FTelettronica Instrument Voicing Preamplifier FX Pedal

If you’re like me, you probably first heard of the Instrument Voicing Preamplifier as a key part in Steve Albini’s cutting razor-sharp tone. And of course, the FTElettronica version can do just that. However, with such an extensive control set-up it can do so much more.

Outside of a dedicated graphic equaliser pedal, this is about as flexible and comprehensive as a pedal EQ is likely to get. The markings showing the frequency make it really easy to cut and boost with accuracy, so if you want those harsh noise rock tones you can find them with ease, but equally if you want something warmer and thicker then that’s just a quick twist of a dial away.

Of course this is unrepentantly solid state, so it’s never going to give the sort of warmth you might find from your favourite tube amp, but that’s not what this pedal is about.

Both the clean and the ‘tube’ sounds are fantastic in their own ways, and with separate volumes/gain for them both it’s really easy to set things up with unity gain between them both, or use them to boost and cut the volume.

Having two fx loops (one pre and one post the preamp), plus pre-gain, line/instrument switches and master volume all add to the flexibility and means it could effectively be the centrepiece of an entire pedalboard.

It also seems equally at home acting as a replacement amp for a direct to interface recording solution as it is for preamp/eq/distortion for an existing amp.

As far as I know this is the most complete replica of the IVP available in pedal form, and if you’re after what it can do very little else comes close.