Universal Audio's UAFX takes on the mighty Dumble Overdrive Special Amp with its Enigmatic '82

I’m somewhat bemused with YouTube demoers making lofty proclamations wholly without context, and without reference to any other Dumble-style pedals - as if Universal Audio had invented something entirely new here. There are currently 35 demos out there on YouTube for this one pedal - where pretty much in unison those reviewers are proclaiming the Enigmatic as the best thing since sliced bread!

No mention of the incredible analog Tanabe Dumkudo/Zenkudo, Demon Pedals Kondo-Shifuku, or Custom Tones Ethos Clean Fusion II - which are all exceptional takes on the Dumble ODS amp type. There are many more out there - as I’ve covered on this site too - which sound fantastic - including the J Rockett Hot Rubber Monkey II. Yet all everyone can talk about is how fantastic the Enigmatic sounds - almost always without reference or context or comparison.

If you’re paying $399 for a pedal it better be earning its value and it really needs to sound pretty spectacular. And I’m not disputing the grand feature set here, and extra bells and whistles of the Enigmatic ’82 ODS - it just all needs to be a touch more contextual and referential.

I do think it’s a handy format for many - particularly those that want to go direct into a PA system or DAW or some such digital audio interface. There are great use-cases here for touring and digitally based musicians - in particular those that record and edit onto their desktop or laptop. But surely you need to at least touch on what came before, and what people already rate. So many of those doing the reviews are not long-term fans of the Dumble genre, in fact many don’t seem to have experienced any of the forebears - and still proclaim it the greatest ever of that kind.

I always try to be a little bit more circumspect. I’ve already said that I was going to check out the UAFX Ruby and Lion at some stage - as there is an existing pattern for covering those vis-a-vis pedal-chain slots #18 & #19, while I have so many superior Dumbles in the collection already - that entirely fulfil my needs - that I’m somehow not as excited to get one more of those in - in digital DSP format.

There’s always a couple of things at least holding me back - and the pricing and size of the device does warrant some due consideration. Those UAFX formats aren’t particularly pedalboard-friendly - while at least they are vertical orientation enclosures. And I do like the shape of them - with that cool curved, recessed control area. I’m not disputing that this is a quality device, well thought-out and well-made. 

I’m just not sure it’s something that would be a priority for me. As always - I’m happy to be persuaded  - but I don’t really need stereo output or IR’s or a Bluetooth App for that matter - to enjoy the Dumble genre. It’s a little overkill for my current situation, and I’m not convinced I would get the best use out of this unit to justify that level of investment - particularly when I have so many great representatives of that genre already. It will be interesting to see what Henry Kaiser makes of it - if indeed he decides to get one in for himself. Few are as familiar with the Dumble format as he - after all he’s owned several of those amps, and was a good friend of the late great Alexander Howard Dumble himself. If Henry ever makes a demo or composition with this pedal - then that’s what will be my main influence as to whether this is a worthwhile investment or not.

It sounds OK in the demos - not sure it has quite the same degree of zing as my Tanabe Dumkudo - but it certainly sounds decent enough - but is it better overall than my own top 3?

Controls - Volume [Room], Overdrive [Ratio], Output, Cab : GB25 / D65 / EV12, Function : [Alt] / Amp / Store, Tone : Rock / Jazz / Custom, Bass [Deep / Mid], Middle [Presence], Treble [Bright], On Footswitch, 1 Preset Footswitch.

Rear Ports - 1/Mono In, 2/Stereo In, 1/Mono Out, 2/Stereo Out, 9V DC [-] 400mA, USB-C, Pair (Bluetooth).

It has a pretty impressive control topology with plenty of shaping potential - but then so does my Ethos Clean Fusion II. I am a little impressed with the detail of the device though - and you know me - I never say never! For now though it’s much more of a nice-to-have than a must-have device for me - so we shall see if I’m better persuaded and convinced at some future juncture.

The Enigmatic ’82 ODS is available direct from Universal Audio / UAFX, and is already at leading International dealers - priced at $399 / €429 / £379.

Would be good to hear from any of you who have acquired or are considering the Enigmatic - and how that compares to your experiences of other Dumble ODS style devices!