With the Vox-style Tubesteader Roy preamp, fellow Montrealer Olly Balan releases his first compact dual-channel pedal tube preamp – with double emphasis on the “compact,” since fitting all of the above in such a small case is a remarkable achievement.
Inspired by the vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost amp, Roy captures its clean, chimey tones and signature upper-mid breakup, delivering a balanced, dynamic response.
Each channel has independent gain and volume controls, letting you easily switch between clean and overdriven tones while keeping volume levels consistent (or not, if that’s what you want). Both share a dual-band tone stack with interactive Treble and Bass controls, which inversely influence the mids for added tonal flexibility.
A Tone Cut control on the back case provides an additional master treble roll-off, allowing you to fine-tune brightness without altering the core sound. The circuit combines a high-voltage transistor in the first stage with a 12AX7 tube at 260V, resulting in natural tube compression and amp-like dynamics.
Roy integrates well with other pedals and works as a clean tube platform or standalone preamp. External channel switching and a dedicated power supply add versatility and convenience.
We added the Roy to our article about the 20 best Vox-style pedals.
