January 15, 2013: UAE-based extreme experimental metal band
BENEVOLENT and Italian amp makers
IGNITE AMPS have announced their collaboration through a signature custom drive pedal geared towards the band's sound. The pedal, dubbed as the
TYRANT SCREAMER (TSB-1) features a Tube Screamer-type circuitry with extra features that works towards Benevolent's guitar tone identity.
Carlo Costabile, Ignite Amps Co-Founder & Managing Partner, said "We're really proud of our Tyrant Screamer. It has all the characteristics of the classic overdrive, an extended gain excursion and our exclusive "sweep" control which gives the user total control on how the pedal interacts with his guitar and playing style. This feature is especially useful for bands using very low tuning, because it helps to cut through the mix in both live and studio situations."
"We're also psyched to work for a band from Dubai as we never did before, but we know their scene is killer! This is especially the case since the band in question is Benevolent, a bunch of fun-loving guys that also happen to know their business real well when they step on stage. We're looking forward to work with Benevolent again, the collaboration has been awesome and we're already discussing new ideas for upcoming gear."
Benevolent is now an officially
endorsed artist by the Italian company and this partnership will feature more innovative products of this kind in the future.
Hadi Sarieddine, founder/guitarist/co-vocalist of Benevolent, states "it's extremely exciting for us that we're doing this, I've used Ignite Amps' products digitally for a while now and it's just overwhelmingly awesome to be receiving a signature custom pedal from such a professional company. I feel that this partnership is going to yield in many great things.”
"The Ignite Amps team has been great, they have been a true pleasure to work with since the get-go and they've put in all the necessary to make this happen. We're all really psyched about this right now!"
The Italian company was brought to life in 2006 by
Federico Berti and
Carlo Costabile, two musicians who wanted to build the gear that they needed. The company's products caught the interest of professional musicians from around the globe. Ignite Amps provides both physical products and computer-based plugins. The company's primary goal is to provide musicians with instruments that perfectly fit their needs and is geared more towards custom products.
In discussing the experience behind the build process and working with Ignite Amps,
Mohammed Gad (
Benevolent's guitarist) stated "At first we communicated with Ignite Amps regarding what we were looking for, they then designed the pedal and built a computer plugin version of it for us to try. We used the plugin version for testing and adjustments. The actual physical pedal was built based upon that and the final product sounds EXACTLY the same as the plugin. The physical build quality is unbelievable, we cannot be happier! The pedal packs tons of gain and has a very wide range of dynamics that give us the exact set of tools to shape our guitar tones."
He added, "It means a lot to us to be working with a reputable and international company that makes products that we are out there searching for, especially when the team behind the company shares the passion that we have for the band and the music, this is amazing!"
Federico Berti, Ignite Amps’ Co-Founder & Managing Partner, stated "Working with open-minded musicians, like the Benevolent guys, is always a breeze. They know exactly what they want and they're used to digital home recording, which is very important for us. We followed our usual workflow: designing the analog circuit and then implementing a simulation of it in VST/AU format, capable of running in real time on any modern computer. We sent the software to them and then further revised the circuit according to their feedback and requests. We love to use this approach, as it reduces the prototyping costs and musicians can hear how their custom gear will sound before we even start the actual build. I guess I can safely say that we're the only amp brand in the world offering this kind of service."
The pedal will be available for purchase directly from Ignite Amps. The
VST/AU plugin version of the pedal will be available for
FREE DOWNLOAD from Ignite Amps official website (www.igniteamps.com) through the course of February. To stay up to date on the release of the plugin, give Ignite Amps a LIKE on
Facebook on http://www.facebook.com/IgniteAmps
Benevolent is currently working on their much anticipated follow up to their debut release, the upcoming album features
ANDOLS HERRICK (formerly of Chimaira) who has recorded drums on the entire record.
To stay in touch with Benevolent's news and updates, check out their
Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/benevolent.band and their
YouTube channel on http//www.youtube.com/user/benevolentband
YOU CAN ALSO GRAB A FREE DOWNLOAD OF BENEVOLENT'S DEBUT ALBUM "
DIVIDED EP" AT http://benevolent.bandcamp.com
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