Everybody loves a good solo project.
The London-based Audio Kitchen produces amplifiers and pedals for the players – technically unique and tonally outstanding. Their one-of-a-kind handcrafted devices bring in musicians, producers, and engineers from far and wide into the Audio Kitchen world to see the next big innovation – one of these big innovations, however, is notably small.
So Fresh and So Clean
The Small Trees is an all valve, Class A clean boost pedal. If you are in-the-know with the tones of Audio Kitchen’s The Big Trees, The Small Trees may sound familiar, but it is anything but an offshoot. Audio Kitchen's The Big Trees is a pedal-shaped amplifier and preamp with a clean boost function, a truly unique device on its own. The original device by Audio Kitchen received such popularity and acclaim for its clean boost function that the team decided to give it its own standalone device, and that Class A clean boost is now available in the pedal you see before you.
Far from your traditional boost pedal, The Small Trees makes boost into a game all its own. Audio Kitchen's unique clean boost is provided by a single ECC82 tube housed within the pedal-sized casing. What makes The Small Trees unique is its all valve, all analog design which produces a clean boost that is tough to match with other boost pedals. Much more than a bump in volume, the unique tonal lift provided by The Small Trees is room-filling with form and clarity that takes on a life of its own while keeping your unique cleans intact and center-stage. The Small Trees is sensitive and responsive while making a clean tone glow with fullness and form or gently pushing an amplifier teetering on the edge of breakup.
Along with producing its own unique character, The Small Trees can be used in several other ways. The firm grip that The Small Trees has on a clean signal can be repurposed and utilized as a volume control. If you’ve hit the perfect spot in the balance of signal input and tonal output, The Small Trees can act as a great mediator to keep every aspect of your signal together when you have to adjust volume. The accurate and responsive control knob makes hitting a tonal sweet spot easy when playing alone or on a stage. In the studio, The Small Trees clean boost can be a heaven-sent when recording a guitar direct out along with basses and synthesizers.
Audio Kitchen The Small Trees Final Thoughts
Audio Kitchen’s world-renowned reputation exists for good reason, and The Small Trees is an excellent example of why – all the volume boost and tonal clarity you could ask for in a simple, pedalboard-friendly package. The Small Trees checks boxes on any player’s “to-do” list for any clean signal job required and performs time after time. Effect aficionados and studio engineers alike are sure to find a spot in their setup for The Small Trees to lay its roots. It is a device that already sounds like a classic.
Everyone loves to give their amps that special something. Check out The Small Trees and see why they say cleanliness is next to godliness.
Also, take a look at the Audio Kitchen Brand Spotlight, The Big Trees Review & Fake Plastic Trees Review.
