AWOL Pedals' Aaron Wahl is Master of the Micro Enclosure Format
I’ve been meaning to post this for a while - and have long since decided I at least need the Virus Micro Silicon Fuzz Face Pedal hopefully in default Blood Red colourway as pictured. While those pedals go out of stock so quickly that I keep missing my opportunity - but no doubt this will happen before too much longer.
AWOL Pedals has been official since around Mid 2017 - where over the years Aaron has made a variety of different pedals, but has very much settled on specialising in Micro Enclosure Formats.
The range currently consists of the 3 pedals pictured - Buffer, Boost and Fuzz. Where the Buffer and then Nano Boost were introduced pretty much at the start, and the Virus then joined the fray in December of 2018.
Over the years Aaron has made a variety of Micro Pedals - including volume, tap-tempo and remote switch, and further editions are surely already in progress. Some of those past classics will likely materialise again in updated editions.
Here follow a few more details on each of the current pedals :
Buffer - Opamp Buffer - $60
Classic Opamp-based signal boosting utility. Perfect for the more extended and elaborate pedalboards where all that cabling will undoubtedly result in signal degradation and high frequency loss. For longer signal chains - you will likely need a Buffer both at the start and end of the chain.
Nano - Transistor Boost - $110
Essentially a mostly clean Boost, yet with some slight colouration at higher levels. You will no doubt be aware that a number of great sounding pedals are somewhat underpowered in the output stakes - and this Boost is the perfect space-saving utility for handling any such downstream issues and giving you better definition and more oomph overall!
Virus - Silicon Transistor Fuzz (Fuzz Face) - $120
The Virus is very much your one-knob-wonder 2 x Silicon Transistor Fuzz or pretty much a Silicon Fuzz Face format with the most easily accommodable footprint. Clever calibration here delivers relatively smooth through to typical searing Silicon Tones - aided by your control of you guitar's volume knob - which essentially acts as a gain control as per typical Fuzz Face cleanup dynamics. I have long since determined I want one of these. While with circa 60 Fuzz Face pedals already in the collection I really don't need another - but this one's pretty special too. I may well acquire all of these types eventually as the other two are amazing utilities to have - and are so easy to slot in where my 40-strong chain is already heavily congested.
I have asked for clarification on Silicon Transistors used - whether Type II or III at least - lost of builders like to keep their secret sauced transistors to themselves - will update when and if I get a further clarification.
