The Electronic Audio Experiments Longsword is yet another contender in the endless void of op-amp based drive pedals—familiar but with some novel twists. Cascaded gain stages allow for the full range from clean boost to massive distortion, all without sacrificing tonal flexibility. The equalizer combines bass and treble shelving filters with an active, frequency-selectable midrange boost/cut control. This lets the user sculpt a diverse array of tones and carve out a niche in even the most dense of mixes. The Longsword has a broad frequency response which makes it work equally well with guitar, baritone, and bass. Controls Level: output volume Drive: go from light grit to heavy overdrive Low/High: James/Baxandall tone stack (shelving filters) Mid: active midrange boost/cut Shift: selects frequency controlled by Mid pot Diode: selects between clipping diodes, to alter dynamics and headroom Up: MOSFET clipping, medium compression Center: no diodes, minimal compression Down: Silicon diode clipping, maximum compression Boost (Footswitch): engages a front end mid boost Boost (Knob): adds up to 20dB of gain when the Boost is engaged Changelog V4.5 (current as of January 2021)- New mechanical format (changed enclosure shape, knob spacing, jacks, etc)- Added power supply over-voltage shutdown circuit and ESD protection- Increased Low/High control crossover frequency by approximately 500Hz to reduce interactivity of High and Mid controls V4- New 6-knob layout- Surface mount PCB- Boost knob moved to exterior- Soft-touch relay bypass switching V3- Added 9V to 18V (+/-9V bipolar) power supply for increased headroom- Gain 1/2 setting replaced with Boost mode V2.1- Eliminated Range toggle, fixed at optimal intermediate setting V2- Added diode clipping switch- Added “Gain 1/2” switch to access 2nd preset, accessible via internal trimpot V1- Initial release Finish Variants Standard: black sparkle with white print Acid Etch: hand-finished using hydrochloric acid with a toner transfer mask. Application and technique vary between batches and individual units. Rose Gold: rose gold powder coat with white print and white knobs Purple: 2023 retail exclusive Electrical Specifications Bypass: Relay switching with true bypass Input impedance @ 1 Khz: 500kΩ Output impedance @ 1 Khz: 1kΩ Power: 9V DC, 2.1 mm center negative barrel. The current draw is 75 mA.
