The Sovereign Sound of Vintage British Amplification — on Your Pedalboard!
Tone King’s venerable Royalist MKIII now fits on your pedalboard in the form of the Royalist Peamp pedal. This all-tube preamp pedal boasts a trio of 12AX7 tubes, delivering boutique-amp-quality tone complete with dynamic punch, touch sensitivity, and harmonic bloom. The Royalist is equipped with two independent channels, each with its own distinct tone stack and featuring three British-style tube-amp voicings from the 1960s and early 1970s. Each channel also boasts its own Fat switch for beefed-up bass response and Ironman-style Attenuator for whisper-quiet true tube saturation. Moreover, the internal phase inverter faithfully emulates the power section of Tone King Royalist MKIII, projecting true tube tone as you crank the volume. Additionally, the Royalist packs 128 MIDI-switchable presets, expanded editing parameters, IR control via the Synergy-powered Tone King Editor, and so much more. Lastly, the Royalist's expanded I/O section — considered a hallmark feature by many guitarists here at Sweetwater — contains dual XLR outs, a stereo series effects loop, a headphone jack, MIDI in, and USB-C to access the editor. From direct-to-desk tube tone to seamless rig integration, the Royalist Preamp delivers authentic, tube-fueled British rock ’n’ roll attitude whenever, wherever.
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Two distinct tone stacks with cranked tube power
The identical channels of the Tone King Royalist Preamp offer control over slightly differing tone stacks, each based on era-correct capacitor and resistor values. Channel 1 replicates one of the earliest British EQ circuits, delivering a warm, smooth response with enhanced articulation. Channel 2 features an iconic British lead flavor with a more mid-focused attack. For true tube saturation and even more natural distortion, the per-channel Ironman Attenuator behaves similarly to a master volume for achieving that classic full-powered stack sound.
A trio of classic British-style tube amp voicings
As a throwback to legendary British tube amps of yore, the Tone King Royalist Preamp features a straightforward 2-channel design with a versatile 3-band EQ. It’s a simple, intuitive setup that any British amplifier fanatic will be familiar with; however, the Tone King Royalist Preamp ups the ante with Fat switches located near each channel’s volume knob. By activating the Fat switch for each channel, you can modify the Royalist Preamp’s feel with enhanced bass frequencies on the first gain stage — perfect for massive-sounding cleans or a thicker overdriven tone. You also get a pair of channel-specific 3-way voicing switches that capture a trio of preamp, negative feedback, and tone stack voicings inspired by Britain’s most iconic tube amps:
- 1964: This setting captures the vibe of the amp that broke the British blues sound in the early 1960s, providing a medium level of gain, balanced trebles, and a slightly less aggressive tone overall.
- 1967: The sound of the rock revolution, 1967 unlocks a raw, aggressive bite with plenty of gain on tap.
- 1970: Lastly, 1970 grants you the highest level of gain, all but guaranteed to result in particularly super-sounding leads.
Synergy-powered Tone King Editor
The built-in low-latency IR and power amp simulation engine features three OwnHammer IRs — OH 112 Imperial TK1660, OH 212 Class A Blue, and OH 412 Basketweave M25 — delivering the essence of Tone King speakers and studio-quality mic capture. 12 Additional IRs are included with the Tone King Editor software, powered by Synergy Amps, opening up an expansive array of tone-switching options, from selecting cabs to HF Comp to high/lowpass filters. With XLR stereo balanced outputs featured in the Royalist's impressive I/O configuration, you get cab-and-mic sounds direct to any live console or recording interface, no amps needed. What’s more, the six available IR slots can be user-programmed, and global pedal settings can be saved to any of the 128 available preset slots and recalled via an external MIDI switcher.
Tone King Royalist Preamp Features:
- 2-ch., 3 x 12AX7 tube-driven preamp pedal based on Tone King’s Royalist MKIII
- 0W power amp emulation with phase inverter faithfully replicates proper tube compression of the Royalist MKIII's power section
- Explore 1964, 1967, and 1970 — 3 distinct voices that supply the full spectrum of the golden era of British rock ’n’ roll
- Per-channel tone stacks deliver the authentic feel of original circuits, with Ch. 1 providing a warm response with enhanced articulation, and Ch. 2 offering more mid-focused attacks
- Per-channel Iron Man attenuator replicates high-volume amp breakup at manageable levels, with HF switches to restore lost treble
- FX loop seamlessly integrates your external FX into your signal chain
- Balanced stereo XLR outputs directly connect your pedal to any recording console or PA for direct tube amp tone without the need for an additional amp
- Built-in IR engine contains 3 preloaded, user-programmable IR slots
- Headphone output allows for silent practicing without having to plug in to a console or recording interface
- Access Tone King Editor software via USB-C connection for 12 additional OwnHammer IRs, to load 3rd party IRs, and to save parameters for up to 128 presets, recallable via MIDI
