Black Clouds and a Blizzard of Brutal Tones
A high-gain storm is surely brewing: DSM Humboldt’s Black Clouds was designed to be the ultimate high-gain distortion pedal, packed to the brim with versatile EQ and boost options. The core of this 2-piece pedal is the ultra-high-gain distortion section — featuring three flexible modes and a full 3-band EQ — that unlocks an endless assortment of metal-tinged possibilities, from brutal breakdowns to tones that dive down to the depths of djent-y mayhem. Moreover, the Black Clouds also boasts a secondary footswitch to access this pedal’s powerful Master Boost section, with up to 20dB of gain available even when bypassing the distortion side. Best of all, the mighty 3-way X-Gate switch enables the Black Clouds’ built-in noise gate for squeal-free tones on even the most saturated settings. Add in the flexible Pre-preamp Boost and Tone controls, and the DSM Humboldt Black Clouds represents a crushing evolution in the world of high-gain guitar pedals!
Related Videos: Black Clouds High-gain Distortion and Boost Pedal
Clean up your sound with the X-Gate
Black Clouds is an unapologetically high-gain piece of kit; of course, where there is gain, there is often unwanted noise. Thankfully, DSM Humboldt built a noise gate straight into the Black Clouds with a 3-way switch that toggles three settings: Off, Both, and Boost. Sweetwater’s more metal-inclined guitarists love how fast and tight this gate’s response is, and it’s also simple to use. Switch over to your preferred setting and start chugging — no knob-twiddling required.
A trio of modes to choose from
To accommodate everyone from classic guitar-into-amp players to modern modeling maestros, the Black Clouds boasts three different modes of operation.
- Normal: The simplest of the Black Clouds’ modes, this setting is ideal for guitarists utilizing a traditional amplifier setup.
- Preamp: This mode is fine-tuned by DSM Humboldt to excel with guitarists running into IRs, power amps, or digital modeling systems. It sports a sharper, brighter tone to cut through any mix.
- Mid Boost: Sometimes, your lead tones just need a little extra girth. Mid Boost cranks up your signal’s midrange for a fuller, meatier feel.
DSM Humboldt Black Clouds Distortion and Boost Pedal Features:
- The ultimate high-gain lead guitar pedal, with a plethora of additional EQ and boost options
- 3 different modes of operation to adapt to a wide variety of configurations: Normal, Preamp, and Mid Boost
- Built-in X-Gate noise gate keeps your signal clean and clear when you’re not playing
- Full 3-band EQ to sculpt every facet of your sound
- Exceptionally broad range of gain on tap, from a slightly boosted sound to brutal djent tones
- Master Boost gives you up to 20dB of clean boost that can be added to your signal even when the pedal is disengaged
- Pre Tone control allows you to quickly achieve a consistent response across drastically different pickup configurations
- Pre Boost adds up to 30dB of gain before the preamp circuit while simultaneously enhancing your definition and midrange response
