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Gale Booster / Limiter

Based On
SoloDallas® SVDS
Effect Type
Booster, Optical Limiter
Build Difficulty
Easy
Project Summary
A pedal adaptation of the Schaffer-Vega Diversity System (SVDS), the first widely-used wireless system for guitar, famously used by AC/DC, Van Halen, Kiss, and Pink Floyd.
Gale Booster / Limiter printed circuit board

Printed Circuit Board

What's included?
PCB only. Build instructions and parts list can be viewed or downloaded from this page.

$12.50

In stock

Complete Kit

Not yet available.
Kits are developed based on interest, so if you’d like to see one for this project, let us know.
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271 people are interested.

Project overview

The Gale Booster / Limiter is a pedal adaptation of the Schaffer-Vega Diversity System, and more directly based on the SoloDallas Storm (version 2, 2019, traced by Aion FX). The SVDS was designed by Ken Schaffer and released in 1976 by the Vega Corporation. It was the first wireless system that was reliable enough to be used by major touring acts.

While it was used by several famous guitarists including Ace Frehley, David Gilmour and Eddie Van Halen, it’s Angus Young of AC/DC whose tone was most impacted by it. He found that when he was in the studio, he couldn’t get quite the same tone as he got on stage, so he ended up running his guitar through the wireless unit even when recording.

Because of this, the SVDS joins the ranks of the SDD-3000 and Echoplex EP-3 as an effect unit whose coloration was desirable even when the main part of the effect wasn’t used.

In the pedal adaptation, the actual wireless portions of the SVDS have been removed, leaving only the pregain, limiter, and output amplifier, which form the core analog signal path of the original unit.

The Gale is a direct adaptation of the Storm with no changes except for some added power filtering.

Disclaimer: Aion FX is in no way affiliated with SoloDallas. Any trademarks are property of their owners and used only for comparative purposes. SoloDallas makes a wide range of incredibly high-quality products. If you like what they do, support them!