In order to achieve our concept of ideal sound, we began by restructuring all of the components in an effects unit based on our expertise and extensive experience cultivated and accumulated over the years, and our innate sense of tone, and ultimately arrived at our Integrated Series which was started as FREE THE TONE’s 15th anniversary project.
The second release in this series is a bass overdrive pedal.

In the “BLACK VEHICLE” we implemented a newly developed HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) circuit for electric bass guitars. The HTS circuit, a synonym for FREE THE TONE products, prevents a thin sound, makes the texture of the sounds from the unit uniform when it is turned on and off, and feeds the received signals to the following circuit in an optimal condition.

In addition, newly designed EQ circuits and MIX circuit are also installed in the “BLACK VEHICLE”. The TREBLE and BASS EQ circuits affect only the drive sound. The unprocessed original signal (dry sound) is mixed with the drive sound in the MIX circuit. The EQ and MIX circuits minimize signal phase error, prevent the sound from being buried when the drive amount is increased, and realize an ultimate drive sound that has a clear pitch and contour of sound.

The “BLACK VEHICLE” provides two types of boost: “PRE BOOST” controls the sound amount sent to the overdrive section and “POST BOOST” adjusts the output volume. These controls allow you to perform extensive sound making; for example you can increase only the volume without changing the tone character, increase the distortion amount without changing the volume, etc.

The “BLACK VEHICLE” has sparkling overtones and long sustain you’d find in well driven vacuum tube amplifiers and it delivers a pleasant drive sound.
This unit realizes wide range “amp like” sounds.

Try our “BLACK VEHICLE” that can create a natural overdrive sound as well as a rich distorted sound.

• New HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) Circuit: The Integrated Series device implements our renewed HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) circuit. Unlike conventional buffer circuits, this newly designed circuit brings out individual sound characteristics of your bass and amplifier to the utmost while providing impedance conversion and establishing both the ideal sound and low noise.
• FREE THE TONE Custom Knobs: We developed a custom turned brass knob to reduce vibrations in the shaft and wiper of the semi-fixed resistor used for each control and suppress harmonic components that might adversely affect sound.
• Casing Design*: All of the parameters of a case -dimensions and plate thickness of the case – affect overdrive sound. We employed the best size case for our Integrated Series to provide the ideal sound. Its weight has also been optimized to deliver the best sound.
• FREE THE TONE’s Unique IC Tone Plate: This metal plate for damping and shielding covers the top of an IC chip to make the most of the characteristics of the IC and to prevent noise contamination to the utmost.
• Input impedance: min. 1MΩ
• Output load impedance: min. 10kΩ
• Controls: LEVEL, MIX, BASS, TREBLE, GAIN, POST BOOST, PRE BOOST
• Terminals: 2× 1/4" phone jacks (for input and output), 1× DC9V input jack (for AC adapter)
• Power supply: Dedicated DC9V AC adapter
• Current consumption: approx. 200 mA
• Dimensions: 95W × 124D × 51H mm (incl. protuberances such as footswitches, jacks, etc.)
• Weight: approx. 640 g (excl. battery)
• Accessories: Warranty card, manual, dedicated AC adapter, rubber foot x 4