3rd party reviews and demos of LBA gear:

Gearspace.com review of the Dark Storm by Matt Pinchin
-June 2024

For such a simple device, the range of tones available is quite astonishing. Whilst not modelled on any other preamp, there is a certain ‘vintage’ vibe to the tone. This tone is further enhanced with the addition of the “Old” button which can go from subtle to extremely coloured. If you want an uncoloured preamp then this is not the unit for you. If, on the other hand, you want a character preamp, and the usual suspects are just a little too vanilla for you, then the Lighting Boy Dark Storm is sure to satisfy your needs. The build quality and workmanship that has gone in to producing the Dark Storm is evident from the moment you open the box. The whole thing screams quality, and I would not hesitate to add this to my studio.
Click to read the full review on gearspace.com.

Sound On Sound review of the Dark Storm by Matt Houghton.
-November 2023

The Dark Storm can do relatively subtle things, but this is clearly not its reason for being, and it’s not likely to be your first choice for recording classical flute or piano. For anything else, though, where you want the sound to seem that bit larger than life, it works very well. It has the range to do pleasing things on pretty much anything and, importantly, different things for a range of sources in the same session. From close‑miked, breathy, whisper vocals through my C414 to raunchy rock vox through an SM57. From a thick, rounded DI bass guitar to a distorting electric guitar preamp or a box to breathe new life and dimension into synth parts... You get the idea. Just a few controls can do so much. It’s one of those toys that awakens the creative urge, and encourages you to play and experiment — and when I’m in that mood I find it a whole lot easier to make music!
Click to read the full review on SOS.

Recording Magazine review of the Storm Series preamps by Paul Vnuk Jr. - July 2023

Dark Storm featured in DI Box comparison by German Metal Producer, Kristian Kohle of @KohleAudioKult on youtube
- June 2023.

"It's pretty inspiring because it can actually go from really clean to pretty f****d up."

Sonic Scoop Review (Michael Duncan):  TI Box 
​December 2020

"Now, as many know, the REDDI is an active tube DI with a much heftier price tag. Still, the differences between these pieces of gear were intriguing." ​
​https://sonicscoop.com/2020/12/29/new-gear-review-thicker-injection-box-by-lightning-boy-audio/

Scubaduba:  Talkbass.com

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/lightning-boy-audio-thread.1394265/page-4#post-23808646
"OK, yep. Everything just sounds that much better with this 2020 inline. And I can fit it underneath my Pedaltrain Mini."

Dan Reynolds of King Buffalo:  NuVision
​December 2019

This Rig Rundown showed up from Premier Guitar in December of 2019 and features the band, King Buffalo.  Dan is the bassist and in this excerpt he shows us how he uses the NuVision in his rig.  

Sean McVay of King Buffalo:  Soul Drive V
​December 2019

This is the Rig Rundown that showed up from Premier guitar in December of 2019 and features the band, King Buffalo.  Sean is the front man and in this excerpt he demonstrates the origins of his thick tone.  

Tuto-Mao-Guitare:  NuVision

This demo is in French.  If French is not a language you're familiar with, this video is still very insightful.  Didier runs the pedal through every possible setting, covering a lot of ground.    

Harry and a Guitar:  Thunder Knob Demo

"A really cool, unique sounding, tube overdrive pedal that reacts completely different depending on what guitar you put through it.  And in a world where the overdrive pedal market is kind of saturated, this is really, really refreshing."

NuVision Demo by Stompbox Exhibit + Delicious Audio Blog: Winter NAMM 2018

Demoed at Winter NAMM 2018 by the Stompbox Exhibit.  Video by Eric Merrow.

Rotator:  The Pedal Party

An iTunes podcast about guitar pedals.  In this episode, Cogan and Chance get their minds blown by the Thunder Knob.  "Its the type of drive pedal that can shake hands and play nice with other pedals.  The Thunder Knob in front of a dynamic drive pedal - take your pick - is a game changer, oh golly."  Click here for the podcast

Just Nick explains why he thinks the Thunder Knob is a great overdrive pedal.  

"Beautifully built.  Very toneful.  Perfectly dialed in."  

Shane Diiorio of In the Blues takes the Thunder Knob for a spin.

"Simple stuff for me is the way to go.  I think that's pretty sweet and I think they've done something pretty unique as well."

Effects Bay review of the
​Thunder Knob

"My first 3 words are – Oh. My. God."

"The Thunder Knob sounds great as a light overdrive, and would be a monster as a lead boost. I was also having some fun pairing this with pedals after it, driving those pedals. Again, he knocked it out of the park on this one."
​
Click here for the entire review.

Gearmanndude runs P90's through the Thunder Knob.  

"Oh, Man, sweet tube goodness - yeah bah.  You know I love that!"

"You can really tell there's a tube in there.  It has a feel to it when you're strumming the guitar."

Effects Bay review of
​the Lightning Boy II 
July 2017

"I typically play the Matchless at what I call ‘medium grit’ meaning there is some hair when you hit it hard, but playing lightly, it’s very clean. Definitely not a high-gain tone. For this particular application, this pedal is absolutely amazing. The pre-set distortion is perfect. If I crank the volume, things begin to mush and get muddy, but that is exactly what I would expect with this amp. The sweet spot for me was around 2:30-3 o’clock on the dial."  Click here to read more here...

Gearmanndude demo of the Lightning Boy II
​and CH2 Sidecar
March 2017

"Oh, this is a cool thing here, everybody!"

Pete Thorn
demo of Op-2 Comp
​October 2016

"Its super cool.  Its an optical tube compressor in a pedal.  So think LA2A, like the classic URIE compressor - that's what they were going for with this.  And, to get it into a pedal and get those tonal characteristics into a pedal is really, really cool, I think.  Most guitar pedal compressors have a very sort of squashed obvious compressed sound.  This one has that forgiving, yet really warm silky effect that an LA2A has."

Gearmanndude
demo of Op-2 Comp
August 2016

"Oh yeah, man, its really warm! Its got that studio-grade kind of channel strip flavor to it."

In the Blues demo of Op-2 Comp
​June 2016

Check out the youtube channel In the Blues if you haven't already.  Great demos of guitar pedals and more!  In this video, Shane demo's our Op-2 Comp pedal.    

Ovnilab review of Op-2 Comp
May 2016

As I mentioned in my earlier review of the Opti-Mu Prime, many tube pedals and preamps end up disappointing because their tube gain stages run at low voltage and are not designed to get good results that way. Lightning Boy's goal here is to beat that trend by optimizing the "starved plate" (low DC voltage) design for more clean gain and better noise performance, and I think it hits those marks neatly. CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE REVIEW.

Effects Bay review of Op-2 Comp
​April 2016

"My thoughts instantly with the unit. It’s quiet. Re-al quiet. I was very impressed, especially with the tubes. My second thought, the pedal is very transparent. I find that some compressors will get a little ‘hissy’ and ‘brittle’ on the top when the compression is cranked, and this did a great job with those higher frequencies. The compression hits the sweet spot, it doesn’t get super compressed, but the right amount, which I appreciate."
Click here to check out the entire review

Ronan Chris Murphy of Recording Bootcamp:  Flux Bender Video Review
​September 2015

Record Producer, Ronan Chris Murphy (King Crimson), reviews the Flux Bender on his Recording Bootcamp youtube channel in September 2015.  Overview, opinions, and audio examples.  

Recording Magazine review of the Flux Bender
​May 2015 

By Paul Vnuk Jr.  Based in North Collins, New York, Lightning Boy is the very definition of a boutique audio company.  A still better description might be an artisanal audio company, as it reminds me of the pro audio version of a small batch distillery or... more.

Ovni Labs Review.
Lightning Boy Opti-Mu Prime

Lightning Boy Opti-Mu Prime: This new pedal uses two 12AU7 tubes; the first one drives an optical comp element, which in turn controls the gain of the second tube. Together they form a "variable-mu" compression system ("mu" is the voltage gain of small AC signals).
 
With most tube comps, and tube pedals/preamps in general, the tubes are put there to promise you a "fat, warm" tone. Just read the ads to see how much they gush about their vintage fatness and warmth. In many cases though, the tube does very little at all, and does not keep that promise. But the Opti-Mu Prime delivers the goods! It adds so much warm furry thickness that each note sounds like fluffy mashed potatoes with butter, or a long-haired cat on a pillow....more