The Electronic Audio Experiments Surveyor is a compact re-interpretation of the Instrument Voicing Preamp (aka IVP), a cult classic and long discontinued rackmount preamplifier. The IVP is best known for its distinctively clangy tone and harsh attack at high treble settings—especially in conjunction with an aluminum neck guitar, single coil pickups, and full range speakers—but its unique solid-state voice transcends genre labels. The Surveyor features a unique, transformer-loaded “Tube Voice” distortion generator that is highly responsive to the frequency content of the input signal. This is achieved by placing a two-band shelving EQ before distortion is applied—the complete opposite of most drive pedals. Using this method, gain may be selectively applied to a specific frequency band: boost the treble for that signature clang, or maximize the bass for fuzz overload. This variety of saturated textures isn’t just for guitar, either! The Surveyor is equally at home on bass, synthesizers, drum machines, even vocals.
