Tape Audio launches TWO, a drive pedal with germanium and silicon circuits, a wide range of gain, and no tone controls

Tape Audio has launched its sophomore guitar effects pedal, the appropriately named TWO. It’s an overdrive-cum-distortion pedal that pairs a germanium circuit with silicon and promises a range of drive that can add preamp sparkle of nigh-on fuzz levels of saturation.

Having made its pedalboard debut with ONE, a silicon fuzz pedal with horizontal sliders controlling volume and compression, complete with a Light/Dark switch for EQ, Tape Audio has once more taken an unorthodox direction here. TWO comes strapped with a three dials to control gain and no tone controls.

But Tape Audio promises that TWO does not want for versatility, with the pedal’s controls for Pre, Gain and Master all interactive and placing a bountiful sweep of gain at the player’s feet. 

Pre controls the output of the germanium drive circuit, which is then fed into the silicon circuit which is governed under the auspices of the Gain control. Finally, Master controls overall output volume. 

Where you set those controls can make a huge difference to your tone. TWO can be used to sweeten your tone, adding a little hair to it, for layers of touch-sensitive overdrive, with a distortion that muscles in on fuzz territory at its extremes.

Cork-sniffing circuit geeks might be interested to know that under the hood they will find NOS Carbon Comp resistors, NOS Philips, Sprague, GE or similar capacitors, NOS Germanium transistor and diodes, with Switchcraft and Lumberg jacks completing the build.

Those of a more aesthetic disposition may instead choose to marvel over the machined aluminium dials and the retro hi-fi aesthetic. These things matter. Finally, there are internal trim pots to adjust bias and clipping diode level on the germanium circuit.

The Tape Audio TWO takes a 9V DC pedalboard power supply, and is available now direct, priced $199, and with the choice of black or white enclosures. See Tape Audio Co for more.