The Anvil is a compression pedal from Siren Pedals. It is designed to be an "always on" type of effect, one that stays on the board through a whole set rather than being switched in for particular passages12.
What it does
As a compressor, the Anvil evens out the dynamic range of your playing and, in Siren Pedals' intent, sits on the board permanently rather than being switched in and out. Gearnews describes it as "designed to be an 'always on' type of effect, and should be useful for clean playing, while at the same time adding sustain"2. For a player, that means it is aimed at tightening and sustaining clean tones rather than acting as an effect you stomp on for a solo.
Controls
The Anvil keeps its control set small, with three dials and one switch21:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level |
| Sustain | Shapes the sustain of the compressed signal |
| Release | Adjusts the amount of compression |
| Treble switch (three-way) | Affects the treble response: up for "soft", middle for "stock", down for "hard" |
The three-way treble switch is the pedal's tone-shaping extra, letting you soften or harden the top end around the stock voicing2.
Power and layout
The Anvil can be powered by either a 9V battery or an external power supply, and the power supply is sold separately12. All three pedals in the launch range have pedalboard-friendly top-mounted jacks, which keeps cables clear of neighboring pedals on a crowded board12. Each unit also gets its own unique and intricate artwork2.
The Anvil's power supply is sold separately. If you plan to run it from a supply rather than a 9V battery, you will need to source one yourself.
Background
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Questions
What is the Siren Pedals Anvil?
The Anvil is a compression pedal and one of the first three pedals Siren Pedals released in February 2020, alongside the Airavata distortion and the Midnight Train fuzz. It is designed as an 'always on' effect, useful for clean playing while adding sustain to the instrument's output.
What do the controls on the Anvil do?
The Anvil has Volume, Sustain and Release controls. Release adjusts the amount of compression. There is also a three-way treble switch that shapes the treble response: up for soft, middle for stock, and down for hard.
How is the Anvil powered?
The Anvil can run on a 9V battery or an external power supply. The power supply is sold separately, so you will need to provide your own if you do not want to use a battery.
Sources (2)
- Siren Pedals launches a deadly trio of effects, Guitar.com, 2020-02-14
- Siren Pedals launches Airavata, Anvil and Midnight Train, gearnews.com, 2020-02-15