I’m not someone who uses a lot of pedals to get my guitar sounds—typically I rely on the amps themselves to get what I need—but lately I’ve been using pedals such as this one to get a bit extra out of my tone at the studio, as well as in a direct DI recording signal path in my own room.
Sitting comfortably on my pedalboard, the Rockaway Archer is an overdrive EQ and tone shaper that was developed for guitarist Steve Stevens. It’s got an attractive, sturdy metal casing, and the six-band graphic EQ lights up for easy tweaking. The green colored bands are useful, residing at 100, 200, 400, 800, 1.6 kHz and 3.2 kHz, with 18 dB of cut or boost per frequency. Volume controls the overall output and gain controls the overall gain. That’s all there is to it; you plug in and start tweaking.
Rich Tozzoli’s Gear of the Year, Part 1, by Rich Tozzoli, Nov. 6, 2017
Rich Tozzoli’s Gear of the Year, Part 2, by Rich Tozzoli, Nov. 8, 2017
Rockaway Archer has a vibe and character to it that works well in front of an amp or in a DI signal path. While you might think of it as a rock-focused distortion pedal, I use it quite a bit on clean, clear guitar and bass tracks. It can add just a touch of thickness, and the EQ lets you tailor the tone for each instrument plugged into it. Coming in around $250, this pedal is not on the cheap side, but for what I get in tone and flexibility, it’s well worth it. I now turn to it on every session.
J. Rockett Audio Designs • www.rockettpedals.com
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