The STL Tones Andy James Revenant is a preamp and distortion pedal, and STL Tones' first hardware product. It is a signature pedal made for guitarist Andy James, designed around tight high-gain tones, and it was announced in September 2019 at USD 299, shipping from 15 November that year1. STL Tones describes the circuit as reacting like an amp and responding to the volume pot of the guitar, covering everything from slightly crunchy tones to overdrive and full-on high gain1.
Controls and the Focus switch
The pedal carries a four-band EQ with bass, high mid, low mid and treble controls, giving players more tonal shaping than the usual three-band layout1. The Focus switch toggles between normal mode and Tight, which adds gain, compression and, in the announcement's words, "tightness"1. A footswitch with an LED ring shows when the pedal is engaged1.
As a preamp, on a board or in a DAW
Because it is a preamp-style pedal, the Revenant can sit at the front of an amp as a high-gain channel, or take the place of an amp entirely. Gearnews' Jef wrote that "It could be a great solution for using as a front end for your DAW, or to add a high gain channel to your existing amp"1.
"It could be a great solution for using as a front end for your DAW, or to add a high gain channel to your existing amp."
The pedal also exists in software: STL Tones' Tonality: Andy James plug-in suite offers a digital emulation of the Revenant preamp pedal, announced in October 20192. For players weighing a hardware preamp against a plugin, that emulation covers the same design inside a DAW.
Background
The Revenant was announced in September 2019 as STL Tones' first step into hardware, following the company's work with Andy James on the Tonality plug-in suite12. It sits in the preamp category alongside other amp-in-a-box designs; see Preamp Pedals for how this type of pedal works, and Distortion Pedals or Overdrive Pedals for the related gain-staging effects it overlaps with.
Videos
STL Tones
Andy James Official
Abel Hernandez
Questions
What does the Focus switch do on the Revenant?
The Focus switch toggles between normal mode and Tight. Tight mode adds gain, compression and tightness to the sound, which suits the palm-muted, chugging style the pedal was designed around. Combined with the four-band EQ, it lets a player shape how much low-end weight and compression the high-gain channel carries.
Is the Revenant an Andy James signature pedal?
Yes. The Revenant is a signature preamp-style pedal made for guitarist Andy James, developed with STL Tones. It was announced in September 2019 as STL Tones' first hardware product, and the company's Tonality: Andy James plug-in suite also offers a digital emulation of the Revenant preamp pedal.
Where is the STL Tones Revenant made?
The STL Tones Revenant is built in Italy, according to the announcement coverage of the pedal in September 2019.
How much does the Revenant cost?
At its September 2019 launch, the Revenant was priced at USD 299 and could be ordered immediately, with shipping set to begin on 15 November 2019.
Can the Revenant be used as a preamp into a DAW?
Gearnews' Jef suggested it could be a great solution used as a front end for your DAW, or to add a high-gain channel to an existing amp. STL Tones also offers a digital emulation of the Revenant in its Tonality: Andy James plug-in suite, so the same preamp design exists in software form.
Sources (2)
- STL Tones' Andy James Revenant preamp pedal: Raising the bar on tight high-gain tones?, gearnews.com, 2019-09-26
- Andy James Signature Preamp Pedal by STL Tones, Premier Guitar, 2019-10-10
