Carl Martin Contour vs Cusack Music Orthrus Distortion
The Carl Martin Contour and the Cusack Music Orthrus Distortion are both pedals sharing bright, mid-forward. The Cusack Music Orthrus Distortion leans crunchy. Current prices: $188.58 vs $189.
cited
Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.35% — somewhat different
cited
Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- bright
- mid-forward
cited
Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$188.58via Reverb
$189via Reverb
The Carl Martin Contour is an active EQ and tone shaping pedal from Denmark providing independent bass, midrange, and treble control for comprehensive frequency contouring of the guitar signal. Designed to correct room resonances, amp voicing limitations, and pickup imbalances by actively boosting or cutting frequency ranges. Functions as an always-on corrective tool in complex signal chains or as a broad tonal shaper for adapting the guitar tone to different performance contexts. Made in Denmark by Carl Martin.
The Cusack Music Orthrus is a US-built high-gain distortion pedal based directly on a true amplifier preamp circuit, with an unconventional three-band EQ where Treble reaches into very high frequencies, Mid works more like a pick-attack and sizzle control centered on the upper midrange, and Bass behaves closer to a cabinet-resonance control than a simple low-end knob. Gain and volume run deep, giving serious headroom for everything from crunchy rhythm to saturated lead distortion, with the reworked EQ voicing doing most of the tonal heavy lifting rather than the gain stage alone. A momentary or latching boost, switchable between 3, 6, and 9dB, adds a warm, saturated push for solos, and a stutter/kill switch chops the signal for rhythmic effects. It suits players chasing trash and metal tones who want an amp-derived EQ with real character rather than a standard three-band voicing.
cited
Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- alternative
- rock
- indie rock
- Metal
- crunchy