A good distortion stompbox gives you at least a few distinct distortion sounds. The TC Electronic Dark Matter distortion is a great stompbox distortion. Far from any one-trick (or even three- or five-trick) pony, the Dark Matter distortion gives you an enormous range of gritty and rich distortion tones, covering the spread from mild fuzz to roar and sag of a plexi pushed to the breaking point. What sets the Dark Matter distortion apart from other distortion pedals is the way TC approaches tone shaping and EQ.

TC Electronic Dark Matter Distortion at a Glance:

• Vintage-voiced distortion with extreme dynamic range
• 2 band EQ
• Voicing switch

Versatile in the Dark

With all knobs set to 12 o'clock, the Dark Matter produces a run-of-the-mill smooth breakup. Crank up the gain, and (as is the case with any distortion box) the saturation becomes a little bit muddy. That's where the filter knobs come into play. Unlike standard distortion stomp boxes, which feature a single tone knob, the Dark Matter distortion lets you EQ the low and high end separately. So, when you blast the distortion, you can carve out some of those lows and end up the kind of soaring lead tone that lets you pull off intense solos. And then there's the voicing switch, which totally re-calibrates the way the Dark Matter responds to low end. Bottom line: if you're looking for an incredibly versatile distortion box, buy a Dark Matter and clear your schedule, and let the tone tweaking begin.

What TC Electronic Says...

Dark Matter is the kind of pedal that you wanna go play for half an hour and end up spending half a day with. It's musical, covers a super-wide range of sounds but stays true to its base, an all analog-drive circuit that reminisces plexi sounds with both a classic and modern edge. Dark Matter delivers in spades thanks to a very low compression and a lively response that reacts to your playing at every turn.

Kicking Things Old Skool

Hard to imagine now, but there was a time before digital. If you think about it, many of the best distortion sounds stem from that era. Why? Well, it's the analog circuits, they sound great and got a little more to give when you really punish them - it simply sounds more real, fuller and better. That's the sound we love: dangerous, on the edge yet thoroughly musical. The sound that begs you to play harder, louder, faster and more.

Set for Tone

Distortion is great, but control is key. No one wants the ice-pick to the ears or a mushy bass-laden goo. Dark Matter delivers  with a bass- and treble knob, perfect for dialing in sounds precisely and lightning fast.