Duncan Palladium Gain Stage User manual

-PALLADIUM-
GAIN STAGE
USER’S GUIDE

Congratulations, and thank you for your purchase of the Seymour Duncan Palladium Gain Stage pedal.
The quest for a pedal that truly sounds and performs like a tube amp has been elusive at best. There is a wealth
of options out there, but most suer from that same flat, one-dimensional characteristic common in pedal
designs.
Palladium seeks to change all of that. It is the first pedal that actually captures the feel and responsiveness of a
high gain tube amp. By focusing beyond just the tonal characteristics of the pedal, we designed an innovative
architecture that captures the full-bodied depth and character previously unattainable in a stompbox.
You can use it with a power amp or a clean guitar amp to create your ultimate high gain signature sound, and
replicate your favorite high gain amp tones. Or use it in front of a distorted amp to tighten up the attack for
rhythms or to increase sustain and saturation for solos. However you choose to use Palladium, we hope you hear
and feel the impact of great tone, body and depth in your unique sound.
HOW IT WORKS
Bass – This control dials in the amount of low end, centered on 100Hz with +/-15dB boost or cut.
Mid Level – This control lets you dial in the perfect amount of midrange with +/-12dB boost or cut.
Mid Freq – Sets the center frequency of the midrange, from 255Hz to 1100Hz.
Treble – Dials in the amount of high end, with a 2.7kHz center frequency and +/-13dB of boost or cut.
1
2
3
4

Presence – This control lets you boost or cut 5.2kHz by up to
13dB.
Level – Sets the output signal level.
Gain – Adjusts the amount of distortion at high
frequencies.
Resonance – Adjusts the amount of distortion
at low frequencies. This adds a low-end thump,
as you would experience from a 4x12 cabinet.
Boost - Sets the amount of additional gain
provided by the Boost footswitch.
True Bypass Footswitch – Activates the pedal.
When the pedal is o, the circuit from your guitar’s
signal runs via a hardwired connection from the
input jack to the output jack for true
bypass operation.
Boost Footswitch – Engages the 805
Overdrive-inspired boost circuit.
Input Jack – Connect your guitar or other pedal cable here.
Output Jack – Run cable to amp input or to next eect pedal.
Power Jack – You can use any 9 volt - 18 volt regulated DC power
supply (negative polarity center terminal).
11
11
10
10
9
9
3 4
8
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
12
12
13
13
14
14
1 2

LET’S GET STARTED!
1. Plug in any regulated 9 volt - 18 volt DC power supply with a negative polarity center terminal.
2. Run good quality, unbalanced, shielded guitar cables from your guitar to the input jack and from the output
jack, or jacks, to your amp’s input, or to the next pedal on your pedalboard.
Dialing in your sound:
A) Typical distortion setup – Begin with the Bass, Treble, Mid Level, Mid Freq, Presence, Gain and Resonance
controls at 12 o’clock, and Level control set all the way counterclockwise. Engage footswitch to turn on
pedal (status LED will light up indicating pedal is active). Gradually bring Level control up until you reach
the same output level as your clean guitar signal. Experiment with the range of each control until you find
your personal sound, from ‘satisfying chunkiness’ to ‘all-out metal mayhem.’
B) Dialing in the midrange – Because Palladium’s mid control is semi-parametric, you have the ability to
fine-tune your tone far beyond what most pedals oer. To dial in your mids, start with the Mid Level control
all the way up, and then use the Mid Freq knob to sweep through the frequencies until you find either a
sweet frequency that you’d like to boost, or an unwanted frequency that you’d like to cut. Now adjust the
Mid Level control to put that frequency at just the right level.
C) Setting boost level – Set the Boost level at 12 o’clock. Engage Boost footswitch (LED will light up). Adjust
Boost until you find the sweet spot where your pickups and the Palladium’s distortion section work together
with the Boost to create your dream high gain tone.

SAMPLE SETTINGS
MotherJamChainsGarden
Flash back in time to 1992, when people were flocking to theaters to see Singles
and the sound of Seattle ruled the airwaves. Aggressive, edgy and articulate -
this setting is perfect for tight chording and chunky rhythm work. Step on the
Saturation button to kick in a little extra grit for a great solo tone.
Brown Sound
Pull that pointy headstock guitar out of the closet, plug it into this setting and
transport yourself instantly back to the Sunset Strip circa 1983. Fans of hard rock
and hair metal will love how this setting endlessly sustains for those tremolo dive
bombs and two-handed tapping sections.
90’s Hard Rock
Slightly ducked midrange and tons of gain combine to nail the tone of chunky 90’s
hard rock. Big bottom end, articulate on the top end and enough presence to cut
through a very heavy rhythm section. Kick in the Saturation and move seamlessly
into a searing solo tone.

Versatile Classic
Just enough gain to cover the bases from standard blues ring to intricate hard
rock rhythm playing, this setting nails a wide palette of more traditional rock
tones sought after by cover band players. Step on the Saturation button to add a
touch of sustain for solos. Users can get 6 distinct tones by employing dierent
combinations of neck/bridge pickup, with and without the saturation button and
full volume/rolled back volume.
Aggressive Rhythm
Conquering Dystopia rhythm ace Keith Merrow uses this setting for everything
from heavy rhythm playing to aggressive single note runs. Tight and powerful, just
add the Saturation button to peel back faces.
Modern Thick Lead
Modern metal and prog-rock master Nick Johnston created this setting to react to
his use of the volume knob on his guitar and provide an extremely wide range of
gain tones from rhythm chunk to articulate instrumental passages. Lots of edgy
gain, and sustain for days, means you can shred your way into bliss with
this setting.

Tech Specs:
Type of circuitry: Low noise op amps and germanium clipping diodes
Bypass: True hard-wire bypass
Control Functionality:
Bass: Sets amount of bass boost or cut
Mid Level: Sets amount of mid frequency boost or cut
Mid Freq: Sets location of center frequency of mid boost or cut.
Treble: Sets amount of treble boost or cut
Presence: Sets amount of boost or cut above the treble frequency range
Level: Sets the output signal level
Gain: Sets the amount of gain at high frequencies from 42.5dB to 71dB
Resonance: Sets the amount of gain at low frequencies from 41.5dB to 66dB
Boost Knob: Sets the amount of additional gain provided by the Boost footswitch
Boost Footswitch: Engages the Boost function
Input Impedance: 500K ohms
Output Impedance: 2.8k ohms
Gain Range: 42.5dB to 71dB
Resonance Gain Range: 41.5dB to 66dB
Boost Gain: 25dB
Noise Referred To Input: <-124 dBV, 400 Hz to 20 kHz

DISPOSAL GUIDELINES
In the unlikely event that you ever need to dispose of this product, it must be disposed of properly by handing it
over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electronic equipment. Please contact your local
household waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased this product for those locations. Thanks for
helping us conserve natural resources and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and
the environment.
FCC COMPLIANCE
This Device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)
This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Tone Control Response:
Bass - 100Hz center, +/-15dB boost/cut
Mid - 255Hz to 1100Hz, +/-12db boost/cut
Treble - 2.7kHz center, +/-13dB boost/cut
Presence - 5.2kHz center, +/-11dB boost/cut
Power: External 9 volt - 18 volt regulated DC adapter (center pin negative) drives internal
24V supply
Current Consumption: 180mA
Dimensions: 5.6” x 4.63” x 2.2” tall
Weight: 16 ounces

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND COMMUNITY
Seymour Duncan takes pride in designing and crafting our products to create the most amazing sound
possible. Our Made in the USA label designates that the products are designed in Santa Barbara, California and
manufactured in the USA with quality parts sourced in the United States and around the world.
With everything we create, our passion and obsession for amazing sound is reflected in its quality and reliability.
LIMITED WARRANTY
Seymour Duncan oers the original purchaser a one-year limited warranty on both labor and materials,
from the day this product is purchased. We will repair or replace this product, at our option, if it fails due to
faulty workmanship or materials during this period. Defective products can be returned to your USA dealer,
international distributor, or sent direct to our factory postage prepaid along with dated proof of purchase (e.g.,
original store receipt) and RMA number. Call or e-mail our factory for an RMA number, which must be written
on the outside of the box. We reserve the right to refuse boxes without an RMA written on the outside.
As you might expect, this warranty does not apply if you’ve modified the unit or treated it unkindly, and we can
assume no liability for any incidental or consequential damages which may result from the use of this product.
Any warranties implied in fact or by law are limited to the duration of this express limited warranty.

PERSONAL SETTINGS
USER NOTES
USER NOTES

We stand for great tone:
It’s the heart.
The soul. The essence.
The core of the sound.
We stand for musicians.
Because soul matters.
Spirit matters.
Music matters.
We stand for quality.
We’re an American original.
An industry leader.
And we’re always innovating.
We stand by our work.
Our passion. Our history.
It’s in everything we build.
In everything we touch.
We stand for great tone.
Music. Power. Heart. Soul. Tone.
It’s who we are. It’s what we do.
We are Seymour Duncan.

seymourduncan.com
5427 Hollister Ave
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
[phone]
© 2016 Seymour Duncan