About This Item
Description
The Asabi is Mateus Asato's signature overdrive and distortion pedal, pairing a physically interchangeable analog distortion plug-in with a full independent overdrive circuit, so a wide range of gain is always one plug-in away.
The plug-ins are complete analog circuit boards — op-amps, transistors, diodes, resistors and capacitors — not software presets. The Asabi ships with the MODERN HIGH GAIN plug-in, a high-gain, hard-clipping circuit based on the Marshall JCM800; other plug-ins, such as the RAT-inspired Large Mouse, are sold separately. Swapping a board means removing three screws that hold the chassis together and takes a couple of minutes.
Why guitarists choose the Asabi
- A physically swappable analog distortion plug-in circuit lets you change the distortion character without buying a new pedal.
- Two independent relay true-bypass channels (distortion and overdrive) can run alone or stacked together.
- 4 level-matched clipping presets on each channel plus a 4-step GAIN CYCLE give eight-plus usable gain voicings from two footswitches.
- A +/-20 dB 3-band active Baxandall-style EQ with mids centered at 660 Hz reshapes the distortion channel's tone independently of the overdrive.
- MIDI control recalls channel on/off, clipping presets, and gain cycle steps from a pedalboard controller.
Controls
- VOLUME (distortion) — Master output level for the distortion channel.
- PRES — Presence control with the strongest influence on the distortion channel's tonal character.
- GAIN (distortion) — Sets maximum distortion gain, steppable in 4 stages via GAIN CYCLE.
- BASS / MIDDLE / TREBLE — 3-band active Baxandall EQ on the distortion channel, +/-20 dB per band, flat at 12:00, mids at 660 Hz.
- VOL / TONE / DRIVE (overdrive) — Independent controls for the overdrive channel's level, brightness, and gain.
- DIST and DRIVE footswitches — Engage each channel independently; hold a footswitch for more than 1 second to enter clipping program mode and tap to cycle presets, or press both together for GAIN CYCLE.
Clipping Presets
- Distortion: AMBER (Guv'nor style, two LEDs), GREEN (808 style, two silicon diodes), BLUE (asymmetric high gain, two silicon diodes and one LED), MAGENTA (symmetrical high gain, four silicon diodes)
- Overdrive: AMBER (vintage Marshall style, two red LEDs), GREEN (classic Screamer style, two silicon diodes), BLUE (asymmetric, two silicon diodes and one red LED), MAGENTA (symmetrical, four silicon diodes)
- GAIN CYCLE steps the distortion gain through 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the GAIN knob setting; the DIST LED brightness shows the current step
Connections & Power
- Standard 1/4" input and output
- MIDI in on a TRS jack (received on the ring), used with a DIN-5 to TRS cable; default MIDI channel 1
- Runs on a 9V DC center-negative supply (9V maximum) that can deliver at least 120 mA; power supply not included
| Effect type | Dual-channel overdrive and swappable-plug-in distortion |
|---|---|
| Stock plug-in | MODERN HIGH GAIN (JCM800-style hard clipping) |
| Controls | VOLUME, PRES, GAIN, BASS, MIDDLE, TREBLE (distortion); VOL, TONE, DRIVE (overdrive); DIST and DRIVE footswitches |
| EQ | 3-band active, +/-20 dB, mid at 660 Hz |
| Clipping presets | 4 per channel, level-matched |
| MIDI | TRS (ring), CC1–CC5 |
| Bypass | Relay true bypass, each channel |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ |
| Output impedance | 100 kΩ |
| Power | 9V DC center-negative, 9V max |
| Current draw | 120 mA minimum supply |
| Dimensions | 67 x 124 x 70 mm (W x D x H); footprint 2.7 x 4.875 in |
| Made in | USA |
| Warranty | 5-year Jackson Audio warranty |
FAQ
What distortion plug-in does the Asabi ship with? It ships preloaded with the MODERN HIGH GAIN analog distortion plug-in, based on a Marshall JCM800-style hard-clipping circuit; additional plug-ins are sold separately.
Can I really swap the distortion circuit? Yes. The distortion plug-ins are complete analog circuit boards, not software presets. You remove three chassis screws, swap the board, and close the pedal again.
How many clipping presets does the Asabi have? Four on the distortion channel and four on the overdrive channel, each output-level matched, plus a 4-step GAIN CYCLE.
Does the Asabi support MIDI? Yes, MIDI is received on the ring of a TRS jack via a DIN-5-to-TRS cable, with CC1 (distortion on/off), CC2 (overdrive on/off), CC3 (distortion clipping preset), CC4 (gain cycle) and CC5 (overdrive clipping preset). The MIDI channel defaults to 1 and can be changed by holding DIST at power-up.
What is the bypass type? True bypass via relay switching on each channel independently.
What power does the Asabi need? A 9V DC center-negative supply that can deliver at least 120 mA. Do not use higher voltage — 9V is the maximum.
Can I use the overdrive to push the distortion? Yes. The overdrive channel has a flat frequency response with no mid hump and runs in its own true bypass loop, so it can be used alone or stacked to hit the front of the distortion channel.