The SoundBrut VA is a MOSFET-based clean boost pedal from the Swedish effects firm SoundBrut. It can be used as a boost pedal with 12 different tone presets, and its custom tone circuit is designed to be used anywhere in the signal chain, whether in front of an amp and pedals or after dirt pedals1. It was available at a street price of $145/€1452.
What the VA does
At its heart the VA is a boost: a MOSFET-based clean boost, as Delicious Audio described it when the pedal was unveiled1. The company says it can be used as a boost pedal with 12 different tone presets1.
The tone shaping comes from a Varitone circuit, a selector-based tone stack that switches between fixed capacitors rather than using a conventional tone knob. SoundBrut's custom-built version has a 6-way selector switching between 6 different capacitors1. The maker describes the result as a full and well-balanced sound in any setting, and notes that although the VA is not technically a clean boost pedal, at unity level the Varitone circuit adds subtle air and character, while beyond unity level it adds level and weight13.
"If the boost is kept at unity level, the Varitone circuit adds subtle air and character; beyond the unity level, VA star..."
Because the tone stack is built into the boost, the VA can do more than simply make things louder. In front of an amp or other pedals it pushes them into further gain stages; placed after your favorite dirt pedals it adds level and weight on top of them1. That placement flexibility is deliberate: the pedal was, in the maker's words, "specifically designed to be used anywhere in your signal chain"13.
From dirt pedal circuit to stand-alone boost
The VA did not appear out of nowhere. SoundBrut's tone circuit was first created as the core of the company's dirt pedals, and the VA is that circuit in its most spartan state13. "Fundamentally, VA is that core, in its most spartan state," the company says3.
For a player choosing between them, the distinction is that the VA is the core tone circuit from the foundation of SoundBrut's effects venture, stripped down to a stand-alone boost, while the company's dirt pedals were built around that same tone circuit13.
Controls, power and practicalities
The VA's headline control is the 6-way Varitone selector for its 6 different capacitors1, giving the pedal its 12 tone presets across the boost's range according to Premier Guitar3. The pedal is true bypass, so it stays out of the signal when off32.
Power is 9V DC only, with no battery operation, so a supply is required on the board32. The VA was reported as available at announcement, at a street price of $145 / €1452.
The VA cannot run on a battery: it needs a 9V DC power supply32.
For more on this category, see the site's page on Boost Pedals, and for the drive-and-boost sibling circuit, see the SoundBrut DrVa.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Pedals Fusion
Questions
Can the SoundBrut VA run on a battery?
No. The VA runs on 9V DC power only, with no battery operation, as reported by both MusicRadar and Premier Guitar at its 2018 announcement. Players will need a 9V DC power supply on their pedalboard rather than relying on a battery inside the enclosure.
Is the SoundBrut VA true bypass?
Yes. Both MusicRadar and Premier Guitar list the VA as true bypass, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the boost circuit loading it.
Where should the SoundBrut VA go in a signal chain?
The maker designed it to be used anywhere in the signal chain. Placed in front of an amp or pedals, it can push them into further gain stages; placed after dirt pedals, it adds level and weight. At unity level, the Varitone circuit adds subtle air and character.
How big is the SoundBrut VA enclosure?
The VA's enclosure measures 112 x 60 mm, or 4.40 x 2.38 inches, a compact stompbox footprint reported by MusicRadar and Premier Guitar.
What is the difference between the VA and the DRVA?
The VA is a stand-alone MOSFET boost with a Varitone tone stack and 12 tone presets. The DRVA is SoundBrut's earlier hard-clipping overdrive and MOSFET clean boost with an 18-voicing tone circuit, later revised as the DRVA Mk.II with a treble-cut pot and a simplified Q switch.
Sources (3)
- SoundBrut VA Boost, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-17
- NAMM 2018: SoundBrut's new VA boost pumps up to 30db, MusicRadar, 2018-01-19
- SoundBrut Introduces the VA Boost, Premier Guitar, 2018-01-27
