The Suhr Riot Mini is a compact distortion pedal from Suhr, launched in 2018 as a mini version of the company's full-size Riot distortion1. Suhr describes it as delivering "the sonic characteristics and touch sensitivity of a high quality 100 watt tube amplifier" in a smaller, more pedalboard-friendly design, housed in the same bright purple die-cast enclosure as its bigger sibling12. It carries a list price of $169.00 USD2.
What it is and what it does
The Riot Mini is a three-knob distortion: Level, Tone and Distortion, plus a mini toggle switch labeled Voice1. Suhr positions it as the Riot's circuit and tone in a smaller housing, with the maker stating it has the "Identical circuit and tone of the Original Riot Mini Circuit"2. The manual adds that the voice switch selects the two most popular diode selections from the original full-size Riot3. Push the footswitch to engage or bypass the effect; a blue LED lights when it is on3.
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DIST | Adjusts the amount of gain added to your tone, from classic crunch to high gain4 |
| LEVEL | Sets the output level; Suhr says it provides enough level to push the front end of any tube amp into natural overdrive4 |
| TONE | Shapes the overall tonal response, from smooth and warm to cutting lead tones4 |
| Voice switch, left | High gain territory with a solid midrange and a tight bottom end4 |
| Voice switch, right | Vintage high gain response with excellent definition4 |
The manual also includes sample settings for three starting points: Classic Crunch, Modern Rock Rhythm and Vintage High Gain3.
Power
The Riot Mini runs on a 9V DC power supply with a center negative, 2.1mm x 5.5mm connector, drawing 8mA3. Its operating voltage range is 4V to 18V (nominal 9V), with a maximum of 20 Vdc5.
The Riot Mini takes no battery. Because of its small enclosure it powers only from an external 9V DC supply1. It does include reverse battery and over voltage protection5.
How it compares to the full-size Riot and Riot Reloaded
The full-size Suhr Riot measures 2.5" wide by 4.5" deep by 1.25" high6, against the Mini's 1.82" x 3.85" x 1.89"3, so the Mini trades footprint for height. The full-size pedal shares the same 8mA current draw and 4V to 18V operating range6, but it adds a 9V battery option with an estimated 75 to 100 hours of continuous use, plus a battery monitor that alerts the player to low battery conditions7. Its bypass is true bypass via a relay, which Suhr says produces less popping when switching and enables remote switching and the battery monitor feature7.
The full-size Riot's voice switch has three positions: left for a natural, organic tone that responds dynamically to your instrument's volume control, middle for high gain with a solid midrange and tight bottom end, and right for a classic mid-scooped response with excellent definition89. The Mini keeps the two most popular of those diode selections3.
The Riot Reloaded variant, announced in 2013, brought more gain (30% more than the original Riot by Suhr's description) and a modified tone control emphasizing upper mid frequencies10. The Riot Reloaded Legacy Edition balances the dual gain stages for more saturation and upper harmonics, improved midrange articulation, more sustain and a tighter three-dimensional sound11.
What reviewers said
At launch, Gearnews described the Mini Riot as based on Suhr's ever-popular distortion unit of the same name, noting its true-bypass switching and observing of the Riot sound that "it really nails that amp like Plexi tone that I would associate with '80s era Van Halen and bands of that era"1.
Pete Thorn demoed the pedal on YouTube in March 2018, walking through the two-position voicing switch and both of its settings12:
"sounds just great to me switch in either position sounds really terrific"
Warranty
Suhr (JS Technologies, Inc.) covers the Riot Mini with a lifetime workmanship warranty limited to the original retail purchaser, registered with JST within 10 days of purchase from an authorized dealer or distributor3. The warranty policy applies only to customers in the USA5.
Videos
Suhr Custom
Shawn Tubbs
Questions
Does the Suhr Riot Mini sound the same as the full-size Riot?
Suhr says the Riot Mini has the identical circuit and tone of the original Riot Mini circuit, and the manual states that its voice switch selects the two most popular diode selections from the original full-size Riot. So the core distortion voice carries over, but the Mini's voicing switch offers two settings rather than the full pedal's three.
Is the Suhr Riot Mini true bypass?
Yes. Suhr lists true bypass among the pedal's features, and Gearnews reported at launch that its true-bypass switch means it won't get in the way of your guitar signal when the effect is off.
Does the Suhr Riot Mini take a battery?
No. Because of its small enclosure, the Riot Mini runs only from an external 9V DC power supply. The full-size Suhr Riot does take a 9V battery, with an estimated 75 to 100 hours of continuous use, but the Mini drops that option to save space.
How big is the Suhr Riot Mini?
The Riot Mini measures 1.82 inches wide by 3.85 inches deep by 1.89 inches high and weighs 0.365 lb. The full-size Riot is larger at 2.5 by 4.5 by 1.25 inches, so the Mini saves real estate on a crowded pedalboard.
Sources (12)
- NAMM 2018: Suhr Mini Riot distortion pedal announced, gearnews.com, 2018-01-26
- Riot Mini, Suhr
- Riot-Mini-User-Guide-070924.pdf, Suhr (JS Technologies, Inc.), 2024-07-09
- Riot Mini, Suhr (www.suhr.com)
- RiotMiniManual-1.pdf, Suhr (JS Technologies, Inc.), 2022
- Riot | Suhr.com, Suhr (www.suhr.com)
- Riot | Suhr.com, Suhr.com
- Suhr Riot Distortion User Guide v1 07-09-2024, Suhr (media.suhr.com), 2024-07-09
- Riot-pedal-FINAL-1.pdf, Suhr (JS Technologies, Inc.), 2022
- Suhr Announce 'Reloaded' Editions of Riot and Shiba Drive Pedals, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2013-08-19
- Riot Reloaded Legacy Edition, Suhr
- SUHR RIOT MINI DISTORTION, demo by Pete Thorn, Pete Thorn (YouTube), 2018-03-09
