Hydra Boost
The purpose of a boost pedal is to make the signal louder. The secret of a boost pedal is to make the signal louder without adding or taking away anything from the sound you are boosting.... The magical aspect of the Hydra Boost is that it manages up to 15dB boost on virtually any instrument cleanly and transparently. From piezo to high gain humbuckers, the Hydra Boost does it's job....period! High quality parts, simple on/off switch (with led indicator), a chicken head boost control and a compact size are only a few of the reasons you need a Carl Martin Hydra Boost on your pedalboard! Well done Carl!
Price EU incl. VAT 105.00 €
Price USA/Non EU $129.00
Reviews
Guitarist Magazine (UK)
This is the most efficient clean boost we’ve ever tried and, with a cool boutique livery and backed up by Carl Martin’s consistent quality of construction, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go and get one right now.
An excellent pedal that is perfect if you’re solos need an extra hike in volume.
Musicradar.com
The problem of ensuring that your carefully crafted solos are loud and proud within the parameters of a full band hasn’t really been properly solved. Of course, if you rely on multi-effects units or multi-channel amps for your tone, the chances are that you’ve already turned the page.
However, if, like an increasing number of players these days, you have two options (clean and dirty, for example) or even just a single channel on your amp, this unassuming little box could be the answer that allows your solos to cut through.
The trick with a clean boost is for it to take the original tone and make it louder without actually adding anything else, and that’s exactly the premise behind the recently re-packaged Hydra Boost.
Boasting one chicken-head control, the pedal can add up to 15dB of ultra clean gain that’s designed for a hugely efficient hike in signal. The proof of this particular pudding, as ever, is in the eating…
Sounds
In short it does exactly what it proposes: it makes whatever tone you’re using incrementally louder, even ultra-dirty modern high gain tones.
For jazz and country styles it’ll prove a godsend, but any player of any style can use the Hydra with ease. It’s slightly warmer in tone and ever-so-slightly cheaper than the equally lauded Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive (around £107) too.
With a cool boutique livery and backed up by Carl Martin’s consistent quality of construction, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go and get one right now.
From Harmony Central
Use it in various setups, I actually have two of them.
I use them for lifts and clean fills.
Have a slight expanding topend, very soft and easy on the ears, meaning that it clips with an inoffensive sound, lovely.
Clean operation, no misgivings they do their job and that is what matters to me.
From Harmony Central
Very clean and transparent.
I use it for clean sounds mostly, as it is very pleasing there.
But sometimes it goes along with my drives, either as a boost into them or as an extra volume kick.
Great sound no matter what.