Behringer HEAVY DISTORTION HD300

A high-gain distortion designed for today's heavy sounds

The HD300 follows the tradition of "high gain" distortions made to transform a clean channel into a true wall of sound. Behringer has opted here for a double distortion architecture complemented by a Gain Boost, to achieve a dense grain, very compressed saturation when desired, and above all a prolonged sustain feel. Designed and developed by Behringer in Germany, the HD300 clearly targets guitarists who want to get straight to the point: big gain, controllable low end, and a live-ready output level.

Who is it for, what styles, and in which context?

The Behringer Heavy Distortion HD300 is aimed at beginner to advanced guitarists looking for a pedal that's simple to dial in but capable of pushing an amp far into saturation. It excels in hard rock, heavy metal, modern metal, hardcore punk, and more broadly whenever an aggressive, precise, and thick sound is needed.

In practice, it easily fits on a pedalboard to drive the clean channel of an amp (typical setup), but can also serve as a "second channel" on a clean combo platform. In home studios, it's perfect for recording heavy rhythms without stacking multiple gain stages: you dial in the distortion, shape the lows, and adjust the output level to stay within good headroom.

Settings and features: effective sculpting without menus

The HD300 keeps it simple with 100% "plug and play" ergonomics. The knobs provide true low-end control (very useful in drop tunings) and straightforward EQ to adapt the pedal to different pickups and amps.

LEVEL sets the output volume to balance your on/off sound or push the amp's input. TONE adjusts overall brightness to shift from a darker, thicker grain to a sharper distortion. BOTTOM boosts or cuts bass frequencies to maintain a heavy sound without becoming muddy. DIST controls the amount of distortion, from a big muscular crunch to a very tight saturation. Finally, GAIN BOOST adds a gain reserve to deliver a "sledgehammer" hit in rhythm or easier sustain in solos.

On stage, the ON/BATT LED indicates effect activation and helps monitor battery status. Note for use: the pedal has no master power switch and powers on as soon as a cable is plugged into the input; to preserve battery life, simply unplug the 6.35mm jack on the IN side after use.

The sound

The Behringer HD300's signature is a thick, compact, and very generous saturation with a "tube-like" feel and easily extended sustain. The tone is deliberately muscular: a clear attack, controlled compression, and a low end that can become huge thanks to the BOTTOM control. In rhythm, you get a dense sound that fills the space, ideal for palm mutes and heavy riffs; in lead, the Gain Boost helps notes cut through and sustain more easily.

Depending on your guitar, you can make it more biting (more open TONE) to cut through the mix, or conversely darker for a more "modern" and massive metal sound. The whole setup remains very responsive to adjustments: by lowering DIST and tweaking LEVEL, the HD300 can also serve as a muscular rock distortion rather than always pushing to the extreme.

Technical specifications

Effects	Distortion / Overdrive / Fuzz, Boost, Distortion	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Pink
EQ	2 channels

Footswitch	effect on/off	Power connector	DC 5.5 x 2.1 mm, center negative
ON/BATT LED	effect status and battery indication	Dimensions (W x D x H)	70 x 123 x 54 mm
Input	6.35mm TS unbalanced jack	Weight	0.33 kg
Output	6.35mm TS unbalanced jack	Required power supply	9 V DC (center negative)
Input impedance	500 kOhm	Consumption	30 mA
Output impedance	1 kOhm	Recommendation	use a regulated power supply capable of delivering at least 100 mA