Setup and Connections

Connect a quality Boss-style 9v center-negative DC power adapter such as a OneSpot, etc. The pedal needs about 250 milliamps to do its thing and does not operate on batteries.

The high performance analog input and output circuitry in the P2 can accommodate a wide variety of signal levels and instrument configurations. While its natural placement is at the end of a pedal board, integrate it in whichever way works for you. Here are a few ideas and recommendations.

• Mono instrument to P2 to mono amp
  The P2 has a high impedance input buffer which will accept passive guitar input signals. However, most players will probably prefer a bit of gain in front of it to optimize the signal level, as this pedal does not provide any volume boost by itself.

• Mono pedalboard to P2 to mono amp
  Connect your last pedal to the P2’s first input jack and the first output jack to your amp. Despite the many extra jacks on the back, the P2 also works well as a mono effect.

• Mono pedalboard to P2 to two amps
  Connect the instrument to the first input and the two outputs to a pair of amplifiers. The left input is normalized to the right, so the direct instrument signal will be present at both amps. The P2 generates a wide, enveloping spatial effect when used with two spaced speakers. It’s not necessary for them to be perfectly matched, but using similar cabinets will produce a more convincing spatial illusion. If you experience a ground hum when using two amplifiers, an additional transformer-based isolator unit may be necessary for the best results.

• Stereo pedalboard to P2 to two amps
  Connect both left and right input and outputs. The true stereo algorithm will preserve (and enhance) the stereo image created by any other processors.

• Amp effects loop
  The P2 will work well in most mono or stereo effects loops. This method generally creates the most natural sounding ambiance since you won’t be griming it up with preamp distortion.

• Mixer effects loop
  The unit also works well as a line level send effect when mixing. Choose the appropriate blend mode as described later (probably #3).

• Modelers, cabinet simulators, computer stuff, etc.
  Placing the P2 after amp and cabinet simulators will create an effect as if reverb were added in the mix. Placing the P2 before those types of effects will replicate the sound of a close mic’d guitar amp with an effect running into it. Choose wisely!

Signal Levels

P2 is designed to work well with everything from passive instrument electronics to line level synthesizer signals. It uses 18 volt audio rails internally and has more headroom than many effects. If you do manage to overload it, the LED will flash red letting you know that you’ve gone too far and you’re getting close to clipping. The digital path has a diode clipping stage before the analog to digital converters, which helps it work pretty well even with barbaric signal levels. At this point, you might want to turn down a bit since this clipping will add considerable additional harmonic distortion to the processed signal. Some players may consider this a feature.

Buffers

The P2 is an electronically switched, buffered bypass pedal. Even when the pedal is disabled, the signal is buffered and can drive as much cable as you could possibly ever want between a pedal board and an amplifier. The input and output buffers in the P2 use high fidelity op-amps and high headroom power rails which exceed the specifications of some dedicated buffer pedals.

Blend Modes

A variety of blend modes are implemented to accommodate different setups and mixing preferences. The blending scheme uses no potentiometers or VCAs in the signal path, to ensure a long lifespan of low distortion and trouble free operation. 

There are three supported blend modes. You can advance through them by holding the footswitch down for two seconds. When you release it, the LED will flash red a number of times to tell you which mode you have entered. Hold the switch for two seconds again to advance to the next one and so on. The pedal will remember the mode you are using when you turn it off, so you should only need to use this procedure if you are changing setups or looking for new sounds.

The P2 ships from “the factory” configured with mode #2.

Blend Mode 1: Analog

• The direct instrument signal is always at unity gain and does not pass through the DSP.

• The blend knob controls the level of the processed signal.

• When the effect is bypassed, the processed signal is muted immediately. The direct signal is unaffected.

This mode is best for players who value the highest signal integrity for the direct sound of their instrument. The direct signal does not pass through the DSP, so it is never converted to digital and does not incur any additional latency. When bypassed, the signal from the DSP is cut completely, reducing the possibility of any extraneous noise making it into your signal when you are not using the effect. One disadvantage of this mode is that there is a bit of a thunk when the effect is switched.

Blend Mode 2: Analog with Tails

• The direct instrument signal is always at unity gain and does not pass through the DSP.

• The blend knob controls the level of the processed signal.

• When the effect is bypassed, the input to the DSP is muted. Any reverberant signal in the processor dies out naturally. The direct signal is unaffected.

This mode has most of the benefits of the first, but with the advantage that when the effect is switched off, any reverberant signal decays out naturally. This mode is best for players who toggle the effect often while playing. Switching is also completely silent in this mode.

Mode 3: Digital Crossfade

• The direct instrument signal passes through the DSP and is mixed with the processed signal. The analog direct path is muted.

• The blend knob controls a crossfade between the direct instrument signal and the processed signal.

• When the effect is bypassed, the input to the DSP is muted. Any reverberant signal in the processor dies out naturally. The analog direct path is restored.

This mode enables a wider range of effects, including fully-wet output. In this configuration, the direct instrument signal passes through the DSP and is mixed with the processed signal. When the blend knob is at maximum, no direct signal is present in the output at all. This is the best setting for using the pedal as an auxiliary send effect. This is also a good approach to get very distant special effect sounds. Unfortunately, switching also thunks a bit in this mode.

Controls

Step on the footswitch to engage the effect. The LED will turn green when it is on. 

The P2 models a plate reverberator comparable to those popular in recording studios of the 60s and 70s. Three sizes of the main plate element are modeled as well as the filters and amplifier circuitry around it. Plate reverberation is denser than acoustic reflections, and works well on a wide variety of sources. You will find the simple control set effortless to dial in.

Blend

This knob controls how much of the plate signal is mixed into the output, and in blend mode three, also reduces the level of the instrument signal.

Tone

This knob controls the filters in the amplifier before the plate. It is neutral at noon, dark when turned low, and bright when turned high. The control adjusts the corner frequencies of high pass and low pass filters before they feed into the amplifier section. Brighter settings can be useful for rolling off excessive low end energy in drums and other instruments.

Drive

This knob adjusts the gain of the signal going into the plate. The P2 is based on the plate models with transistor amplifiers and line input transformers. As drive is turned up, it will add third harmonic distortion, compression and general grit to the signal that is fed into the plate. Low drive settings will have much less coloration. The transformer model will produce significant additional harmonic distortion when a lot of low end energy is present.

Time

The time control faithfully replicates the behavior of the felt damper which controls the reverberation time of the plate. At low time settings, the sound is controlled and resonates evenly across the spectrum. As the time knob is increased, the plate resonates more freely and the low end reverberation becomes expansive and deep.

Size

The toggle selects one of three plates. The three options are:

• Small
  The small plate has the swiftest attack, the narrowest stereo image and some metallic coloration. It works well with aggressive guitars and percussion.
  

• Medium 
  The medium plate sounds smoother and has a wider stereo image. This size is a great “main reverb” when using the plate on a mix.
  

• Large
  The large plate has a more pronounced bloom to the reverb envelope and a very wide stereo image. This plate is great for vocals and strings.

Guarantees and Upgrades

P2 is guaranteed against manufacturing defects for the life of the pedal. Damage typically associated with a rock and roll lifestyle can usually be repaired for a nominal cost.

A micro usb port is available on the P2 to facilitate field upgrades to the pedal’s firmware. In the event that upgrades are made, either to fix defects or improve the sound, information on how to perform this upgrade will be made available on this site. Do not use the USB port for anything else.

Get in touch for any further questions.