0xEAE Boost

The 0xEAE collaboration createD an enclosure that is purpose-built for musical performance yet is also adaptable to future experimental designs and small runs. Contemporary effects pedal enclosures typically rely on die-cast boxes. Available in various semi-standard sizes, these so-called ‘project’ boxes are general enough for many things yet specific to nothing. This ubiquity of the project box stands in contrast to the history of effects pedal designs: a history rife with unique devices specifically designed for use as foot-operated switch boxes, with visual identities that remain fixed in our cultural consciousness today.



The longitudinal shape places more space between what is operated by foot and by hand, reducing the potential for stomping on the wrong thing. The sloped surfaces along the sides of the unit locate the center of gravity towards the bottom of the enclosure, and offer a homage to the ground-breaking designs of the Sola Sound Tone Benders, Fuzz Faces, and Interfax Harmonic Percolator.



The circuitry may be divided into two main blocks. First is the host circuit board—the power supply, the switching path between effected and dry signals, and the slide potentiometers which mount behind the front panel. Second is the effect board, containing the circuitry unique to each of our effects. The host board ensures reliability and consistent operation—protection from over-voltage, reverse polarity, and electrostatic discharge—along with clean, low-noise 24V power rails and high-speed, audio-grade operational amplifiers.
The effects circuit for the first model of the 0xEAE line is a misappropriation of an early 1970s phono preamplifier built around a discrete operational amplifier topology. The result is a densely textured sound in the upper register, well suited to many styles of guitar playing.



The result of this collaborative effort is an object that is, above all, maximally robust. The inherent modularity designed into all of the components ensures that the platform will continue to provide functionality for new effects designs for years to come. And, perhaps most importantly, these pedals are designed to suffer a lifetime of abuse, day after day on the road, on the stage, and in the studio.