The gear coming from the NativeAudio camp has always intrigued us, especially ever since we got our mitts on their Wilderness Delay a while back. Their latest release has had a ton of coverage, and we’re gonna join in the fun today as well. The Kiaayo Overdrive is a streamlined drive pedal that focuses on a less-is-more kind of philosophy – not to worry, there’s plenty to explore with this one…
With just a three-knob layout, you may assume that the Kiaayo Overdrive is a basic dirt pedal. Well, unlike many simple circuit drives, it offers an adaptable gain configuration, distinctive pre-gain low pass filtering and dynamic-asymmetrical clipping. The Volume, Tone and Gain controls work as one to create an amp-like overdrive that really responds to the dynamics of your playing, whether that’s sustained leads of articulate chording.
The pre-gain filter aims to reduce aggressive harmonics, providing a smoother and warmer overall overdrive experience. The Kiaayo will run on power from 9V-18V as well, for adjustable headroom that enhances your overdriven capabilities. They’ve even implemented a Smart Switching system, where you decide if the footswitch is momentary or latching, further expanding what you can do with this incredible machine.
Top-mounted jacks and a buffered-bypass design ensure that the Kiaayo Overdrive will meld seamlessly with any rig or pedalboard, keeping your original signal tone in tact and running strong. Kiaayo (key-eye-yo) pays tribute to owner Mike Trombley’s Blackfeet (Amsskaapipiikuni) heritage and is the Blackfeet translation meaning bear. Blackfeet tradition tells the story of a missing child who was found and raised by a bear. The bear was wise, imparting lessons of strength and fearlessness. Winter had passed, and the child grew into a young man. Using the knowledge that the bear had imparted; the young man overcame opposition and later became a great chief. The artwork for the Kiaayo features the wise and nurturing bear walking amongst the Glacier Mountain terrain of the Blackfeet Nation. Be sure to check out our demo below, and visit the NativeAudio website for more gear and details – cheers!
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