Beryl EVR

Beryl EVR Gallery

This OD/DS, released as Leqtique - Beryl in 2018, is undoubtedly the most versatile effect pedal in Leqtique's past works. Its four main functions -- Clean (Preamp EQ), Low Gain OD, Medium Gain OD, and Medium Gain DS -- can be adjusted continuously, so unless you need ultra-high gain settings like 9/9-10/10-11/11, and you need one unit to produce every sound, the Beryl EVR or RED EVR are undoubtedly the best choices.

The RED EVR has a stronger treble than the Leqtique - RED, which makes it a little closer to the Beryl, but I still think its greatest strength is its medium-high gain distortion sound, so although it is certainly versatile, it is also very different, including in terms of the difference in tone.

The Beryl's original Gain knob setting varied the gain of two stages, each controlled by a separate gain stage. The first stage used a vintage clipping diode to create an extremely smooth overdrive sound reminiscent of the MAR. The second stage used a green LED with a high threshold as a clipper, adding a wild, rough-edged distortion as the gain range increased.

Although more than half of the constants in the circuit of this Beryl EVR have been changed, there is no significant change in the target sound or variable range, but the distortion component added as the gain of the second stage is increased has been adjusted to a slightly more open and rough sound. This modification further brings out the clear and high-centered sound that is inherent to the Beryl.

As time goes by, the number of transparent effects has increased, but the common usage is to use them as a Preamp/EQ/Boost(+) with a slight gain push rather than as a standalone distortion. The Beryl EVR, like the original Beryl, fully covers that range, while emphasizing the individuality and usefulness of standalone distortion with a modern sound image.

Among Leqtique's products, which tend to have a dark sound, the Beryl and 11/11 are models that were designed with a strong awareness of the significance of treble and presence from the very beginning, and although they are quite unique in a way, if you want a single unit that can handle a variety of tasks smoothly, but also want a unique tone in each gain range, then this is the best choice among EVR products, both before and after.

Shun Nokina

About the "EVR" concept

Since 2019, I have been based in Europe and have been involved in the design of several pedals, but the Leqtique pedal line has essentially been on hiatus without releasing any new products. However, by temporarily moving my base to Iceland in 2024, I was able to gain some wonderful inspiration, and have continued to design all of them as an updated package called "EVR."

"EVR" is the Icelandic word for Europe. The letters strongly evoke the idea that the pedals embody the inspiration and experiences gained over many years of traveling and living in various parts of Europe. The Leqtique pedals originally embodied a strong desire for Europe, with their vibrant paintwork and dark sound, but now they are more clearly embodied as a more real-world experience.

Leqtique pedals, which have not received an update in 15 years, have been completely redesigned from the ground up, including the housing, all components, and concept. For example, the housing, which was previously a one-piece machined aluminum body, has been redesigned from a standard "box" design with a wide tolerance range, but has been completely redesigned specifically for the Leqtique EVR pedal. By rethinking the advantages of a one-piece design, the previously aluminum-only construction has been divided and integrated into three sections: a functional aluminum base case, a non-magnetic stainless steel cosmetic layer, and individually machined parts. This paradoxically addresses the design diversity and consistency of a machined housing while addressing the limitations of material choices. As a result, most of the case, which was previously painted with acrylic paint, has been replaced with anodized aluminum, achieving unprecedented durability. The stainless steel top layer significantly improves the pedal's overall rigidity, and from a cosmetic perspective, the shine of the stainless steel adds a deep, three-dimensional feel to hand-painted pedals. In addition, for ideas that are difficult to produce even with a multi-axis CNC machine, the solution is to create individual parts and then integrate them. In particular, the internal parts, which the team calls the "slider," are deliberately produced in a different color from the pedal concept, and the Gavitt cross wires that have been used since the brand's early days are individually shielded, elevating Leqtique's characteristically neat wiring from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

Meanwhile, the power section is undoubtedly the most important aspect of a pedal's core design. I'd been using battery snaps from Keystone, a leading brand, for many years, but the highest-quality version was discontinued, and this was the area I was most concerned about... However, when rebuilding everything from scratch with the EVR concept, I wanted to mount the battery itself as a section, rather than using snaps, which could break over time. This ideal was realized in this pedal. Keystone's "Model 91" has not changed much in materials or design from the vintage type, but in terms of firmly holding a 9V square battery and outputting a strong power signal, combined with the separately designed VPTP circuit board, it has evolved to a far higher level than the original Leqtique pedal format.

The majority of these updates are related to the "interior of the pedal," and while the aforementioned high-quality components are often ignored while playing and enjoying the pedal, the question "why?" was one of the driving themes behind this update package. My answer is that the poor accessibility from the back cover was a major factor, so I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about and designing the back cover and fixing mechanism. Ultimately, I evolved the traditional four-point Phillips head screw system into a fixing mechanism with two small carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide knobs manufactured in the UK. These small knobs have enough torque to tighten or loosen with your thumb, but for those with limited access to the interior, the slits are sized to fit coins or picks, so you can tighten them further.

This is the easiest design to open and close the inside of the pedal to date. This is my final answer, coming from someone who has been obsessed with the inside of the pedal. Future new Leqtique pedals and updates to previous models will include many internal trimmers, etc., so I believe this update will undoubtedly have great significance. It also sends a strong message: "Try opening the inside of the pedal from time to time. You will undoubtedly love this pedal even more." Each of the custom parts and secret parts collected from all over the world has its own story... (See blog for details later)

*Leqtique original Beryl instruction manual