Brand

Tech 21

Tech 21 is a well-respected company in the music industry, particularly known for its innovative guitar effects and amplification products. Founded in 1989 by musician and engineer Andrew Barta, Tech 21 gained prominence with its groundbreaking product, the SansAmp.

This analogue amp emulator was revolutionary because it allowed guitarists to achieve tube amplifier-like tones without using actual tube amplifiers. The SansAmp became a staple in studios and live performances, appreciated for its ability to provide versatile tones, from clean to high-gain, all in a portable, pedal-friendly format.

Over the years, Tech 21 has expanded its product line to include various other effects pedals, rack units, and amplifiers, maintaining a strong reputation for high-quality, analog-based products.

One of the key aspects of Tech 21’s success is its commitment to analogue technology, which many musicians prefer for its warmth and responsiveness. The company’s product line includes popular pedals such as the Fly Rig series, which combines multiple effects into a compact, travel-friendly unit, and the Bass Driver DI, a favourite among bassists for its ability to enhance tone and provide DI capabilities for live and studio applications.

Tech 21’s dedication to innovation and quality has made it a favourite among professional musicians across different genres, including notable artists like Geddy Lee of Rush, who has collaborated with the company to create signature models. With a focus on both practicality and exceptional sound quality, Tech 21 continues to be a leader in the world of guitar effects and amplification.

Category

Wah & Filter Pedals

Wah effects sweep a resonant band-pass or related filter through the frequency spectrum, creating the vowel-like movement associated with the treadle. Envelope filters move automatically in response to picking level, while fixed and sequenced filters use other control sources. Sweep range, resonance, direction, sensitivity and input loading determine whether the response is vocal, percussive, smooth or sharply synthetic.

Tags

Bass

Voiced or equipped to retain low-frequency fundamentals and the higher headroom of a bass signal. Clean blends, crossovers and bass-specific filter ranges can preserve weight and articulation while the effected portion adds harmonics, movement or ambience.

Battery Powered

Can operate from an internal replaceable battery, usually with different available current and running time from an external supply. Battery chemistry, access and automatic disconnection through the input socket affect practical runtime and storage. High-current digital processing generally shortens battery life more sharply than a simple analogue circuit.

Vocal

Designed for microphone-level signals and the frequency, dynamics and feedback behaviour of the human voice. Input gain, balanced connections, phantom power and pitch tracking may be provided so effects respond correctly before the signal reaches a mixer or PA.