{"product_id":"empress-effects-heavy-menace-limited-edition-distortion","title":"Empress Effects Heavy Menace Limited Edition Distortion","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith its wide range of high-gain tones, advanced EQ, and adaptive noise gate, the Heavy Menace has carved out a spot as one of the most versatile distortion pedals around. For Halloween 2025, we’re dressing it up in a limited-edition opalescent blue-purple sparkle colourway that draws your eye like a scrying pool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork comes straight from the original sketches that Ottawa tattoo artist\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eKaylie Seaver\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecreated for the Heavy Menace, making this not just stunning, but a collectible piece of Empress history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’re only making 350 of these.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree versatile distortion modes - Lite(ish), Heavy, and Heavier\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFootswitchable noise gate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree-band EQ with sweepable mid frequency\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight control to sculpt low frequency response\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLinked or independent switching of the distortion and gate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGate key input (⅛” TS or TRS)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrue bypass or buffered bypass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eENHANCED EQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’re obsessed with EQ, and the 3-band circuit on Heavy Menace is one of our best.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur Weight control adjusts a high-pass filter in the distortion circuit to shape low-end character. Turn it up for a thick, full sound, or turn counterclockwise for a tight response that’s perfect for palm muting and extended-range guitars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMidrange is a key element of a great distorted sound, so the mid frequency is sweepable from 200 Hz to 2.5 kHz to dial in the sweet spot for your guitar and amp. Scoop for a tight, aggressive sound, or push to add definition and cut through a mix.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTRUE OR BUFFERED BYPASS\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heavy Menace offers both true bypass for maximum transparency, and buffered bypass to protect against signal loss over long cable runs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eADAPTIVE GATE\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlayers loved the gate on the original Heavy. Envelope followers in the circuit respond to your playing, letting sustained notes decay naturally but clamping down quickly during fast stops.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the Heavy Menace, this gate is now footswitchable, with two available modes of operation. In normal bypass mode, the gate doesn’t affect the signal if the distortion is off, while independent bypass mode is like having separate distortion and gate pedals.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’ve also added a key input so you can optionally trigger the gate with an external signal. This is particularly useful if you have additional pedals before the Heavy Menace in your signal chain, such as a low-gain pedal for stacking. Split a clean signal with a pedal like our Buffer+ and connect it to the Gate Key Input, and the gate will behave consistently regardless of changes at the main input.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eInput Impedance: 1MΩ\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eOutput Impedance: 100Ω\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eFrequency Response (-3dB): 35Hz - 17kHz\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eInput Voltage: 9VDC Centre-Negative\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eRequired Current: 250mA\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003ePower Input Connector: 2.1mm Barrel Connector\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHeight (Enclosure Only): 1.5”\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHeight (Including Controls): 2.5”\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eLength: 4.8”\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWidth: 2.6”\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWeight: 1lb\u003c\/h4\u003e","brand":"Empress Effects","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52188640477368,"sku":"HEMX","price":249.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0888\/2795\/3336\/files\/EmpressEffectsatISG__0012_HEMX-Front-Web_49488c62-cb64-43f3-839c-a64a6ebd3413.jpg?v=1765037994","url":"https:\/\/www.interstellarguitars.com\/products\/empress-effects-heavy-menace-limited-edition-distortion","provider":"Interstellar Guitars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}