Milkman Sound x Benson Amps Benson The Amp Guitar Amplifier Pedal

In one of the boutique amplifier world's highest-profile collabs, we're met with a star-studded meeting of the minds with the Milkman Sound x Benson Amps Benson The Amp. The Benson The Amp pairs the innovative tube-based amplifier powers of the classic Milkman pedalboard amplifier The Amp and the modern classic tube tones of the Benson Monarch and Chimera. These two tube superstars together combine into a one-of-a-kind piece perfect for fans of either name.

The Benson The Amp is instantly recognizable to anyone subscribing to the school of Milkman The Amp pedalboard amplification. Shaped into The Amp's recognizable pedalboard form, the Benson The Amp squashes an authentic Benson Monarch tube tone into Milkman's classic compact, comfortable, form-fitting, and portable casing. The core of this creation features the high-voltage tube preamp circuit of Benson's Monarch and Chimera amplifiers paired with a Class D hundred-watt power amp with enough power for any and all performance scenarios. This tone, not strictly new to pedal form (see the Benson Preamp), effortlessly steps into this exciting and dynamic format with a number of Milkman Amp standby features.

In the style of Milkman Amps, the Benson The Amp features onboard controls for a DSP spring-style reverb and a clean op amp-based signal boost that precedes the tube preamp – both footswitchable via the front-facing footswitches. The onboard boost circuit is capable of a full twenty-four decibel bump for driving the 12AX7 tube stages into delectable saturation.

Separate controls for Volume and Output mean that Benson The Amp can be effortlessly shaped to break up without being impolite. The Amp's Volume control can be used to achieve tube-based breakup (perhaps sooner than you may be accustomed to on Milkman The Amps) while Output comes in to reel in the overall volume of the unit. In essence, Volume can be cranked to get authentic tube distortion while Output can be reeled back to deliver it in controlled dosages. The inverse is also true, mind you, where the Benson The Amp can be cleaned up with a lower Volume setting and projected far and wide with a higher Output.

Where the Benson The Amp continues to stray from the beaten path is with Bass and Treble signal controls directly lifted from the Benson Monarch and Chimera preamp. Just about any position these dials land in makes for an expressive tube tone reminiscent of Benson's classic amps. These moves go further with an onboard Room effect dial. Where Room comes in is with an onboard room mic emulation dedicated to using the Benson The Amp in direct out scenarios. Generating an authentic slapback delay sort of effect – the kind you'd get from playing live in a really, really nice recording space – Room can be used with the integrated cabinet simulation output and the speaker cabinet output. Wherever you need that realistic, subtle echoing, the Benson The Amp delivers in droves with authenticity and finesse.

The Amp's Cab Sim connection is accessible via XLR and can be used to simulate a speaker cabinet for direct recording or silent performance. Benson took the liberty to capture their favorite mic'd cabinet frequency response of their oversized 1x12" cab loaded with their Benson Ceramic 30 speaker and an AEA N22 ribbon microphone. This simulation's no-latency analog circuit delivers enormously expressive tones while retaining the ability to be bypassed via a rear-panel toggle switch. The Benson The Amp can output fifty to two hundred watts ranging from sixteen to four ohms, meaning this is an amp for so many different types of speakers and setups.

A star-studded affair, a buddy-up for the ages, a new classic in real time, whatever you want to call it, the Benson The Amp is all that and more.