KMA Machines ENDGAME Duality Calibrator Pedal Overview
After years of development work, ENDGAME is KMA Machine’s most ambitious creation to date. A highly flexible and comprehensive solution for the end of your signal chain, ENDGAME is a superb problem solver and a convenient creative companion.
Talk about feature packed! With an integrated Stereo FX loop, KMA’s proprietary True Double-Tracker doubler and own DUAL IR cab with power amp simulation, an Aux Input (also via Bluetooth), real pro-level XLR outputs and extensive routing options, ENDGAME really is a powerhouse for your board, whether touring as a fly rig or practicing at home with headphones. Oh, did we mention Stereo? Now you can finally use all your stereo devices with just one easy to use and compact product - let the alchemy begin!
Main Features:
- The complete final stage of your pedalboard
- Foot-switchable Stereo Effects Loop
- Dual Cabinet Simulation (Dual Mono IR Loader with 3 Celestion® Powered Presets and 2 customisable User slots)
- Ambience Control - for room simulation and more
- Foot-switchable True Double-Tracker (Proprietary Doubler) with Width Control
- Switchable Tube Power Amp Simulation (6L6/EL34/KT88)
- Flexible internal signal routing
- Premium Analog, high-headroom input, with high-impedance circuitry
- Variable Input level (+/-24 dB of gain/reduction) for direct instrument or line level devices
- Input Direct Thru connection
- Aux Input - Bluetooth Audio or 3.5 mm TRS, with Aux/Main Mix/Blend Control
- Dual Headphone Outputs, with dedicated level control
- Stereo Fully Balanced XLR DI Outputs, with ground lift and Variable Level Control (Mic/ Instrument/ +4 dBu)
- Stereo 6.35 mm Balanced TRS outputs
- USB C for loading user Impulse Responses and software updates
- True Bypass silent relay-based soft switching
- Made in Berlin, Germany
- Power by opt. 9 V PSU
(9 V DC, centre -, 2,1 mm, <490> mA max. current draw)
It’s no secret that over the past few years stereo pedals have become a huge part of many musician’s rigs. While many regular tones can (and should) be mono, we at KMA love stereo effects (we actually have quite a few of our own in development right now), but why is it so hard to use them either at home or on the stage? Without the luxury of 2 amps (plus the ability to turn them up if you have them) or for owners of cab/amp simulators that are usually mono input by design, monitoring stereo effects properly can end up being so difficult that many just end up running their stereo effects in mono and therefore lose many of their spatial creativity nuances.
Doubling guitars in recording is also a common practice in a variety of musical styles. In many cases, a single guitarist will record the same track twice with each separate recording being spread to the left and right channels. The effect of this is unmistakable to the ear and the slight differences and nuances between the two separate performances complement each other to create a noticeable thickness, density and weight to the musical experience. This is hard to get sounding right live too. Note this is not the same thing as simple doublers (that just delay one signal with a modulation) or ADT type solutions that are on the market today.
So, KMA developed ENDGAME. We wanted to make an easy to use product that gives the essentials of good tone, nothing more and nothing less. While from the front panel it might look like ENDGAME has lots of controls, compared to many hidden menus and screens in many other products, all means that it is also deceptively simple to use, despite the huge complexity of what’s going on inside!
Stereo FX Loop
A Stereo FX Loop isn’t a new thing, but in ENDGAME’s case it is probably one of the most usable, making this a killer feature!
For maximum flexibility, the serial loop features routing that can exist either before or after the IR loader and/ or Doubler (when active). Buffered for the sake of long cable runs and to maximise signal clarity, you can now hear your stereo pedals and other effects in their true pristine glory! Plus, you can quickly switch the loop on or off via the convenient soft footswitch.
True Double Tracker
Whether playing live or recording with a single instrument, the KMA ENDGAME’s True Double Tracker provides the perfect solution for adding a “fatness” and “width” to your performances and really feels like you are playing the same riff twice!
Enabled via the footswitch, the doubler accurately replicates the minor differences that could exist within two separate recordings and the width control can spread your doubled tracks anywhere from completely centred (0%) to 50% left and right (centre indent) and 100% left and right split.
KMA has carried out extensive research on how to make double tracking sound exactly how we think it should perform. In the process, we’ve spent hundreds of engineering hours working on our own proprietary technology, even developing our own custom neural network AI with onset detection in the process in our algorithms.
We believe our True Double-Tracker is the best sounding, yet easiest to use doubler you’ll ever use. Period!
Dual Cabinet Simulation IR Loader
The built-in Dual Cab Sim IR Loader is our own simple, yet flexible and powerful convolution cabinet simulation solution, which will suit a multitude of circumstances.
For this we developed a new technology we call ‘Dynamic Responsive Onset AI Convolution’ or DROAC™ for short. While other devices can potentially lead you down the path of option paralysis, we decided to just keep ENDGAME intuitive. This helps you focus on creating rather that constant adjustments, as in our experience once you’ve found your ideal cabinet tones, you tend to just stick with these favourites.
Using the rotary switch on ENDGAME’s front panel, you can select from 6 different settings.
Presets 1 to 3 are KMA’s own choices and are based on the most popular and regular examples that will fit a majority of musical situations (V30 4×12, Creamback 4 x 12, Greenback 4×12). These Genuine IR’s are provided by industry leading speaker brand Celestion® Digital, for the most authentic tone possible.
While User Presets A and B are completely user definable. There are thousands of third-party IRs out there, which can be loaded into ENDGAME’s internal storage simply using a USB-C cable connected to your host device (Mac or PC), so you’re sure to find a tone that fits you perfectly.
Why “Dual”? Well as the ENDGAME is a stereo device, what goes into the Left side of the Cab Simulation stays in the Left output (and vice versa) – no nasty phase issues to corrupt the stereo width of your carefully constructed tone here! However, what if you desire a totally different speaker cab to the other on one side of your stereo signal? Well, you can easily do this via the custom loader simply by placing different IRs in each corresponding folder. From the factory, we’ve pre-loaded these slots with examples/ combinations of our various cabinet choices on each side, but overwriting and loading your own cabinets in these user slots is a breeze.
Alternatively, by selecting the OFF position on the CAB IR knob, the internal CAB is completely Bypassed. This allows you to use your own amp or cab simulation device prior to the input of the ENDGAME as you wish.
Tube Power Amp Simulator
A tube power amp can make a fundamental difference and add significant depth and weight to your tone. ENDGAME’s integrated Tube Power Amp Simulator replicates the most common type of guitar tube amps to give the ‘right’ and subtle amount of sag and compression.
Simply push the switch on the side of the pedal to toggle between the three models, the LED colour on the top of the pedal dictates what is selected – EL34 (Green) 6L6 (Red) and KT88 (Orange). When no LED is lit this section is bypassed, allowing you the flexibility to use completely clean or with your own external choice of simulation if so desired.
Ambience
We have added a simple yet effective AMBIENCE feature which always exists at the end of the instrument’s signal chain. With some Impulse Responses, the feel you can get is that the tone not as lifelike as it could be. This often becomes even more prominent when using headphones, where it can seem like the captured virtual cabinet is almost right inside the centre of your head. The Ambience control allows you to simply adjust the level of natural room ambience to counteract this.
Essentially, it’s a little like having an extra couple of mics to capture the reflections from the room in which the virtual cab is placed – just like many creative studio engineers have done on countless classic recordings.
The centre position of the knob adds a nice sense of space that’s suitable for most styles of playing. Turn the knob all the way to the left (CCW) to make the sound completely dry or dial to the right (CW) for a lush and even more spacious effect.
Input Section
This is where you connect the last mono effect in your signal chain (e.g. overdrive, distortion, modulation, preamp, mono cab sim etc.) or your source instrument (guitar, bass or other). Your unaffected signal can also be output from the device via the THRU jack in parallel, providing versatility for sending to an amp, separate channel for “dry” recording or any other purpose you can imagine.
There is a huge amount of headroom available here and the variable input control, with its premium high-impedance circuitry, can provide up to 24 dB of gain. The Clip LED right on the top of the pedal shows the best way to set your required level, all helping to give you maximum signal quality and maintain your tonality.
Flexible Signal Routing
Giving the ultimate in creative flexibility, both the Cab Sim or True Double Tracker can be positioned PRE or POST FX Loop by using the relevant PRE/POST toggle switches. This leads to four useful combinations with different routing possibilities.
As an example, many recording engineers traditionally apply stereo effects (usually reverb and delay) after the cabinet in the signal chain, especially after double tracking, so that the carefully constructed doubled extra weight you have added to your tone doesn’t turn into a mush. There is no right or wrong way here, so chose what suits you best.
Auxiliary Input, Bluetooth and Mix Control
Placed directly before the Main Outputs, the AUX Input is a super solution for feeding a backing track or any other stereo signal into the outputs of the ENDGAME, making it perfect for many purposes including practicing.
Whether streaming via the built in Bluetooth or connecting via the mini stereo 3.5mm jack, the resulting audio signal will be present via either of the two Headphone Outputs and the Main Outputs.
The Aux Mix control allows you to blend anywhere between the ENDGAME’s signal and the AUX input. In the centre detent the signal is 50/50 equal. With the knob turned fully right (CW) the ENDGAME’s signals are muted, while turning it fully left (CCW) mutes the the auxiliary audio signals. Don’t want the Aux input to be present on the Main Outputs? No problem, as an internal DIP switch allows you to remove the AUX path from the main outputs easily.
Headphone Outputs
The ENDGAME comes with two separate headphone outputs via 3.5mm connectors. Use these to share your completed mix with another musician or even use as additional feed of the output signal into a recorder or other device. To set the level of output, simply adjust the Headphone LEVEL knob on the side of the unit to suit.
Main Outputs
The complete summed Stereo output of the ENDGAME is available on both Line level Balanced Jacks (TRS) outputs or XLRs. Either connection can be used simultaneously, for extremely flexible routing options.
In addition, the XLR outputs are fully balanced and have an adjustable variable XLR output level control (from Pro +4 dBu, to Mic Level/-60 dBu) and an integral Ground Lift switch, to help alleviate situations where you may encounter hum connecting to other devices. All this means that hooking up ENDGAME to all sorts of audio gear is a breeze!
Imagine sending the TRS outputs to a monitoring system whilst simultaneously recording via the XLR output to your DAW. Another circumstance where this could be useful is for sending outputs simultaneously to your own system for monitoring while playing live, while sending the XLR outputs to the FOH.
But wait… there’s more!
Last, but by no means least, we added another trick up the ENDGAME’s sleeve for live musicians. If, like many performers today, you use IEMs, you may want more of your own level or have an easy and simple way to blend your own monitoring levels. Many musicians can experience a slight delay between their own signal and what comes back from the monitor mix depending on the type of connections used and this is even more prevalent with many digital consoles. In addition, if there are not enough aux sends on your rig, sometimes you may not be able to hear yourself in stereo either.
So, by using the analog AUX input for your monitor mix in and the ENDGAME’s headphone out to your wired IEMs (or connected to your own IEMs wireless set up) you will have more direct control over your own levels. In this case though, you just need to set the internal DIP switch to not pass the Aux input section to the Main Outputs – no more arguing with the engineer for “more me” – you have your own control!
KMA believes ENDGAME represents one of the most intuitive, efficient and convenient devices ever for the culmination of your signal chain. We have more than packed in a stack of cool features in such a deceptively small, yet powerful pedal, so broaden your tonal horizons and experience new sonic dimensions as never before!
