Earthquaker ZEQD-Pre Valve Preamp w/ Cab Simulator Pedal

The EarthQuaker Devices ZEQD-Pre™ is an all-analog tube preamp built in collaboration with Dr. Z Amplification, pairing EarthQuaker's pedal design with Dr. Z's tube amp know-how. At its core sits an EF86 pentode, the tube behind many Dr. Z amps' clean, hi-fi voice. A passive three-band EQ, onboard analog cabinet simulation, a headphone output and a balanced XLR out turn it into a complete amp system that sits on your pedalboard, ready for practice, recording or the stage.

The EF86 is a pentode with four internal elements plus cathode, against the two of a common 12AX7 triode. That structure delivers a gain factor of 185 and 44V RMS output, with extended frequency response. In practice, it tracks your touch: play lighter and it cleans up, dig in and it blooms. The passive EQ covers bass from 20Hz to 400Hz, middle from 400Hz to 2kHz and treble from 2kHz to 20kHz, while a footswitchable Boost bypasses the tones for a full-range lift.

Every output runs simultaneously, even with the pedal bypassed. Feed an amp, send a balanced XLR line to front-of-house or an interface, and monitor through headphones, all at once. Flip the Cab Bypass switch to send a pure signal from the XLR output to an IR loader or modelling software, and engage the ground lift if needed. It suits direct recording, backline-free gigs and hybrid rigs. Mind the Boost level, as it is very loud through headphones or XLR.

Features

• EF86 pentode tube with gain factor of 185 and 44V RMS output
• Passive three-band EQ behaves like a classic tube amp tone stack
• Bass 20Hz–400Hz, middle 400Hz–2kHz, treble 2kHz–20kHz sweep ranges
• Balanced XLR direct output with onboard analog cabinet simulation
• Cab Sim Bypass switch sends a pure signal to IR loaders
• TRS stereo ¼-inch headphone output with analog cabinet simulation
• Boost footswitch bypasses tone controls, with its own Boost level knob
• Ground lift switch on XLR output; all outputs stay active when bypassed