The Mu-Tron / Musitronics Phasor was one of our favorite phasers (and favorite pedals, really) to ever come through the shop here at Pedal of the Day. Big, bulky and badass, it helped define the phaser effect in the 70s and beyond, creating giant soundscapes of whooshing pulses and out-of-this-world types of sonic embellishments for all to enjoy. Fast forward to the present day, and we’re lucky enough to have the Mu-Tron company...
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One of our favorite pedals ever here at Pedal of the Day has got to be the Goatkeeper Analog Tap Tremolo/Sequencer from Lightfoot Labs. An intriguing blend of trem pulses and sequencing, this no-longer manufactured effect has become highly sought-after, and if you can find one, they have the price tag to prove it. Although we are fortunate enough to own an original, we were stoked to hear the news that the creative minds at Malekko...
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Jānis Altmanis Latvia Jānis.lv www.jānis.lv How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been musician for 15 years but I started to make effect pedals 9 years ago. I made my first band 2004 and haven’t stop playing since. I have played in many bands but now I’m playing in my own band “Skumjas” (translation from Latvian to English – “Sadness”) instrumental post-metal, sludge, atmosphere. There...
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When we think of the most popular places that effects pedals are created, Birzgale, Latvia, somehow always ends up at the top of our list….wait, what? It’s true: while possibly not the most POPULAR spot in the world for pedals, Jānis.lv Effect Pedals are pumping out some incredible gear, all handmade and sounding fantastic. We got a chance to check out their Miesnieks Overdrive Distortion, were truly surprised at how...
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The next pedal in our “Walrus Week”, which features the three newest pedals from our pals at Walrus Audio, is a phaser. Now, we LOVE phasers, and modulation in general, here at Pedal of the Day, and were super-stoked when we saw the announcement about the Lillian Multi-Stage Analog Phaser. This gorgeous-sounding, pulsating, whirling effect boasts differing phase stage selection, a unique Blend knob and intense,...
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If you like fuzz and distortion, there’s a good chance you love the sound of a good Big Muff from Electro-Harmonix. With so many different iterations, it can be tricky to nail down the exact sound you may be looking for, and even more difficult if you’re trying to afford any kind of original Muff made before about 1999. Thankfully, there are companies who try and recreate these wonderful machines, and we’ve got a...
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Moog. You’ve heard the name for decades now, and, if you’re lucky, have had the pleasure of testing out or even owning some of their gear. One of the most sought-after and incredible effects they made was the Moogerfooger MF-104M, an analog delay considered by many to be the finest ever created. This delay delivers tone upon tone, echo options for days and will bring inspiration to anyone who gets a chance to plug one in....
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The World of Compressors here in effects pedal land has really come on strong the last couple of years, with some incredible, studio-quality stompboxes coming out into the fold more and more. Today’s featured pedal is no exception, using an expected control section to produce not just excellent, high-quality compression, but a gorgeous clean boost sound if you need it as well. Straight from our friends at Analog Alien, the Alien...
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Where do we begin with today’s featured pedal? Just when you thought Joel and the Chase Bliss Audio team couldn’t top themselves, here comes the Thermae, an analog delay and pitch shifter to top all analog delays and pitch shifters. Capable of more out-of-this-world sounds than you’d ever think possible, this blue marvel takes playing music to another echelon, vaulting your creativity and inspiration to entirely new...
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The crew at Big Joe Stomp Box Company has been making solid, great-sounding and easy-to-use effects for a while now, and we’ve had the pleasure to be able to review and demo many of them for you. Today’s is high up on our list of their pedals, for sure, as we are suckers for anything flanger-related, and the B-306 Analog Flange doesn’t disappoint. Boasting a HUGE range of flanger tones, and all the jet engine screech...
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Bob Feldman Shin-ei Austin, TX USA www.shin-ei.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar since 1965. That’s fifty-three years! Damn!! I had friends from school and the neighborhood that played guitar and other instruments. They got me interested in playing. I tried trumpet for about a New York minute but fell right into the guitar and haven’t put it down since. Who have...
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Ahhh, delay….our favorite effect. It comes in so many different shapes and colors and flavors and options, and we love ’em all – not equally, though. Once in a while, an effects pedal makes its way to our shop and we are absolutely blown away, and today’s pedal did exactly that as soon as we plugged it in. The Echoczar Analog Delay from Toneczar Effects is a BBD-infused, vintage-inspired, modulated black beauty...
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The folks at Pigtronix have always put out wildly innovative, sonically-pleasing and sometimes futuristic effects, that are always surrounded by questions like, “Who makes that pedal?” or “How did you get that sound?” The purple piece of gear we’ve got today for you to check out and listen to is their newest creation, one that works wonders in both the guitar and bass worlds (and other, too, we’re...
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Equalization effects pedals tend to get lost in the chatter, what with so many interesting noisemakers available today. They are, however, an important piece to many rigs, and today’s pedal takes it up to a new level in terms of usability and EQ options for your tone. The PA-1QG (there’s also the PA-1QB for bass) from pedal innovators Free The Tone has been specifically designed for your guitar setup, integrating the combo...
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If you haven’t noticed by now, we like delay pedals here…a lot. Needless to say, we were pretty stoked to hear about the release of the Rubberneck Analog Delay from DOD / DigiTech, and were finally able to get our hands on one to review and demo for you. Let’s just say this machine has a cool retro vibe, with echo sounds spanning decades, and more options in an analog delay pedal than we may have ever seen. Buckle...
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What can you say about the crop of pedals coming out of Portland, Oregon from Spaceman Effects? They have taken on a life all their own, with limited edition runs, outside-the-box designs and sonic explorations and a design, both inside and outside the pedals, that is rivaled by none. We try to get our hands on each pedal they release, just to see what they’ve come up with now, and are proud to bring you their latest today: the...
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Happy Halloween, everybody! Today we’re going to take a look at a revolutionary delay pedal, one that’s no longer in production, but set the tone for echo effects worldwide. The Panther from JHS Pedals is a BIG, bold, fat-sounding, lush delay pedal, complete with a ton of tones and options, making it perfectly customizable for what you need it to do. Lots to go over here, so let’s jump right in! Feedback, Mix and...
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As if Joel Korte and the crew at Chase Bliss Audio hadn’t done enough over the last couple of years to enhance and electrify the effects pedal world, here they come again with another sick auditory creation. The Brothers™ is a Boost, Drive and Fuzz pedal, but, as they say, not necessarily in that order. Full of the patented control layout we’re all used to, plus the classic dipswitch array found on the top of all CBA...
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Jamie Stillman Akron, OH EarthQuaker Devices www.earthquakerdevices.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician since I got my first drum set around 5. I didn’t pick up playing guitar until I was about 12. I’ve always been into music as long as I can remember. A couple of my uncles were musicians and taught me some basics and I just took it from there. Who have been some of...
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Fuzzzzz…..we dig it, as do a lot of you players out there. While fuzz might not be for everyone, those of us that like it like it a LOT, and today’s featured pedal is a fuzz to end all fuzzes (if that’s actually possible). You probably know the name Scotty ProAnalog, and we’re going to take a look at his MkII Fuzz V2 pedal, which replicates everything from timeless 60’s British fuzz tones to medium-gained...
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Old school, vintage, classic delays really just can’t be beat. Plain and simple. You plug it in, get that little background hum going, and then hit that first note, and the smile just washes over your face. Today’s pedal is one of the more rare and coveted analog delay from the ’70’s, from Ross, a company probably best known for creating the (in many opinions) greatest compressor of all time. We are, however,...
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If you’ve ever had the opportunity to play one, you know that the Boss DM-2 is one of the finest analog delay pedals ever created. While there have been many attempts to recreate the vintage tones of this sought-after piece of equipment, most have fallen short in some way or another…until now. Not sure how they did it, but the folks at Retro-Sonic have managed to create a pedal that has everything we love about the DM-2,...
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Pedals that can perform more than one function or contain more than one effect are always welcome with open arms (and ears) here at Pedal of the Day. Today’s featured pedal, the Martini™ Dual Analog Chorus Vibrato from Tortuga Effects, features two incredible-sounding effects rolled into one smooth box, with differing sounds and tones for days. If you love a good vibrato sound or adding some chorus to your tone, this might just...
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Let’s face it: sometimes mini pedals can leave something to be desired. Trying to cram a bunch of sounds into a super-tiny enclosure has proven to be a somewhat difficult task, but apparently not for the folks over at Malekko Heavy Industry. Their Vibrato pedal, part of the Omicron Series, packs a wallop of tone and flexibility into a itty-bitty pedal, perfect for saving space but not sacrificing any sound in your rig. Built...
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Brian Wilde Keisman Pedals Boone, NC keismanpedals.com Instagram: @keismanpedals Facebook: keismanpedals How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I picked up the guitar around the age of 12 or 13. Listened to a lot of pop-punk at the time so the power chords and teen angst got me hooked. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? In my guitar playing I’d have to say J...
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After a quick day off yesterday to move the shop, we’re back with a bang! From the insanely talented and innovative brain of our pal Joel Korte over at Chase Bliss Audio comes one of the most talked-about and anticipated effects pedals of 2016. The Tonal Recall Analog Delay not only manages to squish a TON of options into a regular-sized, pedalboard-friendly pedal, but takes the entire genre, dumps it on its head and reinvents...
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Analog Delay. You love it, we love, almost anyone who listens to any music made in the last 3+ decades loves it (or they damn well should). Today’s featured pedal is one of the most recognizable and oft-used of these warm and modulated gems, due in part to its pronounced bright green solid enclosure. The M-118 Analog Delay from MXR is steeped in delay history, and with all the sounds you could want oozing out of every crack and...
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The Memory Man. In all its various forms and models, it has always been regarded as one of the, if not the very, best delay ever produced. With famous guitarists such as The Edge of U2 and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead employing it in their rigs for years, this pedal is no slouch in the echo department, and although some may be more coveted than others, they all sound pretty amazing. Today, we’re going to focus on the Memory...
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There’s been a streak recently here at Pedal of the Day where we’ve been able to test and review some awesome old analog delay pedals, and today we bring you yet another gem in this prestigious list of warm and warbly delays of old. This 680 Analog Delay from DOD dates to late 1980, and has had a bunch of updates, upgrades and improvements done to it recently, making it sound like it did right off the shelf more than 35...
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In today’s crazy world of delay pedals, with all the tricks and secrets and incredible things they can now do, it’s sometimes nice to have a simple, laid-back delay pedal, capable of subtle tones and monstrous adventure at the same time. Today’s featured pedal is just that, as are most of the pedals from Mantic Effects. The Isaiah Delay is a three-knob echo beast, producing an over-the-top amount of noise and fun,...
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Continuing our look at analog delay pedals this week, today we take a look at another incredible pedal, one that features the analog warmth and dirtiness we all love, plus controls for modulation, making it even more fun to use. The Supa-Puss™ Analog Delay from Way Huge Electronics not only sounds like a classic analog delay, but has some excellent modern features to make it a great delay hybrid. Plus, you can get up to 900ms of...
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With so many new effects with so many functions and big learning curves, it’s nice to come across an older pedal that has a couple simple knobs and sounds just fantastic, without having a bunch of bells and whistles. Today’s featured pedal, the FX96 Echo FX Analog Delay from DOD was produced way back in the ancient year of 1997, and was billed as a modern improvement on classic tape echo machines like the Binson Echorec...
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The Flanger effect is one of the most recognizable in all the land, and one that generally is not in the forefront of a lot of music these days (or, in the past, either, really). Sort of an oddball effect, the lone kid on the playground that’s kinda weird and is sometimes difficult to approach, flanging is mostly used in very specific settings, and even then only for short bursts or passages. Until now. Joel Korte and the team...
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What happens when a company runs out of an important piece of the sonic puzzle that has been used in manufacturing one of their most popular pedals? The price of the ones already in existence goes through the roof, which happens to be the case with today’s pedal, the absolutely fantastic Moogerfooger MF-104M Delay, the final pedal of our “Moog Week” run here at Pedal of the Day. This all-analog delay is no longer in...
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Once again, a highly sought-after delay is on today’s featured pedal menu, because delays are awesome, as you should well know by now. In a world full of overpriced “vintage” gear, there are still a few delay pedals who can boast that they are classics, they sound incredible and their prices are not even close to wiping out your bank account, as some others can be. The one we’re discussing today is that big,...
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Each time Walrus Audio announces a new pedal, guitarists around the globe, including myself, get instantly curious and excited. This past winter at NAMM, they debuted a couple of pedals that looked VERY interesting, and we’ve got one of those for you today. The Bellwether Analog Delay produces warm, vintage, analog delay sounds with ease, and offers a bunch of modern options as well, in order to make it extremely customizable to...
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Delay, delay, delay! We love it here at Pedal of the Day, and you probably do, too (and if you don’t, you should). With so many delay pedal options flooding the pedal marketplace these days, it’s fun discover a simple, low-time delay that does only a couple of things, but does them extremely well. In steps the Aqua-Puss™ MkII Analog Delay from Dunlop / Way Huge Electronics, and puts a big, fat, delay-induced smile right...
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Reviewing so many drive and fuzz boxes means I’m usually playing through my electric guitar setup, but recently I’ve been gravitating toward my trusty Alvarez acoustic, and decided to create a little acoustic mini-board to enhance my playing a bit. The first pedal I decided I needed, as I always do, was a delay, and after some research via the Interwebs, I chose to check out the Fishman AFX Delay as my first acoustic...
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The last few months have been busy for Joel and the crew at Chase Bliss Audio. After releasing brand new versions of their staple pedals the Warped Vinyl and the Wombtone, they’ve now released a THIRD pedal in almost as many weeks, and it will shatter your expectations once again. Keeping with the theme of “best modulation gear on the planet”, we present you with the Gravitas Analog Tremolo. As with the other Chase...
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Chorus pedals are a touchy subject for me. I find most of them to be disappointing. Usually, either they are too subtle (EHX Small Clone) or when you try to make their effect more pronounced the depth is too extreme and makes the guitar sound out of tune. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new Blue Hippo MK II from Way Huge/Dunlop, is an exception. With the depth close to max and the rate around 9 o’clock some great...
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Looking for a great analog delay pedal? Check out the Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail. It offers a wide variety of delay options and can even give subtle chorus and rotating speaker tones when tweaked properly. The specs of the pedal are as follows: – Mix knob – Repeat knob – Delay knob (Includes tempo LED) – Rate knob – Depth knob – Status LED – Input and Output jacks – 9V adaptor plug...
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I love a good delay pedal, and today’s version has some excellent features, good options and some wicked rad modulation as well: the Deluxe Memory Boy Analog Delay from Electro-Harmonix. I know, I know, the Memory MAN is the one you’re supposed to get, being a classic and all, but I wanted to see what EHX was up to recently in their delay department, and was definitely not disappointed. Let’s start off with the basic...
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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 first Warped Vinyl Analog Chorus/Vibrato was an instant hit, and was always in high demand from players across the country (and world, I would assume). Originally created to sound like a warped LP record, the analog sounds and options available made it a surefire classic, and everyone wondered what they would create next. Somehow, the gang from Chase Bliss Audio have managed to step up their game yet again, and have released the...
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I dig pretty much every type of pedal out there today, but if there’s one kind of effect I have more of, use more of and love the most, it’s got to be the almighty Delay. They can be extremely simple, adding just a touch of color to your sound, extremely complex, with a multitude of bells and whistles, or fall somewhere in between the two. While the B-304 Analog/Hybrid Delay from Big Joe Stomp Box Company is relatively...
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Here’s another installment of the Digital Delay stompbox series from Boss: the DD-5. This is a great delay in it’s stock version, but I got my hands on one that has been modded by our friends over at JHS Pedals to add in a bit of analog flavoring. Let’s check it out! Let’s go through the basic functions of the DD-5, then we’ll get to the mod. Lots of modes here, starting with 4 delay modes. These range in...
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It turns out I was a lucky fella: 1 of only 20 people on the planet who secured the latest “Top Secret Mission” pedal from our friends over at Spaceman Effects. As it turns out, this mystery pedal is an unlabeled (and therefore, extremely rare) version of the Voyager 1, an optical tremolo that was just released. This one is WAY cooler, however, as it has no labels and no indication of how it works – even the...
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The JHS Pedals Panther is a kick ass delay and one of the more beautiful pedals on my board. It is an all-analog delay (if I’m not mistaken) but with a tap tempo switch. This pedal is amazing. The repeats are warm and the modulation on the repeats just makes it even sweeter. This delay has a ton of features but I won’t be going into too much detail about it. At the top panel (where the inputs and outputs are) there is a...
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I’ve had my eye on a couple of Red Witch pedals for years now, and was finally able to try one out this week. It just so happened to be the one I wanted to try the most, too: the Pentavocal Analog Tremolo. A vast array of control knobs and 2 footswitches make up this beastly trem, and when all was said and done, I knew I’d be a fan for life. The Velocity knob controls the overall Speed of the tremolo, going from super slow...
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The Malekko Heavy Industries Diabolik Fuzz is one of the most adaptive fuzzes on the market. I’m usually not one for signature pedals, but bassist/producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen knows quality, and is a phenomenal musician. After playing far too many fuzzes, the Diabolik quickly became my go-to fuzz. There are a ton of tonal possibilities, and better yet, it doesn’t take up much room on the board. My favorite feature,...
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