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By all standards, booster pedals are one of the simplest guitar effects you can get. This type of circuitry has been around for half a century in one form or another, although it never really veered off from its original design. What Xotic RC Booster offers is a modern take on what a booster pedal should be capable of.
The most conservative purists probably don't appreciate this, but even they have to admit that the end result is something completely awesome. So much so that Xotic RC Booster deserves a place among today's most elite guitar effects pedals.
If you want to know what a stylish effects pedal looks like, just take one glance on this bad boy. Xotic has some of the best-looking designs out there, and RC Booster is just one proof of that. For the most part, the core of this pedal comes from its pretty versatile boost capability.
Xotic couldn't know whether you would need an overall signal boost, or a frequency range specific one, so they gave you both. Being able to decide which part of your signal will be reinforced with more gain adds a whole new layer of versatility. This is also why Xotic RC Booster is one of the more popular choices in this class.
In terms of controls, this particular model definitely stands out from the whole booster pedal stigma of giving you just a gain knob to play with. Instead, you get Gain, Volume, Bass and Treble. Volume is your standard level control that works just like it does on any standard overdrive pedal. Gain is also self-explanatory and it is where you get traditional boost effect from.
Treble and Bass are your semi EQ features. Both of these are capable of adding 15 dB to the signal where necessary. This is one of those pedals you definitely need to get to know before you can truly understand the full scope of tones it offers. However, once you do that, the results will be impressive.
What really sets this pedal out from most of the boosters on the market is its transparency. Xotic somehow managed to incorporate all of the features and controls into one unit and have it be one of the most transparent models on the market. No matter how you shape your tone, the integrity of your signal will remain unchanged. For the most part, you can use the RC Booster as a light overdrive, or a rustic EQ. It's just a pedal that keeps on giving.
While it's not the most standard booster pedal out there, Xotic RC Booster is by far one of the spiciest models you can get. The range of its capabilities is impressive for a pedal that calls itself a booster.
With that said, something like this is to be expected from a boutique model that comes with an appropriate price tag. Is it worth getting? Absolutely! Especially if you are looking for a more organic sound that isn't completely changed by loads of artificial distortion.
For more info about the Xotic RC, click here.
For more boost effects pedals, click here.
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