Mr. Black Big Payback
Hidden function: Automatic volume swell
It took a while for Mr. Black, a.k.a. Jack
DeVille to release a compressor pedal,
because he spends so much time perfecting
his craft. The Big Payback delivers a fresh
take on compression, offering a ton of gain
reduction and tone sweetening in a compact
size that won’t homogenize your sound. But
what if I told you that the far reaches of the
compression circuit dives headlong into a
swell function?
If you’ve ever tried to find a dedicated swell
pedal, you’ve likely turned up all kinds of
silly second-hand prices. The Boss Slow
Gear, Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay and
DOD Swell all fetch a king’s ransom on the
used market. Thankfully, the Big Payback
supplies you with such a feature if you dime
it and then play hard. Everyone’s a winner!
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TONE TALK //
The Secret Lives of Pedals: 7 Stompboxes With Hidden Functions