Dr Scientist Dungeon Crawler Distortion

Extreme metal distortion with an amp-like feel

The Dr. Scientist Dungeon Crawler is an original high-gain distortion designed from the ground up for extreme metal tones. Built around three MOSFET amplifier stages rather than conventional diode clipping, it delivers massive amounts of gain and saturation while retaining the attack, dynamics and response of a heavily driven amplifier.

Designed to take a clean amp all the way into death-metal territory, the Dungeon Crawler combines enormous gain with a sharp, immediate pick attack and extensive control over the final sound. Its powerful EQ makes it possible to sculpt everything from tight, focused modern distortion to huge, aggressive walls of gain, while the Clean control blends the unaffected signal back in to preserve definition and low-end impact.

The Grind control introduces another layer of aggression. Inspired by the unapologetically harsh character of classic extreme-gain pedals, it uses a silicon NPN transistor rectifier stage that can be blended into the main distortion sound. Turn it up to introduce a meaner, more abrasive edge, or keep it lower when you want the smoother character of the MOSFET gain stages to remain dominant.

There are subtle nods to some legendary heavy sounds throughout the design. Gyrator-based EQ stages offer the powerful frequency shaping associated with pedals like the HM-2, while the Grind circuit tips its hat to the aggressive character of the FZ-2. The Dungeon Crawler isn't a recreation of either pedal, however. These ideas are incorporated into an original circuit designed to offer its own much broader approach to extreme distortion.

High-gain sounds can quickly become noisy, so Dr. Scientist also developed a dedicated noise gate specifically for the Dungeon Crawler. It helps keep tight riffs and stops under control without requiring another pedal, making the enormous amount of available gain considerably easier to manage.

A second footswitch activates Boost mode, simultaneously increasing both gain and volume. This provides an immediate step up for leads, heavier sections or any moment that needs additional saturation and presence without changing your core settings.

Even the artwork becomes part of the experience. The yellow LED torches flicker red in response to your input signal, visually reacting to your playing. Under the hood, the Dungeon Crawler features film capacitors throughout the signal path, power-supply protection and relay-based switching that remembers the state of both footswitches.

Developed over the course of a year and built in Canada by Dr. Scientist, the Dungeon Crawler is a love letter to extreme heavy-metal guitar tones, combining crushing saturation with the control and responsiveness needed to shape that aggression into something distinctly your own.

Dr. Scientist Dungeon Crawler Features

• Original FET-based extreme-metal distortion circuit

• Three MOSFET amplifier stages provide clipping and saturation

• Designed to take a clean amplifier all the way to extreme high-gain and death-metal distortion

• Massive gain with fast, aggressive pick attack

• Deep EQ controls for extensive frequency shaping

• Gyrator-based EQ stages inspired by classic extreme-metal distortion circuits

• Clean blend helps retain definition, attack and low-end impact

• Grind control blends in a silicon NPN transistor rectifier stage for a harsher, more aggressive character

• Integrated noise gate designed specifically for high-gain sounds

• Dedicated Boost footswitch simultaneously increases gain and volume

• Relay-based switching with footswitch state memory

• Film capacitors throughout the signal path

• Yellow LED torches flicker red in response to the input signal

• Power: 9V DC

• Current draw: 100mA