We’ve always admired the small footprint mentality of the mostly no-knob effects pedals coming from our friends at Henretta Engineering. Get the sound you want, set it, forget it, play your ass off. Perfect. However, we were excited to see that they had collaborated with the crew at Chicago Music Exchange to make a bigger pedal with some control knobs to play with, too. The Planetarium is a combination of Henretta’s Moody...
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After already getting our grubby mitts on the Tru-Tron 3X and Boostron 3 effects pedals from Mike Beigel and the newly revamped Mu-FX, we absolutely could not wait to see what today’s pedal had in store for us. Boy, did it deliver and then some! The Phasor 2X is the Modern Vintage Analog™ refinement of the original Musitronics® Phasor II pedal, but housed in Mu-FX’ signature “mini-mu” enclosure, and featuring...
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There are a group of pedals from DOD, manufactured decades ago that have been making a resurgence as of late, and we’ve got one of ’em for you today. The 490 Phasor doesn’t have a ton of information on it, but we have narrowed the production date down to around 1978 (we think), making it a vintage classic that features some wild tones that ooze out of this effect. Can’t get much simpler than two knobs, but...
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If you guys have ever had the pleasure to play an effects pedal from the warped mind of Joe Anastasio from Lone Wolf Audio, you know what kind of crazy gear that dude creates. Today we’re going to look at one of the wackiest, awesomest pieces of musical equipment we’ve seen, a pedal that really can’t fit into just one category, but will revive your interest in how music and sound are created. The Acetylene Nirvana is...
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The effects pedals coming out of the SiB Electronics camp are all fairly unique in design and sound, and we’re excited to look at another one of their musical concoctions today. If you’re a fan of the Phaser genre, you’ll really dig the Mr. Fazeadelic. This dual channel phaser gives off tones that will send your sound back to the psychedelic era with a quickness, or add a slight bit of shimmer and pizazz to your...
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The first couple of pedals from McCaffrey Audio that we reviewed, the Zero to Sixty Drive and Green Vodka Muff Fuzz, were just plain awesome, and we couldn’t wait to see what their next creation was going to be. Taking a turn towards the unexpected, they have now released the Run Rabbit Run, which is their take on a Vibrato-type pedal, but with so much more going on than you’d think. Designed to give you that classic...
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Pedals such as today’s featured behemoth are intimidating, plain and simple. However, once you sit down and chat with the Flanger Hoax from Electro-Harmonix for a little while, you’ll find that it’s a mellow, mild-mannered piece of gear, that just so happens to have a bunch of features and options, making it that much more lovable. A flanger, phaser and modulation monster all wrapped into one, this pedal has a bit of...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Marlin M. – find him on Instagram (@goes_by_fish), Twitter (@goes_by_fish) or Facebook (Marlin.Morin)! The NuX Mod Force is a multi effects pedal boasting an impressive 12 modulation types in a compact, pedalboard friendly enclosure. This unit has a full color LCD display (128×128) to adjust parameters for each of the modulation models. These models include chorus, tri chorus,...
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Well, it appears that we are in a familiar situation, reviewing another dynamite effects pedal from our friends at Keeley Electronics. It seems you can’t take 2 steps forward these days without literally stepping on one of Robert’s pedals (in our office, anyway), which is not necessarily a bad thing. Today’s gem of a pedal features a trio of effects again strewn together into one marvelous (and super space-saving)...
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Multi-effects pedals can be tricky to write reviews about, as there is so much going on, and so many different options to choose from that it makes it hard to narrow the writing down and focus on a few things to discuss in detail. Such is the case with today’s featured pedal, the M5 Stompbox Modeler from Line 6 – and if the regular functionality of this pedal wasn’t overwhelming enough, this model has been modded by...
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Vintage pedals seem to always have a mysterious aura about them, whether there were only a few of one model made, or pedals made with certain inner chips no longer available, or obscure effects made famous by players who possessed them. Mu-Tron / Musitronics was known for creating incredible, state-of-the-art and technologically advanced effects back in the 1970’s, and their pedals were made popular by the likes of Jerry Garcia,...
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No doubt you’ve heard of the old pedal company Ross, who are probably most famous for what many consider to be the finest compressor pedal ever made, the ever-cloned Grey Compressor. In addition to this expensive and much sought-after grey box, Ross made a slew of other awesome (and extremely underrated) pedals in the 70s and 80s, and we’ve got one for today’s featured pedal. Simple to use but great-sounding and...
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Colt and the crew at Walrus Audio are continually popping up with new pedals that change the way you think about certain effects, and how to use them in your rig. Today’s featured pedal takes a classic effects and essentially turns it around, flips it upside down and magically creates a powerful phaser tool that’s sure to make your playing improve and your tone sparkle. The Vanguard Dual Phase is a series phaser, with 2...
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Our second entry for “Moog Week” brings us into spacey, trippy, sci-fi territory, a place we love to be. Boldly going where no phaser has gone before (hehe), the MF-103 12-Stage from Moog represents everything that you’ve always wanted in a phaser pedal, but didn’t even know existed. Featuring Moog’s signature array of controls, sounds and available customization to each pedal, this MF-103 will leave you...
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Let’s get funky, shall we? Continuing in their line of compact, bass-voiced pedals, Pigtronix has released the Bass Envelope Phaser, a unique take on the classic filter effect. Even more so than their compressor and drive offerings, the controls on this unit are incredibly simple: knobs for Sensitivity and Resonance, and a switch that changes the wave-form. In both modes the Sensitivity controls how responsive the effect is to...
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I think the TonePrint idea that the folks over at TC Electronic had was brilliant, and continue to think that same thing, especially since they’ve incorporated it into all different types of pedals, not just the delays. Phaser pedals seem to be kind of a love/hate thing, and since I lean toward the former, I was super-stoked to see that TC was coming out with a TonePrint-enabled phaser. Well, I finally got my hands on the Helix,...
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Oh boy, this pedal really opens up a can for sure. I was on a search. I wanted something specific. Tremolo speed control with an expression pedal. The Worm! An affordable pedal with tremolo and expression control! Well with that feature I have to say I was a little disappointed to say the least. The Worm by Electro-Harmonix is a multi effect unit from one of the industries greats, with so many “classic” “must have” units to their...
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Today’s pedal, the Enterprise Phaser from VFE Pedals, no longer exists in the form I am reviewing it in – to avoid any legal entanglements with a certain BOLD television show, it is now known as the Tractor Beam Phaser. While there have been a few improvements since the Enterprise changer monikers, the version I’m reviewing today is just phenomenal, and takes the premise of a phaser pedal to a level where no man has...
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All-in-one pedals can be great, and they can be terrible, as anyone who has ever tried a few out can attest to. The good ones, though, when they’re good, they are GOOOOD. Where to begin with a pedal like this, with so many options, tones, squeaks, sound and delights? With a long-standing reputation of making some of the finest musical gear around, the folks at Eventide have one-upped even themselves at this point, and released...
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Rainbows and Unicorns are known to be magical, especially in the realm of musical instruments (no duh). But let’s not get caught into rainbows at the moment… Unicorns, yes unicorns can often be found in the wild land of “Hendrix,” but the Unicorn can be tamed and domesticated for much subtler uses too. JHS has produced a modern *Uni-vibe* device which is reviving the nearly “extinct” species. With...
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Some pedals are great at doing one thing, and one thing only. It’s usually quite specific, and they’re not trying to do anything but the ONE thing they’re great at. The Depths from EarthQuaker Devices is NOT one of those pedals, as it can perform many effect functions, with ease and sounding great in the process. Chorus, vibrato, rotary speakers, phasers and more – this pedal has got your needs more than...
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If you haven’t heard it, or of it, yet, the Warped Vinyl Analog Vibrato/Chorus pedal is one of the hottest pieces of gear on the market right now, but Chase Bliss Audio didn’t stop there. They managed to revamp another of their flagship pedals, the Wombtone Analog Phaser, and somehow make it more incredible than it was previously. I got the chance to check both pedals out recently (click here for my review of the Warped...
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The Mobius super-modulation pedal from Strymon is yet another example of some of the finest gear offerings available on the market today, and doesn’t really leave much to chance as far as options and tones are concerned. Created in the same realm and structure as the TimeLine Delay and BigSky Reverberator, the Mobius is a true all-in-one modulation box, supplying just about any kind of phaser, flanger, chorus and vibrato sound...
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I bought a Moogerfooger MF-103 12-Stage Phaser back in the mid-2000s, and for some dumb reason, decided to sell it (I think I was short on rent). Regardless of why, I have been missing that void in my musical life for a decade…until a week ago, when another one arrived on my doorstep (complete with expression pedal this time). This phaser is just incredible, as are most toys from Moog, and I had as much fun rediscovering this...
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We’ve got another VIDEO review for you today: The Q-Mod Multi-Effect from Z.Cat Pedals. Check them out HERE, and don’t forget to subscribe to Kyle’s YouTube channel after you watch the video! Click ‘PLAY’ and enjoy the show! Submitted by Kyle (YouTube), Instagram, Twitter
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What phaser to choose? We’ve all faced this question at one time or another, and with so many choices, it can be a daunting task. As with most any pedal, it all comes down to personal preference, and how the options and sounds of each pedal work with your particular setup and tone. The Compact Faye Sing from Infanem is my current phaser of choice, and one that I think will remain on my board for a long while. There are a few...
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Look on any pro player’s pedalboard and you will find a little orange one-knob wonder. The Phase 90 is a timeless pedal. The swirly goodness has reached to every genre and to probably every electric instrument ever played (not to mention to studio use on drums and vocals!). Now, in researching this pedal you will find there are two versions: the older “script” model, which offers warmer phase shifting, and the...
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Eventide makes some pretty rad pedals. Complicated, but rad. Along the same general design lines as the incredible TimeFactor Delay and the Space Reverb comes the ModFactor Modulation pedal. This beast is capable of doing phaser, flanger, chorus, tremolo, vibrato, auto-wah, modfilter, rotary, undulator and ring mod sounds…and it does them well. Whew! Let’s get started, shall we? The main modes for the ModFactor are as...
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Based on the Jetlyzer JL-70 Phaser from the mid-70’s, the VJR9 Vintage Jet Riser flanger-ish pedal from Maxon faithfully re-creates the jet-like swooshes, swirls and classic tones from that extremely rare and sought-after piece of gear (if you can find one, they go for upwards of $700). Obviously, the cost here is much less, but the JL-70 is also a BIG machine, while the VJR9 is the size of a regular pedal, with all the bells...
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We’ve got another VIDEO review for you today, and it’s an another unique pedal, this time from KMA MAchines in Berlin, Germany, and it’s their Astrospurt Phaser. Make sure to check out Kyle’s other reviews using the links under the video. Click ‘PLAY’ and enjoy the show! Go see KMA Machines on Facebook as well! Submitted by Kyle
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We’ve got another VIDEO review for you today, and this PAIR of pedals comes to us from Russia, courtesy of Barkin Effects. Their featured pedals are the extremly unique Vibrofon and the wicked-heavy Nitro Fuzz. Look out for these two pedals, they are DIRTY and AWESOME. The video features demos for both… Click ‘PLAY’ and enjoy the show! Submitted by the guys from Barkin Effect,...
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Tone Factor is a great place to get great pedals, but did you know they used to BUILD them, too? This is one of their oldest (and best, IMO): The NEBULA Phaser. The circuit is loosely based on the Phase 45 / DOD 201 circuit, a 2-stage phaser that is more subtle than a 4-stage model. Lots of Uni-Vibe-type tones coming out of this little box, sitting more in the high-end and adding a liquidy texture and clarity to your tone. Simple...
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This was VERY exciting when it first arrived on my doorstep, and hasn’t gotten one bit dull since then. The EP2 Envelope Phaser from Pigtronix will take you clear to outer space, and then a bit further, before pulling you back slowly into sublime reality. You can switch between the envelope filter and the phaser with a tap of your foot, or use them both in conjunction to set the controls for the heart of the sun. Use the Depth...
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