The Tsakalis AudioWorks Molecular Boost is a small boost, buffer, preamp and volume pedal combined into one mini enclosure, handmade in Athens, Greece by the Greek pedal manufacturer Tsakalis AudioWorks12. Announced on 31 March 2020, it was available for preorder at launch and scheduled to ship from 15 April 202031.
The core of the pedal is a clean boost of up to +18dB, controlled by a single external knob14. What sets it apart from a basic boost box is its configurability: four DIP switches on the side select the EQ character of the boost, a high cut filter, and expression pedal control, while an internal switch chooses between true and buffered bypass23. Inside, the standard 9V supply is doubled to 18V, which Guitar.com reported gives extra headroom and a wider range of input levels1.
What it does
The Molecular Boost is a utility pedal that can sit anywhere in a rig. Delicious Audio described it as usable "as a buffer, a booster, a pre-amp or a volume pedal"5. A dual high speed FET opamp handles impedance matching for most pickups and piezos, which the maker says preserves the character of the instrument3. Guitar.com noted that this dual-FET opamp design "keeps the character of your guitar intact"1.
The internal voltage doubler is the other half of the story: the 9V input is doubled to 18V internally, and Tsakalis says this lets the pedal handle any signal level without running out of headroom12. For a player boosting an already hot signal, that extra voltage is what keeps the boost clean rather than clipped.
The controls: one knob and four DIP switches
The single external knob sets the boost level from 0dB to +18dB42. Everything else is configured through four DIP switches on the side of the enclosure2.
| Switch | Setting | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| DIP1 & DIP2 | Both up | Boost all frequencies (clean booster)2 |
| DIP1 & DIP2 | DIP1 down, DIP2 up | Boost mid frequencies2 |
| DIP1 & DIP2 | DIP1 up, DIP2 down | Boost high mid frequencies2 |
| DIP1 & DIP2 | Both down | Boost high frequencies (treble booster)2 |
| DIP3 | Up | Engages a high cut filter23 |
| DIP4 | Up | Engages the xp input in buffered bypass mode23 |
The first two switches give four different EQ characteristics to the boost, from a flat clean boost to a treble booster voicing1. Guitar.com described the third switch as engaging "a high-cut filter if there's too much bite to your tone"1. Guitar World summarized the layout as "two switches dedicated to selecting boost frequency range, one for high cut filter and one for enabling/disabling" the expression input4.
Expression input and volume pedal use
With DIP4 up and the pedal in buffered bypass mode, the xp input accepts any external volume or expression pedal23. Connected this way, the expression pedal controls the overall volume of the boosted signal when the Molecular Boost is engaged, or the unity level when it is disengaged54. This is what turns the unit into a volume pedal, and it is the function Guitar.com singled out: "the fourth engages the expression pedal input if you want to use the Molecular Boost as a volume pedal"1.
Bypass: true or buffered
An internal switch selects between true bypass and buffered bypass modes32. The choice matters for where the pedal sits in a chain. As Guitar.com explained:
"the buffer bypass combined with the impedance-matching opamp should help mitigate treble loss from lengthy cables"1
A player running long cables or a large pedalboard may prefer the buffered mode for that reason; a player who wants the pedal to disappear entirely when off can switch to true bypass123.
Background and reception
Tsakalis AudioWorks announced the Molecular Boost on 31 March 2020 at a suggested retail price of 159 Euros3. Coverage followed across the gear press over the next two days, with preorder pricing reported variously as 135 Euros (approximately $150) by Guitar World and a 127 Euro pre-order special against a 149 Euro RRP from Gearnews42. The pedal was scheduled to ship from 15 April 202051. Premier Guitar later listed a $178 street price in its 2021 review6.
The pedal made Premier Guitar's Best of NAMM 2020 list5. In that later review, Premier Guitar's reviewer summed up its behavior plainly:
"Whatever you feed it comes out louder at the other end."6
The review also noted the four selectable EQ curves as part of the package6.
The Molecular Boost is built in a heavy duty, lightweight aluminum box, measures 32mm wide by 98mm long by 50mm high, and carries the T.A.W. limited lifetime warranty5.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Tsakalis Molecular Boost true bypass or buffered?
It can be either. An internal switch selects between true bypass and buffered bypass modes. In buffered bypass, the impedance-matching opamp is designed to help mitigate treble loss from long cable runs, which is one reason a player might choose buffered over true bypass.
How much boost does the Molecular Boost give?
The single external knob controls the boost level from 0dB to +18dB. Four selectable EQ curves, set by the first two DIP switches, shape which frequencies get boosted: all frequencies, mid, high mid, or treble.
Can the Molecular Boost work as a volume pedal?
Yes. With the fourth DIP switch up, the pedal's xp input accepts any volume or expression pedal, which then controls the overall volume of the boosted signal when the pedal is engaged, or the unity level when it is disengaged in buffered bypass mode.
Where is the Molecular Boost made?
It is handmade in Athens, Greece, by Tsakalis AudioWorks, a Greek pedal manufacturer. It comes in a heavy duty, lightweight aluminum enclosure and carries the maker's limited lifetime warranty.
How much current does the Molecular Boost draw?
Maximum power consumption is 10mA at 9V DC, from a standard Boss-type center-negative DC adapter. That low draw makes it easy to run from most pedalboard power supplies alongside other pedals.
Is the Molecular Boost true bypass?
True bypass is one of its two bypass modes. An internal switch lets the player choose between true bypass and buffered bypass, so the pedal can be set either way depending on the rig.
Sources (6)
- Tsakalis Audio Works releases the Molecular Boost, Guitar.com, 2020-04-01
- Molecular Boost: A micro boost and utility pedal that crams in the features, gearnews.com, 2020-04-02
- Tsakalis AudioWorks Introduces the Molecular Boost, Premier Guitar, 2020-03-31
- Buff up your tone from the particle level with Tsakalis AudioWorks' Molecular Boost multi-effect pedal, Guitar World, 2020-04-01
- Tsakalis Audioworks Molecular Boost / Preamp, Delicious Audio, 2020-11-30
- When Is a Boost More Than a Boost?, Premier Guitar, 2020-12-30