Tone Makers
Carl Martin effects innovator reveals how the brand is taking its “analogue sound machines” forward in the era of digital modelling…
1
What was the first pedal you built and how did the design come about? “The first one was the Hot Drive’n Boost [released in 1993]. It’s become a bit of a classic now. It came about by coincidence. Our company [East Sound Research; Søren is CEO] was playing around with all sorts of gear in our studio workshop – noise gates, speakers, amplifiers, you name it. We were learning by doing and through that came our first pedal. The idea was to use LEDs to make the sound more tube-like, and we were looking at different chips and high- and low-cut filters. We were experimenting with noise gates when we suddenly found a really open and transparent sound. We’ve since used that as the basis for designing other pedals.”
2
What’s your best-selling pedal and why do you think that is? “The single-[channel] PlexiTone. The Octa-Switch is also extremely popular. Every pedal has its time. Years ago, it was the Carl Martin Compressor-Limiter.”
3
Which notable players have used Carl Martin pedals? “Johnny Marr [Headroom, CompressorLimiter, PlexiTone, Hot Drive’n Boost MK3]; Greg Howe [PlexiTone, Headroom, 2Wah, Chorus XII, EchoTone]; Brian Ray from Paul McCartney’s band [Compressor-Limiter, Contour’n Boost, Purple Moon]; and Joe Bonamassa [Hot Drive’n Boost MKII and MK3 and Chorus XII]…”
4
Is there anything new on the horizon at Carl Martin? “We’re currently working on a tube preamp DI as an alternative to digital modelling for people that want to keep their signal pure and not spend time running through menus. It’s called the Ampster. It’s all-analogue and has a speaker simulator with open/closed cab and voicing options. We’re also working on a new pedal called the PlexiRanger. The idea came from treble boosters. You can enhance certain frequencies and get it sounding really sweet, along with that well-known PlexiTone sound.”
5
Which new pedals triggers your GAS the most? “Not to sound arrogant, but I tend to focus more on what we’re doing. The bottom line is: how many different coloured Tube Screamers do you really need? My main focus right now is to give people a solid alternative to digital modelling with the Ampster.”
6
What’s your favourite vintage pedal and why? “The Tube Screamer. But I’ve only recently realised why they’re so popular! It really helps with a Fender amp having so much top- and low-end, and it fattens up the sound of a Strat bridge pickup with a lower-mid emphasis. It was also a great alternative to a using a Marshall amp with a treble booster. The same thinking was behind it.”
7
What’s your best tone tip? “Your sound needs to sit right in the mix and that’s all about the midrange. Find your place. Don’t fight with the bass and kick drum. You need to find the right spot. There are two products that can help with that: compressors and EQs. They may not be the sexiest pedals, but compressors can help you kick out of the speaker, and I think people are missing out by not using an EQ to really dial in their tone.”
8
Name some common mistakes guitarists make with effects… “Not trying out effects in the right context. Always try out new pedals with your own equipment. Take it to the shop. It can be completely different when you’re using another amp and guitar.”
9
If you had a three-pedal desert island pedalboard, what would be on it and why? “The Carl Martin Compressor-Limiter, a PlexiTone and a Hot Drive’n Boost MK3, which is a little bit like a Tube Screamer. Stacking those, you have the typical Marshall thing going on, along with a Tube Screamer-style mid boost. You get multiple levels of gain, and with the Compressor-Limiter you get more sustain… If you added in the AC-Tone you could get most classic guitar sounds.”
10
What problems have effects designers yet to crack? “Nowadays, things are so good I don’t see what could be done very differently. There are different flavours, of course, but in technical terms, I don’t think there are many problems. Maybe some pedals could have more depth in the sound with more headroom [ie, voltage], but we don’t really tend to have that issue because we design our pedals differently.
“One of our priorities is having a threedimensional sound – pedals that are really open and transparent-sounding. They don’t cover up anything. You can really hear your playing. They won’t make you sound like a better player than you actually are. A high-quality product will do that – you’ll need to be a good player to actually sound like one!” https://carlmartin.com