Rocktron Nitro

This is a Rocktron Tonal Definition Booster, my honey bought it at a garage sale, I had no idea what the hell it was whan she brought it home, but damn, whatever it is, I love it! It boosts the clarity of the signal without distorting, I've got other pedals for that. I've found myself using this without other distortion boxes, but when added to a chain with light phase-flange, and a Cry Baby set to a specific frequency I get unbelievable tones. It works fine all by itself - play around with your guitar-amp with nothing more than this effect and I think most REQAL players will imjmediately see the usefullness of this effect. The dough head that put it down (1st review) needs to get his head out of his *** and out of his super distortion pedal and pickups. Yeah, this box won't overpower a heavy distortion effect. If that's what you in to, sell it to someone who can appreciate it.

Took me a while to figure out how to chain it to the effects I use, but now for the most part, I use it with few or no other effects. I usually turn it up to 8 or higher, it gives great clarity and definition to the signal. I'm kind of a purist, I equip my amps with the best western tubes I can find, anyone who doesen't know the difference from the cheap *** Chinese or Russian-Slabovian-blah blah crap tubes needs to get a clue. The logo on your amp doesn't mean **** - it's the tubes in it's guts that make the defining difference. Try some NOS NIB Mullards - you'll never go back.
I play several amps - an old Supro (made by Valco) 1x12, a Harmony (Valco) H415 (God like), an '85 Seymore Duncan Convertible (a bit hard to maintain, but sounds like Heaven), a Laney AOR Pro Tube 30 watt with dyno NOS NIB tubes, um, um, others to numerous to mention. This pedal works great with them all.

C'mon, it's a pedal! Take an extra battery with you.

Dunno.

I love the thing. Coolest pedal I've seen in buku years. Yeah, I'd look for another if this on dissappeared.

real easy, push the know and you are on your way.

I don't know what the other reviewers did but at this end the nitro doesn't do anything when I switch it on while I'm on my distortion channel. Yes, you get a little compression but no volume boost at all. Just like all the other boosters it will boost your clean sound but not your distortion sound. So for me it was a waste of money.

One knob! And it works! Not like your standard multi fx which won't work whatever you do...

Note that you must use a regulated-filtered psu, like Ibanez's ac109, to avoid any hum/noisefloor.

No switching plops either.

I've been waiting for this all my electric guitarist's life, no joke!
What the nitro does is a fresher sound, with some polish, along with subtle compression and perfectly dosable volume jump.
No need to push it past 11 o'clock as far as I'm concerned, and I get the most lovable solo sound ever. I tried for years to have such an effect with overdrives or clean boosters, to no convincingly avail.
(ts7, double drive, behringer od100-to100-ud100-bo100-pb100, tube factor, womanizer, and some more. None would work as beautifully as the dead simple nitro...)

So, focused, fresh, very articulate, a classy sound. And you don't lose the lows, they are just a tad thinner.

Seems well done, only one knob to replace if stomped too hard.
It won't do for bad electronic design, I don't know, but I trust rocktron.
It has been very dependable so far.

What a joy!
If you are looking for a superb sound pusher to soloing that's it.
Note that it won't distort by itself, like a ts. But if your amp has a decent amount of gain (say a good overdrive, not hardrock) then the nitro will make wonders.
I only use hum-free guitars in real-life situations, so I can't tell you about the nitro with those Fender Noisecasters outside...

The best value ever, really.

As far as 'ease of use' goes - how much easier does it get than 1 knob? Gotta be a 10 for that.

I play primarily blues, rock and blues-infused originals. My set up goes like this: Peavey T-60 guitar > Budda Wah > Boss TU-2 Tuner > Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer > ROCKTRON NITRO > Boss TR-2 Tremolo > Ibanez CS9 Chorus > Boss DD-3 Delay > Fender Blues Jr. (w/Jensen).

Up until tonight's rehearsal I has an Ibanez CP5 Compressor pedal in front of the TS9 and no NITRO. After some research I got rid of the compressor and got the Nitro insead - WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! I was so impressed that I felt compelled to sit down and write this (my 1st product review in several years).

I originally put the Nitro before the TS9 but it seemed to push it a bit too hard for my taste. After about 3 or 4 songs I put the Nitro after the TS9 and that worked better for me. Now, I leave the Nitro on all the time but only at about 9:00 -- I couldn't imagine going beyond 11:00 or 12:00 -- too big of a volume jump! I kick in the TS9 when I want to solo (reverse of my original setup). The Nitro is, as a previous reviewer wrote, like a 'sonic maximizer' in a pedal. It adds dpunch, efinition and 'bloom' to every note I play. My Blues Jr. never sounded so good!

Seems sturdy enough but only time and live usage will tell how reliable the pedal is.

I'm on a tight budget and just sold off my backup effects rig so I will definitely gig without a backup with my fingers crossed.

No need to deal with 'em yet. Hope they're good if I do need them.

As I mentioned above, after 1 rehearsal with the Nitro I felt compelled to write this glowing review. I considered getting the Seymour Duncan 'Pickup Booster' or BBE Booster but both were a bit pricey. The other affordable booster I considered was the Electro-Harmonix model. I didn't get it primarily because the pedal was a bit too small -- the knob and the switch were too close together for my size 13's. Nothing against any of the competition but I'm VERY glad I opted for the Nitro. All-in-all an indispensable tonal tool that I would DEFINITELY replace if it were stolen.

Easy to use goes without saying,one knob hard to screw up.they do give out manualsfor them anyway.

I play a Marshall Mg100 half stack,I was not looking for anything more than a boost for my solo's .This pedal does great for the price,
I did find it a bit noisy when jamming alone but with the rest of the band playing it was less noticable.never used more tan 3/4 of the way up makes my emg's squeeeeeelll!!!!

I had this pedal for two months when all the sudden it stop working right,but before you judge this you must read my customer support review.Over all I like this pedal it's all metal construction,not cheap plastic like you too much of these days.and I figure one bad pedal out of hunderds they must sell is certanly acceptable.replacement unit I was sent still going strong...

I must say if I could give this company an 11 out of 10 I would have
,if you read my reliability section you'd see my first pedal died after two months(hey s**t happens)but I bought the pedal from musicians friend online but when I contacted Rocktron directly the tech rep(Jim)didn't try to say I ruined it or did something to fry it,he just asked my adress and the serial #from the pedal and within three days I had a brand new on sent to me free of charge &free shipping AND they didn't even have my nold one back yet.AND they gave me a cool acoustic guitar cd free too.

I play in a 90's alt rock/grunge cover band .If lost or stolen without question would replace it.I have had damn near every dist. pedal under the sun at one time or another,what sold me was I love my Marshall tone and the gain it has but I wanted to just cut above the band for solo's and this pedal is perfect for that ad's just right boost without radicaly changing your tone ,and for the money
you'd be hard pressed to find it's equal,becuase of this I narrowed my rig to just this and a mark tremoti wah pedal no more crazy dist.pedals needed.

1 knob, all you need. if you cant use it you are an idiot. there is a manual for it but when i got it, i took the bos and plugged in driectly in front of the amp - you don't need this piece of paper.

with my setup there is no noise at all from the box, if it is on it only boosts the noise from my other pedals but it doesn't matter much because nevertheless there is not much hum at all. if you activate it you can get all from a little up to a huge volume boost, depends on how far you drive the boost-knob - thats what it was built for. its great for playing solos in a band and for playing live it is also great. it gives you a quite sparkling sound with a little treble boost and it also boosts your gain which is excellent for solos. on clean mode it boosts your volume and on tube-amps it can give you a little bit of distortion - depends on amp and pickups. i really like it.

it seems built very solid. i gigged several times without backup and i will do so in future times. i think it will last for many years without problems.

never dealt with them and i think i don't have to

i play in a modern rock band and in a metal band. in both it is great. now i hear myself playing the solos and the sound has increased overall. you get a screaming sound out of your guitar. i like high gain solos and stuff and this little box is what i was looking for. i would definatly buy it again. the only thing i dislike is that it is a little bit big and i don't like the look very much but this is not important. it sounds great - thats what it is all about.

1 knob! nuff said.

I've been on a pedal buying spree the past couple years!
This pedal does what a Fulltone Fat Boost & MXR Micro Amp is
supposed to do. It brings the levels up & evens them out.
Unlike the Fat Boost it doesn't fart out.

I guess it's kind of like sonic maximizer?

It's best suited for Boosting Solo's which is what most of us are looking for in a stompbox. If you like the tone of your amp & don't want more gain, try this pedal.
Of course, it adds a little bit more Overdrive when it's on 10.

Seems solid!

Rocktron is awesome in this department.
I had an old Austin Gold pedal & they sent me out a new switch
within 3 days. No charge & the warranty expired!

I've tried a couple Rocktron pedals & liked them both.
They're kind of ugly, but your stomping on them.
It sounds great thru my Carvin Bel Air & Mesa Subway Blues.
With my LP & LP Jr. I'm not big on Overdrive pedals (other than
the Barber LTD). Gain on top of "More Gain" = Poop Tone.
For Hard Rock & Punk Rock this pedal is great for a needed volume boost.
I rarely play clean so I don't know how it applies to Fender clean tone. It seems to be very transparent.

This pedal is a keeper! It's very unique, yet very simple. I'm not a big pedal guy that's why I'm willing to try so many of them. Live I use on Solo/Lead Boost, Phase 90 & a Tuner. I will always stay away from modded pedals, I've yet to hear a modded pedal I was happy with.
There are many options out here for Solo Boost pedals.
I spent 5 years with a sqealing piece of shit Boss Blues Driver, NEVER AGAIN. If you don't like your pedal sell it on Ebay!

I'm certain I'd buy this pedal if something happened to it.

One knob, one fuction. Couldn't get any easier than that. Came with a manual,although if a person couldn't figure out this pedal, then maybe guitar shouldn't be their weapon of choice.

This goes in front one of 4 amps: A Peavey Studio Pro 40, a Univox U65Rn, a Fender (Evil) Twin reissue or a Peavey Delta Blues amp. In front of the Stuido and Univox amps, it boosts the sound fantasitcally, it adds a fullness to the sometimes empty sound of of solid state and made the other pedals (Danelectro FabTone, BLT Echo, DOD Chorus) come through with more punch and clarity. For boosting bulit-in distortion like on the Studio, the Twin, and The Delta it can provide a soft subtle boost with some bright highs, smooth mids and punchy bass (especially with my Deluxe Powerhouse Strat). However, cranking will lead to tone loss with tube distorion, but the Nitro will provide a crunchy and raunchy boost on the clean channel at the begining or end of your pedal chain. Turning it all the way up causes too much muddying of the notes everything bleeds together so, the Nitro isn't witout it's faults, but it does what the manual says: "Provides a 22db boost that will supercharge your amp." Don't go anywhere past a 3/4 setting and it will sound great, crank it and your notes/tone/amp/speakers will all suffer.

I haven't had it very long, but it's built very solid. You may need to invest in a better battery cover because it seems to pop off very easily. Having used the Rocktron Austin Gold OD pedal as well, it's pretty safe bet that you won't need any back-up. Their pedals have ruggedness that's tough to come by in this price range and they look pretty cool, too.

No, dealing with the company, pedal comes with one year warranty, don't plan on using it. (KNOCK ON WOOD!)

Overall, the Nitro Booster gets the job done, with minimal tone. It's a solidy built piece and contributes a ton of boost to your pedal chain. It seems best in the studio, but will be very useful in the smaller venues we have around here. It can make your combo amps built in distorion seem like its a stack and being that it gives slight compression as well it puts a little sustain. Everything runs clear and punchy to crunchy and raunchy, this little guy packs a wallop. Maybe, the next upgrade/variation the Nitro can have an actual tube(s) in it and then it would be perfect!

You would have to have an IQ lower than a pidgeon to not know how to figure this out. Chicken beak knob demonstratively easy.

I have ME-50 pushed by a Tube Works Overdrive, complimented with an Aphex exciter and Boss 7 band EQ. I utilized a Peavy Deuce (120 Watt tube). This effect is extremely punctuated. I had low expectations because of the price. This little shredder really boosts the compression. I sold my old Boss Compression on Ebay, I didn't think that it had too much effect, but I "lost" something, I lost that edge. With the ME-50, half of the distortions were boring because it lacked clarity, the Nitro defines all of the distoritions and I feel that guitar playing is fun and I can go back on the circuit. My guitar is producing a lot of feedback now, but that is how I like it. It's just raw and edgy. The harmonics from IBZ USA pick-ups just sing. I can buy the HUsh Super C to control the feedback.

Just bought it. The box is kinda big for what it does though.

N/A

This product really follows up on it's advertisement. My Peavy Deuce is a throwback to the 70's with not a whole lot of clarity, but I have excellent tubes and the infamous Black Widow speakers. The Nitro makes me feel like I am playing through a Saldeno or top model amplifier. I don't know if this is professional sound that pro's are looking for, but I would imagine that it is a very commendable alternative. My amp just crucnhes tone and I've gained the kind of tonal definition and I didn't have to spend $700 bucks. FOr now I guess I can depend on it till I get a top model amp, but who knows??? This could be the real deal. I would imagine that most professinal recordings have something of this kind of calibur hidden somewhere in the sound. I feel like this is the Holy Grail of Distorted Tone.

Simplest unit to use. One knob controlling the level. Takes a 9 volt battery, but my Furman powered pedal board powered it up nicely.

I'm using this pedal in perhaps an unconventional way. It was designed to plug your guitar into it to boost your pickup signal, which would add more gain (or volume on clean tones). To use this for a high gain solo boost, all it does is add gain and sparkle. Not really much "volume" boost. My remedy for that was to simply put this pedal in the F/X loop of my Hughes and Kettner Triamp MKII.
I'm using various Les Pauls and a PRS McCarty, all equipped with active EMG pickups. Also in the F/X loop is a Peavey Tubefex for delays and reverbs and a Hush Super C unit.
When used like this, it really kicks the volume up for solos. So now I have 6 channels on my amp, all relatively set for rhythm volumes, and the Nitro boosts any one of these into solo mode. Sounds awesome too, as it does add a touch of high end and slight compression. I'm sure using it as a pickup booster kicks ass too, but my pickups are already hot enough, and my amp does everything I want it to....except boost for solos, until now.

Rocktron's products are made very well. I've used several of the stompboxes and rack units. My only problem was with a Rocktron Midi Mate controller. The LED decided not to work after 2 uses. But that is unrelated to this pedal. I'ts built well and the switch is sturdy enough to handle my size 13 Doc Martens.

I've dealt with Rocktron/GHS a few times and they always take good care of me. Everyone I have spoken with was very helpful and cool as all hell.

I play rock covers and originals in a working band. We play every weekend and some weeknights too, averaging about 8-10 gigs per month. If you care to check out our song list it is on our site at www.buzzrocks.net
We don't usually have a soundman out front to boost solos. I used to use a volume pedal for boosts, but ran into numerous problems with them. This is the answer to my soloing prayers!!!
I would DEFINATELY replace it if lost, and if it were stolen, I'd find whoever took it and shove my broken volume pedals up their ass.
It's simple, easy to use, and well worth the price.

Can't be easier to use: 1 volume knob, 1 switch, in / out jacks, jack for power supply. Just in case you'd be deaf & dumb, Rocktron did supply a manual.

I originally bought this unit to compensate the difference in output volume between my texmex equipped MIM strat and my HB loaded Cort M600. It does more, much more than boosting your signal. With my Valvestate clean channel set as dull as possible (all controls at 12 o'clock), this unit brings my amp (back?) to life. Sounds like a compressor/booster/treble enhancer chained together. As I haven't used it in a band yet, I can't tell how much level boost I will need but even with volume set to a minimum, it already improves my tone in terms of dynamics and sparkle without noticeable background noise. Ideal if like me, you run your guitar through several stompboxes.

I've only just bought it, so I can't tell. The metal case looks quite sturdy, and so does the switch. No doubt it will last longer than my discarded DOD FX10 bifet preamp (fine unit but with a ridiculously flimsy switch).

this is my 1st Rockton unit, so i have no idea of their customer support's service level. As I live in Belgium, I guess I'll have to seek a good tech if it breaks down (but why should it breakdown, anyway?)

Classic 60/70/80/90 rock covers in 4 piece band, heavy rock in a power trio.This thing will doubtlessly breathe life into my solos. I hope I'll be wise enough to switch it off from time to time. My old DOD FX10 was certainly more neutral, but f****** unreliable (switch), and the sort of extra sparkle the Nitro delivers is a welcome addition to my sound . A definite must try for anyone looking for a signal booster. Great value for money. Stealing this unit would mean that you ran away with my whole pedal board and your days are counted, dude...

Just one knob ! It doesnt get less complicated than this. Just plug it in, fist in the signal chain, and dial in the amount of gain and articulation desired.

Im useing a Butler silver Hammer el-34 50 watt tube amp, with a Callaham model S Strat style guitar with Fraylin pick-ups. Set the control low for articulation or high for boost. This is hyped as a ""tonal definition booster/enhancer"" The guys at rocktron say it makes a bad amp sound good, and a good amp sound incredible. I can't comment on ""a bad amp" senerio, but my good amp does sound very articulate at lower settings ,and drives my pro-co rat into a frenzy.

Appears to be very well made.Since Rocktron has teamed up with GHS, they are comeing to the forfront. There ""hush ""series of noise reduction technology has taken the pros by storm...even N.A.S.A is useing them to quiet all transmissions from space to earth and visa versa.

GHS / Rocktron is about 2 miles from me, and I know alot of people who are employed there. Any problems (not antisipating any ) would be promptly delt with.

Im a blues and rock player,Ive been playing for over 30 years. I dont use pedals much as a rule, i prefer pluging directly into the amp. I own A pro co rat, and now this Nitro pedal. If it were lost or stolen, I would probably replace it. It does have a true bypass. My Butler sounds so good on its own...it just makes the notes blossom more. A unique, and worthy pedal. I dont believe there is anything else quite like it. I believe they sell for about 70 bucks, and thats a good bargin. Kinda like high octane gas for your musical vehicle.