Sixties Blackface Amp Tone in a Mini Enclosure
The Mad Professor Super Black Mini is an all-analog preamp and overdrive pedal that replicates the entire signal path of a classic sixties blackface amplifier, from the preamp stage through the power amp, in a compact pedalboard-friendly box. It is the successor to the original Super Black, redesigned with more headroom and more output level so those sparkly, punchy clean tones land with real authority.
Because the whole amp path is built in analog circuitry with zero latency, the pedal feels like an amp rather than a drive pedal. Low gain settings give you glassy cleans with that unmistakable blackface chime and percussive attack. Push the Gain up and you get the breakup of a cranked tube amp, dynamics and touch response included, without the volume that normally comes with it. Boosters and compressors placed in front react the way they would hitting a real blackface input.
How It Fits Your Rig
There are three main ways to use it. Run it in front of your amp as a tone shaper and overdrive, using the EQ to reshape a voice you are not happy with. Plug it into your amp’s effects loop return and it becomes an alternate preamp. Or send it straight into a cabinet IR, a modeler, or an interface and use it as a compact pedal-platform amp for silent practice, recording, and fly gigs. It works for guitar and bass.
Features and Specs
- Controls: Presence, Volume, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble
- Presence: adjusts high frequencies at the output stage
- Bass, Middle, Treble: three-band EQ in the preamp section
- Cut switch: full bass level, or a slight low-bass cut
- Comp switch: maximum dynamics with less compression, or more compression
- Circuit: fully analog, zero latency, replicates the complete amp signal path
- Current draw: approximately 27 mA at 9V DC
- Input impedance: 400k ohms
- Output impedance: 1.5k ohms
- Voltage range: 8V to 18V DC, with increased headroom at higher voltages
- Power: 2.1 mm center-negative supply or 9V battery, protected against reverse polarity
- Bypass: true bypass
- Suitable for: electric guitar and bass
FAQ
How is the Super Black Mini different from the original Super Black?
It is a smaller, updated version with added headroom and output level, and the original’s separate boost section has been dropped so the pedal focuses on the blackface preamp voice.
Can I use it without an amp?
Yes. Because it replicates the full amp signal path, you can run it straight into a cabinet IR, modeler, or audio interface and get an amp-like tone for recording or silent practice.
What do the Cut and Comp switches do?
Cut applies a slight low-bass rolloff to tighten things up, and Comp switches between maximum dynamics and a more compressed response. Running the pedal closer to 18V also adds headroom for louder clean tones.
A whole blackface amp’s worth of tone, sized to fit wherever there is room left on your board.
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