The Thorpy FX Team Medic is a stompbox tone enhancer that puts three jobs in one enclosure: a switchable Class A buffer, a three-band active EQ and a foot-switchable boost. ThorpyFX designed it as a tone enhancer that, in the maker's words, can "push your guitar sound from excellent to astonishing," and it was built to work with both guitar and bass12.
The Team Medic has been discontinued by ThorpyFX; the maker's own product page for it is marked as a discontinued listing1.
What it does
ThorpyFX designed the pedal as a tone enhancer, and the maker described its intended jobs in plain terms: it can EQ a badly EQ'd pedal, give a mid frequency bump to cut through a mix, or match a pedalboard to an unknown hired backline1. On top of the base boost, a foot switch adds even more boost, which Delicious Audio noted can send "your amp into creamy overdrive"2.
The buffer side matters for players with long pedalboard signal chains. The Class A buffer can be switched to true bypass, so the pedal can sit always-on as a tone enhancer or drop out of the chain entirely2. ThorpyFX also gave it an internal power arrangement designed to give the highest headroom possible, so the pedal works well with pickups from low-gain single coils to high-gain active units1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bass | Active low band of the 3-band EQ2 |
| Mids | Active mid band, for a frequency bump to cut through2 |
| Treble | Active high band of the 3-band EQ2 |
| Boost footswitch | Adds more boost on top of the base boost2 |
Build
Delicious Audio described the construction in detail: "Internally the pedal is immaculately built using premium 1% metalfilm resistors, Wima and Panasonic capacitors, Neutrik jacks and Burr-Brown Opamps"2. The enclosure uses a stainless steel laser etched center console wrapped in a tough baseplate2.
Where it sits among ThorpyFX's boosts
The Team Medic's combination of buffer, EQ and boost was an early statement of the tone-enhancer idea that runs through ThorpyFX's later boost designs, such as the Thorpy FX Heavy Water Dual High Headroom Boost, which also leans on a high-headroom internal power approach. For other pedals in the same broad territory, see the site's pages on Boost Pedals, Buffer Pedals and Equalization Pedals12.
Videos
Andertons Music Co
ThorpyFx
ThorpyFx
Questions
Does the Thorpy FX Team Medic work with bass?
Yes. The pedal was designed to work with both guitar and bass, according to Delicious Audio's 2018 coverage of the pedal. Its internal power arrangement was designed to give the highest headroom possible, and ThorpyFX said it works well with pickups ranging from low-gain single coils to high-gain active units, which covers the output range of most basses as well as guitars.
Is the Thorpy FX Team Medic true bypass?
It can be. The Team Medic combines a switchable Class A buffer with a true bypass option, so the player can choose between keeping the buffer in the signal chain or switching to true bypass. That makes it usable either as an always-on tone enhancer at the front of a board or as a straight pass-through when the buffer is not wanted.
Does the Team Medic have a built-in EQ?
Yes. It has a three-band active EQ with Bass, Mids and Treble controls. ThorpyFX described it as enough to EQ a badly EQ'd pedal, give a mid frequency bump to cut through a mix, or match a pedalboard to an unknown hired backline.
What is the Team Medic's buffer?
The Team Medic carries a Class A buffer that can be switched out in favour of true bypass. ThorpyFX paired it with an internal power arrangement designed to give the highest headroom possible, so the pedal works well with everything from low-gain single coil pickups to high-gain active units.
Can the Team Medic fix a pedalboard's tone?
That was much of its purpose. ThorpyFX designed it as a tone enhancer that could push a guitar sound from excellent to astonishing, and the maker listed its intended jobs as EQing a badly EQ'd pedal, adding a mid frequency bump to cut through, and matching a pedalboard to an unknown hired backline. The foot-switchable boost on top can send an amp into creamy overdrive.
Sources (2)
- TEAM MEDIC Buffer, EQ, Boost and Boost, ThorpyFX
- Thorpy FX Team Medic Buffer, EQ, Boost And Boost+, Delicious Audio, 2018-09-26
