The Asteria Preamp Drive Mk. I is a pedal that is based on the Catalinbread Formula No. 5 V1, which is an adaptation of the Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier. The Fender Tweed Deluxe is known for its harmonically-rich breakup and is a classic low-wattage amplifier.

The Asteria Preamp Drive Mk. I replicates the quirks of the original Deluxe amp, including a tone control that has a diminishing effect as the gain is turned up. At maximum drive, there is almost no change across the sweep of the tone control. The Aion FX version of the pedal adds a toggle switch to increase the gain of the first stage.

This pedal blurs the line between a preamp and an overdrive, as it can be used as both. It is very reactive to what comes before it, making it best placed after other drive pedals but before modulation effects. However, it can also generate enough drive on its own and can be used as a standalone overdrive pedal.

The Formula No. 5 was updated in 2011, resulting in the Asteria Mk. II. The Formula 55 was the third update, released in 2017, and is available from Aion FX as the Asteria Mk. III. Each version has its own unique characteristics.

The original Formula No. 5 used 2N5457 JFETs, which are no longer available in through-hole format. However, the pedal can still be built using surface-mount JFETs (part number MMBF5457), which perform identically to the original JFETs. Aion FX also offers pre-soldered MMBF5457s on adapter boards for those who find surface-mount parts intimidating.

The Asteria Mk. I is compatible with the 18V Voltage Doubler / Bypass module, which allows the circuit to be run at 18V without the need for an external adapter. Running the circuit at a higher voltage provides increased volume and clarity.

Summary created by AI from the original source.