The TonePrint collection of pedals from TC Electronic have been pretty outstanding so far, enabling some exact dialing in of flangers, delays, reverbs and chorus, among others, all with pretty good sonic results. Today’s pedal ventures into a bit different territory, and into an effect that most players have a love-it-or-hate-it relationship with: The Compressor. Some swear by it for their tone, some can’t stand it, and...
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For the most part, multi effects pedals are pretty fun, and can be super useful if you are traveling a lot, or have a small pedalboard that you need to cram a bunch of stuff onto for gigs. The Rocket Train from Movall Audio covers the bases for three pretty common and oft-used effects, all in one relatively compact box that should fit on any pedalboard with ease. I decided to go right to left on this pedal, as I usually like...
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For many bassists, an essential pedal in their arsenal is going to be a compressor. It keeps your output consistent, helps cut through a mix, and can eliminate any dead spots to allow for a smooth, even attack. There are a wide variety of options to choose from, and Pigtronix offers a compressor specifically tuned to the lower frequencies of a bass that is quiet, easy to use, and affordable. The Philosopher Bass, based on...
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When you first take a look at the TC-3 Compressor from Big Lloyde, you get the feeling that this is not your grandpa’s compressor pedal, and that something cool is about to happen. Then you plug it in, and realize your hopes and wishes had actually come true. A great-sounding compressor in a neat and tidy pedal package, the TC-3 gives the big fellas a run for their money. The controls are, at first, a little intimidating, but...
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My buddy Philip over at PB&J Pedals keeps turning out one great pedal after the other, making some great gear and doing it pretty much on his own. We’ve reviewed his Billy Goat Fuzz, Viper Drive, Surf Drive and Sweet Clarity Jr. Overdrive, and today we’ve got the next offering from PB&J – the Morning Brew Compressor. I like a compressor that has a good amount of controls, so you can really get the sound you...
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I’ve been a fan of Keeley compression for about 10 years now. Thats when I first purchased the regular Keeley compressor. It is the only pedal that has consistently stayed on my board for these past 10 years. In fact, it became such an integral part of my “sound” that I didn’t turn it off that entire time. Because of this I was almost sad when I saw that Keeley Electronics was discontinuing this classic...
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I love a good compressor, and while some I’ve tried in the past haven’t blown me away, and some didn’t really even do too much to my signal, less is more when it comes to compression, and that’s the name of the game with the Fish Press from our friends at Greer Amps. Your basic two-knob layout for the controls makes this pedal none-too-difficult to dial in. Based on the vintage Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer,...
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Based on the 1960’s classic Dan Armstrong Orange Squeeze Compressor, the Analogman Juicer has built a reputation as one of the best compressors on the market today. This little orange box features one knob for overall volume and a bias trim pot inside to adjust the compression. About 8db of gain is available with the factory bias setting. This pedal comes with NOS N25457 transistors, germanium diodes, and JRC45582 On-Amp Chip....
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Well, if you’ve ever played with any T-Rex Effects products, you’ll know they are good quality tools. Or perhaps I have just been lucky with the ones I’ve had. Anywhoo, today i bring to you the Comp-Nova!! This is an always on tool for me. I used to be just a guitar and amp guy for like 15 years or so, and the past few years I’ve jumped on the pedal craze wanted to get my hands all that’s out there. This...
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We’ve got another VIDEO review for you today: The RJM Effects Tite Line Compressor! Check them out HERE, and don’t forget to subscribe to Kyle’s channel after you watch the video! Click ‘PLAY’ and enjoy the show! Submitted by Kyle
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My first pedal experience with EC Pedals is with the EyeBall Compressor, a simple 3-knob comp that is easy to use and sounds like a champ. Level, Attack and Sustain controls are exactly what you’d expect from a compressor pedal, and they are all featured in this little stompbox. The EyeBall provides a nice, compressed tone, great for country/chickin’-pickin’ music, but also for heavier stuff, too. It sounds great...
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Compressors have always been hit or miss for me, and I haven’t really been able to keep one on my board for longer than about 2 months, before I got frustrated with it, or thought it was just taking up space where another pedal could thrive, or any number of reasons I concocted in my brain. That all changed when I met the compressor of my dreams, the Deep Six from Walrus Audio. The best function in my opinion on this fantastic...
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The E-Wave Compressor is a great cheap compressor. It’s based around the original Ross compressor circuit with an added attack knob. If you’re looking for something to get you started in the world of compression then this is the pedal to check out. For only $45 you’re not going to find another pedal this great. It pays its dues to the original Ross and has the added versatility of the attack knob. It can go from a...
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So this is actually a great little compressor pedal that I currently have on my board and it stays on. It was made in the eighties and has the pink paint job to prove it. I paid $45 bucks for it of the Fleabay and it works like a dream. The CP10 is basically a clone of the Famous Ross Compressor and the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer (Ross OJ). It’s an all analog device. I’m sure if you’ve heard of this pedal and done...
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Based on the legendary Orange Squeeze compressor from Dan Armstrong, the Hartman Compressor provides a nice, smooth squish to your tone, while also giving it just a smidgen of attitude. The Ratio knob adjusts the right amount of compression for your tone, while the Gain knob controls the level and growl of the pedal. Warm tones, pleasing to your ear, and very quiet as well, which is something a lot of compressors lack. 2 knobs, not...
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The Aerolite Compressor from Dr. J Pedals in Scandinavia is a unique pedal in a sea of compressors, as it has a couple of variables that enable it to sing a different tune than most. The COMP knob obviously controls the amount of compression you are applying to your signal, and the OUTPUT controls the volume boost coming from the pedal itself. The ATTACK knob, another compressor staple, adjusts the dynamics and reacts to your playing,...
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The Philosopher’s Rock is a pretty unique and useful pedal to add to any guitarists’ arsenal. Acting mainly as a great compressor, it gives you great control over the amount of squish you have in your signal, while adding miles and miles of beautiful sustain to every note on the fretboard. Basically, this pedal is a simpler version of another Pigtronix classic, the Philosopher’s Tone. The Treble and Blend functions...
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Lookin’ for smooth sustain and tasty chicken-pickin’ leads? The Ego Compressor by Wampler is a 5-knob compressor perfect for those in search of crisp, clean compression. The blend knob adds a lot of tones and compression possibilities. For example, having a completely squashed signal slightly blended in with your natural signal. This makes your notes sustain while keeping a less compressed sound. All in all, very clean and...
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Most of us are familiar with the famous ROSS Grey Compressor from the ’70’s, and the RC-3 from Barge Concepts uses that original design as a launchpad to a great new stompbox. The Volume, Sustain and Attack knobs allow you to control the output signal, the sustain amount and how much your signal is “squished”. Plus, there’s an added bonus inside, in the form of an internal switch for selecting a larger...
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We’re back with a bit of a blast-from-the-past today, with an updated version of a classic circuit that’s been around for over 20 years. The Keeley Electronics Katana Clean Boost has one knob, a couple of functions and miles and miles of gorgeous sound. Want a mirror image of your tone, only louder? This is it. Grab a Katana Boost Exclusive from Sweetwater – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKg6db In addition to increasing...
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We’re stoked to bring you the ENTIRE lineup of pedals from Rockready Mini Pedals over the coming weeks, and we’re continuing with two more excellent mini creations today. The RF-1 Retro Fuzz and DC-1 d Comp Compressor are small, yes, but they pack a big punch with their sonic output. With simple controls and mini enclosures, these pedals fit onto any pedalboard, and into ANY budget… The RF-1 Retro Fuzz has two modes,...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Guitar Tricks presents A Look at the Vintage Pedal Market By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Vintage pedals are so popular that many modern manufacturers attempt to replicate them so there are more to go around! Not only do some pedals...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Guitar Tricks presents The Benefits of Multi-Effects Pedals By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Years ago stand-alone guitar pedals were the gold standard and the way to go if you wanted the right sound. In the past decade though...
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We’re super excited for today’s complete PEDAL LINEUP: that’s right, we’re taking a look at ALL 5 newly released ROSS Electronics effects! In collaboration with Josh Scott and JHS Pedals, these five units bring back the flagship pedals (and one brand new creation) from a company responsible for some of the best vintage effects out there. Coming full circle and releasing this new group of effects, ROSS brings...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Guitar Tricks presents Delay Pedals Do’s and Don’ts By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. One of the best ways to add depth and space to your guitar signal is by using delay effects pedals. In fact they work great for any...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Favorite Pedal Brands for Specific Pedal Types By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Of course many guitar effects unit builders create pedals that provide a variety of methods to change the signal. If you like sticking to one brand, that...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Can You Use Pedals to Help You Learn Guitar? By Mitch Wilson for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Learning to play guitar can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging. While mastering the basics of chords, scales, and technique is...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Top Ten Iconic Guitar Pedal Effects Moments By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. There are so many guitar pedal moments to choose in songs, especially in hits starting in the 1980’s. Once pedals increased in popularity they became mixed...
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James Santiago Los Angeles, California Universal Audio https://www.uaudio.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar around 5 years old, and at around 15, I began working in professional working bands as musicians around town started asking me to play with them. I didn’t have a driver’s license back then, so I had to have my mom or other band members take me to band...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) I Have Too Many Pedals, How To Pare Down By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. There comes a point where every guitar player realizes they have too many effects pedals! It’s true, it happens, but you don’t need to get rid of any, you just...
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It’s Klone Time Again, Kiddos!! We love a good mythical circuit around here, especially when it looks and sounds *really close* to an original…well, at least what we’ve heard an original sounds like, having never been knighted into the club. This particular clone comes to us from Warm Audio as the Centavo Overdrive, an accurate recreation of one of the most unattainable overdrive pedals in guitar history. Let’s...
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Over the years, the folks at Aclam Guitars have put out some extremely specific and well-done effects pedals that have certain iconic sounds in mind. The Dr. Robert replicated the soul of the VOX UL730 am, used by the Beatles on Revolver & Sgt. Pepper; the Windmiller captured the sound of the preamp from the rare Grampian Reverberation Unit Type 636; the Cinnamon Drive gave us vintage British tube amp sounds of the 60’s and...
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We love Fuzz. We love classic circuits. We love modern flair. We love aesthetically pleasing effects boxes. Today’s pedal checks off all the items on this list, with a punch and fury that will put a smile on both your and your amp’s face. The Supercool Pedals ’77 Fuzz Blender pays homage to a sound that we all know and love, with some more options and gorgeous tone oozing from every crevice. Prepare your ears for a...
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We’re happy to help launch today’s pedal to the world, even though aspects of it may be familiar to many of you out there. Taking IK Multimedia’s TONEX platform and allowing you to put it into pedal form, the TONEX Pedal features three footswitches, full EQ and parameter set, state-of-the-art modeling and sound quality and much, much more. Let’s dig in and see what this unit is all about, shall we? There are...
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Hi, I’m Josh Gardziel, I’m from Halifax West Yorkshire (UK) and I play guitar in L.O.E (Last Of Eden) Facebook: https://facebook.com/weareloemusic Instagram: https://instagram.com/weareloemusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareloemusic Bandcamp: https://weareloemusic.bandcamp.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been playing guitar for 21 years. I started when I was 14 which...
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Delay is the best effect out there, hands-down…BUT, I do love a good compressor and a good preamp, too. Fortunately, today’s pedal, the Niche Devices Humboldt Preamp SE combines both of these effects into one brilliant effect, with broad range and total tonal control. Conceived over the course of two years, this original circuit offers optical compression coupled with a high headroom preamplifier, and features the unique...
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A good multi-effects unit is always fun to take a look at, and when it’s focused on modulation, delay and reverb, it makes it that much better. The PLETHORA X3 TonePrint Pedalboard from TC Electronic takes its origin from the larger PLETHORA X5, slimming it down for an easier fit on your board, while still giving you the quality effects you need. We love the versatility in this unit, and can’t wait to dig in with you all...
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We’ve had a blast checking out the lineup of pedals from the newly-revamped Maestro brand, and have a BIG surprise for you all today. They’ve just released FIVE new units, and we have got them all in one place for you. Today, we’re looking at the Orbit Phaser, Mariner Tremolo, Titan Boost, Arcas Compressor Sustainer and Agena Envelope Filter – 5 effects building on the first 5 pedals they initially released...
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The majority of 2-knob pedals out there usually have a really wide range of sounds available, regardless of what type of effect they are housing. From overdrives and phasers to compressors and delays and much more, the 2-knob setup often gets overlooked for units with a ton of knobs and switches, but these simple pedals have just as much a place in our world as anything. Today’s effect keeps with that tradition, bringing a wide...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) How Can Pedals Improve Your Guitar Playing? By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Many guitarists use effects and pedals for emulating the playing of other songs. Whether it is just bedroom practice, beginner guitar lessons, or on-stage...
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A good two-knob pedal can be great for getting killer sounds easily, but sometimes, we all want to dive into our effects and really explore what they can do. While there are a lot of these out in the world, ranging in size, features and price points, today’s pedal is unlike any we’ve encountered before, much to our delight. The Kinotone Audio Ribbons is a stereo magnetic tape emulator. It can degrade, mangle, and age...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Message in a Pedal: How to Get Andy Summers’ Signature Sound By Steven Kendzorski for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Andy Summers joined The Police in 1977, and quickly catapulted the group to international superstardom. With hits like “Every Breath You...
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Our 15W Monarch from Benson Amps has been a staple in our demo rig rotation for years, and the Preamp and Germanium Fuzz pedals they put out left us floored as well. Today, we bring you their latest effect creation, a seemingly simple but under-the-hood complex piece of gear: the Germanium Boost. Don’t let the lone knob fool you – a LOT of research and time went into this tone-enhancing machine; here’s what Chris and...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) A Practical Look at Guitar Pedals By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer Guitar pedals are an incredible way to sculpt the final sound from your guitar, they provide amazing effects at just the push of a button. In some cases they are even necessary to get the right sound for a particular...
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We live in an effects pedal world that can sometimes become saturated with run-of-the-mill 2- and 3-knob units that don’t necessarily stand out from the crowd. Today’s pedal, the VVco Pedals Sports Almanac Theremin, is the exact opposite of this, bringing new and exciting sonic ideas to the table. With just 2 knobs and 1 switch, it isn’t overly complex, but it will leave your head and ears spinning… The Sports...
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Rich Good Twentynine Palms, CA The Psychedelic Furs: https://thepsychedelicfurs.com/ Older projects: Kings & Queens: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1V0NT9YLzxd2oXAgwJUS9P?si=rbbgggGWSwKbWOsWFsJGug Mirrors: https://mirrors1974.bandcamp.com/ The Pleased: https://thepleased.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? It feels like most of my life that I’ve been messing around with...
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Richard Fortus St. Louis Guns N’ Roses https://www.4tus.com/ https://www.gunsnroses.com/ Past bands – Pale Divine, Psychedelic Furs, Love Spit Love, Thin Lizzy, Honky Toast, Rihanna How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Started on violin when I was 5 and studied the Suzuki method. Also started playing drums around the same time. Started on guitar around 12. My father was an accountant,...
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It isn’t often that we review and demo 4 pedals all on the same day, but when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped at it. The first 4 pedals in this particular series from Dreadbox each bring a different flavor to the mix, and you could argue that they’re all some players would need for an entire pedalboard. Full of modulated weirdness with a wild reverb at the end, the Kinematic, Lethargy, Komorebi and Darkness...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) A very frequently asked question – and much debated one too – is what order to sequence effects pedals on a pedalboard. Which one should come first? Or last? Should pedal X come before pedal Y? Or vice versa? Why does it matter? Does it, in fact, matter at all? Below, we answer these questions...
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From the big box Cali76 Compressor/Limiter to the smaller Compact Cali76 to the Compact RevivalDRIVE, we’ve had the pleasure to check out some wonderful machines from Origin Effects. However, everything became completely surreal and eye-opening when we plugged today’s pedal, the MAGMA57 Amp Vibrato & Drive, into an amplifier here in the shop. Suddenly, our hearts and minds were awoken, our brain was flooded instantly...
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