Wylde Audio Pedals

Achieving Killer Tone for Metal and Beyond

Wylde Audio burst onto the scene in 2015 with a mission to deliver powerful guitar tones for metal and rock. The company was founded by legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde, known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society. With Wylde’s input, Wylde Audio has created a line of pedals designed to provide crushing gain and screaming leads.

Built For Brutality

While Wylde Audio caters heavily to the metal crowd, their pedals aim to serve guitarists of all styles and skill levels. Their overdrives, distortions, boosts and other effects provide the tools for crafting bone-crushing rhythm tones or face-melting leads and solos. The pedals are built sturdy to withstand abuse on the road or in the studio.

Many Wylde Audio pedals feature controls that allow the amount of gain and saturation to be fine-tuned. This lets players dial in anything from pristine cleans to the kind of high gain tones that define modern metal. With added features like noise gates and EQs, these pedals put some of the most coveted sounds at your feet.

The Wylde Pedal Lineup

The current lineup of Wylde Audio pedals covers all the key effects needed to craft killer guitar tones. Here’s a quick rundown of what they offer:

• Berserker Overdrive: A versatile overdrive pedal with a 3-band EQ for shaping tones. It provides a range of overdrive from light breakup to full-on distortion. Great for classic rock and heavy blues riffs.
• Blood Drive: This high gain distortion pedal is perfect for modern metal. The 3-band EQ provides insane amounts of saturated distortion, with a noise gate for controlling feedback.
• Red Dragon: Modeled after classic British amp distortion, this pedal excels at classic rock and 80s metal tones. The 3-band EQ and Pre-EQ switch offer extensive tone-shaping options.
• War Hammer: Designed for high gain chugging rhythms, this pedal has an onboard noise gate and 10-band graphic EQ for crafting the ultimate down-tuned tones.
• Ragnarok: This versatile pedal provides simulations of classic fuzz and muff pedals popularized in the 60s and 70s. Diverse controls allow vintage fuzz tones or more modern saturated sounds.
• Valhalla: A delay/reverb combo pedal, with options for analog or digital voicings. Provides the ambience and depth needed for soaring guitar lines.
• Minor Charger: A guitar boost pedal that can kick your tone into overdrive or help it cut through the mix. Great for solos or extra saturation.

This range of pedals provides the essential effects for crafting pro-level rock and metal tones. The 3-band EQ is a consistent feature that allows precise tone tailoring. But what really makes them stand out is their focus on high gain with extreme saturation and a tight, responsive feel.

Pricing and Availability

Wylde Audio pedals are available at many major music stores, either in-person or online. Reverb.com and Sweetwater.com carry the full line. The pedals range in price from about $129 to $239. This positions them as affordable, mid-tier pedals – certainly not budget-priced but reasonable for the pro-quality sounds they provide.

The overdrive and distortion pedals like the Berserker and Blood Drive offer the most bang for the buck in terms of the immense range of crushing metal tones that can be produced. At around $150, they deliver boutique-level sound at a price comparable to Boss and MXR pedals. For guitarists on a budget, starting out with one of the gain pedals is recommended.

Going To Eleven

When it comes to distorted tones for metal, the Blood Drive and War Hammer pedals are Wylde Audio’s secret weapons. These high gain beasts can produce everything from classic 80s metal to bone-crushing djent. With the 3-band EQs and noise gates, it’s easy to dial in tight modern chugging rhythms or searing thrash solos.

For lead playing, the Minor Charger boost is ideal for pushing the front end of an already distorted amp into overdrive. This helps guitar leads cut through, with added harmonic richness and sustain. The Valhalla Delay/Reverb also deserves special mention – it really excels at lush, atmospheric effects behind solos.

Branching Out

Despite the brand’s focus on metal, Wylde Audio pedals work incredibly well for blues, southern rock, grunge and other styles. The Red Dragon and Berserker in particular offer a diverse range of drive and distortion tones perfect for these genres.

Even though high gain is their forte, pedals like the Ragnarok Fuzz and Valhalla Delay reveal the brand’s versatility. Their unique voicings and responsive controls mean these pedals easily transcend a single genre. Any style that utilizes distortion, ambience or modulation effects can benefit from the Wylde Audio range.

This versatility also makes them ideal for guitarists who play in multiple projects with different musical styles. With a pedalboard of 4-5 key Wylde Audio pedals, massive tonal flexibility is achievable. The consistent 3-band EQ and intuitive control layout also helps players dial in tones quickly across different pedals.

Perfect Pairing

An important consideration with high gain pedals is finding an amp that pairs well with them. While Wylde Audio pedals sound great on their own into a clean amp, using them with a tube amp that’s already breaking up yields epic distortion. Classic amp brands like Marshall, EVH, Orange and Peavey are ideal.

The Odin and Asgard 30 watt amp heads from Wylde Audio are obviously optimized for their pedals. But guitarists don’t need to limiting themselves to Wylde amps – the pedals truly excel with a wide range of tube amps.

Solid-state amps can also work well, as long as they are geared towards rock tones. The key is an amp with an EQ that allows shaping the mid-range bite and overall resonance. Wylde Audio pedals are quite reactive to picking dynamics and guitar volume knob adjustments. Having an amp that complements this responsiveness is crucial.

Novice or Pro

Here’s the bottom line – Wylde Audio pedals are fantastic for guitarists of all skill levels. Because they offer such a wide range of gain tones, beginners can explore everything from clean boosts to extreme metal distortion. Intermediate players can take their first steps into pro-level high gain tones. Experienced guitarists can easily craft studio-quality sounds, right on their pedalboard.

The 3-band EQ, noise gates and amp-like distortion voicings provide extensive tone shaping potential. Even novice users can quickly dial in pleasing tones. As experience is gained, the pedals provide headroom for nuanced refinements. The build quality and thoughtful design also make them ideal for gigging musicians.

Overall, Wylde Audio hits a sweet spot between affordability and boutique tones. Next time you’re looking to add some attitude to your sound, give their pedals a spin. Just be prepared – once you’ve gotten a taste of their extreme gain tones, you might just get hooked!

In Summary

• Wylde Audio pedals deliver pro-level high gain distortion ideal for metal and rock
• The lineup provides a range of drive, distortion and modulation effects with a focus on versatility
• 3-band EQs and noise gates allow sculpting tight, crushing metal tones or vintage saturation
• Reasonable pricing makes them accessible for beginners and working musicians
• High build quality and responsive controls work great for gigs and recording
• Ideal for pairing with tube amps like Marshall, EVH or Peavey
• From classic rock to extreme metal, Wylde Audio pedals provide killer tone

Dialing It In

Mastering a pedal takes time and experimentation. Here are some tips for dialling in killer tones:

• Start with the pedal’s gain and level at noon. Bring up the gain until the amp is pushed near saturation.
• Use the 3-band EQ to tighten up the lows and add bite in the mids and highs. Cutting bass around 200hz can tighten rhythms.
• Crank the level to slam the preamp section of your amp for leads. Back it down for thicker rhythms.
• Use your guitar volume knob actively – lower output retains clarity as you increase the pedal’s gain.
• For high gain pedals, set the noise gate just high enough to eliminate hum and unwanted noise.
• Stick to the pedal’s strengths that match your amp. For example, use a mid-heavy Marshall with the Red Dragon for classic British distortion.
• Don’t be afraid to boost other pedals with the Minor Charger. More gain and volume can make leads really sing!

Take the time to learn each pedal’s sweet spots. And be sure to experiment with pedal order – gain into modulation or vice versa can dramatically impact your tone.

Expanding Your Arsenal

Once you’ve got that first pedal dialed in, it’s easy to get hooked on expanding your pedalboard. Here are some recommended additions:

• A Wah pedal like the Dunlop CryBaby can really make your leads speak with emotion. Place it before gain and distortion pedals.
• An EQ pedal like the MXR 10-Band allows precise fine tuning – ideal for adapting tones between guitars.
• A compressor like the Xotic SP helps even out pick dynamics. Use it at the start of signal chain.
• Octave pedals like the Electro-Harmonix POG add thickness – great before or after distortion.
• Modulation pedals like chorus, flanger or tremolo add animation to chords and leads.
• Delay and reverb pedals like the TC Electronic Hall of Fame provide depth and ambience.

Mixing pedals like these with your key Wylde Audio pedals provides the tools for crafting virtually any rock or metal tone you can dream up. And with a premium pedalboard like Pedaltrain, organizing your pedal chain is smooth and road-ready.

The tone journey never really ends – there are always new pedals to try and tones to discover. But you can rest assured that Wylde Audio pedals will provide the solid high gain foundation your pedalboard needs.

Final Thoughts

In the search for killer guitar tone that stands out from the crowd, don’t overlook Wylde Audio. Zakk Wylde and company have developed pedals that excel at versatile overdrive and face-melting distortion. These are not just metal one-trick ponies, but thoughtfully designed pedals capable of tones perfect for any style of aggressive music.

Yet for all their ferocity, Wylde Audio pedals remain flexible and user-friendly. Beginners can dial in great sounds right away while professionals will appreciate the ability to finely shape their tone. And with their rugged builds and reasonable prices, any gigging guitarist can rely on them night after night.

For your next pedal purchase, flip the horns and unleash your inner shredder with Wylde Audio. Let these savage pedals inspire your creativity and push your playing to the next level. When it comes to coagulating some seriously brutal guitar tones, accept no substitutes – Wylde Audio delivers the goods every time. Crank it up!