Cleanless

First thing you'll notice is the custom 3D-printed knobs courtesy of my pal Nic at Emptyhead effects. 

Let's go over the mods to the original Boss pedal. I added a dedicated mids control. So not only can it do the classic mid-scooped thing, but bringing in the focused mid-range frequencies makes this a much more present, modern and amp-like distortion pedal. While researching the HM-2, I learnt that when it was released in 1983, it was the first compact pedal to include a powerful active gyrator tonestack that was only ever seen in recording consoles before! A little turn goes a long way! 

I love how this pedal turned out. It is WAY more versatile than you might expect. It has amazing lower and medium gain tones. Very dynamic and tube amp-like. Complex emo chords are articulate. But also makes an amazing grunge/nu-grunge and shoegaze/nu-gaze distortion. Fittingly, the name is a play on the album Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. Guitarist Bilinda Butcher is a long-time HM-2 user. 

I also added a parallel clean blend to mix in some of your original direct signal. This can preserve your attack for bass players and low-tuned instruments. Or just add some sparkle to your distorted guitar tone. The clean circuit is boosted SLIGHTLY from your direct level otherwise it would be too quiet compared to the distortion circuit. It is a transparent boost though so it doesn't change your direct tone, just adds a little more volume. 

The switch labelled C stands for clipping. Up position is the stock HM-2 sound. Down position is our modded clipping mode. It switches the clipping diodes in two differenct locations of the circuit. Both in the drive stage and in the crossover clipping section.Our custom mode is more open and dynamic sounding. And a bit louder too! Perfect for complex chords.

On the left side of the pedal we have an indepenedent boost section. It is a fairly transparent full-frequency JFET boost circuit. It is located after the HM-2 in the pedal order. This way it can boost the volume of the HM-2 which some people complain could use a little more output. I like to use it to boost the level and harmonics for leads. It can also be used on it's own to push your amp harder without using the HM-2 side. And with the boost circuit's flat full-frequency response, it can handle all the frequencies that a bass puts out, making it an ideal bass boost.

Details:

• 9V standard supply only
• Draws less than 100mA
• All analog-circuitry with true-bypass
• Relay-based footswitches are quiet and last way longer than the clicky ones
• Made to order with love

Demos:

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