Arion MTE-1

Three knobs, as easy as it gets.

Played with a Strat, Tele, Dano 56-U2 through a Fender Studio 85.

This little box sounds great, very similar at low drive levels to my TS7 (in TS9 mode). I've compaired them quite a bit. I actualy like the Tubeulator a bit better. It has the same op-amp chip as the TS 7, the covetted JRC 4558, the one they modify the TS9 reissues with. The main differnce I can detect is that the Tubeulator has slightly more crunch at higher drive levels than the Tubescreamer.

I think it sounds really good with my set up. It lets the sound of my guitars come through, responds well to picking variations and volume changes and keeps the integrity of my Fenders excellent clean sound. Couldn't ask for much more.

If one wanted to make it sound more like the Tubescreamer, putting a capacitor(51 pF)across a diode like the Tubescreamer has is supposed to take some of the sharp edges out the overdrive at higher levels. Since I only paid $12.99 new, I think I'll buy another to try this mod.

I mainly use an overdrive just to add a bit of character and sustain to my clean sound and this inexpensive pedal does that very well. This whole thing about creating a tube like sound is kind of silly. All tube amps sound different, so what do you want from a pedal? Does it sound like a tube amp? I don't know, which tube amp? I do know this pedal sounds very, very good with a non-harsh non-solidstate sounding overdrive. Far better than the overdrive in my amp.

At higher drive levels, you can get a sound very similar to ZZTOP'S "My Heads in Mississippi", a pretty cool sound, but not one I use fequently.

Cheap plastic box but the workmanship on the board looks good.

n/a

It's not perfect but I like inexpensive gear that sound almost as good as what people will spend hundreds on. This will become my main overdrive unit, replacing my TS7, and I'll nver have to use the distortion channel on my amp again!


If you care, I'm 51 and have been playing since my early teens.

Very easy to use. Only 3 knops

The sound is warm and bluesy like an tube amp. i also use this unit as a treble booster. Everything is similar to the Tubescreamer. This stombbox is not noisy. If you hear noise, it comes from the singlecoils of the guitar. Tubulator is for tubelike overdrive and crunch or boosting the signal, like tubescreamer. It is not for heavy metal.

Izt never makes a problem

Until now i need no support

I play blues and bluesrock. I use only this pedal an an rat retro amp. I i lost it, i will buy another one.

Its a distortion pedal, not hard. If you need help, though, you are screwed, as everything is in terrible broken English.

Weak. Piss poor. Makes more noise than an 18-wheeler. Uses more power than most third-world countries, yet produces very little effect. You get a nice feedback sound if you put the level or tone up/

I wouldn't depend on this, as I find I am changing the battery every couple hours. I doubt it would last an entire gig.

Don't know

$28 bucks used, it was in good shape, I'm not one to complain. But in hindsight I should have saved $12 more bucks and got the Boss Turbo Distortion New. Oh well.