NECRONOMICON GATE MKI
(*PRE-ORDERS TAKE ONE TO TWO WEEKS BUT CAN TAKE UP TO FOUR)
Every BLACKHAWK pedal is made by hand for YOU.
Let the THE NECRONOMICON GATE be the only thing standing between you and the unbridled hordes of chaos and disorder.
THE NECRONOMICON is a BLACK GATE (OF MORDOR), OUROBOROS COMPRESSOR and true bypass loop switcher to harness all your dirt effects with brutal attack and endless sustain, all at once.
(Now in a more compact 1590BB size with "soft touch" switching)
Do you want your attack to be vicious?
Do you want palm mutes to punch you in the gut?
Do you like virtually endless sustain?
Do you want one of those magical "always on" pedals that you feel like there's something missing if you have to play a rig without one?
The concept is simple: suppress noise, feedback and hum while sacrificing as little tone, pick attack or sustain as possible.
From an engineering standpoint, easier said than done, especially when the most common IC chip to make this happen has been discontinued. Luckily I've found an alternative that works equally well and (for now) is available. I'll be buying up about 100 of these chips I've found as soon as possible and after that, who knows?
The OUROBOROS uses an envelope follower to trigger an LM13700 OTA voltage controlled amplifier. This produces compression which is so much more than simply making quiet and loud things the same volume. That effect is an extreme form of compression referred to as "limiting". Limiting is useful in a studio but less so before a guitar amp (in my opinion).
While not playing, an OTA in the dynacomp circuit is running at max gain, producing its maximum amount of output noise.
Using a "feedforward" as opposed to "feedback" approach (being triggered directly from the input instead of after the effect) The OTA is in the loop of an OPAMP is how the OUROBOROS works; the OTA acts like a current-controlled feedback resistor.
The way the Ross/dynacomp (same deign with some value changes) and clones of these (which is all most guitarists have ever tried) were designed, they made sure they let you know the pedal is on by changing the tone.
A good compressor should be almost totally transparent. It’s about not what it does to the tone but to the dynamics and feel.
The C (Compression) knob is a "ratio" control which essentially works like a clean blend.
The R (Release) sets how long before the volume fades.
The internal trim pots are:
•Threshold (how much signal it takes to trigger the compression envelope)
•Attack (how fast/slow the volume comes in)
•Volume (also known as "make up gain")
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Guitar goes to the input which triggers the gate.
It’s then buffered into the OUROBOROS COMPRESSOR and then to the send of the loop which you put all your dirt effects.
The return of loop is effected by the BLACK GATE and goes to the output which goes to either mod/ambiance pedals etc then amp or into the effects return of your amp.
NECRONOMICON GATE comes in the blacked out “None More Black” (NMB) version, the black/metal krackle with black switches, LED bezels and blacked out etching (like the NMB) and a limited color Krackle blacked out.
INSTRUCTIONS:
The setup might seem complicated at first but once it clicks you'll get it down:
Plug your guitar directly into the input (tuner first is fine) and then put anything you'd normally put in front of an amp (or the preamp itself) in the DIRT FX LOOP and then to either your amp input if you use it as a pedal platform or into the FX return if you use amp gain.
Let me clarify:
You will put compression, wah, fuzz, distortion, overdrive, boosts or anything else you like before your gain INSIDE THE DIRT LOOP.
(We will call all of these "dirt" pedals to simplify things in the instructions)
•If you run all pedals into the front of a clean, pedal platform amp:
1) FROM the (>TO AMP INPUT) jack of the BLACK GATE >
TO the first pedal your "dirt" pedal chain>
2) FROM the output of the last pedal of your "dirt" pedal chain >
TO the (
3) FROM the (>TO FX RETURN) jack of the BLACK GATE into your modulation and ambience pedals (chorus, delay, reverb etc.) >
TO the input of your AMP.
•If you use a high gain amp:
1) FROM the (>TO AMP INPUT) jack of the BLACK GATE >
TO the first pedal your "dirt" pedal chain
2) FROM the output of the last pedal of your "dirt" pedal chain >
TO your amp/preamp input
3) FROM the SEND of your amp's FX LOOP >
4) FROM the (>TO FX RETURN) jack of the BLACK GATE >
•If you use modulation/delay/reverb and a high gain amp Follow the previous instructions only FROM the (>TO FX RETURN) of the BLACK GATE >
FROM modulation/delay/reverb pedals >
(Don't worry, I'll draw a diagram and post it in the photos and make a short video explaining the connections) The external knob controls the threshold. This sets the point at which the gate kicks in and how much gating there is. •There are two pots inside for trim and bias. These will be set before hand. If you do decide to tweak this, take a close up, hi-res photo first!! ////////////////////////////////////// Three knobs on the NECRONOMICON
Foot switches, RIGHT to LEFT:
External toggle is for the "ground lift". This is to be used in the "4 cable method" of running the NECRONOMICON in the loop of an amp to prevent an amp ground loop. All BLACKHAWK pedals and preamps are true bypass and standard “one spot style” 9v, Negative tip, 2.1mm barrel. CURRENT DRAW 100ma to 150ma (but less than 200ma)
TO the (
TO the RETURN of the AMP FX LOOP
TO your modulation/delay/reverb pedals and then
TO the RETURN of your amp's FX LOOP
left to right:
Threshold (gate)
Decay (compressor)
Compression
•Gate
•Compression
