Boss AD-2 Acoustic Preamp review

Not taking charge

  • £99

MusicRadar Verdict

A solid, but not spectacular, pedal. Still worth investigating.

Pros

  • +

    Warms high-end tones.

Cons

  • -

    Outperformed by some of its rivals.

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We’re initially confused by the AD-2. 

It’s called a preamp but there are no EQ controls. Instead you get Ambience (reverb) and Acoustic Resonance (processing) controls with a notch filter. 

The Resonance is similar to the Xvive Mike and TC Bodyrez in that it aims to add a natural acoustic character back into your sound. It certainly warms and rounds off higher end piezo tone for mellower solo players - if that’s what you want - and the reverb and notch are useful, along with dedicated TRS balanced out for going to a desk without a DI box, but the processing doesn’t feel quite as organic as the competition. 

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