Guitar World Tech Editor Paul Riario calls the Axentrix A1 “an eye-catching design loaded with tons of distortion tones,” and that’s an understatement.
The pedal adds in an extra selectable drive mode, for four in total: Crunch, Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz. Also new is an Accent function that allows for a wide variety of expressions, carrying on the unique dynamic range expansion effects of the Expandora.
The pedal adds in an extra selectable drive mode, for four in total: Crunch, Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz. Also new is an Accent function that allows for a wide variety of expressions, carrying on the unique dynamic range expansion effects of the Expandora.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00What's up? It's Paul from Guitar World and today we'll be checking out a brand new pedal
00:08from Vixonic with an eye-catching design and one loaded with tons of distortion tones.
00:14The Eccentrics A1. Let's check it out.
00:27Previously known as the maker of the Expandora pedal in the late 90s and 2000 has returned with a new digital distortion pedal called the Eccentrics A1.
00:37This new pedal uses a newly developed dynamic range expressor processing or DREP technology that allows the user to adjust not just the expansion effect,
00:47which was a unique feature of the Expandora EXP2000 pedal, but also the compression of the input dynamic range.
00:54The Eccentrics A1 includes four drive modes, crunch, overdrive, distortion and fuzz.
00:59And once you pair any of the drive modes with the DREP technology accent function, you can begin to sculpt your own unique tone.
01:07Let's take a look at controls and how to access their secondary functions.
01:15You'll see the controls and written underneath is what their secondary function is.
01:18Starting with the level control, if you press and hold it for two seconds, you get to select between guitar or bass.
01:25And you'll see the foot switch light up red for guitar, where the low frequency is removed or blue for bass.
01:32And don't be afraid to use blue for guitar if it sounds great to your ears.
01:35The accent control. This carries on the tradition of the Expandora's dynamic range expansion effect.
01:41Think of it as a feel control. Moving clockwise accentuates picking attack and counterclockwise invites percussiveness at low gain or more sustained at higher gain settings.
01:52The secondary function is illumination, so you can set the brightness of the knobs by holding it down two seconds.
01:59The gain control. Of course, this is self-explanatory. It dials in the amount of gain.
02:04But if you hold it down for two seconds, you get to change the types of drive available.
02:10So when you see it light up for green, that's crunch, yellow overdrive, red distortion, and purple for fuzz.
02:18Next up, the tone control or the 3-band EQ. You press and hold for two seconds and it illuminates white and now you have access to the 3-band EQ.
02:27So the level control becomes the treble, the tone control becomes the mid, and the gain control becomes the bass.
02:33The Accentrix A1 is battery powered or AC powered. However, it's better to use this pedal with a power supply because if you leave it plugged in with a battery, when you're not using it, you'll drain the battery.
02:44With the switch on the side, you can also select whether you want true bypass or buffered bypass with the selector switch.
02:51The foot switch will light up white in buffered bypass and to set up your buffered bypass tone, you turn off the pedal and select buffered bypass and the knobs will turn white with the accent knob turning blue.
03:05Use the accent knob to set the dynamic range and the others for EQ.
03:10The same idea with the controls for bass, mid, and treble. With treble at the volume, mid at the tone, and bass at the gain knob in buffered bypass.
03:21Once you have your buffered bypass tone, hit any knob to store it.
03:25There's also three memory buttons with a save button and you can see it's real easy to use.
03:31Hit save once you get a setting, they'll light up and select where you wish to save and recall that preset.
03:38Bixonic also offers an external foot switch that's sold separately to easily recall the settings.
03:49There's also an onboard tuning meter which works the minute you plug it in.
03:55You'll see the light spins in blue and you have to have the effects off and the Accentrix A1 set up to buffered bypass.
04:03The light for the string you choose rotates clockwise if you're sharp and counterclockwise if you're flat.
04:10When the light stops spinning, you're in tune much like a strobe tuner.
04:14All right now I'm in buffered bypass that's where the switch is set so this is my buffered bypass tone.
04:27And you get to hear the range of the kind of distortion so what you just heard
04:30very very crunchy type of distortion now listen to this type of distortion very different.
04:55Here's more of a higher gain distortion check it out.
05:00So
05:16moving over to purple here we have a fuzz setting.
05:30So
05:48here you can see the gains dialed back on this one.
06:00So
06:18Bixonic Accentrix A1 is undoubtedly a new gen distortion pedal that offers an endless supply
06:24of drive tones for any playing style with the ability to save up to three different sounds
06:29an onboard tuning meter and secondary functions that allow for tailoring the EQ
06:34to your style of playing the Accentrix A1 is a jam-packed distortion stompbox worth your time.
06:40Definitely check it out.