NAMM 2017: Trace Elliot unveils Transit standalone preamp pedals

NAMM 2017: Trace Elliot has announced two new standalone pedals, the Transit A and B, for acoustic and bass players, respectively. Both pedals are designed with practicality and portability in mind and offer EQ, built-in effects and studio quality DI.

The Transit A incorporates tap-tempo delay, boost, chorus and reverb, each with individual, colourfully-illuminated footswitches and notch filter for the EQ. Similarly, the Transit B, aimed at bassists, offers overdrive, compression and EQ with pre- and post-compression options.

Both units have pre- and post-XLR outputs and are switch and dial-operated - with the only screen display being a built-in tuner display - so will likely appeal to players with an aversion to menu screens.

The current US MSRP is $399. Check out the full press releases for both below...

Trace Elliot A Preamp Pedal press release

MERIDIAN, MS — Portable, practical, professional: These are the qualities that define the new Trace Elliot® Transit™ A Acoustic Guitar Preamp Pedal. As more players turn to convenient, lightweight and travel-ready gear, Trace Elliot answers the call with these self-contained rigs that function brilliantly as stand-alone preamp pedals, regardless of location or venue. The player simply takes their preamp pedal with them anywhere they go, and sends their tone directly to the front of house mix.

Over the years, monitor systems have improved and in-ear monitors have become more prevalent, meaning fewer players rely on acoustic guitar amps. However, relying on different equipment and engineering means having to contend with inconsistency of tone. The Transit A Acoustic Guitar Preamp Pedal solves this problem by offering all the professional tone-shaping tools a player needs in one portable rig. The built in Compression, Notch Filter, Pre-shape and simple EQ controls ensure great basic tone, while the user-definable Boost, Chorus, Delay and Reverb offer all the tools necessary for artistic expression. The player uses the stereo output to feed their tone directly to the engineer.

The Transit A also features a clean signal path and simple controls that make it easy to achieve a professional acoustic tone. It has studio-quality D.I. Pre and Post XLR outputs (with ground lift) to ensure that the same tone the player has on stage is the same tone in the mix. The Transit A also has striking backlit controls with distinctive colors. Using the backlit knobs for the tuner is a novel and useful tool, since the entire control panel of the unit becomes the tuning scale.

The Transit A comes with an embroidered nylon carry bag. The owner's manual CD-ROM includes the REAPER™ DAW software and Peavey® ReValver® amp modeling software. A Union Jack sticker is included as a reminder of Trace Elliot's U.K. roots.

MSRP $399.99 USD

Trace Elliot B Preamp Pedal press release

MERIDIAN, MS — Portable, practical, professional: These are the qualities that define the new Trace Elliot® Transit™ B Bass Guitar Preamp Pedal. As more players turn to convenient, lightweight and travel-ready gear, Trace Elliot answers the need with these self-contained rigs that function brilliantly regardless of location or venue. The player simply takes their Transit B with them anywhere they go, and feeds their tone directly to the front of house mix.

The Transit B Bass Guitar Preamp Pedal is a professional-grade preamp for bass guitarists. It offers 5-band EQ and its own unique features, including Pre-Shape with Passive/Active controls; Drive with Overdrive blends; Equalization with Pre-Comp and Post-Comp; dual-band Compression; and Mute/Tune.

In addition, the Transit B features a clean signal path with simple controls that make it easy to achieve an awesome bass tone. It also has studio-quality D.I. Pre and Post XLR outputs (with ground lift) to ensure that the same tone the player gets on stage is the same tone in the house mix. The Transit B has striking backlit controls with distinctive colors. Using the backlit knobs for the tuner is a novel tool, since the entire width of the front panel becomes the tuning scale.

The Transit B comes with an embroidered nylon carry bag. The owner's manual CD-ROM includes the REAPER™ DAW software and Peavey® ReValver® amp modeling software. A Union Jack sticker is included as a reminder of Trace Elliot's U.K. roots.

MSRP $399.99 USD

Matt Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.