What it does to your sound
SoundBrut is upfront that the VA is not a transparent volume push. The company says that in any setting the pedal creates a full and well-balanced sound, and that "although VA is not technically a clean boost pedal, it respectfully enhances the harmonic content of your guitar."2 At unity gain, the Varitone circuit is said to add subtle air and character; pushed beyond unity, it adds level and weight.1
The tone side of the pedal works like this:
- A 6-way Varitone selector switches between six different capacitors, each giving a different voicing.1
- A 2-way Q switch acts as a master EQ-depth selector for those capacitors, doubling the voicings into 12 tone presets in total.12
- A system of pre and post gain stages is designed to eliminate the notorious volume drop that Varitone circuits usually cause.1
That last point matters for players who know the classic Varitone problem: the filter circuit traditionally costs you level. SoundBrut's gain staging is built specifically to counter that, so the tone selector shapes without the usual drop.1
Where the circuit comes from
The VA's tone circuit is not a new design bolted onto a booster. SoundBrut says its first endeavor was the creation of a special tone circuit that would sit at the core of its dirt pedals, and that "fundamentally, VA is that core, in its most spartan state."12 In other words, the boost pedal strips the company's core tone circuit out of its drive pedals and presents it on its own.
That lineage ties the VA to the rest of the SoundBrut range. The company's first effects unit, the DrVa, was a hard-clipping overdrive and MOSFET clean boost with an 18-voicing tone circuit, announced in February 2017, and it was later revised as the DRVA MKII in 2018. Players curious about the fuller versions of the same circuit can compare the VA with the SoundBrut DrVa and the SoundBrut VA pages.
Power, bypass and practicalities
The VA runs on 9V DC power and has no battery operation, so it needs a supply rather than a battery clip.23 It is true bypass, per both Premier Guitar's announcement and MusicRadar's NAMM report.23 The enclosure measures 112 x 60 (mm) / 4.40 x 2.38 (inches), a compact footprint for a pedalboard.2
The VA cannot run on a battery: it requires 9V DC power only. A standard isolated supply or pedalboard power output covers it, but a daisy-chain setup shared with noisy digital pedals is worth avoiding on any boost that sits in front of your amp.
Price and availability
MusicRadar reported the VA as available at NAMM 2018 at a street price of $145 in the US and 145 euros in Europe.3 Premier Guitar's announcement gives the same figures with the tax treatment spelled out: $145 US excluding local tax, and 145 euros EU including local VAT.2
Videos
Mike Hermans
Pedals Fusion
Questions
Is the SoundBrut VA Boost a clean boost?
Not technically. SoundBrut says that although the VA is not a clean boost pedal, it respectfully enhances the harmonic content of your guitar, creating a full and well-balanced sound in any setting. At unity level the Varitone circuit adds subtle air and character, and pushed beyond unity it adds level and weight rather than staying transparent.
How many tone presets does the VA Boost have?
Twelve. The pedal combines a 6-way Varitone selector, which switches between six different capacitors, with a 2-way Q switch that acts as a master EQ-depth selector for those capacitors. Together the two controls give 12 different tone presets, so the VA can be used as a boost pedal with a dozen voicings on tap.
Is the SoundBrut VA Boost true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's announcement lists true bypass among the pedal's features, and MusicRadar's NAMM 2018 report confirms the same specification.
Can the VA Boost run on a battery?
No. The VA runs on 9V DC power only, with no battery operation. Plan for a power supply or a pedalboard power brick rather than expecting to clip a 9V battery inside the enclosure.
How much boost does the VA give?
Premier Guitar's announcement describes the VA as a boost pedal with up to 30 dB of boost, paired with 12 different tone presets. MusicRadar's NAMM 2018 coverage likewise notes the pedal pumps up to 30 dB.
How much does the SoundBrut VA Boost cost in the US?
At its January 2018 announcement the VA carried a US street price of $145, excluding local tax. In the EU the street price was 145 euros including local VAT.
Sources (3)
- SoundBrut VA Boost, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-17
- SoundBrut Introduces the VA Boost, Premier Guitar, 2018-01-27
- NAMM 2018: SoundBrut's new VA boost pumps up to 30db, MusicRadar, 2018-01-19
