Something to remember is that no matter the brand/quality, there is a good amount of variance between potentiometers. So, just setting two of them to the same place visually in no way means that their impact on the circuit is the same. They always have to be adjusted by ear. That would apply to the volume, gain, and tone knobs and the treble pot inside. For what it's worth, in Analog Mike's own video, he gets his dialed in to sound basically exactly like his KoT. Cheers!
It killed me in the video when he talked about opening up the pedal and setting the trims to the exact same position and he made a comment that not making the settings identical ruins the point of the shootout. Lol, setting them visually the same ruins the point of a shootout.
I will be buying the MXR when it's out, been waiting a while for it. It's so close (to my ears) and for my unprofessional playing, it'll be more than enough goodness!
Me too! Slightly low mids without getting muddy. That said, I think if one were to adjust the setting with their ears and not their eyes, both pedals could achieve the exact same result.
Great point about how the pedals will sound in a mix. Most guitarists either no longer play in bands or never have and never will, and that's ok (guitar is fun!). The minor details that guitarists like to argue over are completely irrelevant when playing live. In my experience of playing live (from the mid 90s to last year) the sound guy and the venue's acoustics have much more influence on our tone than anything on our boards, and a lot of the frequencies we love at home have to be dialed out in order to properly sit in a mix anyway. Plus, the audience will never ever know or care about our gear, they just want the band to sound good. :)
My experience, also. In the context of a loud band in a bar, the subtleties go right out the window; a crowd of drunks neither hears nor cares. I had the most amazing technology, the Line6 Variax, able to swap guitars, dobros, banjos, six and twelve string, electric sitar and even alternate tunings at the twirl of a knob and nobody even noticed. They care even less about a pedal they can't even see, and don't know it's there.
Totally agree. Not to annoy bedroom people too much, but a performing musician - you aren't looking for some mystical sense of legendary tone. As stated above, need to have your instrument eq-ed to a spot in the mix where it won't get lost among a loud drum kit and some other loud instruments, and then you need something that helps you cut through for solos or single line work. No one can tell a price of tone or a duke of tone or a king of clone, etc. There's no way. Also the thing about the pots everyone is going to say.
I love that Analogman was willing to collaborate with MXR to make these. I would love a King of Tone but can't justify spending the money for it and suffering the current 4+ year wait. 75% of the original's tone and a couple of weeks of waiting is pretty great.
I'd love to see these videos done as blind comparisons, I guarantee most commenting that the MXR pedal is "missing something" would have a difficult time telling them apart or possibly prefer the MXR in some situations.
The differences are really small and way more relevant to the player (if it's a picky one like me) than to the listener. 😅 Equally great pedals these two with a slightly different feel.
Good points made here. That's snob appeal of the cork sniffers. 99.9% of the people in the world would never be able to tell the difference, and even less with a full band together.
Lol even 2 same pedals under the same maker and same components would still sound technically different because of parts tolerances. Helllooo we can recreate mobile phones relatively consistently. I don't see how that isn't possible with effects pedals that have 50's technology.
I agree. People "Hear with their Eyes" thats Why: I prefer the Blind Sound Comparisons so you get a True assessment and make an Unbiased choice . . . " Facts "
I've been on the waiting list for a KOT for almost 3.5 years. I will continue to hold out. However, it is very cool that MXR is doing a prince version.
If I was really pressed to choose based on these samples, the KOT is the winner for it's slightly clearer attack in a few of the samples. I think the Duke of Tone is going to be very popular because it's still a very versatile Bluesbreaker-style pedal with 3 clipping options. Now we just need the Earl of Tone by Tone City pedals. 😀 Thanks for the demo.
There's also a company called DemonFX that makes a pretty accurate replica, with the graphics and everything for WAY less money. Will have to look into that as well.
The Duke of Tone is based on the Prince of Tone, not the King of Tone. I always thought the magic of the King of Tone was in using both sides and stacking them.
Wooo did you double track the intro? Let me guess, it's the double track feature of the captor!? Sounds amazing. Oh and I decided to sell my KoT. After all the myth, hype, waiting and tears. The hype is suddenly gone and I like other BB style pedals more. Especially the JHS MG, the Snouse BB and the Timmy (from MXR). My go to sound will always be Klone into one of those. That's my conclusion after 10 years playing guitar.
Hey man, I double tracked the intro song. One take (the one I filmed) on the left side and another one for the right side of the mix. Yeah, you know how it is, the King of Tone is an amazing pedal but it's not perfect for everyone. Same as every other overdrive, it has to click with the player. Those other pedals are super cool too so I get it. Such luck we all have different tastes. Imagine everyone liking the exact same gear and sounding the same. That'd be boring af. 😆
Both tones are great! Every pedal can fit the sound of a song that it's supposed to fit. I use my POT in like every wrong "typical way" for a couple songs during my bands sets. I use it for that nice standard over drive sound for like one song. But where I found it sounds best for MY BAND is funny enough in the distortion setting. Volume and gain at like 3 o'clock. I have my Union over drive now that I use for my always on warm over drive. But yea so, you don't need to listen to trends to use a pedal for your tone lol
I just reserved my spot for one of these at Zzounds. I’m very excited to finally be able to have a pedal that Analogman made or had something to do with. I’m sure me and my telecaster or going to love it. Can’t wait to get one. Obviously the KOT is the Grandfather of them all and is the King for a reason but I’m so happy they have finally catered to the poor man guitarist. Making this circuit available to the average bedroom player at an affordable price is a godsend. Kudos to MXR and Analogman.
Your video's are some of the best I've watched on RUclips! Your methods are well thought out making comparisons realistic. Very well done. Yes, the King of Tone has something extra that makes it superior. But the Mxr surprised me how capable it is.
Kris - You also need a pretty good amp + guitar + cables + all high end you enjoy at your place (including yourself) to qualify for the difference YOU hear... Nice demo.
Great comparison, thank you for doing it. I agree with your findings as the demo points out. I'm on the list and waiting for delivery of the Duke. I hope there won't be a list for that one.
I think its crazy (not surprising though) that according to my Sweetwater sales rep that the preorders are just about sold out and they wont see a next wave until sometime 2023. Idk how it is with other stores that offer a preorder around the world, but its just crazy to me that there is so much demand for the KoT, PoT, DoT that even the intended mass produced version is still getting back ordered and it hasnt even released yet.
It sounds good to me! I have a prince of tone and just recently had my king of tone arrive after 4.6 years of waiting. I’m kind of curious to pick on of these up for the hat trick of all three, 😂
Really good comparison demo! The Duke sounds extremely close. I currently have the Prince and King (borrowed) on my board. The Prince in Boost mode with the gain all the way up imparts a rounder OD with some clarity. I haven’t gotten the King to do that.
Great comparison, I think the King has a bit of extra magic but it should to keep that allure and legendary status. The Duke is a killer option at $150.
Does it though? In a non-blind comparison like this video, I am also tempted to think the KoT has some "extra magic." However I've watched a few blind A/B comparisons and in both cases, I preferred the DoT when I didn't know what was what!
There's no "allure" or "legendary" status. It's the same 50's technology. We live in an era where we can replicate more complex tech like computers consistently. What you hear is the parts tolerances, where, even the same manufacturer, with the same components can produce 10 pedals in a row, and will find minor differences between them.
For 150 bucks I’d have ordered already. Alas here in Europe it’s €220! The mxr Timmy is just €159 here, so maybe it’ll come down, but I’m not holding my breath. I got my KOT exactly a year ago and with shipping, VAT and duties it was still only about €315, expensive but not that much more than this mxr, certainly far less than the price of two mxr dukes
Great shootout! I already have the PoT, and I am on the list for the KoT (still a few years to wait for it though), so I think I'll skip the DoT. Although having the DoT next to the PoT on my board could be a bit like already having the KoT? Would it? I do have to remember your gold version KoT. When it's my turn finally, I might get it with that finish as well. Would be nice on my board next to the Keeley Super Phat Mod and the Wampler Tumnus to form a golden gain triumvirate...
Ohh dude, a golden pedal trio that is. 🙌 Yeah go for it! I’d skip the DoT in your place if you don’t want to stack the sides. But if you’re into that, the DoT PoT combo would be a really cool „kinda KoT“.
Screw it all. KoT and PoT have their mojo. Period. Grab the MXR, feel it and go ahead spend more money if the sound is really what you want and you have the greens to make it. Great video as always!
I would like to see a comparison of the Duke of Tone to the Prince of Tone. I’ve always thought that the KOT and POT had some differences in sound and response. Curious to see how the DOT and POT compare side by side
OK, the thing I 'did' notice was that one of the pedals was brighter and a bit louder. Then a went back and forth on two shots of the pedal settings and sure enough the brighter louder one was ever so slightly cranked just a bit further than the other one. So little tiny things like that can be explained and even corrected. Now the clarity I did not notice in my quick listening but it is even more important than louder or brighter - thank you for honing in on that. I'm not sure what to think about that - Would I have noticed eventually? Ya, I think after some time you get a ...'Meh, not as satisfying as when I plugged into the real deal. I think you keep them both, When you are going to rehearsal or have a smaller gig ( or an questionable crowd, security venue) take the smaller board with the mini pedals and 90-95%, nah - 95-99% of the the real tone. How is that for Options. Yes we are the O-Gen -Generation "O". The Options Generation. Kemper, or NAM, or Tube or Katana. Direct, or IRs, or Mic'd or.......
Duke sounds a HAIR brighter than the KOT, but then again, I used to have a POT and recall the same thing about the POT vs. KOT. But for the price and size, it's so darn close that I couldn't every see paying for a KOT when you can get the Duke. Nice job on the demo!
GREAT Duke of Tone shootout Kris. Thanks a lot. Did you ever do a ´King of Blues´ V2 Overdrive (Tone City) shootout? Would be great if you could share your highly skilled listening experience. In case you tested against KOT or DOT would be great to hear about the outcome of that. Concerning your perception of the ´clearness´or ´clarity´ of the KOT sound I just want to subscribe: it´s not been reached by any other device (to my opinion). The way Mike Piera tests and chooses his diodes and components to be used in KOT is really unique. I do think you can hear it anytime unless you do have a live-equip that kills that ´clarity´. To be fair, a skilled ear (listening capability) is what helps a lot in immediately getting the width and feel of that clarity. THANKS for SHARING the KING OF BLUES shootout (in case you did it).
just saw you already did the comparison ruclips.net/video/qZcA7jb-eCY/видео.html Thanks Kris. I feel we are talking the same language in terms of perceiving sounds. Great shootout.
@@elchelch11 I just finished searching for that same link for you but you were faster, haha! Yeah I did that comparison too and it was really interesting. Glad you enjoyed the videos. Cheers!
Even 2 same pedals under the same maker and same components would still sound technically different because of parts tolerances. Do not copy the same knob position EVEN if they technically have the same circuitry.
I’m on the list. In the meantime I have a Prince and a Duke side by side on my board. Once I get the King, I might keep the other two, so the King doesn’t get stolen at a bar gig.
I found the biggest issue on the new MXR Duke of Tone is the internal treble trim pot. It should be labeled as presence not treble and it appears to work as a hi-cut so when turned all the way up the presence is not adding too much brightness. It should ship that way! I love the boost and dist modes but not the OD. Sounds like clean and dirty tone are separated
I could be wrong here....but....whenever you'd play the Duke you seemed to dig into the notes a little bit more. They both sound fantastic and of course your playing is superb. For impatient tone seekers the MXR would probably be way more available, but, is it as desirable? Hmmm.... Well once again thanks brother for sharing your talents with us all. Laundry time....!
It’s my understanding that the Duke of Tone was made in collaboration with Analog Mike, so it’s his circuit backed by a large distribution network. I don’t see a problem with that at all especially if it can be affordably made.
Hey, Kris! You really are a fantastic musician, Thanks for these videos. I’ve listened to it accurately and my two cents’d be: Bump discreetly the treble pot in the Duke, as well as a minor gain increase would be welcome. The lesser definition could be resolved by a pre-eq low-cut
It's worth mentioning that the Duke and Prince of tone are based on one side of the KOT with the high gain mod. Analog Mike mentioned that in an interview in another video
Both sounded amazing IMO. Of course, there's the player in the equation as well. A bit more treble with the DoT in some examples, but still sounding great.
Well, there are definitely differences that I can clearly hear. I guess it need to be like that from the selling companies perspectives. Close enough for people to like and buy, different enough for people to still want the king. I build pedals myself and listening to your comparison I feel like there is some tweaking on some components values to reduce the bass response or an overall narrower frequency response. Maybe it’s just different brands and quality components. Superb playing, as always!!
I'm a Les Pail player. I'm years into my wait for the KoT. The MXR just didn't do it for me next to the KoT. I have some great OD pedals already. I won't be adding the MXR pedal to my board. Appreciate the well done comparison.
Thanks for this. I thought to my ears there wasn't much difference. Sure there will be distractors but I feel this thing will sell well and has a place in the market. Good on Dunlop for another great colab.
Over RUclips, playing back through my M-AUDIO BX5 monitors (nothing special, but pretty good), I mostly couldn't hear a difference between the KOT and the MXR DOT. The lasy few playing examples might have shown the DOT to be a little bit brighter. But to your point, in the mix, noone would hear the differences. The MXR seems like a no-brainer if you are in the market for a Blues Breaker / Prince of Tone / King of Tone - tiny, the designer gets a cut (ie: an authorized copy), and it sounds great.
From this Demo the DoT sounded to me like really cool pedal in the same game as KoT. Not like clone or reproduction. Very cool pedal that DoT is. But the price is like 30% more then I was expecting.
...from your demo...the distortion setting on the MXR seems noticeably thinner than the KOT. The OD on the MXR sounds good but slightly lower in clarity than the KOT -- in the end, the MXR is impressive at $149 and for many gigging players it could work well...IMHO... BTW - great demo, examples and explanation.. well done:)
For me personally, the small size is an issue. Same with the Timmy. I would like both and I do like how both of them sound, but I don't like these tiny pedals with tiny knobs. Somehow they never seem to sit on my pedalboard very sturdy. If they would make them in their normal MXR size, I would get both of them though. Thanks for the nice demo!
can i say the mxr, to me, sounds a touch brighter, more open, clearer, and more dynamic in most examples i've heard here and other videos. giving a good cut in a mix. just a touch though, the king sounds great. however, i would buy the MXR, and may do for myself.
The internal pot being in the same position as the KoT doesn't mean the pots are set the same. To my ear, the DoT sounds slightly brighter/treble-ier and I would probably bump down the treble pot a little. Still sounds great though.
Hey, I know, I set the internal pot of the DoT to sound as close as possible to the KoT. It is a little brighter indeed. If you turn down the treble knob though it looses that “KoT sparkle” and sounds much darker. That’s why I went for the setting I ended up using. Cheers!
Hi Chris great demo and fantastic playing. Through the admittedly not great speakers of my iPad, they both sounded very close. The only noticeable difference seemed to be on the Les Paul, with more bottom end for the King, and this sense of more “oomf”. The Duke more than held its own and sounded really good. Looks like a great option, I would be happy to have one, even as a backup in case something happens to the KOT. Today of all days is a reminder that sometimes, a Duke can become a King…
I dont know if you've gotten more comfortable with the camera or if you've developed as guitarists these last 5-6 years. To me it sounds like you've progressed hugely. Love it ❤️❤️❤️
I really hope it’s both. 😆 Thanks so much buddy! Sometimes it really feels like I’m running around in circles so I really appreciate your words man. Cheers!
I think the DOT sounds really good. I’ve got an original gooped Zendrive, so don’t feel the need to wait 5 yrs for a pedal. Between that and an Xotic Effects Souldriven and Mad Professor Bluebird, the OD canvas is pretty well covered.
I have a KoT but ordered the MXR version anyway - with this long of a waitlist I prefer taking the DoT out gigging (then I don’t need to worry about the KoT)
great comparison and i liked stuff on one pedal and other things on the other and i can't remember which ones at this point lol but i must say the thing i like the most is your subliminal sign on the left!
I really enjoyed this video. At one point during one of your leads you turned on a pedal that did harmony or a doubling effect. Can you tell me what that pedal is? That Revv amp is awesome also. Thanks
Thanks for the great demo! Just a questions did you try adjusting the internal trim pot to cut the treble on the duke? From my experience too much tremble can cause that fizzy sound in the KOT/Prince of tone.
I compared the Prince Of Tone to the Roadrunner from Echoline and I found more usable sounds for me in the Roadrunner..... which is great because I have one and don't need to buy one of these and can get the MXR Timmy instead 😀
Kris I love both pedals but the KOT has “ something” that’s missing from the duke Having said that if I had the money I’d buy a duke tomorrow to give that beautiful colour to solos and sections where you want to lift without too much extra volume The clarity is insane Thanks as always Kris Grateful for the review and the work that went into it Much appreciated ( another one in my list but it’s at the top!!) 😁😁😁
Excellent video Kris and great performance Plus an honest opinion about the pedal which I appreciate, respect and agree with you 💯 per cent in the details you explained it. I experienced exactly similar thoughts about this little mini version and even if it is a great overdrive tool I found that I prefer to use the Channel One in my Wampler Pantheon Deluxe version which has a such a beautiful tone( not exactly King of tone one) specially in a Les Paul guitar that works better for me…Love your playing Kris!🤟🏻🎸🔥
I think u shud try dialing it more, try to make the duke sound like the king. Because the pot value must be not the same. Ive been try it on 2 greer amps light speed vintage vs new. And the difference is big. The pot value and the sound were different too. Only the characteristic were the same.
90% of the this video and others is just comparing the pedal to another pedal but never thinking about whether the tone is good in a mix or creates a texture you'd want in a song. If you do a VS comparison and want one pedal to win over the other just turn it ip a couple of Db louder and instantly it's "more 3D".
Hey, yeah sure, I started testing them different treble knob (internal) and tone knob settings to find the closest one. Then I turned on the camera and started playing the comparisons. Cheers!
Your playing is Aces; I enjoy listening to you no matter which pedal you chose.Agreed, the devil is in the detail, when playing more complex voicing’s, the KOT will shine indeed
The King of Tone is still king, the Duke of Tone is more similar to the Prince of Tone, no waiting list, made overseas, and as you noted, not as much gain or clarity as The King of Tone! Great video, really like these type of videos, and I always enjoy your playing. Cheers Kris!
@@dankauffmanmusic Prince of Tone is hand built and there's not a waiting list but it is limited supply and I had to check the website for months before getting one, they are exactly one half of a King of Tone. I'm sure they are all great pedals but i'm glad that I have the Prince of Tone.
Yes, the Prince of Tone is hand-built, but in China, not in the USA. I was wrong about that part, but Mike Piera designed it for MXR, apparently as half of the standard gain King of Tone, unlike The Prince of Tone, which is half of a high gain King of Tone.
All of the differences you mentioned, safe for the low end, may come down to potentiometer value tolerance and the low end itself may be a question of a different pre-gain low cut filter value. I'd love to see a comparison of the resistance measurements for the gain, volume, tone & presence pots. I wonder if this is what it boils down to. Care to check, Kris? I know you have a multimeter at hand :)
Haha, I don't want to go down that rabbit hole THAT deep. 😅 If something works, don't fix it, right? Both are great pedals and the DoT is definitely close enough to the KoT for my taste.
I just got on the waiting list recently and was wondering if I'd bother paying the price for a KoT. To put the price in perspective, I just bought a Marshall origin 20 head for not much more than the KoT, but I did get a really good deal on the Marshall, and I've got 5 years before I'll need to bother with buying it. ✌️🇦🇺
I watched a demo of it on REVV's Gear & Beer; they demoed about a dozen pedals, and the Duke of Tone was the worst. It didn't hold up to a Blues Breaker reissue or the REVV Chat Breaker. REVV's AI-designed pedal has a bit of Klon & Blues-Breaker, making it the best choice for us small pedal board users, but the Blues Breaker is better than the King & Duke of Tone...
Haha, I’ve seen that video too. There’s one important factor to keep in mind. Your taste, playing style, rig and the way you set up your rig decides what works best for you. I love the Revv guys, I have a 2-3 hour long call with Derek every other month to talk about life, guitars, family and everything, I consider him and Dan friends. But that doesn’t stop me from disagreeing in this, haha! I just bought myself a Blues Breaker reissue and I love it. That being said, I don’t know if I will use it much because every time I shoot it out against my KoT or the Toxic Twins, those two „win“. Every single time. As told, it all comes down to how you play, what rig you play and how you set that rig up. My top 3 BB style pedals are Toxic Twins, KoT and the Chat Breaker. I’ll just keep the BB reissue around because it’s a legend. 💛🤷♂️
I couldn't hear a difference through my monitor headphones. I didn't watch either only listened. Both sounded perfect. There may be certain reasons for the sameness, but it was indiscernible .
Something to remember is that no matter the brand/quality, there is a good amount of variance between potentiometers. So, just setting two of them to the same place visually in no way means that their impact on the circuit is the same. They always have to be adjusted by ear. That would apply to the volume, gain, and tone knobs and the treble pot inside. For what it's worth, in Analog Mike's own video, he gets his dialed in to sound basically exactly like his KoT. Cheers!
👍 exactly to the point. When comparing, you should adjust by ear and not just applying the same settings
Agree. A couple clips sounded darker on the MXR. Shoulda turned the tone up a little.
Exactly.
It killed me in the video when he talked about opening up the pedal and setting the trims to the exact same position and he made a comment that not making the settings identical ruins the point of the shootout. Lol, setting them visually the same ruins the point of a shootout.
I will be buying the MXR when it's out, been waiting a while for it. It's so close (to my ears) and for my unprofessional playing, it'll be more than enough goodness!
Very interesting comparison. I actually prefer the MXR, so I’ve saved myself a few years, and a few hundred bucks…
Me too! Slightly low mids without getting muddy. That said, I think if one were to adjust the setting with their ears and not their eyes, both pedals could achieve the exact same result.
Great point about how the pedals will sound in a mix. Most guitarists either no longer play in bands or never have and never will, and that's ok (guitar is fun!). The minor details that guitarists like to argue over are completely irrelevant when playing live. In my experience of playing live (from the mid 90s to last year) the sound guy and the venue's acoustics have much more influence on our tone than anything on our boards, and a lot of the frequencies we love at home have to be dialed out in order to properly sit in a mix anyway. Plus, the audience will never ever know or care about our gear, they just want the band to sound good. :)
My experience, also. In the context of a loud band in a bar, the subtleties go right out the window; a crowd of drunks neither hears nor cares. I had the most amazing technology, the Line6 Variax, able to swap guitars, dobros, banjos, six and twelve string, electric sitar and even alternate tunings at the twirl of a knob and nobody even noticed. They care even less about a pedal they can't even see, and don't know it's there.
Totally agree. Not to annoy bedroom people too much, but a performing musician - you aren't looking for some mystical sense of legendary tone. As stated above, need to have your instrument eq-ed to a spot in the mix where it won't get lost among a loud drum kit and some other loud instruments, and then you need something that helps you cut through for solos or single line work. No one can tell a price of tone or a duke of tone or a king of clone, etc. There's no way. Also the thing about the pots everyone is going to say.
I love that Analogman was willing to collaborate with MXR to make these. I would love a King of Tone but can't justify spending the money for it and suffering the current 4+ year wait. 75% of the original's tone and a couple of weeks of waiting is pretty great.
I'd love to see these videos done as blind comparisons, I guarantee most commenting that the MXR pedal is "missing something" would have a difficult time telling them apart or possibly prefer the MXR in some situations.
The differences are really small and way more relevant to the player (if it's a picky one like me) than to the listener. 😅 Equally great pedals these two with a slightly different feel.
Good points made here. That's snob appeal of the cork sniffers. 99.9% of the people in the world would never be able to tell the difference, and even less with a full band together.
Record the dry guitar and play the same loop through both pedals … I guarantee most people couldn’t tell the difference.
Lol even 2 same pedals under the same maker and same components would still sound technically different because of parts tolerances. Helllooo we can recreate mobile phones relatively consistently. I don't see how that isn't possible with effects pedals that have 50's technology.
I agree. People "Hear with their Eyes" thats Why: I prefer the Blind Sound Comparisons so you get a True assessment and make an Unbiased choice . . . " Facts "
Thanks for this great comparison video. I'm just listening through my computer and did not notice the nuanced differences until you pointed them out.
Yo dude, since the duke came out i've watched all of it's reviews and this is by far the best one. kudos, great job!
I've been on the waiting list for a KOT for almost 3.5 years. I will continue to hold out. However, it is very cool that MXR is doing a prince version.
If I was really pressed to choose based on these samples, the KOT is the winner for it's slightly clearer attack in a few of the samples. I think the Duke of Tone is going to be very popular because it's still a very versatile Bluesbreaker-style pedal with 3 clipping options. Now we just need the Earl of Tone by Tone City pedals. 😀 Thanks for the demo.
There's also a company called DemonFX that makes a pretty accurate replica, with the graphics and everything for WAY less money. Will have to look into that as well.
@@rodrigozamo if you want to support Chinese communists :/
The Duke of Tone is based on the Prince of Tone, not the King of Tone. I always thought the magic of the King of Tone was in using both sides and stacking them.
just buy two
Wooo did you double track the intro? Let me guess, it's the double track feature of the captor!? Sounds amazing. Oh and I decided to sell my KoT. After all the myth, hype, waiting and tears. The hype is suddenly gone and I like other BB style pedals more. Especially the JHS MG, the Snouse BB and the Timmy (from MXR). My go to sound will always be Klone into one of those. That's my conclusion after 10 years playing guitar.
Hey man, I double tracked the intro song. One take (the one I filmed) on the left side and another one for the right side of the mix.
Yeah, you know how it is, the King of Tone is an amazing pedal but it's not perfect for everyone. Same as every other overdrive, it has to click with the player. Those other pedals are super cool too so I get it. Such luck we all have different tastes. Imagine everyone liking the exact same gear and sounding the same. That'd be boring af. 😆
That MXR “ Duke of Tone” is amazing, I just bought one.
Great demo, but you should turned the treble up a little to add more clarity to the MXR. Settings can vary from the same pedal to pedal.
Both tones are great! Every pedal can fit the sound of a song that it's supposed to fit. I use my POT in like every wrong "typical way" for a couple songs during my bands sets. I use it for that nice standard over drive sound for like one song. But where I found it sounds best for MY BAND is funny enough in the distortion setting. Volume and gain at like 3 o'clock. I have my Union over drive now that I use for my always on warm over drive. But yea so, you don't need to listen to trends to use a pedal for your tone lol
I just reserved my spot for one of these at Zzounds. I’m very excited to finally be able to have a pedal that Analogman made or had something to do with. I’m sure me and my telecaster or going to love it. Can’t wait to get one.
Obviously the KOT is the Grandfather of them all and is the King for a reason but I’m so happy they have finally catered to the poor man guitarist. Making this circuit available to the average bedroom player at an affordable price is a godsend. Kudos to MXR and Analogman.
Such a cool intro track Kris! Definitely should be on your album (in a longer version) when you record it finally! 😉 🤩
Aww man, thanks!! You’re the best.
Your video's are some of the best I've watched on RUclips! Your methods are well thought out making comparisons realistic. Very well done. Yes, the King of Tone has something extra that makes it superior. But the Mxr surprised me how capable it is.
I've been on the waiting list for over a year! Saw this instantly bought this for time being very excited!
Kris - You also need a pretty good amp + guitar + cables + all high end you enjoy at your place (including yourself) to qualify for the difference YOU hear... Nice demo.
Great comparison, thank you for doing it. I agree with your findings as the demo points out. I'm on the list and waiting for delivery of the Duke. I hope there won't be a list for that one.
First time watcher of your reviews.. great playing, and I liked how much detail you went into for the comparison!
Cheers Rolf, I really appreciate it!
I think its crazy (not surprising though) that according to my Sweetwater sales rep that the preorders are just about sold out and they wont see a next wave until sometime 2023. Idk how it is with other stores that offer a preorder around the world, but its just crazy to me that there is so much demand for the KoT, PoT, DoT that even the intended mass produced version is still getting back ordered and it hasnt even released yet.
It sounds good to me! I have a prince of tone and just recently had my king of tone arrive after 4.6 years of waiting. I’m kind of curious to pick on of these up for the hat trick of all three, 😂
Lol you might as well. Enjoy your kot. Seems like a great pedal
You’ll have the whole royal family 🤣
Really good comparison demo! The Duke sounds extremely close. I currently have the Prince and King (borrowed) on my board. The Prince in Boost mode with the gain all the way up imparts a rounder OD with some clarity. I haven’t gotten the King to do that.
You have a very unique way of describing your impressions. They spoke to me. This is a next level shoot-out. ty sir.
Anytime! Glad to hear that. 🙏
Nice melody at the beginning. Love it
Thanks 🔥
Great comparison, I think the King has a bit of extra magic but it should to keep that allure and legendary status. The Duke is a killer option at $150.
Does it though? In a non-blind comparison like this video, I am also tempted to think the KoT has some "extra magic." However I've watched a few blind A/B comparisons and in both cases, I preferred the DoT when I didn't know what was what!
There's no "allure" or "legendary" status. It's the same 50's technology. We live in an era where we can replicate more complex tech like computers consistently. What you hear is the parts tolerances, where, even the same manufacturer, with the same components can produce 10 pedals in a row, and will find minor differences between them.
For 150 bucks I’d have ordered already. Alas here in Europe it’s €220! The mxr Timmy is just €159 here, so maybe it’ll come down, but I’m not holding my breath. I got my KOT exactly a year ago and with shipping, VAT and duties it was still only about €315, expensive but not that much more than this mxr, certainly far less than the price of two mxr dukes
There’s no magic other than the paint job and name
Great shootout!
I already have the PoT, and I am on the list for the KoT (still a few years to wait for it though), so I think I'll skip the DoT. Although having the DoT next to the PoT on my board could be a bit like already having the KoT? Would it?
I do have to remember your gold version KoT. When it's my turn finally, I might get it with that finish as well. Would be nice on my board next to the Keeley Super Phat Mod and the Wampler Tumnus to form a golden gain triumvirate...
Ohh dude, a golden pedal trio that is. 🙌 Yeah go for it! I’d skip the DoT in your place if you don’t want to stack the sides. But if you’re into that, the DoT PoT combo would be a really cool „kinda KoT“.
Screw it all. KoT and PoT have their mojo. Period. Grab the MXR, feel it and go ahead spend more money if the sound is really what you want and you have the greens to make it. Great video as always!
I would like to see a comparison of the Duke of Tone to the Prince of Tone. I’ve always thought that the KOT and POT had some differences in sound and response. Curious to see how the DOT and POT compare side by side
OK, the thing I 'did' notice was that one of the pedals was brighter and a bit louder. Then a went back and forth on two shots of the pedal settings and sure enough the brighter louder one was ever so slightly cranked just a bit further than the other one. So little tiny things like that can be explained and even corrected. Now the clarity I did not notice in my quick listening but it is even more important than louder or brighter - thank you for honing in on that. I'm not sure what to think about that - Would I have noticed eventually? Ya, I think after some time you get a ...'Meh, not as satisfying as when I plugged into the real deal.
I think you keep them both, When you are going to rehearsal or have a smaller gig ( or an questionable crowd, security venue) take the smaller board with the mini pedals and 90-95%, nah - 95-99% of the the real tone. How is that for Options. Yes we are the O-Gen -Generation "O". The Options Generation. Kemper, or NAM, or Tube or Katana. Direct, or IRs, or Mic'd or.......
Duke sounds a HAIR brighter than the KOT, but then again, I used to have a POT and recall the same thing about the POT vs. KOT. But for the price and size, it's so darn close that I couldn't every see paying for a KOT when you can get the Duke. Nice job on the demo!
GREAT Duke of Tone shootout Kris. Thanks a lot. Did you ever do a ´King of Blues´ V2 Overdrive (Tone City) shootout? Would be great if you could share your highly skilled listening experience. In case you tested against KOT or DOT would be great to hear about the outcome of that. Concerning your perception of the ´clearness´or ´clarity´ of the KOT sound I just want to subscribe: it´s not been reached by any other device (to my opinion). The way Mike Piera tests and chooses his diodes and components to be used in KOT is really unique. I do think you can hear it anytime unless you do have a live-equip that kills that ´clarity´. To be fair, a skilled ear (listening capability) is what helps a lot in immediately getting the width and feel of that clarity. THANKS for SHARING the KING OF BLUES shootout (in case you did it).
just saw you already did the comparison ruclips.net/video/qZcA7jb-eCY/видео.html Thanks Kris. I feel we are talking the same language in terms of perceiving sounds. Great shootout.
@@elchelch11 I just finished searching for that same link for you but you were faster, haha! Yeah I did that comparison too and it was really interesting. Glad you enjoyed the videos. Cheers!
your videos really inspire having more fun with playing my guitar. Just great! @@KrisBarocsi
Amazing demos always. Beautiful playing. Thank you.
I really appreciate that! 🙏
Never owned a KOT, but the Duke is awesome. It’s one of my favorite drive pedals. Worth it, In my book. 😊
Hey this is the first video of yours the RUclips algorithm has thrown my way (after watching josh's). Love your feel and sounds.
Even 2 same pedals under the same maker and same components would still sound technically different because of parts tolerances. Do not copy the same knob position EVEN if they technically have the same circuitry.
Cheers from Texas!
🤘😺🤘
Fantastic example music/improv... tone clarity is spot on!
thanks for the review.
all the best,
M
Thanks so much man, I really appreciate that!
I’m on the list. In the meantime I have a Prince and a Duke side by side on my board. Once I get the King, I might keep the other two, so the King doesn’t get stolen at a bar gig.
I found the biggest issue on the new MXR Duke of Tone is the internal treble trim pot. It should be labeled as presence not treble and it appears to work as a hi-cut so when turned all the way up the presence is not adding too much brightness. It should ship that way! I love the boost and dist modes but not the OD. Sounds like clean and dirty tone are separated
I think I still prefer the sound of the Protein blue channel for blues breaker style tones, but I am definitely going to try this.
definitely could hear differences but both sound amazing... also your playing is top notch. thanks for the video
Thanks for the great review! I appreciate your conclusions, especially since I'm not too familiar with the King of Tone.
Like most clones, they sound more like each other as you turn the gain up. At lower gain settings the difference is more apparent.
I could be wrong here....but....whenever you'd play the Duke you seemed to dig into the notes a little bit more. They both sound fantastic and of course your playing is superb. For impatient tone seekers the MXR would probably be way more available, but, is it as desirable? Hmmm.... Well once again thanks brother for sharing your talents with us all. Laundry time....!
It’s my understanding that the Duke of Tone was made in collaboration with Analog Mike, so it’s his circuit backed by a large distribution network. I don’t see a problem with that at all especially if it can be affordably made.
Hey, Kris! You really are a fantastic musician, Thanks for these videos.
I’ve listened to it accurately and my two cents’d be:
Bump discreetly the treble pot in the Duke, as well as a minor gain increase would be welcome. The lesser definition could be resolved by a pre-eq low-cut
Thanks André! You are way too kind!
It’s a fantastic pedal I used the pot as my main drive for years I would say it’s 95% there
It's worth mentioning that the Duke and Prince of tone are based on one side of the KOT with the high gain mod. Analog Mike mentioned that in an interview in another video
Yes, true! Same as my KoT, which has the high gain mod. 👍
Wow. I love the “simplicity” of the MXR Duke❤ sounds great
Both sounded amazing IMO. Of course, there's the player in the equation as well. A bit more treble with the DoT in some examples, but still sounding great.
Boy I sure do like how that little thing sounds with the LP.
Well, there are definitely differences that I can clearly hear. I guess it need to be like that from the selling companies perspectives. Close enough for people to like and buy, different enough for people to still want the king. I build pedals myself and listening to your comparison I feel like there is some tweaking on some components values to reduce the bass response or an overall narrower frequency response. Maybe it’s just different brands and quality components. Superb playing, as always!!
I'm a Les Pail player. I'm years into my wait for the KoT. The MXR just didn't do it for me next to the KoT. I have some great OD pedals already. I won't be adding the MXR pedal to my board. Appreciate the well done comparison.
Hey Kris, thanks for this! Gave me some ideas on how to use my DoT!
Glad to hear that. Enjoy that awesome pedal. 💪
Thanks for this. I thought to my ears there wasn't much difference. Sure there will be distractors but I feel this thing will sell well and has a place in the market. Good on Dunlop for another great colab.
I'm not a distortion guy but that KOT distortion is very good, pleasing to the ear.
Bought Duke of tone, very pleased with it
Over RUclips, playing back through my M-AUDIO BX5 monitors (nothing special, but pretty good), I mostly couldn't hear a difference between the KOT and the MXR DOT. The lasy few playing examples might have shown the DOT to be a little bit brighter. But to your point, in the mix, noone would hear the differences. The MXR seems like a no-brainer if you are in the market for a Blues Breaker / Prince of Tone / King of Tone - tiny, the designer gets a cut (ie: an authorized copy), and it sounds great.
From this Demo the DoT sounded to me like really cool pedal in the same game as KoT. Not like clone or reproduction.
Very cool pedal that DoT is. But the price is like 30% more then I was expecting.
If someone cannot write songs, the tiny tone differences between the pedals won't change that.
Very true but even when someone Can write songs the tiny differences still make very little difference.
"A single grain of rice can tip the scales" some rice bagger.
@@voodoogcarlos4393 And yet, a mountain of rice still won't cut an album
I disagree - This pedal made me more creative, smarter, a better musician, AND gave another 5 inches in length AND girth! ThANK YOU, mxr Dunlop! 👍😃
@@christopherkennedy873 i thought only Wah pedals did that?
I don't have room on my pedal board...I got the Moxie after your last review, and there wasn't space for it either....but its so good.
...from your demo...the distortion setting on the MXR seems noticeably thinner than the KOT. The OD on the MXR sounds good but slightly lower in clarity than the KOT -- in the end, the MXR is impressive at $149 and for many gigging players it could work well...IMHO... BTW - great demo, examples and explanation.. well done:)
For me personally, the small size is an issue. Same with the Timmy. I would like both and I do like how both of them sound, but I don't like these tiny pedals with tiny knobs. Somehow they never seem to sit on my pedalboard very sturdy. If they would make them in their normal MXR size, I would get both of them though. Thanks for the nice demo!
can i say the mxr, to me, sounds a touch brighter, more open, clearer, and more dynamic in most examples i've heard here and other videos. giving a good cut in a mix. just a touch though, the king sounds great. however, i would buy the MXR, and may do for myself.
The internal pot being in the same position as the KoT doesn't mean the pots are set the same. To my ear, the DoT sounds slightly brighter/treble-ier and I would probably bump down the treble pot a little. Still sounds great though.
Hey, I know, I set the internal pot of the DoT to sound as close as possible to the KoT. It is a little brighter indeed. If you turn down the treble knob though it looses that “KoT sparkle” and sounds much darker. That’s why I went for the setting I ended up using. Cheers!
Hi Chris great demo and fantastic playing.
Through the admittedly not great speakers of my iPad, they both sounded very close. The only noticeable difference seemed to be on the Les Paul, with more bottom end for the King, and this sense of more “oomf”. The Duke more than held its own and sounded really good.
Looks like a great option, I would be happy to have one, even as a backup in case something happens to the KOT.
Today of all days is a reminder that sometimes, a Duke can become a King…
Thanks a lot for watching! I really appreciate the kind words!
I dig the MXR! I'm getting 2 and buttin them Up!
Note: KOT and Dukes internal presence pots are reversed from each other.
I dont know if you've gotten more comfortable with the camera or if you've developed as guitarists these last 5-6 years. To me it sounds like you've progressed hugely. Love it ❤️❤️❤️
I really hope it’s both. 😆 Thanks so much buddy! Sometimes it really feels like I’m running around in circles so I really appreciate your words man. Cheers!
Very cool and instructive vid, thank you Kris. I would love to see how the Duke in dist mode compares to a Xotic SL drive.
I think the DOT sounds really good. I’ve got an original gooped Zendrive, so don’t feel the need to wait 5 yrs for a pedal. Between that and an Xotic Effects Souldriven and Mad Professor Bluebird, the OD canvas is pretty well covered.
Yeah it looks like you're gonna be fine with those pedals. 😆 Sick collection!
I have a KoT but ordered the MXR version anyway - with this long of a waitlist I prefer taking the DoT out gigging (then I don’t need to worry about the KoT)
sounds pretty good to me. I 'd buy one if I didn't already have the KOT. I may buy one anyway later just to have one.
great comparison and i liked stuff on one pedal and other things on the other and i can't remember which ones at this point lol but i must say the thing i like the most is your subliminal sign on the left!
I really enjoyed this video. At one point during one of your leads you turned on a pedal that did harmony or a doubling effect.
Can you tell me what that pedal is? That Revv amp is awesome also. Thanks
Very nice video. Thanks. I wonder if you could EQ the DOT to increase the clarity or bass.
Good vid! Only thing missing is a clean tone without the pedals, for reference!
Thanks for the great demo! Just a questions did you try adjusting the internal trim pot to cut the treble on the duke? From my experience too much tremble can cause that fizzy sound in the KOT/Prince of tone.
What a fantastic video GIFT!! Thank you!
I compared the Prince Of Tone to the Roadrunner from Echoline and I found more usable sounds for me in the Roadrunner..... which is great because I have one and don't need to buy one of these and can get the MXR Timmy instead 😀
Thanks for posting this. Great demonstration!
🙏
Yo Kris! Question, do you have your super clean set as a buffer, or is it set to true bypass? Thanks 😊
That was some beautiful playing, it reminded me of Chris cornell and later sound garden
Thanks so much 🙏
Kris I love both pedals but the KOT has “ something” that’s missing from the duke
Having said that if I had the money I’d buy a duke tomorrow to give that beautiful colour to solos and sections where you want to lift without too much extra volume
The clarity is insane
Thanks as always Kris
Grateful for the review and the work that went into it
Much appreciated ( another one in my list but it’s at the top!!)
😁😁😁
Paul, you and your kind words are much appreciated, as always! Thanks for checking out the videos! 🙌
Excellent video Kris and great performance Plus an honest opinion about the pedal which I appreciate, respect and agree with you 💯 per cent in the details you explained it.
I experienced exactly similar thoughts about this little mini version and even if it is a great overdrive tool I found that I prefer to use the Channel One in my Wampler Pantheon Deluxe version which has a such a beautiful tone( not exactly King of tone one) specially in a Les Paul guitar that works better for me…Love your playing Kris!🤟🏻🎸🔥
I think u shud try dialing it more, try to make the duke sound like the king. Because the pot value must be not the same. Ive been try it on 2 greer amps light speed vintage vs new. And the difference is big. The pot value and the sound were different too. Only the characteristic were the same.
90% of the this video and others is just comparing the pedal to another pedal but never thinking about whether the tone is good in a mix or creates a texture you'd want in a song.
If you do a VS comparison and want one pedal to win over the other just turn it ip a couple of Db louder and instantly it's "more 3D".
Is it closer to the King when you run it on 18v?
Did you consider tuning the pot? At noon they might react differently.
Hey, yeah sure, I started testing them different treble knob (internal) and tone knob settings to find the closest one. Then I turned on the camera and started playing the comparisons. Cheers!
Your playing is Aces; I enjoy listening to you no matter which pedal you chose.Agreed, the devil is in the detail, when playing more complex voicing’s, the KOT will shine indeed
Thanks so much buddy! 🙌
I need to try one for sure. Great stuff.
The King of Tone is still king, the Duke of Tone is more similar to the Prince of Tone, no waiting list, made overseas, and as you noted, not as much gain or clarity as The King of Tone! Great video, really like these type of videos, and I always enjoy your playing. Cheers Kris!
I thought prince has more gain?
@@dankauffmanmusic Prince of Tone is hand built and there's not a waiting list but it is limited supply and I had to check the website for months before getting one, they are exactly one half of a King of Tone. I'm sure they are all great pedals but i'm glad that I have the Prince of Tone.
Yes, the Prince of Tone is hand-built, but in China, not in the USA. I was wrong about that part, but Mike Piera designed it for MXR, apparently as half of the standard gain King of Tone, unlike The Prince of Tone, which is half of a high gain King of Tone.
All of the differences you mentioned, safe for the low end, may come down to potentiometer value tolerance and the low end itself may be a question of a different pre-gain low cut filter value. I'd love to see a comparison of the resistance measurements for the gain, volume, tone & presence pots. I wonder if this is what it boils down to. Care to check, Kris? I know you have a multimeter at hand :)
Haha, I don't want to go down that rabbit hole THAT deep. 😅 If something works, don't fix it, right? Both are great pedals and the DoT is definitely close enough to the KoT for my taste.
I just got on the waiting list recently and was wondering if I'd bother paying the price for a KoT. To put the price in perspective, I just bought a Marshall origin 20 head for not much more than the KoT, but I did get a really good deal on the Marshall, and I've got 5 years before I'll need to bother with buying it. ✌️🇦🇺
KOT has more clarity and beautiful bloomy notes. Stil POT is not bad for the money. Thank you
I watched a demo of it on REVV's Gear & Beer; they demoed about a dozen pedals, and the Duke of Tone was the worst. It didn't hold up to a Blues Breaker reissue or the REVV Chat Breaker. REVV's AI-designed pedal has a bit of Klon & Blues-Breaker, making it the best choice for us small pedal board users, but the Blues Breaker is better than the King & Duke of Tone...
Haha, I’ve seen that video too. There’s one important factor to keep in mind. Your taste, playing style, rig and the way you set up your rig decides what works best for you. I love the Revv guys, I have a 2-3 hour long call with Derek every other month to talk about life, guitars, family and everything, I consider him and Dan friends. But that doesn’t stop me from disagreeing in this, haha! I just bought myself a Blues Breaker reissue and I love it. That being said, I don’t know if I will use it much because every time I shoot it out against my KoT or the Toxic Twins, those two „win“. Every single time. As told, it all comes down to how you play, what rig you play and how you set that rig up. My top 3 BB style pedals are Toxic Twins, KoT and the Chat Breaker. I’ll just keep the BB reissue around because it’s a legend. 💛🤷♂️
5 years fly by when you don’t want it to, but to wait for a pedal it’s a bit harsh, can’t go with with DOT
Well if people keep on preordering the Duke at this pace that might also take 5 years to get one. 😆
I couldn't hear a difference through my monitor headphones. I didn't watch either only listened. Both sounded perfect. There may be certain reasons for the sameness, but it was indiscernible .
Both great pedals indeed!
A different yet similar pedal, worth it imo
Thanks for the video🤘
Any time buddy! Thanks for watching!