The new Orthrus distortion from Cusack Music is named after the two-headed guard dog of Greek Mythology . But as far as I can tell , the Orthrus has way more than just two tricks . With a threeoption boost function , a kill switch , and three-band EQ , it captures the power of the guard and the whole herd . It ’ s low on noise , high on tone , and can cover a few decades worth of rock and metal tones . Let ’ s dig in .
The three-band EQ is incredibly powerful , but the voicing is far from standard . To my ears , the Treble controls some very high frequencies , the Mid
GEAR SPOTLIGHT // is much more of an upper midrange control ( think pick attack and sizzle ), and the Bass is almost a cabinet resonance control . In other words , if you just set everything at noon , you are missing 90 percent of the tone of the Orthrus . In fact , leaving everything at noon was my least favorite setting . To really understand this pedal , you need to experiment with every position of every knob .
I won ’ t deny that I was skeptical about the threeway toggle switch for the Boost function . I like the ability to dial in just the
right amount of boost for punching through the mix , but the three settings on the Orthrus are spot on . The 3dB setting is subtle and gives just enough of a volume lift to notice . The 6dB setting is pretty much spot on for slamming into a solo , and the 9dB setting is over the top . With the pedal in Boost mode , the bypass light is blue , and when engaged the light is violet ( while normal mode is red ) so you always know just what ’ s on tap .
Did you notice that the second switch on the Orthrus is labeled Boost / Kill , but there isn ’ t a
GEAR SPOTLIGHT
CUSACK MUSIC
ORTHRUS
REVIEW BY PHILLIP DODGE STREET PRICE $ 189.00
The new Orthrus distortion from Cusack Music is named after the two-headed guard dog of Greek Mythology . But as far as I can tell , the Orthrus has way more than just two tricks . With a threeoption boost function , a kill switch , and three-band EQ , it captures the power of the guard and the whole herd . It ’ s low on noise , high on tone , and can cover a few decades worth of rock and metal tones . Let ’ s dig in .
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SCULPTED RIFFS
The three-band EQ is incredibly powerful , but the voicing is far from standard . To my ears , the Treble controls some very high frequencies , the Mid
GEAR SPOTLIGHT // is much more of an upper midrange control ( think pick attack and sizzle ), and the Bass is almost a cabinet resonance control . In other words , if you just set everything at noon , you are missing 90 percent of the tone of the Orthrus . In fact , leaving everything at noon was my least favorite setting . To really understand this pedal , you need to experiment with every position of every knob .
THREE WAY ALL THE WAY
I won ’ t deny that I was skeptical about the threeway toggle switch for the Boost function . I like the ability to dial in just the
Cusack Music Orthrus
right amount of boost for punching through the mix , but the three settings on the Orthrus are spot on . The 3dB setting is subtle and gives just enough of a volume lift to notice . The 6dB setting is pretty much spot on for slamming into a solo , and the 9dB setting is over the top . With the pedal in Boost mode , the bypass light is blue , and when engaged the light is violet ( while normal mode is red ) so you always know just what ’ s on tap .
CLEVER SWITCHING
Did you notice that the second switch on the Orthrus is labeled Boost / Kill , but there isn ’ t a