The Badwater Bass Preamp Pedal offers an astonishing range of tweakable knobs that’ll help you sculpt your tone with intricate nuance. First in the signal path lies an internal optical compressor; dial in anything from transient management to smooth sustain. Next, check out the Sustain knob for beautifully sustained notes and chords with smoothed transients. A Drive section offers subtle breakup and exquisitely overdriven distortion provided with three voicings – take your pick of how much low and high-frequency content travels through the section. A Blend knob gives you control over blending a clean and distorted signal while a Level knob boosts or cuts the signal.

Beyond the Drive controls lies extensive EQ options. For instance, you can boost/cut low, mid, and high frequencies and then target your perfect tone even further with the Low Mid Frequency knob (LMF) and High Mid Frequency knob (HMF) – the first sweeps from 500Hz to 2.4kHz and the latter sweeps from 3.5kHz to 7.5kHz. Connection options are simple and inclusive with both a 1/4-inch and XLR output so you can connect directly to an amp and to the front of house – and at the same time! Although the Badwater does not accept phantom power, it will not damage the pedal; but users should refrain from turning phantom power on while the unit operates. Lastly, a ground lift switch can eliminate pesky humming and buzzing, ensuring your signal achieves enhanced clarity