Raw Heart OD

Not long ago, Black Arts collaborated with Mike Scheidt from YOB to create a distortion pedal that improved upon his then-favorite, the Ross Distortion. Using his pedal as a foundation, we incorporated a three-band active EQ between gain stages and made several adjustments to achieve the right tone, aggression, and volume enhancement necessary for pushing amps and adapting to varying room acoustics while on tour. The active EQ allows control over low, mid, and treble frequencies, and since it sits between gain stages, it can influence those frequencies to generate more or less distortion as needed. We placed significant emphasis on low gain settings, successfully achieving clarity and articulation, making it an effective tone-shaping tool for both live performances and studio recordings. Mike tested the prototype, and it was ultimately launched as the Quantum Mystic OD, which was featured on YOB's 2014 album, "Clearing the Path to Ascend."