Tone King Royalist Preamp Pedal

High Voltage Tri-Tube British Preamp Pedal

The Sound of British Rock Royalty - Now on Your Pedalboard

The Royalist Tube Preamp Pedal captures the soul of Tone King’s beloved Royalist MKIII amplifier - he company’s most authentic take on the golden age of British tone. From the sweet, singing JTM45, through the unmistakable Plexi crunch, to the searing drive of the Super Lead, this high-voltage tri-tube preamp pedal delivers the full spectrum of British rock attitude in a compact, pedalboard-friendly format.

Running on three 12AX7 tubes at proper high voltages, the Royalist Preamp brings the complete touch sensitivity, harmonic bloom, and dynamic punch of the Royalist MKIII amp to your pedalboard. Each of its two independent channels features the amp’s FAT switch and three-way 1964/1967/1970 voicing selector, faithfully reproducing the gain structure, tone stack, and feel of the original circuits. Whether you’re chasing sparkling cleans, punchy crunch, or molten roar, the Royalist Preamp delivers the unmistakable voice of British rock, anywhere, at any volume.

Three Eras of Iconic British Tone

Each channel of the Royalist Preamp offers its own three-position voicing switch, mirroring the evolution of the British amp sound across decades:

1964 - Smooth top end, lower gain, and a balanced, vintage warmth inspired by early British blues amps.

1967 - Crisp treble response, bold midrange, and the aggressive bite that defined rock’s formative years.

1970 - Increased gain and tightness for that unmistakable, high-energy crunch of arena-ready hard rock.

Pair these voicings with each channel’s FAT switch option to add body and low-end warmth to single-coil guitars or enhance sustain and punch with humbuckers.

Built-In Zero Watt Power Amp — Phase Inverter

The Royalist Preamp includes Tone King’s “Zero Watt Power Amp,” a genuine phase inverter circuit powered by one of its three 12AX7 tubes. This design captures the Royalist’s harmonic depth and dynamic interaction between preamp and power stage — a key ingredient of true British tone that most preamp pedals can’t replicate. The result is the full experience of an overdriven Royalist power section, without the ear-splitting volume.

Impulse Response (IR) Cabinet & Power Amp Sim

The Royalist Preamp Pedal features Tone King’s low-latency IR and power amp simulation engine, offering direct output to FOH, recording interfaces, or headphones with stunning realism. Preloaded with a curated selection of OwnHammer IRs capturing vintage British 1×12, 2×12, and 4×12 cabs, each channel includes a 3-way IR selector for instant tonal changes. You can also load your own IRs via the Tone King Editor software (powered by Synergy), making the Royalist a self-contained British rock rig.

OH 112 Imperial TK1660: Tone King 1660 speaker in a Tone King Imperial 1x12 combo. Captured using a Shure SM57, a Neumann U87, and a Royer 121 through '70s API 312 preamps.  ,

OH 212 Class A Blue: Celestion Blues from 1963 in a Vox AC30 2x12 combo. Captured using a Shure SM57, a Neumann U87, and a Royer 121 through '70s API 312 preamps. 

OH 412 Basketweave M25: Celestion G12M-25 speakers from 1971 in a basket-weave 1960B 4x12 cabinet. Captured using a Shure SM57, Telefunken MD421, and Royer 121.

There are 12 additional IRs to choose from in the included Tone King Editor software (powered by Synergy) which are easy to swap in and out of the pedal's six available slots. You can also disengage the onboard IR loader entirely to use the preamp with an external IR loader or powered cabinet.

Tone King Editor Software - Deep Control, Modern Flexibility

The included Tone King Editor software unlocks deep editing capabilities for digital parameters. Save and recall up to 128 presets via MIDI, assign IRs per channel, fine-tune HF and LP filters, and configure reverb, or FX loop assignments — all in one intuitive interface.

Savable Parameters

• Channel switching and bypass states
• Easily load your own IRs and manage your IR library
• IR bypass and power amp simulation options
• HF Comp and Low-Pass filters
• Access all 15 included OwnHammer IRs
• Assign any of your IRs to the pedal's six available slots (three per channel)
• Reverb, reverb tails, and effects loop bypass routing
• Save these settings to up to 128 presets for instant recall via MIDI

Expanding Your Rig

The Royalist Preamp Pedal is equally at home on stage, in the studio, or integrated with your favorite amp.

Add Channels to Your Amp:

Use the 3-cable method with any amp that has a series effects loop to instantly add two channels of British tube tone to your existing rig.

Combine with Other Preamps:

Link multiple effects-loop-equipped preamp pedals to build an ultimate hybrid system. Assign the Royalist’s IRs and power amp emulation to other preamps, or route its reactive output into a separate power amp and cabinet for the real-air experience.

The Sound of British Heritage, Reborn for the Modern Player

From the club stages of the ‘60s to the arenas of the ‘70s, the sound of British rock has defined generations of guitar tone. Now, with the Royalist Tube Preamp Pedal, that legacy lives on — delivering the roar, chime, and harmonic richness of those legendary amplifiers in a compact, high-voltage, pedalboard-ready design.

Features

• Two Channel High-Voltage preamp – DI
• 3 x 12AX7 preamp tubes running at proper high voltages
• Built-In zero-watt power amp - phase inverter circuit 
• Two Independent channels with
• Volume, Bass, Middle and Treble Control
• Three-way 1964/1967/1970 voicing switch per channel
• Dual built-in Iron Man attenuators 
• HF switches
• Reverb control (assignable to each channel)
• Stereo, Series FX loop (bypassable)      
• MIDI programmable
• Save up to 128 presets for instant recall via an external MIDI switcher
• Presets save:
• Channel selection
• Master bypass setting
• IR selection
• IR bypass setting
• Effects loop bypass setting
• Reverb bypass and tails settings
• Tremolo bypass settings
• Onboard Impulse Response (IR) Technology
• Low-latency Impulse Response cabinet simulation (bypassable)
• 3-position CAB/IR select switch per channel (programmable via software)
• Included OwnHammer IRs
• Power amp simulation with software editable HF Comp, Low-Pass and High-Pass filters (per channel)
• Connections:
• Dual stereo balanced XLR outputs with Ground Lift Switch
• ¼" Headphone output
• Effects Send and Stereo Return Jacks
• MIDI 5-pin standard connector
• USB-C connector for use with the included Tone King Editor software editor
• To Amp In, From Amp Send and From Amp Return Jacks – for adding Imperial channels to your amp or preamp
• Included
• 6’ USB Cable
• Universal 12V Power Supply
• Dimensions: 7.2” (W) x 5.7” (D) x 2.75” (H)
• Weight: 1.9 lbs