Connections
●
IN
is a high-resistance input for a mono signal source (such as electric guitar or any other instrument).
●
OUT
is a mono output which connects the pedal to a signal receiver.
NB: The max output voltage can reach 36Vpp (+24dBu). Set the LEVEL knob to lower values for a start.
●
POWER IN
is the power input jack. One of the pedal’s key features is its circuit design which retains the
dynamics of your playing. No matter if you power the Stages with a 9V or 12V PSU, the power is internally
converted to ±18V (bipolar voltage); this allows the gain stages to work in the widest dynamic range possible.
NB: The Stages has a high current draw. It can malfunction or refuse to turn on if the PSU isn’t powerful enough.
Controls
●
The
STG
switch that selects the number of gain stages. This control has the biggest impact on the sound: it
determines the pedal’s overall sonic character and its response to the incoming signal. The amount of
harmonics in the resulting signal is also influenced by the GAIN knob position. The STG switch has three
positions:
○
UP:
The maximum number of gain stages. The highly saturated signal is colored by filtering.
○
MIDDLE:
One fewer gain stage and a different filter character. The sound is more “open”, while the harmonics
reside in a different part of the frequency spectrum.
○
DOWN:
The smallest number of gain stages. This results in the least amount of harmonic distortion and the
most prominent dynamic response.
●
The
GAIN
knob controls the amplification of the input signal and the amount of harmonic distortion in it.
Depending on the STG switch position, the GAIN knob can get the sound all the way from almost clean to highly
saturated. It’s worth noting that in the final 10% of the GAIN knob range, the gain is boosted and harsher
distortion is introduced (regardless of the STG switch position).
●
The
HPF
switch controls the amount of low frequencies in the amplification chain. Just like the STG switch, this
one also has a significant impact on the tone and character of the overdriven signal, but it only affects the lower
part of the spectrum. The HPF switch has three positions:
○
UP:
The low cut is minimal. In this mode, the pedal’s frequency range is 25 to 16000Hz.
○
MIDDLE:
The largest amount of low cut. The mild filter set at 400Hz boosts the harmonics in the mid and high
frequencies. This mode works great for mid- and/or top-boost applications.
○
DOWN:
A moderate amount of low cut. The filter set at 200Hz boosts even harmonics in the mids. This mode
works best for classic overdrive sounds.
The mild filtering occurs before the gain stages which introduce harmonic distortion. As a result, the actual
amount of low cut is quite small, which allows the pedal to work very well with downtuned instruments.
Additionally, the EQ can compensate even for the largest amount of low cut.
●
The
BASS, MIDDLE and TREBLE
knobs constitute the 3-band EQ section.
○
The
BASS
knob controls a focused “bell” at the 80Hz mark with a 13dB range.
○
The
MIDDLE
knob controls a mild “bell” in the 600 – 800Hz range. This control affects both the mids and the
gain texture.
○
The
TREBLE
knob is a mild “shelf” set at 10kHz with an 11dB range.
The MIDDLE and TREBLE knobs have wide ranges of effect. Each of the two knobs is affected by the other’s
position.
●
The
LEVEL
knob controls the output signal volume at the OUT jack. The pedal has a lot of output volume
available, so it’s recommended to initially set all controls to neutral positions (12 o’clock for the knobs, middle
position for the switches).
Max output voltage can reach 36Vpp (+24dBu).
●
The
FOOTSWITCH
turns the effect on or off. When the pedal is engaged, the LED glows white. The pedal uses
true bypass.