I just received my Dual Channel unLimiTeD from my friendly UPS man, and spent an hour putting it through its paces. I thought I share my initial observations.
First of all, like all Barber pedals, this thing is built like a tank. Heavy duty case, pots and switches operate smoothly, nice color and logo graphics. My only complaint is the battery holder. It took me a while to get the 9v connected and secured. It’s probably just me, but I didn’t realize the holder swings out to allow access. Furthermore, if you don’t angle the battery in, contacts first, then snap the battery into the holder, it won’t attach to the terminals. Also, the Energizer lithium 9v I use in my other Barber pedals has a truly square case (no rounded edges) and won’t fit in the battery clip. I suggest Barber use a Velcro strap rather than the metal clip to hold the battery in place.
As for the most important part; the sound… This pedal is awesome (is anybody surprised?). I had concerns since I have an LTD SR (which is amazing, btw), that the unLimiTeD might be too close sonically and therefore redundant on my pedalboard.
Wrong! The unLimiTeD has so much more gain on tap, that it serves a very different purpose. While I use the LTD SR to push my amp a bit harder and add that “just on the verge of breaking up” singing tone, the unLimiTeD adds the complex overdrive harmonics for blazing lead work. I’ve read that the unLimiTeD is classified as a mid-gain pedal, but with the gain control at 3 o’clock, this thing screams.
While I was surprised as to how much gain was available, the pedal never sounds shrill or buzzy like some other higher gain pedals I’ve used in the past. The tone just gets more complex with more sustain as you crank the dial.
I played with the tone and midrange controls a bit, but for me, the suggestions on the instruction sheet seemed to be the best settings: 9 o’clock on the midrange and 11:30 on the tone sounded best to me (at least in my living room). I’m looking forward to giving it a full workout, and tweaking the settings, at my next band practice. If I have any further revelations, I’ll update my post.