TC Electronic Dark Matter review

TC Electronic's latest overdrive/distortion recalls Brit tones

  • £105
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MusicRadar Verdict

A responsive stompbox that will put a flavour of that cranked Marshall raunch on your board.

Pros

  • +

    Easy battery access. Natural sound. Useful tone controls.

Cons

  • -

    The two voices are not as distinct from each other as we'd like them.

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Where the equally new TC Electronic MojoMojo pedal takes its inspiration from the USA, the Dark Matter (reviewed here) aims closer to home, for early Plexi flavour.

"The sound responds to pick pressure and cleans up nicely when you roll off the volume"

This is classy Brit overdrive/distortion sounding fairly natural and valve-like, with a range running from an amp just starting to break up through to a full throaty roar.

The dynamics don't become squashed though, and the sound responds to pick pressure and cleans up nicely when you roll off the volume. The voice switch tweaks the midrange response, with emphasis on the lower or higher mids - there is a difference but it's subtle.

Trevor Curwen

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.