Tool for setting the touch sensivity and the cleanup reaction of your electric instrument
TRANSPARENT
BOOST
DYNAMIC
PREAMP PEDAL
with swappable clipping or filter modules and two footswitchable gain options
best tube-like overdrive | special new old stock diodes | rare out of production transistors | highly touch sensitive response | best cleanup from a FET circuit on the market | extra assured true bypass | unique tone shaping | unrivaled flexibility and performance
Now that you've been served with the hyping bullshit, about the circuit itself.
(although everything above is true)
Two cascaded Class A FET amplifying stages, topology reminiscent of the first tube amplifiers created for instruments.
It is designed to be the first amplifying stage after your passive instrument. You can consider it as an outboard active preamp, that will work backwards in your signal chain too, together with your instruments pickups and can influence the sound output of your strings.
(although everything above is true)
Two cascaded Class A FET amplifying stages, topology reminiscent of the first tube amplifiers created for instruments.
It is designed to be the first amplifying stage after your passive instrument. You can consider it as an outboard active preamp, that will work backwards in your signal chain too, together with your instruments pickups and can influence the sound output of your strings.
Yes, you can use it with other pedals in front of it and it works well with active basses.
Moreover you can use it as a control of vintage unbuffered fuzz boxes to dial out the bad particularities you don't like, or to dial in what you would like in them. BUT, it will loose one of it's main functions when a buffer is between your instrument and the Sensei. The Zen control will be out of its working area and will render it much less functional. Don't worry, still an awesome overdrive or boost, but why not use it for the reason it was created for in the first place, as a preamp that interacts directly with your instrument. More Information here(click)
Moreover you can use it as a control of vintage unbuffered fuzz boxes to dial out the bad particularities you don't like, or to dial in what you would like in them. BUT, it will loose one of it's main functions when a buffer is between your instrument and the Sensei. The Zen control will be out of its working area and will render it much less functional. Don't worry, still an awesome overdrive or boost, but why not use it for the reason it was created for in the first place, as a preamp that interacts directly with your instrument. More Information here(click)
WARNING:
- Please power the pedal with a proper 9VDC standard negative center, 5.5x2.1 plug power adapter, or 9V battery. DC voltage of more than 9V, or AC voltage will damage the circuit. Please be aware of this, as a faulty usage will void warranty.
- Any kind of modification to the circuit (unless it is a module from LoCo Pedals) or any type of physical damage made intentionally or by user negligence will void warranty.
Volume
Self explanatory. But! The reason I have not considered adding a clean blend, is that turning up the volume, the circuit will clip and compress less, letting your amp to do this, as more you push it. You can balance the compression and clipping with the two gain knobs that you can preset, giving you basically two gain channels in one pedal.
Self explanatory. But! The reason I have not considered adding a clean blend, is that turning up the volume, the circuit will clip and compress less, letting your amp to do this, as more you push it. You can balance the compression and clipping with the two gain knobs that you can preset, giving you basically two gain channels in one pedal.
Harmony for your strings
Not a standard treble cut control. Placed after the gain stages, inspired by the presence control of old British amplifiers. It is intended to be useful on all the turn range of the knob and to not give a very drastic change by a slight movement of the control.
Minus zone. Dominantly pleasant low-mids, reminiscent of old records. Jazz guitar players and old-school motown bass sound lovers will like it in this area. It makes the string sound more broken in, and gives the feel of heavier gauge flatwounds.
Plus zone. Ads more accent to harmonics, and you can feel a slight increase in upper mids gain. This is perfect for those pinched and hammered guitar overtones and may be preferred by fretless bass players for quick harmonics and sustain.
Not a standard treble cut control. Placed after the gain stages, inspired by the presence control of old British amplifiers. It is intended to be useful on all the turn range of the knob and to not give a very drastic change by a slight movement of the control.
Minus zone. Dominantly pleasant low-mids, reminiscent of old records. Jazz guitar players and old-school motown bass sound lovers will like it in this area. It makes the string sound more broken in, and gives the feel of heavier gauge flatwounds.
Plus zone. Ads more accent to harmonics, and you can feel a slight increase in upper mids gain. This is perfect for those pinched and hammered guitar overtones and may be preferred by fretless bass players for quick harmonics and sustain.
Zen for your pickups
It controls the impedance of the circuit, the sensibility of the first gain stage, and affects directly the response and sound of your instruments pickups.
Minus zone. The sound will be darker sounding, with less gain simulating old weaker output pickups. Will favor the sought after instrument volume control cleanup behavior. At minimum it will reach the impedance level of old microphone preamps.
Plus zone. The sound will change to a more modern, brighter hifi character, and will simulate pickups with more output. Will give you more touch sensibility. It is up to you and your playing technique what you prefer more.
How to set it up to a cleanup reaction.<click
It controls the impedance of the circuit, the sensibility of the first gain stage, and affects directly the response and sound of your instruments pickups.
Minus zone. The sound will be darker sounding, with less gain simulating old weaker output pickups. Will favor the sought after instrument volume control cleanup behavior. At minimum it will reach the impedance level of old microphone preamps.
Plus zone. The sound will change to a more modern, brighter hifi character, and will simulate pickups with more output. Will give you more touch sensibility. It is up to you and your playing technique what you prefer more.
How to set it up to a cleanup reaction.<click
Gain One Blue and Gain Two Red
You have the option to have two footswitchable separate gain settings. The color of the On signal light will let you know if the Blue Gain in the right is active with Blue light, and with Red for the Red Gain in the left.
Remember, more gain will give you more so called bloom. Actually more of everything including bass. This is where the bass switch becomes useful. If you consider that it sounds a bit to mushy, you can balance it by cutting some bass.
You have the option to have two footswitchable separate gain settings. The color of the On signal light will let you know if the Blue Gain in the right is active with Blue light, and with Red for the Red Gain in the left.
Remember, more gain will give you more so called bloom. Actually more of everything including bass. This is where the bass switch becomes useful. If you consider that it sounds a bit to mushy, you can balance it by cutting some bass.
For your attention: Setting the ZEN control very low, makes the circuit very sensitive to any device connected to it. It might detect your aged scratchy potentiometer, bad cables, wobbly connectors, especially in a bad power source environment.
Clipping switch
Up, Mosfet clipping. You can get in the overdrive territory, raw bright British amp sound. Depending on the bass and gain settings, to almost fuzz sound that will rip with an amp on the edge of break up.
Middle, no filter and no clipping, only the power of the two class A JFET gain stages. Best for clean boost, or preamp only situation.
Down, Custom tailored diode clipping or filter module. Combination of up to four diodes or an RLC filter circuit. For more info about the available options please see the Modules article from the Blog<(click). I will be adding new options, based on your feedback, component availability and my own treasure digging of strange parts and experimentation.
Up, Mosfet clipping. You can get in the overdrive territory, raw bright British amp sound. Depending on the bass and gain settings, to almost fuzz sound that will rip with an amp on the edge of break up.
Middle, no filter and no clipping, only the power of the two class A JFET gain stages. Best for clean boost, or preamp only situation.
Down, Custom tailored diode clipping or filter module. Combination of up to four diodes or an RLC filter circuit. For more info about the available options please see the Modules article from the Blog<(click). I will be adding new options, based on your feedback, component availability and my own treasure digging of strange parts and experimentation.
Bass and Treble switch
These are taking the role of the overall equalization of the circuit. Bass will tailor the bass content that will hit the second amplifying stage. In the boost setting, you might hear for a second the sound choking, when powering it for the first time. This is due to the unusual big capacitor for this place in a circuit. Treble will be responsible for the high frequency content that is leaving the pedal, so you can balance the sound of the pedal with your amp and the rest of the devices in your rig.
These are taking the role of the overall equalization of the circuit. Bass will tailor the bass content that will hit the second amplifying stage. In the boost setting, you might hear for a second the sound choking, when powering it for the first time. This is due to the unusual big capacitor for this place in a circuit. Treble will be responsible for the high frequency content that is leaving the pedal, so you can balance the sound of the pedal with your amp and the rest of the devices in your rig.
Channel Switch
Up, Full boost channel. This will have the most gain, squeezing out the most from the first FET gain stage, to an almost fuzzy character at high gain settings.
Middle, Normal 0 Channel. The most neutral sound. Together with the Clipping switch set in the middle, this is the cleanest it can get.
Down, Bright Channel. With a hint more of "tube amplike" sparkle highs. Gives bite to the darker sounding pickups.
Up, Full boost channel. This will have the most gain, squeezing out the most from the first FET gain stage, to an almost fuzzy character at high gain settings.
Middle, Normal 0 Channel. The most neutral sound. Together with the Clipping switch set in the middle, this is the cleanest it can get.
Down, Bright Channel. With a hint more of "tube amplike" sparkle highs. Gives bite to the darker sounding pickups.
Dynamic switch
Internally doubles the voltage of the circuit for more dynamics and headroom
How to test the impact of the Dynamic and Clipping switch on the sound. <(click)
ABOUT NOISE FOR YOUR INFORMATION <(click)
Internally doubles the voltage of the circuit for more dynamics and headroom
How to test the impact of the Dynamic and Clipping switch on the sound. <(click)
ABOUT NOISE FOR YOUR INFORMATION <(click)
For your attention: Setting the ZEN control very low, makes the circuit very sensitive to any device connected to it. It might detect your aged scratchy potentiometer, bad cables, wobbly connectors, especially in a bad power source environment.
Output
To your amp or your pedal chain
To your amp or your pedal chain
Input
From your guitar
From your guitar
Gain
Switch between Blue Gain and Red Gain
Switch between Blue Gain and Red Gain
On/Off
Turns the pedal On or Off with True Bypass
Turns the pedal On or Off with True Bypass
9V DC
Please use standard negative center, 5.5x2.1mm plug power adapter
Please use standard negative center, 5.5x2.1mm plug power adapter
For your attention: Setting the ZEN control very low, makes the circuit very sensitive to any device connected to it. It might detect your aged scratchy potentiometer, bad cables, wobbly connectors, especially in a bad power source environment.
Plug and Play Clipping and Filter Modules. More options to give personality to your sound.
How does it sounds?
The first version of the Sensei Preamp I let out from my hands. The sound was already there, but I felt that it needed a more balanced second gain option, and that to work flawlessly without any popping at switching.
And the actual one. Played by the same artist Sam Vilo who inspired me of what a good circuit needs to have, simply with his playing. Dynamics, cleanup, blending with the rest of the signal chain.
Real vintage blues sound from real vintage man.
Sensei preamp pedal demo from Fret Junkies.
Sensei preamp pedal demo from Fret Junkies.
When Sensei meets the Sensei.
New Dedicated Song + Knob turning + How to record with documentary video with LoCo Pedals SENSEI and KaslederFX Dirty Little Thing
Composer, musician, studio engineer, knob turning guitar strings wizard Mr. Fastfinger / Mika Tyyskä
New Dedicated Song + Knob turning + How to record with documentary video with LoCo Pedals SENSEI and KaslederFX Dirty Little Thing
Composer, musician, studio engineer, knob turning guitar strings wizard Mr. Fastfinger / Mika Tyyskä
LoCo Pedals is a one-man operated small business.
The brand name LoCo comes from the initials of my legal name, and has nothing to do with other brands that include the Spanish word for crazy.
The brand name LoCo comes from the initials of my legal name, and has nothing to do with other brands that include the Spanish word for crazy.
I am a pedal maker enthusiast, musician and part time human from Budapest Hungary. More than 20 years of playing several type of instruments and about ten years of building circuits are involved in the making of these boxes.
Each pedal is handmade and meticulously tested before shipped out to those who seek for a box that can help finding that perfect tone of an electrical instrument.
Each pedal is handmade and meticulously tested before shipped out to those who seek for a box that can help finding that perfect tone of an electrical instrument.
ABOUT LoCo
--------------------------------
Hello world
With sorry, Building the Sensei and Motive pedals is stopped
More Details will be anounced here and/or on social media
--------------------------------
Hello world
With sorry, Building the Sensei and Motive pedals is stopped
More Details will be anounced here and/or on social media
--------------------------------
These are not off the shelf products. Each LoCo pedal is made one at a time. When there is a small batch available, it will be listed in my Reverb shop. If it is not available, it means the next ones are being built. I try to list new pedals on every Monday
Please visit the Reverb store and click on Watch to receive notification about the availability here (click on the name of the pedal)
Sensei Preamp + 4 Modules <(Click info)
Price: 229 € ON HOLD / Provisioning parts
Motive Preamp <(Click info)
Price: 199 € ON HOLD / Provisioning parts
Blue Soul Drive <(Click info)
Price: 199 € In Build
Tone Tool Preamp <(Click info)
Price: 199 € In Reverb store Now
Please visit the Reverb store and click on Watch to receive notification about the availability here (click on the name of the pedal)
Sensei Preamp + 4 Modules <(Click info)
Price: 229 € ON HOLD / Provisioning parts
Motive Preamp <(Click info)
Price: 199 € ON HOLD / Provisioning parts
Blue Soul Drive <(Click info)
Price: 199 € In Build
Tone Tool Preamp <(Click info)
Price: 199 € In Reverb store Now
Price and availability information is always to be seen
<- HERE
Please do not use this form for Price or Availability Related query.
Please, read the above as the answer is already there.
If you own a LoCo pedal and you have technical or warranty related questions, please fill the below form to contact me.
Thank you
<- HERE
Please do not use this form for Price or Availability Related query.
Please, read the above as the answer is already there.
If you own a LoCo pedal and you have technical or warranty related questions, please fill the below form to contact me.
Thank you
