuit1 |
| Sustain | Adds an extra gain stage, driving the pedal to anything from overdrive to distortion to even fuzzy extremes1 |
| Master | The overall volume, and it introduces some overdrive at high levels1 |
| High Cut | Lets you tailor the high frequencies to your amp1 |
| Bright switch | Pushes the high end for a more present sound1 |
Because the Sustain control spans overdrive through distortion into fuzz territory, the Heroine Deluxe covers ground you might otherwise split across a distortion pedal, an overdrive or a fuzz1.
The 2nd Sustain footswitch: what makes it the Deluxe
The Deluxe's defining feature is a second Sustain knob paired with its own footswitch. Together they let you create a separate setting for that gain stage, allowing dynamic shifts during solos or heavier parts. Both are missing in the standard, non-deluxe version of the Heroine.1
Videos
Shotmaker Instruments
Jackson Brooksby
Bartosz Bazok Zelek
Questions
What is the difference between the Heroine and the Heroine Deluxe?
The Deluxe adds a second Sustain knob and a footswitch that the standard, non-deluxe Heroine does not have. Those let you create a separate setting for the Sustain gain stage, so you can switch between two amounts of gain on the fly for dynamic shifts during solos or heavier parts.
Can the Heroine Deluxe go from overdrive to fuzz?
Yes. The Sustain knob adds an extra gain stage, and according to Delicious Audio it drives the pedal to anything from overdrive to distortion to even fuzzy extremes, so the same control spans a wide range of dirty tones.
What does the High Cut knob do?
The High Cut knob lets you tailor the high frequencies to your amp, rolling off top end as needed. Alongside it, the Bright switch pushes the high end for a more present sound, so the two together shape how the pedal sits against your rig.
What does the Bright switch do?
The Bright switch pushes the high end for a more present sound. It works alongside the High Cut knob, which lets you tailor the high frequencies to your amp.
Sources (1)
- New Pedals: Shotmaker The Heroine Deluxe, Delicious Audio, 2020-12-15
