EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey Preamp Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey Preamp Pedal

A collaboration between EarthQuaker Devices and Kentaro Nakao. 

Scrolls Bass Odyssey is a sonic pilgrimage through the entire universe of electric bass tone. From Motown to Metal and everywhere between and beyond. With a tube amp-like drive channel, an active EQ channel with three push-button switches for one-click tone sculpting, buffered parallel out, onboard effects loop, and balanced XLR out featuring just a splash of analog filtering to emulate a speaker cabinet, Scrolls is a powerful, modern tool that’s compact and versatile enough to be the only thing you need to play a session or show other than a bass.

Design Notes

The Scrolls Bass Odyssey was born from a partnership with Japanese bassist and longtime EarthQuaker Devices friend Kentaro Nakao (Number Girl, Crypt City). His vision was to consolidate vintage and modern bass tones into a single, highly portable unit. 

In Japan’s densely populated cities, gigging can become a logistical hurdle. Venues are often tucked away at the very top or bottom of steep staircases and musicians are frequently at the mercy of whatever backline equipment happens to be available.

"I am constantly playing shows in every type of venue you can imagine," Kentaro explained, "so having my sound in a portable rig is a must—that’s why I’ve been a big believer in preamps for a long time."

For Kentaro, the two most important foundational elements of the design were a full-range of EQ control and the ability to shape overdriven tones. The EQ channel is designed to be completely transparent when the knobs are set to noon, ensuring the bass retains its inherent tone. Three push buttons offer quick tone sculpting: Deep boosts 80 Hz for booming lows, Process scoops mids for a punchy modern tone, and Bright activates a 5 kHz boost for attack.

Inspired by a rare overdrive in Kentaro’s collection, the Drive channel delivers versatile, tube amp-like distortion with precise low-end command.  To maximize the pedal’s tone-shaping capacilities, Vari-Freq control was added to the EQ channel and Bandwidth control to the Drive channel.

"These two knobs have enabled me to fine-tune my sound to fit each specific playing situation more than ever before," Kentaro noted.

Designed to serve as the brains of your signal chain, Scrolls includes an effects loop right between the Drive and EQ channels, a buffered parallel out for sending a pristine clean signal to an external destination, and a balanced XLR out featuring  a 100% analog speaker cabinet simulation.

"Most XLR outs tend to have a harsh top end that sounds nothing like what is coming out of the amp, especially when dirt is involved," EarthQuaker Devices Founder/President Jamie Stillman said. "I thought it would be useful to add a bit of natural filtering so what is sent to front-of-house is much closer to what is coming out of the amp."

Scrolls began as a friend's request for the ultimate portable rig. Now, it’s a universally indispensable tool for every bassist.

TECH SPECS

• Dimensions:  4.75 x 4.50 x 2.25 in. (121 × 114 × 57 mm) with knobs
• Current Draw:  70 mA
• EQ Input Impedance:  10 MΩ
• EQ Output Impedance:  <1 kΩ
• Drive Input Impedance:  500 kΩ
• Drive Output Impedance:  100 Ω
• Parallel Input Impedance:  10 MΩ
• Parallel Output Impedance:  100 Ω
• Direct Output Impedance:  100 Ω

Switching:  Scrolls uses relay-based true bypass switching. Since the switching is relay-based, it requires power to pass a signal. The EQ side uses standard on/off switching, the Drive side uses Flexi-Switch® Technology.

Power

This device takes a standard 9-volt DC power supply with a 2.1 mm negative center barrel. We always recommend pedal-specific, transformer-isolated wall-wart power supplies or multiple isolated-output supplies. Pedals will make extra noise if there is ripple or unclean power. Switching-type power supplies, daisy chains and non-pedal specific power supplies do not filter dirty power as well and let through unwanted noise. DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!

Artwork

Artwork by Geoffrey Crowe