If you’re looking to expand your pedalboard these days, why not try out these three new pedals? TL;DR, these three picks are:
- The Empress Effects Buffer++ for $299
- The EarthQuaker Devices ZEQD-Pre Preamp Pedal for $399
- The Walrus Audio Mantle Analog Bass Preamp/DI here for $749.99
Empress Effects Buffer++
Ever looked at your pedalboard and thought, “There has to be a cleaner, smarter way to run all of this”? That is exactly where the Empress Effects Buffer++ comes in. More than just a buffer, this pedal is designed to be the nerve center of complex rigs, handling everything from signal restoration to flexible mono and stereo routing with ease.
At its core, the Buffer++ is an all-analog signal hub, so your tone stays pure and latency-free from guitar to amp. Dual inputs and outputs let you run A/B, A/Y, mono, or stereo setups, making it a perfect fit for players using multiple instruments, amps, or wet/dry rigs. Clear input and output metering lights give you instant visual feedback, taking the guesswork out of gain staging.
Tone shaping is where the Buffer++ really flexes. Each input includes adjustable Pad switches (0dB, -6dB, -12dB) to balance different guitars or pickup outputs, plus two noise filter options per input to tame high-frequency junk from crowded pedal chains. There is also variable input loading, which lets you recreate the subtle high-end roll-off of long cable runs if you are chasing a more vintage feel.
Need a little push for solos? A foot-switchable clean boost of up to 30dB is on tap, staying transparent even at higher levels. You also get a dedicated Tuner Out with Tuner Mute, allowing for silent tuning without sending your signal through unnecessary circuitry.
In short, the Empress Effects Buffer++ is not just about fixing tone loss — it is about giving you total command over your signal path. For players running anything beyond a basic setup, it is the kind of pedal that quietly becomes indispensable once it is on your board.
Get the Empress Effects Buffer++ here for $299 and keep up with all our Empress Effects coverage right here!
EarthQuaker Devices ZEQD-Pre Preamp
The EarthQuaker Devices ZEQD-Pre is what happens when boutique pedal design meets old-school tube know-how. Created in collaboration with Dr. Z Amplification, this all-analog preamp pedal is built to deliver the touch sensitivity, warmth, and harmonic complexity you normally only get from a cranked amp — except this one lives at the end of your pedalboard.
At the heart of the ZEQD-Pre is a real EF86 Pentode, the same tube Dr. Z uses in his hi-fi, dynamically rich amplifiers. Drop this pedal at the finish line of your signal chain and you are immediately rewarded with organic response and harmonically dense tone that reacts to your pick attack and guitar volume just like a proper amp should.
Tone shaping comes courtesy of a passive 3-band EQ, which feels musical and intuitive rather than clinical. You can use it to fine-tune your core sound, push the preamp into gritty, amp-like drive, or add realism and depth to a modeling setup. Hit the boost footswitch, and the EQ is completely bypassed, delivering a wide-open, full-range volume lift with its own dedicated level control — perfect for solos that need to jump out without changing your core tone.
The ZEQD-Pre also shines when it comes to modern, amp-free setups. A switchable analog cabinet simulation makes direct recording and backline-free gigs painless, while a Cab Bypass option lets you feed a clean signal into an IR loader or software of your choice. Add in a Balanced XLR output, ground lift, and even a headphone output, and this pedal starts to feel less like a stompbox and more like a complete amplifier system.
Get the EarthQuaker Devices ZEQD-Pre Preamp Pedal here for $399 here and keep up with our EarthQuaker Devices coverage right here!
Walrus Audio Mantle Analog Bass Preamp/DI
The Walrus Audio Mantle is a premium preamp and DI for electric bass, developed in close collaboration with Ian Martin Allison and designed to serve as a complete front end for any rig.
At the center of the design are Walrus Audio’s proprietary, custom-wound Sapphire Transformers, voiced to capture the authoritative low end and forward midrange associated with classic Neve circuits, paired with an open, articulate top end inspired by revered API preamp architecture. The result is a harmonically rich, dimensional sound that enhances your instrument without masking its natural character.
The Mantle’s signal path begins with a high-impedance JFET Input Buffer, ensuring touch sensitivity, clarity, and proper impedance matching for both active and passive basses. From there, the signal flows through selectable filtering or a dry path, into a transformer-based gain stage offering a wide range from -6dB to +23dB. This magnetic gain structure delivers depth, weight, and musical saturation without sacrificing detail or headroom.
Tone shaping is handled by a thoughtfully designed Bass And Treble EQ, co-voiced with Ian Martin Allison. Rather than simple shelving controls, each band uses an eleven-position rotary switch with a true flat response at noon. Boosting gradually transitions from a shelf into a broad, musical bell, while cutting engages steep high-pass or low-pass filtering at carefully chosen frequencies. This approach allows for precise mix-ready shaping or broad tonal enhancement with equal elegance.
On the output side, the Mantle features a Transformer-Balanced XLR DI, providing expansive headroom, uncompressed dynamics, and strong low-frequency extension that feels equally at home on stage or in high-end recording environments. A 1/4″ output is also included, allowing simultaneous feeds to an amp and front-of-house. An internal +24V power rail ensures effortless low-end response and clean dynamics at all times.
Practical features round out the design, including an Active / Passive Pad for high-output instruments and a Ground Lift to eliminate hum in complex live or studio setups. Every component and stage of the Mantle is purpose-built to ensure whatever comes next — amp, interface, or mixer — receives your bass at its absolute best.
“I am an absolute DI fanatic, owning probably 50+ DIs and preamps,” said Ian Martin Allison. “They all either lack something critical or try to stuff in too many features. This is exactly why I wanted to make Mantle. I needed this product to exist, and I’m thrilled to say that now it does.”
Get the Walrus Audio Mantle Analog Bass Preamp/DI here for $749.99 and keep up with all our Walrus Audio coverage right here.
