Apex 808 Overdrive
Designed by Tubescreamer creator Susumu Tamura, the Apex 808 was developed after meticulous analysis of over 100 vintage and current production Tubescreamer/808 variants over a period of 3 years.
During this study it was determined that the best sounding TS specimens all featured not only a specific brand of IC, but also that the IC in question was from a specific production period.
This IC was subsequently sourced by Mr. Tamura and incorporated into the design of the Apex 808.
The use of this “hen’s tooth” IC has a dramatic effect on the sound characteristics of the Apex 808, generating a transparency, clarity and note-to-note separation so uncanny that it makes other drives sound as if they are being played with a blanket over the speaker.
There is also an additional low-end punch that is not normally present in the traditionally mid-heavy 808 circuit.
The Apex 808’s hand-selected IC offers the added benefit of changing the overtone components of the signal based on input level.
At low levels, the Apex 808 generates primarily even-order harmonics. When the input level is increased, the Apex 808 generates a blend of even and odd-order harmonics, creating an overtone series that imitates the preamp and power sections of a tube amp with remarkable accuracy.
The Apex 808 allows the user to capture the sounds and feel of the best vintage Tubescreamer without having to play thru or pay thousands to do so.
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