Texas’ Frost Giant Electronics is an emerging pedal builder focused on creating heavy, highly tuneable gain stompboxes, and the Architect of Reality, a dual-channel preamp that allows to blend the two channels, might be their most intriguing release to date.
The pedal is modeled after the preamp section of a Laney AOR amp from the ’80s, configured in a way that lets you cascade the low and high gain stages (Preamp Gain and AOR Gain) when the Channel footswitch is turned on. Needless to say, this allows for a wide range of saturation and distortion tones.
With an internal voltage at 36v, the Architect of reality provides plenty of headroom and dynamics, while a 3-way EQ section + Presence allows for precise tone sculpting, with the added option of boosting each frequency through a dedicated toggle switch.
The tone you get from the first channel is a heavy crunch somewhat comparable to a Plexi amp, perfect for hard rocking classic tones. Engaging the 2nd channel, on the other hand, delivers over-the-top distortions that can be used for Thrash and Heavy Metal or even Doom and Stoner Metal when using darker settings.
Hear the sound of the Frost Giant Electronics Architect of Reality in the video below.
The Architect of Reality is a dual channel preamp pedal with the ability to mix the low and high gain channel together in the AOR mode for more tone tweaking ability with both channels on independent footswitches. It’s powered internally at 36v+ (9v boss style used) for more headroom and amp-like sensitivity.
The control panel on the Architect of Reality follows the same layout as most modern amps with and overall Presence, Bass, Mid and Treble, but for build cost and durability the pull boosts (of that 80’s classic amp) for each EQ band have been placed on toggle switches. In the first channel you control the Master Volume and Preamp Gain with a heavy crunch and rock feel like your favorite Heavy Rock classics with the feel of a familiar 800 build amp. Engaging the 2nd channel on the pedal pulls the AOR channel on the original amp and gives you the option of blending its gain with the first Preamp Gain for an over-the-top beast that can be tight for Thrash and Heavy Metal to the darker side of gain and sitting in the Doom and Stoner Metal territory
Hand made in Texas
Kemet and Nichicon HQ capacitors
Black Powder coat with a Gold Mist overlay
UV printed enclosure
9v+ power (36v+ internally)
