Faded Twin
The Twin is a dual gain stage drive pedal.
It’s built around two boost circuits, with the option to run them in series or in parallel.
The Faded Twin
I designed the original Twin Boost when I was on paternity leave with my twins. Since then I’ve spent a lot of time refining the components and evolving the idea.
The Faded Twin is a more accessible version of that. It’s simpler to dial in, with:
Two knobs, a volume for each of the two internal boost circuits
One toggle, switching between series and parallel
Series
In series, Boost 1 runs into Boost 2. Boost 1 controls how much gain you’re feeding into the circuit, and Boost 2 controls the overall level and how much it starts to break up.
As you push Boost 1, you’re effectively driving Boost 2 harder. That’s where it starts to take on more saturation and compression.
The Two Boosts
The two circuits are voiced slightly differently. Boost 1 is first in the signal chain. It’s cleaner, and mostly stays clean unless you’re hitting it with really hot pickups. It’s also quite loud.
Boost 2 sits second and has more of a bias driven, gritty character.
Because of that, when Boost 1 is pushed into Boost 2, it can start to break up in a way that’s closer to a fuzz response. Vintage two transistor fuzzes often shape their character around that second stage, and you can get some of that same gated or spitty edge here if you push it.
Parallel
With the toggle the other way, the two boosts run in parallel. This lets you keep the clarity, top end, and attack from Boost 1, while blending in the grit, compression, and character from Boost 2.
That works well for rhythm parts where you want something that cuts through but still has a bit of weight behind it.
It’s also useful running into another gain stage, something more compressed, where you want to keep the clean attack but still bring in some texture.
In Use
The Twin works well as a lift for a solo sound, either staying fairly clean or bringing in some of that bias driven texture.
It also works well pushing into another overdrive or into an already driven amp. You can treat it like an extra gain stage, but with a bit more control over how that gain feels.
Faded Finish
Like the Embers, this comes in the Faded finish.
A burst of spray from the lower edge that fades upward, designed to wear over time and pick up its own character with use.