The BOSS HM-2 is a cornerstone (or rather a cornerTONE!) high-gain distortion for many guitarists into metal, but it’s not without its weaknesses – at least according to some! The Bardic Audio Devices HM Demon is a distortion pedal that offers an improved version of this classic circuit.
There’s a lot of extra stuff going on here, let’s take a look:
- A clean knob that reintegrates the dry signal for clarity and dynamics.
- A Post/Pre toggle that blends the clean signal pre and post eq stage
- A 3-knob EQ section for Low, Mids and High with +/-15dB of boost/cut available
- A Low Freq toggle switch that changes the lows EQ frequency from 60 to 100Hz
- A Mix Freq toggle switch that changes the mids EQ frequency from 250 to 500Hz
The clean signal features opens up some gnarly sonic scenario for metalheads with doom inclinations:
This allows for your clean signal to obtain the infamous chainsaw eq as the distortion stage. In post mode, the clean blend acts as a classic clean blend. The clean signal can also be boosted past unity with the Clean knob. This also aides in mixing the two signals together and can allow for the pedal to be turned into a preamp or a chainsaw boost.
Check out what this pedal sounds like in the video below.
Bardic Audio Devices HM Demon, Builder’s Notes
Specifications:
– Power: 9-12V center-negative power supply
– Input Impedance: 1M?
– Output Impedance: 100?
– Soft-touch True Bypass Switching
– Top mounted jacks
– Controls: Distort, Pre, Post, Low, High, Low Freq, Mid Freq, Clean, and Post/Pre
– Handmade in Dundee MichiganDescription:
The HM Demon is an HM-2 with much needed improvements. With hi-gain pedals, they tend to become much more usable with a clean blend. This is especially true for bassists. So of course I added a clean blend, but I didn’t just lazily add a clean blend to the circuit; I integrated it into the pedal. The clean signal can be blended pre and post eq stage. This allows for your clean signal to obtain the infamous chainsaw eq as the distortion stage. In post mode, the clean blend acts as a classic clean blend. The clean signal can also be boosted past unity with the Clean knob. This also aides in mixing the two signals together and can allow for the pedal to be turned into a preamp or a chainsaw boost. If you need doom and functionality, this pedal is for you.
Controls:
Distort: Distortion volume control
Gain: Distortion gain control
Clean: Clean signal control w/ 20dB of boost available
Low: Low eq control with +/-15dB of boost available
Mid: Mid eq control with +/-15dB of boost available
High: High eq control with +/-15dB of boost available
Low Freq: Changes Low center frequency from 60 to 100Hz
Mid Freq: Changes Mid center frequency from 250 to 500Hz
Post/Pre: Changes the Clean Mix location from post to pre eq stage
