{"product_id":"catalinbread-crooner-436799","title":"CROONER","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAn \"Golden Age\" Preamp to Recapture the Depth of Vintage Recordings\u003c\/h3\u003eThe Catalinbread Crooner was designed as a bridge between the modern pedalboard and the aesthetic of classic recording sessions, when guitar and vocals already sounded \"finished\" right out of the preamp. The goal is not just to add gain but to reproduce the depth, cohesion, and natural compression associated with certain studio circuits, notably the spirit of the RCA BA-31.\u003cbr \/\u003eWithin the Catalinbread lineup, the Crooner stands as a characterful tool: a preamp pedal that can stay on permanently to enrich a clean tone, while also capable of delivering more pronounced saturation with a more \"hardware\" response than a classic diode overdrive.\u003cbr \/\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAlways-On, Additional Channel, or Main Drive: Who Is the Crooner For?\u003c\/h3\u003eThis pedal is aimed at guitarists seeking an \u003cstrong\u003ealways-on preamp\u003c\/strong\u003e to thicken their sound and improve feel under the fingers, as well as those wanting a \u003cstrong\u003edifferent overdrive\/distortion\u003c\/strong\u003e-more textured, more \"console-like,\" and highly responsive to playing dynamics. It particularly rewards pick nuances and guitar volume control: you can shift from a near-clean velvet tone to a singing bite without feeling like you've changed pedals.\u003cbr \/\u003eMusically, the Crooner feels at home in \u003cstrong\u003eblues\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003erock\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eamericana\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eindie\u003c\/strong\u003e, and broadly in any styles where organic grain and a strong mix presence are sought. In the studio, it provides an immediately usable texture\u0026#59; live, it can serve as an \"extra channel\" to thicken a clean tone, support amp crunch, or push leads that remain clear.\u003cbr \/\u003e\u003ch3\u003eControls, Gain, and Behavior: An Expressive Architecture Designed for Playing\u003c\/h3\u003eThe Crooner is built around dual gain control designed to be truly interactive. The \u003cstrong\u003ePush\u003c\/strong\u003e knob affects the input stage, based on a \u003cstrong\u003ediscrete op-amp inspired by UREI\u003c\/strong\u003e: at low settings, it delivers a clean and elegant boost\u0026#59; as you increase it, it pushes the main stage harder, gradually adding more edge, compression, and density.\u003cbr \/\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eTrim\u003c\/strong\u003e knob then controls the gain of the BA-31-inspired preamp stage. This is the heart of the pedal's character: it ranges from subtle coloration with a very \"studio finish\" to more pronounced saturation where you can feel the circuit working, up to fully blended textures reminiscent of a preamp section pushed to its limits. The \u003cstrong\u003eFilter\u003c\/strong\u003e provides a gentle high-frequency cut, very useful when Push and Trim are cranked, while the \u003cstrong\u003eVolume\u003c\/strong\u003e adjusts the output level for integrating the pedal at the start or end of the signal chain.\u003cbr \/\u003eKey point: the Crooner is \u003cstrong\u003eoptimized for 18V DC\u003c\/strong\u003e. This voltage offers more headroom before clipping when maintaining luxurious cleans, and better stability when seeking thick saturation. On a pedalboard, it's also a real advantage for stacking an overdrive upstream with a cleaner, more stable, and fuller result.\u003cbr \/\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSound\u003c\/h3\u003eThe Crooner delivers an immediately recognizable tone: a more \"grounded\" low-midrange, a \u003cstrong\u003epolished\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than harsh high end, and compression that builds progressively without squashing the attack. At low gain, it acts as a bright and dense \u003cstrong\u003eclean boost\u003c\/strong\u003e, perfect for making the sound feel already produced, with a nobler presence and a more convincing foundation.\u003cbr \/\u003eIncreasing \u003cstrong\u003ePush\u003c\/strong\u003e then \u003cstrong\u003eTrim\u003c\/strong\u003e leads to a harmonic-rich overdrive, very touch-sensitive, ranging from elegant crunch to thicker drive. At maximum, the pedal shifts to more extreme, \"transformer-like\" saturation with a generous and smooth texture: ideal for long-sustaining leads and rhythms that fill space without becoming aggressive.\u003cbr \/\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTechnical specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cstyle\u003e@media(max-width:632px){table[data-wb-spec]{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) minmax(0,1fr)}table[data-wb-spec] colgroup{display:none}table[data-wb-spec] tbody,table[data-wb-spec] tr{display:contents}table[data-wb-spec] td{display:block;overflow-wrap:anywhere;grid-row:var(--wb-l);background-color:var(--wb-lb)}table[data-wb-spec] td[data-r]{grid-row:var(--wb-r);background-color:var(--wb-rb)}table[data-wb-spec] td[colspan=\"2\"]{grid-column:1\/-1}table[data-wb-spec] td:empty{display:none}}\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003ctable data-wb-spec style=\"width:100%;table-layout:fixed\"\u003e\n\u003ccolgroup\u003e\u003ccol style=\"width:25%\"\u003e\u003ccol style=\"width:25%\"\u003e\u003ccol 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