EarthQuaker Devices Palisades

www.earthquakerdevices.com The Palisades is something we said we would never do… an overdrive based on the legendary TS808! Gasp! The horror! Another tubes creamer?? In 2014?? Really?? After loads of requests we finally buckled. We ran tests with every popular clone on the market as well as several vintage originals, compared, contrasted and took loads of notes. It was exhausting but informative. In the end, we threw it all away, used our ears and came up with what we feel is the most versatile relative of the 808 available today.
With 6 different clipping voices, 5 bandwidth settings and 2 gain channels you will be hard-pressed to not find a setting that will wipe every mid-boosting overdrive off your board. The clipping voices determine how transparent and open or tight and crunchy the distortion is. They will vary drastically depending on where the gain is set, what channel is active and how much bandwidth is being used. The bandwidth sets the frequency response of the distortion and goes from thin, light and clean through fat heavy and crunchy. It may very well be the single most important control the palisades has and what really sets it apart.
Gain A is a lower gain channel with a wider range of grit that is great for strumming open chords. Gain B is a higher gain channel with a tighter range that is great for palm muting and/or shredding solos. The Palisades also has a foot switchable volume boost with adjustable level to take it over the top when you want to throw your foot up on the monitor and rip your sweet leads… or maybe just push the front end of you amp a little harder. Not enough? How about a normal/bright switch to mix and match the overall tone to different amps and guitars. Still not enough? OK then, how about a buffer on/off switch to tighten up the tone and make it sparkle when set to “ON” or warm it up and make it sag when set to “OFF”.
The Palisades is a versatile dude that will give you years of loving companionship. Each Palisades is hand made one at a time in the tiny tree house community of Akron, Ohio.
Controls
Boost: Sets the level of the output boost.
Volume: Sets the output level.
Tone: Brighter clockwise, warmer counter clockwise.
Gain A: Sets the gain for the Channel A (lower gain)
Gain B: Sets the gain for Channel B (higher gain)
Foot Switches
Activate: True bypass switch
Gain B: Activates Gain Channel B
Boost: Activates the output level boost
Toggle Switches
Normal/Bright: Normal is a warm full tone, Bright is livelier tone with more chime.
Buffer: Turns the input buffer on or off. ON is a tighter and brighter tone while OFF is a warmer tone with more sag. The buffer is part of the drive circuit & is only available when the Palisades is activated.
Rotary Switches
Bandwidth: This sets the overall tone and gain structure of the Palisades. 1 is the thinnest setting with the least amount of gain and 5 is the fattest setting with the heaviest gain. Everything else is in between. This control has a major effect on all the settings of the Palisades, especially the gain and voice controls.
Voice: This sets the nature of the Palisades distortion by changing the clipping diodes. 1- No diodes: The most open and least distorted. 2- LED clipping: light clipping with a lot of volume. 3- Mosfet clipping: light gain OD with great harmonics. 4- Asymmetrical Silicon clipping: Tighter light gain OD closest to stock 808. 5- Symmetrical silicon clipping: tighter distorted tone. 6- Schottky Diode clipping: Looser fuzzy tone.
Measures
5.5″ x 4.5″ x 2.5″ with knobs.
Power
A standard 9volt DC power supply intended for musical instruments with a negative center 2.1mm barrel.
NOTE: The first 400 Palisades say 9-18v. Some things changed between the prototype and production phase that no longer allow the palisades to operate correctly at 18v. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. In all honesty, it sounds way better at 9v than 18v anyhow.

[@leehenderson8132]

Oh yes my favorite box on the board.Super musical and flexible. LOVE IT.

[@AllanGildea]

The usual feast of sonic goodies and the some of coolest playing you can find. Superb.

[@popintothechemist]

Allan Gildea Thanks so much!

[@nbst1964]

One of my gear set-up I don't wanna miss. Best introduction and presentation here for (my part and) this fairy sound inspirator : EQ Palisades v2 👍🏼 Proud here.

[@bretthuhn8666]

Well, that will clear off 3 pedals for one. That deserves its large footprint, me thinks ...

[@thealeons3179]

Sickola bra man. Especially your chops, but the pedal too. I get mine in a couple days. Totally stoked

[@wilrennehan3205]

Well I'm sold !!! Was going to get the Plumes but this is way more versatile and looks so damn cool .. Thanks for the great demo Mike !!!.. you now owe me $300 .. lol

[@veerchasm1]

Great pedal just bought a used one

[@douglasmachado6579]

It could have a mini-toggle to switch booster/gain order, like keeley D&M. It would be perfect.

[@tattotoro]

can you have the Gain B a side from the Activate button? or you gotta press it first to get the Gain B?

[@GuitarforHISGlory]

B is only accessed if the pedal is first activated.

[@tattotoro]

+Troy Trahan (guitarforHisglory) thanks!

[@GuitarforHISGlory]

No problem, brother!

[@elijahdelp2893]

Hey Troy, i'm subbed to you! Would you suggest this over the Double Barrel?

[@jordandangelo180]

@@elijahdelp2893 I know I’m not Troy or anyone from a channel but I have owned both. I would say this pedal a lot more options and is more of a Tube Screamer with lots of ways to change the tone and amount of saturation, clipping, bandwidth, etc...The Double Barrel I really liked a lot and it had a very natural sounding overdrive and would give a really good amount of gain without going overboard. It had great sustain but a clean signal blend which I think is one of the best features a pedal could have. You can stack the Double Barrel and switch the order of which side goes into which, the Palisades is either Gain A or B and you could add the Boost. I wish I kept both. I know the Palisades doesn’t get a ton of love but I found it to really work well and have killer tones and sustain. But, if I had to compare I would say they are pretty much completely different. I also owned the Sweet Tea but preferred the Double Barrel.

[@max99185]

Great demo! This or the JHS Double Barrel? Whats your opinion?

[@katjacox6567]

I would recommend this one.

[@max99185]

+Katja Cox Awesome thanks! I think my girlfriend is going to buy this one for me! She has a glorious balcony.

[@katjacox6567]

She likes sharing interesting conversations and son.

[@Gruntle]

Vohbs I would like to see her balcony, please

[@TheSpoonwood]

sounds much better than my tube screamer .... tho it's TS9 not TS808.

[@popintothechemist]

David Gennaro It's a killer pedal. So fun to dial in your preferred tone

[@Tone2town]

Mike Hermans How does it compare to ---- The Distillery?

[@guitarpedaldemos9121]

I love my TS9. Though this sounds good too, but I think that has alot to do with Mikes awesome playing.

[@petertify]

Mike, Ihave watched a lot of your videos. you totally rock man! are you in a band? if so whats it called? play out anywhere? I would pay money to see you playing out.