Deep Dive: Earthquaker Devices Scrolls Preamp Pedal
The EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls bass preamp pedal is designed for sonically-adventurous bassists that love powerful EQ and wide-ranging drive capabilities. Scrolls can generate the sound of a cranked tube amp, a clean hi-fi recording chain, layered fuzz, and much more. All this is packed into a rugged chassis with balanced XLR output, buffered amp out, and an effects loop for maximum capability on stage and in the studio.
What Is the EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Preamp Pedal?
The EQD Scrolls pedal is a bass preamp with 3-band EQ, a switchable Drive section, and XLR direct output. It’s designed to be a complete tone solution whether you’re plugging
into a bass amp, going direct to the sound system or recording interface, or both at the same time. The Scrolls pedal also features an effects loop (send and return) for integrating your bass effects pedals between the EQ and Drive sections.
EQD Scrolls Bass Preamp Highlights
- Bass preamp with 3-band EQ and switchable Drive section
- Balanced XLR DI output plus buffered 1/4-inch output
- Effects loop inserts bass effects pedals between EQ and Drive sections
Does the Drive Section Destroy Your Low End?
No; there are two things that allow you to maintain your low-end punch and clarity when adding drive with the Scrolls pedal.
First, use the Blend control to keep your dry signal in the mix: no matter how much drive you add, you can keep your fundamental clean tone in there too.
Second, the Drive section’s Bandwidth control allows you to focus where the clipping occurs: turn it clockwise to target higher frequencies (keeping your lows clean), or turn it counter-clockwise to distort your lows (use the Blend control to maintain low-end integrity).
What’s the Best Way to Use the Scrolls Pedal for Live Performance?
The EQD Scrolls bass preamp can be your complete tone solution on stage: connect the balanced XLR output to the sound system and you’re good to go. If you want to feel air moving on stage from a real bass amplifier, use Scrolls’ buffered 1/4-inch output to connect to an amp for monitoring while sending your direct tone to the mixer.
The Scrolls preamp is one of the best options for bass players that love drive on their tone, and you’ll probably find that the Drive section eliminates your need for separate overdrive or fuzz pedals.
What’s the Best Way to Use Scrolls for Recording?
The best way to use the Scrolls bass preamp for recording is to connect it to your recording input via balanced XLR and use the EQ and Drive as your complete tone solution.
If you like recording with a compressor pedal, you can put it in front of Scrolls (this will reduce the dynamic response of the Drive section for smoother drive), or put it in the FX loop to compress the drive section and then EQ the compressed signal. Experiment with compressor placement to find the best place for your taste.
Does the XLR Output Have Cabinet Emulation?
Yes; the Scrolls XLR output has "a splash of analog filtering to make it sound more like a speaker cabinet" according to the product manual.
This means that it’s not a traditional cab sim in the sense that it mimics a specific speaker configuration. Instead it is a subtle high-frequency rolloff that mimics the natural filtering of a bass speaker; you can plug in direct and not worry about your tone sounding overly bright or present.
What Do the Buttons Under Scrolls’ EQ Do?
The three buttons in the EQ section of the Scrolls pedal offer some interesting sonic options when you understand how they interact with the Bass, Middle, and Treble controls.
- Deep: This engages an 80Hz boost to fatten up your low end. EQD is not clear on how much of a boost it is, and the manual does not specify what frequency the actual Bass EQ knob is centered at.
Engaging the Deep boost while cutting with the Bass EQ could allow you to fine-tune your fundamental impact while reducing boominess, similar to the old Pultec EQ trick: try it out. - Process: Per the manual, this engages a "low-mid scoop for a more modern sound."
In tandem with the Middle EQ control, you could scoop the low mids to create space in the mix while also bumping the 700–900Hz range for powerful growl and punch. The Middle band's Vari-Freq knob covers a huge range (20Hz to 10kHz per the manual), so you have plenty of room for interaction between the Middle EQ and the Process function. - Bright: A simple 5kHz boost for adding some snap and presence. Like the other two EQ bands, the interaction between the Treble EQ control and the Bright function is worth exploring if you want to optimize your bass tone.
How Does the Drive Section’s Flexi-Switch Work?
The Drive footswitch on the Scrolls preamp pedal operates both as a momentary switch and a latching switch.
If you want to turn the Drive section on, just tap the footswitch and the circuit will be engaged. If you press and hold the footswitch, the Drive will only be engaged until you release the footswitch.
What Is the Effects Loop Routing Like?
When you connect effects pedals to the Scrolls pedal’s effects loop they are inserted after the Drive effect and in front of the EQ section. This allows modulation pedals like chorus to have a harmonically-richer signal to work with; if you want those effects to run through the Drive section too, just connect them in front of the pedal instead of the effects loop.
The post-drive/pre-EQ routing is great for most effects like modulation and delay. But for compressor pedals, you’ll probably want to place them either in front of the pedal or after the final output.
If I were using a simple one-knob compressor pedal like the Xotic XP Compressor pedal, I would put it in front of the Scrolls preamp pedal and use it to smooth dynamics on the way in. If I were using something like the Empress Effects Bass Compressor pedal, which operates more like a studio compressor, I’d place it after the Scrolls pedal and use it to optimize my sound after dialing in my tone on Scrolls.
Scrolls Is Ideal for Bass Players That Love Overdrive
The EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls preamp can be a great set-it-and-forget-it tone solution, but where it really shines is with wide-ranging EQ and Drive controls that reward experimentation.
At its core, the high-quality analog signal path and selection of outputs mean Scrolls is ready to connect to amps, sound systems, and recording interfaces without additional direct boxes or cab sims.
If you’re looking for a new foundation for your bass tone, it’s likely you’ll find it in the EQD Scrolls bass preamp pedal.
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- Introduction
- What Is the EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Preamp Pedal?
- EQD Scrolls Bass Preamp Highlights
- Does the Drive Section Destroy Your Low End?
- What’s the Best Way to Use the Scrolls Pedal for Live Performance?
- What’s the Best Way to Use Scrolls for Recording?
- Does the XLR Output Have Cabinet Emulation?
- What Do the Buttons Under Scrolls’ EQ Do?
- How Does the Drive Section’s Flexi-Switch Work?
- What Is the Effects Loop Routing Like?
- Scrolls Is Ideal for Bass Players That Love Overdrive
