APP-1

Overview:
The ADA APP-1 Pedal PreampTM is designed by David Tarnowski and is a no-compromise 2 channel low noise all analog preamp, and the first product to use his new patent-pending “D-TORSION” Core Technology to achieve greater dynamics, string sensitivity and a wider range of guitar tones. You can go from crystal clear clean to over-the-top grind without touching a single knob on your guitar, pedals or amplifier. It has more bloom than the most nimble Class-A tube combo amp and can ring-out single-coil harmonics to frightening levels – all done with the subtlety of how hard you hit the strings. You can also dial-in more “squeeze” than a classic germanium diode distortion box.

The APP-1 offers three devices in one: a clean to high-gain 2-channel preamp, a DUAL BUFFER for your effects and a final signal BOOST for soloing or overdriving your power amp. The Preamp is designed to serve as an input buffer for all your effects and your tuner, so plug your guitar effects into it first. Its high impedance input will not color or load down your pickup’s signal. As a true guitar preamp, we have added EFFECTS SEND and EFFECTS RETURN jacks on the rear panel – just like an amp head or combo amp. Your effects chain’s signal can be adjusted to compensate for any imbalances or losses, and then sent to our BOOST circuit, which can add up to 20dB more gain with the BOOST knob. The APP-1 output jack provides a solid low impedance drive with high signal integrity to connect to your power amp (or input channel of your head or combo). The two tone stacks and the VOICING pre-EQ filters are passive, not active, so they naturally shape your guitar signal without excessive phase shift or impulse ringing. The tone stack in the A/DA Pedal Preamp has the exact response as a Fender 1960s tone stack, and guitarists who are used to the Fender taper will be immediately familiar with how to get the tone they want from the APP-1. The VOICING is a pre EQ switch that selects the frequency range that is fed the distortion generation circuit from your guitar. It can dramatically change the feel, attack, tightness and density of single notes or chords, or the emphasis of harmonics in addition to selecting a more British or American tone and response. The unit has a TRUE BYPASS switch, so it can be completely taken out of your signal path or used as a BOOST only driver. If you only want to use it as an effects loop Dual Buffer and BOOST, then select the BUFFER & BOOST ONLY position on the top middle switch.

The ADA Pedal Preamp is made in California and is the first new product for guitarists from David Tarnowski in over 15 years. He is known for his MP-1 MIDI Preamp, MC-1 MIDI Controller, Miked Cabinet Emulator, Flanger and many more creations. As with many of his past products, the new APP-1 could forever change the way guitarists play and use their equipment, especially overdrive and distortion. With world-wide patents pending, it’s a new tool and a new era for guitarists. After all, David wouldn’t be back if he didn’t have something big to offer.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
2-Channel Analog Preamp With:

• D-TORSION CORE Dynamics and Sensitivity Control
• All Analog Signal Path
• Independent Passive Tone Stacks
• Independent Pre-Distortion VOICING for CLEAN, OD & DISTORTION
• Adjustable Level Dual-Buffered EFFECTS LOOP
• Foot Switched BOOST up to +16dB
• TRUE BYPASS
• TUNER OUT
• All-Steel Industrial Grade Enclosure
• Hand Made in California

The modes of operation of the APP-1 are:

• BOOST only
• BOOST with the dual buffered FX LOOP
• PREAMP + BOOST
• PREAMP + BOOST with the dual buffered FX LOOP
• TUNER MUTE - this silences everything except the signal to your tuner, which is plugged into the back panel of the APP-1
• TRUE BYPASS (Hardwire bypass) This also disconnects the TUNER so it won't load your guitar signal. The signal to the TUNER jack is only present in the IN mode and TUNER MUTE mode, and this signal is buffered.

By switching the FX LOOP in and out, the user can adjust any gain loss from the effects in he signal chain with the FX LOOP RTN LEVEL pot. Also when the FX RETURN jack is unplugged, the signal path is normalized, meaning the FX LOOP RTN LEVEL pot is out of the path and the path gain is equal to 1.

The BOOST circuit is post MASTER, so the level of the MASTER is always boosted proportionally up to +16dB of additional gain.