OPERATION
The Longsword requires an industry standard 9VDC center-negative supply with a
2.1mm barrel connection. We recommend (e.g. Truetone™, Voodoo Labs™,
Strymon™, Cioks™, etc). The Longsword draws 75mA of current when engaged.
The Longsword, as of Version 4.5, has a power supply protection circuit which shuts
down the pedal in the event of reverse polarity or a DC voltage greater than 9V. The
Longsword does not and cannot use batteries.
The Longsword uses soft-touch relay switching in a true bypass configuration. The relay
will default to the bypass state in the event of power loss.
Here’s my recommended procedure for dialing in the Longsword for the first time:
1. Begin with your amplifier set to its optimal clean tone.
2. Then, set all of the EQ controls on the Longsword to
noon
, set the
drive
and
level
at
minimum
, ensure the boost is is
off
, and set all toggle switches
up
.
3. Turn on the pedal and slowly increase the
drive
and
level
until they are to your
liking. You’ll notice that the
drive
control introduces a natural high-end rolloff as it
is increased, reducing harsh upper harmonics. You’ll also notice lots of volume
on tap!
Next, it’s time to adjust the tone controls. With everything at noon, the Longsword has a
mostly flat response for guitar frequencies. The tone controls are more like a studio EQ
than a traditional stompbox control. The bands are fairly non-interacting, and small
changes can have a drastic effect. Thus we recommend adjusting the knobs gradually,
with small boosts and cuts away from noon. The
low
and
high
controls form a James-
Baxandall arrangement. This is a pair of passive shelving filters that cut frequencies
below or above a central crossover point. The
mid
control is a single band boost/cut
with a selectable center frequency using the
SHIFT switch
. Up on the toggle
corresponds to 1kHz (hi midrange), and down corresponds to 300Hz (low midrange).
Some notes on the EQ
:
●
If you boost both the
low
and
high
, you can get an effective mid scoop, and
conversely you can cut both to get an effective mid boost.
●
The Longsword has a great deal of low end available, so a tighter tone can be
achieved by cutting the bass, particularly with an already overdriven amplifier.
●
Don’t be afraid to scoop the low midrange (set the
FREQ switch
up), as it may
be a source of muddy tone with some guitars, especially on the neck pickup!
