Rockman Sustainor

The Sustainor is a very versatile item, yet extremely simple to use and is divided into sections on the front panel that follow along in the same order as the actual signal path inside the unit. The first section is the "PREAMP/COMPRESSOR" section that includes a preamp gain control, and a compression control. Tom Scholz has a knack for presenting his products in a very straight forward, yet unique way. An example is his use of the label "sustain longer" meaning more compression. Next is the "GATE" section which has an "ON" button, a "HI CUT" indicator led, and a "TRIG" (for TRIGGER) control for adjusting the gate's threshold level. The third section is the "DISTORTION/FILTERS" section. Here is where simplicity and versatility blend together like one of Brad Delp's finest harmonies. Just like the X-100 headphone amp, you choose from "DIST" for heavy distortion, "EDGE" for a mellower but still mean distortion, "CLN" for a clean tone, and "CLN2" for a bright, pseudo-acoustic type clean tone. And, you get all four choices on 2 channels, which are footswitchable. Also, there's a "GAIN BOOST" button that effects the "DIST" and "EDGE" modes, an "AUTO CLN" button, which is a Rockman trademark that, when enabled, allows you to turn down your guitar's volume knob in "EDGE" mode to decrease distortion without losing volume or highs, and a "SEMI CLN" button that adds subtle distortion when in "CLN" mode. There is also a treble trim adjustment that lets you scale back excess treble from "DIST" and "EDGE" modes. And finally, another Rockman trademark, the "PHASE NOTCHER" which can be turned on or off via push button which simulates the tone of a miked speaker cabinet when running the Sustainor direct into a recorder or mixer. The frequency of the "PHASE NOTCHER" can also be adjusted. The fourth and final section is the "OUTPUT" section. This consists of a "TREBLE BOOST" adjuster, a footswitchable "RHYTHM VOL" level control, and channel 1 and 2 volume controls. The Sustainor also has an effects loop with one send and two returns. One return only receives effects in "DIST" and "EDGE" modes, and the other receives effects in all modes. This is a handy way of switching on and off the effects loop via the channel select footswitch. The Sustainor also has a footswitchable bypass mode.