Audiostorm's Grand Classic High Gain Distortion is a genuinely new take on the genre with so much added smarts
Lydia Sean Mandrake is not one to follow the crowd or do things by halves. This Grand Classic Passion Project has way exceeded its Kickstarter timeline - but is all the better for it, and is overall a vast improvement on the original concept - acquiring an improved control topology, and a couple of key accessories along the way.
At the same time, Lydia developed Audiostorm’s own automated ’pick-and-place’ manufacturing assembly line, utilising numerous 3D-printed parts. Turns out Lydia is quite the dab hand at 3D printing too. In fact they’re an incredible whirlwind of engineering creativity - where they often bite off more than they necessarily should - but always deliver something better in the end - one of those bona fide geniuses for sure!
The basic concept of the Grand Classic is the same - a High Gain Distortion - with a very unique and very purpose-spec’d feature set - but where much has changed along the way. Including the introduction of a fantastic new MDK modular daughterboard circuit system which hooks up to the EXP / CV port. And as a further continuation of the modular daughterboard, Lydia has innovated an MXP-1 Expression Pedal - such that you can switch the daughterboard circuit on and off from that pedal!
So there are really 3 parts to the Grand Classic
- Main Grand Classic Pedal
- Modular / Switchable MDK Moogy Sweepable Low Pass Filter / Wah (Daughterboard)
- MXP-1 MDK-Switchable Expression Pedal
So when you’re buying the pedal - you need to decided whether to go for just the Grand Classic Pedal (£149), Grand Classic + MDK Moogy LPF Daughterboard (£199), or Grand Classic + Moogy + MXP-1 Switchable Expression Pedal (£239).
I heartily recommend all-3 as they deliver so much more all combined - and bring elevated levels of joy with them! The combination of High Gain Distortion and LPF Wah is just about as much fun as a gainiac can have!
Controls - Level, Amp Voicing : EL84 > EL34 > 6L6, Drive, Mids, High, Lomids (Lo-Mids), Growl (Bass Boost), Crunch (Mid Boost). There is also and Internal TP31 switch below the MDK board / slots which allows you to set default standby status - Off to the Left, On to the Right.
The controls could not be easier - even though some of the buttons are somewhat creatively named. The core concept here is an adjustable Amp Voicing / Profile (Harmonic Structure of Clipping Section). This takes you from Upper-Mid-Range / Honky EL84, through Classic Lower-Mids Crunchy Rock EL34, and onto fatter, warmer and more doomy 6L6.
You have a fairly unique tone stack combination of Active Mids and Active Highs, but which you can then further accentuate via the 3 push-button controls - Lomids (Lo-Mids), Growl (Bass Boost), and Crunch (Mid Boost).
Despite its High Gain Credentials - the pedal is incredibly dynamic, as Lydia designed it to be fully reactive - meaning that it has a superb degree of gain rollback via your guitar volume knob. This is something that's actually pretty rare for High Gain Pedals - where many, if not most of them don't really let you make use of that classic guitar volume cleanup dynamic.
And while the pedal on its own is pretty fabulous - it's even more so with the MDK Moogy LPF Wah Daughterboard and MXP-1 Expression Pedal added - which basically give you one of the best LPF Filter / Wah-style experiences - the combination really works together beautifully.
As I backed the Kickstarter Campaign I got the MDK Moogy Daughterboard included, while the MXP-1 was an added extra that needed to be paid for separately. I really love the interaction of those 3 - it's kind of a no-brainer for me to have use of all 3 of those elements together. The MXP-1's ability to switch off the MDK / Moogy is just really smart - and will make even more sense for some of the upcoming MDK modules.
I really like maximum crunch and harmonics - so I tend to live a lot on the EL34 voicing, while I do occasionally make forays into the other territories. For me and my rig though, generally I get the best results on the EL34 Amp Voicing.
Where my mainstay longterm settings tend to be : Level @ Max, Amp Voice @ EL34 (Middle), Drive @ Max, Mids @ 3 o'c, High @ 3 o'c, Lomids On, Growl On, Crunch On! So in short - all the toppings! These settings may be a little much for some, but for me create the best harmonics and breakup textures - which is what I'm all about. This pedal really is both incredibly potent and versatile at the same time.
As I participated in the Kickstarter I got my hand on an NMB (None More Black) special edition, while I really like the standard artwork edition too. There's another Audiostorm Kickstarter coming this week - for the Tone Lord V2 Clean Boost and Tone Sweetener - where I will look to pick up a more colourful version, if not the standard pedal itself - as I quite like its new artwork. For the Grand Classic - the artwork evolved several times - so I was not sure where it would land - which is why I went for the NMB Edition (None More Black) as a pretty safe choice - and which I feel well serves its High Gain Metal Pedal credentials. I actually like having different coloured pedals on the board - you kind of need that with around 50 pedals in the chain.
In any case, and in case it didn't register - I really rate and recommend this pedal, my only tiny niggle is that I feel it needs a little more output volume - which is why I mostly post clean boost it when deployed. The Grand Classic + The MDK Moogy and MXP-1 really sound superb.
As I said at the top of this piece - you need to choose which elements you buy into - just the Grand Classic Pedal on its own (£149), Grand Classic + MDK Moogy LPF / Wah Daughterboard (£199) or Grand Classic + MDK Moogy + MXP-1 Switchable Expression Pedal (£239). The Audiostorm Webstore gives you a drop-down selection to make your choice - I of course recommend you get all 3 elements like me!
Demos
