MusicRadar Verdict
This pedal might be called Life Support, but the sustain that's on offer is to die for.
Pros
- +
Solid build. Long sustain.
Cons
- -
Controls could be more intuitive.
MusicRadar's got your back
Hayden Amp's UK-made Dr Green pedal range arrived earlier this year. Here we take a look at the Life Support compressor/sustainer.
"Kick this in, and you can really eke notes out and coax them into harmonic feedback"
This pedal is based on a tried-and-tested compressor circuit originally found in Ashdown bass amps, and features knobs to set the input and output levels and turn up the sustain.
The input knob goes to zero, so the pedal can be used as a muting device if you don't need the compression.
Sounds
With three knobs to adjust, the Life Support is capable of dialling in a varied range of compression to suit your needs. What stands out, though, is the amount of sustain it is capable of - kick this in, and you can really eke notes out and coax them into harmonic feedback.
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.
“After every take, Mutt would say, ‘Check the tuning, man!’ This went on and on for almost a year. One day, I just gave him the guitar and said, ‘You tune it. I can’t take this anymore!’”: How legendary producer Mutt Lange drove the Cars half-mad
“Last time I saw my mother alive was at her own father’s funeral. It sounds almost too Irish": Bono shares trailer for his Apple TV+ documentary
“If it’s not all samples, what did those people do to get that credit on the song?”: Diane Warren on the trend for hit songs having multiple writers, and why she prefers to work alone