Orange Two Stroke Boost EQ Pedal

The Two Stroke’s Oil knob controls the level of clean boost by up to 12dB – plenty to saturate your amp’s front end. What’s more, the pedal’s internal charge pump means the gain is genuinely clean. On many other pedals of this type, ‘unity gain’ is normally found at between 9-12 o’clock on the output level control, meaning much of the travel of the pot is actually wasted. Unity gain on the Two Stroke is at the Oil control’s minimum setting, allowing for more control across its range. If you just want to hear the effect of the pedal’s EQ, set the Oil to zero. Simple.

 

Parametric EQ has many advantages over a traditional tone stack, or even a graphic equaliser. With no pre-defined frequencies, parametric allows for seamless control over your tone without complex sliders that can actually limit tonal flexibility and sound over-dramatic and unnatural. The Two Stroke features dual independent parametric bands, Hi (850Hz – 8.2kHz) and Lo (120Hz – 1.2kHz), which cover a wide and usable range. Each band has a finely tuned Q curve along with up to 18dB of cut or boost, meaning the Two Stroke is capable of shaping an infinite number of sounds with a smoothness that is lacking in most graphic EQs. With the Hi and Lo controls set to noon, the frequency response is totally neutral when all you need is a completely transparent boost.

 

Like all Orange pedals, the Two Stoke features an internal charge pump which doubles the operating voltage to 18V. This has the effect of drastically increasing the headroom of the pedal whilst lowering the noise floor of the EQ. The result: the cleans are clearer and the tone circuit is significantly quieter than a regular 9V pedal. Plus it’ll take a hot signal without floundering, meaning the Two Stroke stacks really well with overdrive and distortion pedals. The Two Stroke can be powered by 9V battery or standard DC adapter, or for even more output can also run on 12V DC.

 

Whilst ‘true bypass’ switching is well intentioned, many players are now realising the importance of a high quality buffer in their signal chain in order to maintain tonal integrity. The Two Stroke’s buffered bypass takes care of this with its ultra-linear, low impedance buffered bypass switching, retaining your guitar’s upper harmonic content even with long cable runs and large pedal boards. It also eliminates the problem of switching ‘thump’ common to true-bypass pedals, so you can step on the Two Stroke with confidence.