Looking at the KMA Machines pedal line-up, it’s hard to believe that this Berlin-based boutique pedal brand is only just a few years old. Sporting undoubtedly some of the best-looking graphics and best-sounding circuits out there, this young brand has been determined to make an impact on the scene from day one and boy has their hard work paid off!
With his heart and soul well-rooted in the classic tones of yesteryear, but with a mind firmly fixated on the present and future needs of musicians, founder Enrico Preuß has been building some of the world’s most stunning pedals since 2013. When you see them, you immediately want to pick them up. Once you hear them though, you’ll never want to let go of them again!
With the new Tyler – The Freq Splitter, SAM – Supply Aid Machine and Belfry Buffer, KMA have added three sublime units to their lineup for everybody who truly cares about their tone. Tyler’s unique dual channel signal splitting abilities gives players unprecedented creative and tonal control, allowing the use of individual effects on the high and low frequency bands. Belfry’s unique dual buffer design helps players alleviate the tone-suck that otherwise comes with running long cables on stage or by having a huge pedalboard setup, whereas SAM delivers great power possibilities for all the vintage fuzz pedal lovers out there, and for people who like to get more dynamics and clean headroom from their drive pedals.
Hand-made from start to finish and with an unwavering passion for perfection, each and every unit is designed using custom double-sided PCBs, assembled, silk-screened, tested and numbered by hand in their own workshop, all of which guarantees high-quality, while the use of a virtually indestructible powder-coated die-cast enclosure ensures maximum durability.
KMA Machines truly stands out as one of the most exciting new brands in the business. Available exclusively across Europe via Audio Distribution Group.
Tyler
The Freq Splitter
Can you hear the sounds coming from the woods? The steely strikes of an axe are echoing clearly through the forest, alongside the separated heavy thuds of chopped trees falling. It’s Tyler – a man, rough and towering, wielding his steely axe with only one aim: Splitting up your sound!
KMA Machines bring you Tyler – The Frequency Splitter. The ultimate tool for developing new sounds and pushing your creativity to new unprecedented heights.
Tyler is an active and variable two channel crossover/signal splitter, which divides your signal with HIGH PASS and LOW PASS paths. Both filters have a 12db/Oct. roll-off with a variable cut-off frequency from 20Hz to 3kHz.
Main Features:
- Two-channel signal splitter – Variable 12db/oct low-/highpass
- Separate buffered FX-Loops for each filter
- Level control – Up to14db boost of mixed signal
- Mix control – For the perfect blend of highs and lows
- Handmade in Berlin, Germany
- Powered by 9V PSU
(9V DC, centre -, 2.1mm, ~18mA current draw)
Available: Now
Each channel has its own foot-switchable buffered FX-Loop to process your lows (WOOD) or your highs (STEEL) with independent effects loops in parallel. The MIX knob controls the ratio of the Low Pass and High Pass signals. The range goes from 100% LP over to a 50/50 ratio until 100% HP when set fully clockwise. The mix control has a flat response, with equally chosen cut-off frequencies for the LP and HP to avoid notches or bumps. If required, the LEVEL control can boost your mixed signal up to 14dB.
To avoid any phase-cancellation issues when external pedals are inserted, KMA also added a phase inverter and internal trim pots to better control the impedance for not only the main input, but also for each effects-loop. This is pretty handy when you want to insert your favourite fuzz pedal and get the tone just right.
Some examples of use: Bass players want to retain their low end while using their favourite fuzz or dirt pedal. Insert your dirt box in the highpass FX-Loop and adjust the cut-off frequency of the High and Low Pass to your needs. Dial in your preferred ratio of those Low and High Pass signals, engage the STEEL footswitch and you will never turn off Tyler again! You can also insert different modulation pedals, for example insert a lush
phaser for the lows and a nice shimmering delay for the highs and TYLER will make it sound like two different guitars are playing at once. Mix up your modulation pedals with any dirt pedals, for a very pronounced and punchy sound all coming from one amp.
As you can see, Tyler is like a Swiss army knife for your tone, being both a sonic tool and a supreme source of creativity – so take your axe and let the magic happen.
Belfry Buffer
Sonic Serenity
There once was a time where all the streets were grey and dark, filled with dust, dirt and lifeless existence. Humankind was lost and slowly losing its belief in the beauty of the world. Until one day, something began to tower above the smoke-filled chimneys. Something with a serene and clear clang that steered the people out of the darkness and towards the enlightenment they had craved. Open your ears and hear the sweet chime coming from the graceful Belfry Buffer.
Main Features:
- Studio-Quality Dual Buffer – Perfectly restores your tone with zero colouration
- Supremely low Total Harmonic Distortion of 0,0007% Signal-to-noise ratio of 123dB
- Extremely small footprint – Will fit on or under any pedalboard
- Handmade in Berlin, Germany
- Powered by 9V PSU
(9V DC, centre -, 2.1mm, ~5mA current draw)
Available: Now
The Belfry Buffer is KMA Machines’ take on a high-fidelity studio-quality buffer that’ll keep your signal safe from the tone-sucking constraints of long cable-runs and epic pedalboards the size of a small spaceship. This leaves your instrument sounding as crisp, clear and natural as if it was going straight into an amp and nothing else.
Belfry Buffer sports a unique multi-path design with two buffers running in parallel in order to greatly reduce noise (123dB signal-to-noise ratio and a mind-bogglingly low Total Harmonic Distortion rating of 0,0007%) and to push the output stage for a supremely free-flowing signal.
The Belfry’s high 1Meg input impedance ensures that even pedals with a high output impedance can be used before it without any issues, while the low 200Ohm output impedance will guarantee a full frequency spectrum, independent from what’s coming after the Belfry.
Hence you won’t experience any tone colouration such as the dreaded over-pronounced and shrill highs, which can be typical for many lower quality buffers. With the Belfry, you will simply sound like you again. Nothing less, nothing more.
Powered by a standard 9V DC power supply, the Belfry internally converts this to 18V for massively increased headroom. This helps you preserve your precious core signal and consequently tone, including all the sparkling highs and that nice round and punchy low-end.
In addition, Belfry sports a super-small housing in order for it to fit on or even under your pedalboard without any problems.
So, plug in to the Belfry Buffer and hear your tone ring out as clear as a bell again.
SAM – Supply Aid Machine
Packed With Power
BREAKING NEWS: Comprehensive investigations have revealed a new top secret machine that will solve your power supply problems with extremely smart features. SAM, short for Supply Aid Machine, is small but effective at reviving your vintage fx units and supplying your pedal of choice with more juice.
Just feed SAM a standard 9V or 12V DC outlet (negative-centre pin) from your power supply unit, or a standard power adapter and it will give you one power output with -9V DC and one with 18V DC. Each output delivers up to 100mA, enough to feed several pedals via a daisy chain.
Main Features:
- Ultra-compact high-efficient power supply extension
- Three regulated DC outputs (9/12V, -9V, 18V)
- -9V and 18V each deliver an output current of up to 100mA
- Handmade in Berlin, Germany
- Powered by 9-12V PSU
(9-12V DC, centre -, 2.1mm)
Available: Now
By using the 18V DC output, SAM will breathe new life into your favourite drive and distortion pedals capable of handling increased voltages, by greatly improving their dynamics and headroom.
KMA Machines simply love old fuzz boxes and know all about the – 9V DC power supply problem that can plague some old designs. Hence KMA felt obligated to solve that with SAM by giving you the possibility to put your vintage fuzz pedal on your board without using an extra power adapter. It will avoid error sources and you can get rid of batteries. Win Win!
There’s no need to be afraid of sacrificing one of the 9V or 12V DC outlets on your power supply either. SAM provides an output which will link through the 9/12V input from your PSU, so you can keep supplying standard power as well.
So as you can see, SAM is an all-in-one solution to improve your power supply system on the fly. Small – Smart – SAM.
Authorised ADG dealers can visit the ADG Hub dealer portal for additional information, product pictures, webtexts etc.
Audio Distribution Group is proud to be the worldwide exclusive distributor for KMA Machines.