The Xvive T2 Dynarock is an overdrive pedal from Xvive, designed in conjunction with the German blues guitarist Thomas Blug. It arrived as one of a pair: Xvive announced the Dynarock and the Sweet Leo at the Winter NAMM show early in 2016, both in leopard skin print enclosures with a compact footprint1.
Xvive describes the Dynarock's sound as "an open dynamic and warm pedal which comes to close to the natural tone of tube amplifiers"1. It sits in the same family as the company's other Blug-associated drives, such as the XVive V7 Tube Drive, and belongs to the broader world of overdrive pedals that push an amp-like breakup without changing the core of your tone.
Controls
The control set is deliberately small, which is what you would expect from a mini pedal1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive |
| Volume | Sets the output level |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response |
| Mid Boost switch | Mini switch for a Mid Boost function1 |
Gearnews' reviewer Jef found the layout approachable: "The pedal looks easy enough to operate and won't be hard to squeeze onto your pedal board."1
Size, power and price
The Dynarock is a mini pedal, so it earns its place on a crowded board. It runs on a 9V external power supply1, so plan your power accordingly; there is no mention of battery operation.
The listed RRP is GBP £59.99 for the UK market as of June 20161. That price was given in pounds sterling and is not a US dollar figure.
The reviewer's one reservation was practical rather than tonal: "Both pedals are well priced for an overdrive pedal with an artist association. However, I think the micro pedal size can be really awkward to tweak live."1 In other words, the small footprint that makes it easy to fit can make the mini knobs fiddly to adjust mid-set.
Where it came from
The Dynarock carries an RRP of £59.991. Xvive describes it as an "open dynamic and warm pedal which comes to close to the natural tone of tube amplifiers", the open, dynamic, warm side of the design's compact overdrive voicing.
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Questions
Who designed the Xvive T2 Dynarock?
The Dynarock was designed in conjunction with Thomas Blug, a German blues guitarist described by Gearnews as world famous. Xvive announced the pedal, alongside its sibling the Sweet Leo, at the Winter NAMM show early in 2016. Both pedals carry a leopard skin print enclosure and were set for release later that year.
What controls does the Xvive T2 Dynarock have?
The Dynarock keeps things simple with three mini knobs labelled Drive, Volume and Tone. There is also a mini switch for a Mid Boost function, letting the player lift the mids of the overdrive. That is the full control set, which is typical of a compact mini pedal of this kind.
Does the Xvive Dynarock run on a battery?
The Dynarock is powered by a 9V external power supply. No battery option is mentioned in the coverage of the pedal, so plan on running it from a 9V supply on your pedalboard rather than expecting to slot a battery inside.
How big is the Xvive T2 Dynarock?
The Dynarock is a mini pedal with a compact footprint, part of Xvive's leopard skin print pair of overdrives. Gearnews' reviewer noted it would not be hard to squeeze onto a pedal board, but also thought the micro pedal size can be awkward to tweak live.
Sources (1)
- Xvive crank it up with DynaRock and Sweet Leo overdrive pedals, gearnews.com, 2016-06-13
