“Takes the fight to Darkglass with a very distinct character of its own”: EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey review

Guitar World Verdict

The Scrolls truly is a great competitor in the congested bass preamp market. It’s got whatever that you require in a compact box, with all the beneficial tones you ‘d anticipate from this sort of pedal– plus a healthy slug of EarthQuaker’s particular fuzz insanity.

Factors to purchase

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  Definitely packed loaded with functions, however really smartly sized.

• +

  Efficient in trad bass-preamp tones, harsh fuzz and anywhere you like in between.

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  For something so intricate, it’s simple to call in at all.

Factors to prevent

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  Just the reality that it’s a quite expensive piece of package– however definitely okay worth provided just how much it can do.

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What is it?

Of all the impacts makers to accomplish fame over the last years or more, EarthQuaker Devices need to be among the most avowedly left-field.

Sure, there’s conventional overdrive and modulation to be had from the Akron, Ohio store, however keep in mind– EarthQuaker is the business that offered us that barking-mad oscillating pitch generator, the Rainbow Machine. Or the absolutely outrageous Data Corrupter, a three-voice, balancing analog fuzz/guitar synth.

It’s to be praised that these complicated circuits, with all their hand-built madness and inarguably specific niche appeal, are made extensively readily available so that more individuals can try out the external fringes of feasible guitar and bass tone.

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When EarthQuaker revealed an addition to the trendy compact bass preamp/overdrive pedal landscape, it’s reasonable to state none of us were ever anticipating an uncomplicated Sansamp or Darkglass me-too. Then, EarthQuaker frequently does unforeseen things – perhaps it might be simply that. Is this a traditional funny double bluff? (You never ever understand.)

Today I’m examining the Scrolls Bass Odyssey, EarthQuaker’s take on a bass preamp pedal, co-designed with Japanese alt-rock bass hero Kentaro Nakao. Let’s see what’s what.

Specifications

Introduce rate: $349|₤ 399|EUR399

Type: Bass preamp and overdrive/fuzz pedal

Controls: Level, Bass, Middle, Treble, Vari (boost/cut), Vari-Freq, push-buttons for Deep, Process, Bright, Drive Level, Blend, Drive, Bandwidth, Tone, footswitches for EQ and Drive

Connection: 1/4 “instrument input, 1/4″amp output, 1/4″parallel output, XLR direct out( with Ground/Lift ), 1/4″results loop Send, 1/4 ‘impacts loop Return

Bypass: Relay-based real bypass

Power: 9v DC, 70mA

Measurements: 121 x 114 x 57 mm

Weight: 340g

Contact: EarthQuaker Devices

Develop quality

Construct quality ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2EarthQuaker never ever dissatisfies on the quality front, and the Scrolls is an usually strong construct. Its silenced black-and-orange visual is complemented by EQD’s signature swirling script for the pedal’s name, however the thick black-and-white forest of controls are all really plainly identified.

The buttons and footswitches click satisfyingly and all the knobs turn with a nicely-damped weight – with centre detents on much of the pots for ease of dialing in.

Regardless of the surfeit of controls, the enclosure style is such that you should not need to fret excessive about inadvertently knocking anything with your feet – yet it’s not extreme in size. It’s an extremely affordable option to other bass preamp pedals in terms of footprint.

Functionality and functions

Functionality and functions score: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

‘ Process ‘considerably digs low mids for a more guttural, aggressive bark– although you’ll require a lot more Level to combat the resultant drop in viewed volume

That footprint has a hell of a lot loaded into it however– more than numerous competitors. The 2 footswitches manage an EQ area and a Drive channel; these can be utilized individually or together.

These areas have private controls too– to begin with, the EQ side uses a Level control, the basic Bass-Middle-Treble setup, plus a two-knob’ Vari-Freq ‘circuit– basically, enabling you to sweep the EQ variety and cut or improve any frequency preferred.

Push-buttons for ‘Deep’ and ‘Bright’ increase 80Hz and 5kHz respectively, while ‘Process’ significantly scoops out low mids for a more guttural, aggressive bark– although you’ll require a lot more Level to combat the resultant drop in viewed volume.

The Drive area, on the other hand, offers you an additional 5 knobs to have fun with. Naturally, Level, Drive and Tone are all present and appropriate, as is a tidy mix– crucial on a bass overdrive. The 5th control is’Bandwidth’, figuring out the frequency variety in which the clipping is most active; from a softer, warmer low-focused overdrive to a tighter, brighter, treble-focused grit. Or “from Motown to metal”, as EarthQuaker puts it.

Whew– it’s a great deal of controls, for sure. It’s instinctive to utilize; it’s to EarthQuaker’s credit that it isn’t truly required to resort to the handbook in order to dial-in a fantastic tone. I’m a huge fan of this’what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ design of interface on pedals and amps.

It can send you down a rabbit-hole of tweaking– however then, Nakao desired this pedal to work efficiently as an all-in-one portable rig option, and it’s definitely not except functions to that end.

Sounds

Sounds score: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2I plugged the Scrolls straight into my Laney 2×12 powered taxi, to sample the’analog speaker simulation’on the DI output– EarthQuaker chosen to include some filtering here, to fight the severe top-end that can blight direct XLR outputs. I started with a passive Jazz Bass, and was quickly taken with the method the EQ made the flat speaker signal full-bodied and characterful.

The Drive area has lots of fantastic tones too – specifically when integrated with the EQ. I discovered a swathe of chunky, effective combined overdrive sounds, however with the Gain showed up and less tidy signal in the mix, it’ll go far beyond a conventional grit and pointer decisively into fuzz area. This absolutely isn’t your grandad’s bass preamp.

It’s a monstrous bass increase; low-end isn’t doing not have from the pedal to begin with

I tend to keep the Bright setting engaged, for the quantity of high-frequency meaning that I like. Deep, by contrast, required to be utilized with take care of my setup. It’s a monstrous bass increase; low-end isn’t doing not have from the pedal to begin with.

It enters its own when I change to my StingRay, and have the ability to enhance its aggressive upper-mid with a gut-punch of deep low end.

These 2 buttons on their own can work marvels for fast EQ change when changing in between various kinds of bass.

Decision

It’s likewise punchy cash to a similarly-featured Darkglass, however an entirely various ambiance

The Scrolls can be seriously great enjoyable as an extremely tweakable, high-gain overdrive or fuzz, with even more nuanced control of EQ and gain structure than a case in point of those types.

If you desire to treat it as a Sansamp option, or even a tidy preamp with an effective EQ, it’s no less outstanding. It’s likewise punchy cash to a similarly-featured Darkglass, however a totally various ambiance– it’s an EarthQuaker.

Nakao’s input offers the Scrolls major credence– on the one hand, he’s a bass hero with a distinct playing design that requires a similarly characterful-sounding rig. He’s likewise a session-man; he requires something achieved, flexible and rugged, which lets him plug directly in and fracture on. Goal accomplished, I ‘d state.

Guitar World decision: The Scrolls actually is a wonderful competitor in the congested bass preamp market. It’s got whatever that you require in a compact box, with all the helpful tones you ‘d anticipate from this sort of pedal– plus a healthy slug of EarthQuaker’s particular fuzz insanity.

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