The Horizon Devices Apex Preamp is a Horizon Devices distortion pedal. Close alternatives include the Hotone Skyline Djent High-Gain Distortion and the Sonicake Dejent. It pairs well with the Marshall Studio Classic SC20H 20W Head and the Fuchs FBT-700.
Horizon Devices Apex Preamp
Horizon Devices · pedal
The Horizon Devices Apex Preamp is a Misha Mansoor-designed high-gain preamp/distortion (built by MXR) that works in front of amps, into power amps, or direct to a board or interface. It delivers tight, aggressive, modern metal gain with a flexible EQ and an Attack control to tighten low end for down-tuned, djent-style playing. It suits progressive and modern metal players wanting amp-like high gain from a pedal.
What stands out
“The community values the Apex as a versatile, tight high-gain preamp that can run direct or into an amp, ideal for djent and modern metal”
— from the community notes
“aggressive”
— from the listing
“distortion”
— from the listing
“modern metal gain with a flexible eq and an attack control to tighten low end for down-tuned”
— from the listing
“Drawbacks are a narrowly modern voicing, but for djent and metal it is powerful and versatile”
— from the reviews
- high gain
- tight
- djent
- aggressive
- eq
- metal
- distortion
Genres the Horizon Devices Apex Preamp is commonly used in
- Djent
- Metal
- Metalcore
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Death Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Horizon Devices Apex Preamp
Marshall Studio Classic SC20H 20W Head
Marshall
22% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Stack Marshall Studio Classic SC20H 20W Head on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Fuchs FBT-700
Fuchs
22% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → tight)
Feed a high gain signal into Fuchs FBT-700 and it comes out closer to tight
Comes later in the signal chain
Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited
Aguilar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo
Ebs
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a high gain signal into EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo and it comes out closer to tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a high gain signal into Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410 and it comes out closer to tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210 takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the Horizon Devices Apex Preamp
Suhr Shiba Drive
Suhr
19% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Stack Suhr Shiba Drive on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
19% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → shimmer)
Keep Horizon Devices Apex Preamp's high gain voice out front: Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress goes after Horizon Devices Apex Preamp in the signal chain so its shimmer voice doesn't muddy it
Comes later in the signal chain
Nobels ODR-1
Nobels
19% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Stack Nobels ODR-1 on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Wampler Cory Wong
Wampler
18% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Horizon Devices Apex Preamp's own high gain character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Hungry Robot Moby Dick V2
Hungry Robot
17% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → lush)
Keep Horizon Devices Apex Preamp's high gain voice out front: Hungry Robot Moby Dick V2 goes after Horizon Devices Apex Preamp in the signal chain so its ambient voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Hungry Robot The Borderland
Hungry Robot
17% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → modulated)
Keep Hungry Robot The Borderland after Horizon Devices Apex Preamp in the signal chain, clear of Horizon Devices Apex Preamp's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
MXR CAE Wah
MXR
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
MXR CAE Wah belongs in front of Horizon Devices Apex Preamp, since a wah tracks picking dynamics best on the raw signal
JAM Pedals RetroVibe Mk.4
Jam Pedals
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a high gain signal into JAM Pedals RetroVibe Mk.4 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Hotone Skyline Djent High-Gain Distortion
Hotone
69% similarityShared character: response, distortion, high gain settings
Sonicake Dejent
Sonicake
69% similarityShared character: distortion, high gain settings
Hotone Skyline Djent Metalcore HiGain Metal Distortion
Hotone
67% similarityShared character: metal, attack, distortion
Fortin Amplification 33 Fredrik Thordendal Boost
Fortin Amplification
64% similarityShared character: metal, clarity, bass
Tone City Wild Fro Rabea Massaad Signature Distortion
Tone City
62% similarityShared character: distortion, high gain settings
Horizon Devices Precision Drive
Horizon Devices
59% similarityShared character: metal, attack, clarity
Wampler Dracarys
Wampler
57% similarityShared character: metal, clarity, bass
Mooer 015 Brown Sound Micro Preamp
Mooer
57% similarityShared character: attack, aggressive playing, high gain settings
Friedman BE-OD
Friedman
54% similarityShared character: metal, bass, response
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
52% similarityShared character: bass, distortion, aggressive playing
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
52% similarityShared character: clarity, bass, response
Mooer 002 UK Golden 900
Mooer
52% similarityShared character: metal, distortion, aggressive playing
See all alternatives to the Horizon Devices Apex Preamp (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Horizon Devices Apex Preamp?+
The closest matches in character are the Hotone Skyline Djent High-Gain Distortion, the Sonicake Dejent, the Hotone Skyline Djent Metalcore HiGain Metal Distortion.
What pairs well with the Horizon Devices Apex Preamp?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Studio Classic SC20H 20W Head, Fuchs FBT-700, Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited — Stack Marshall Studio Classic SC20H 20W Head on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward.