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 a VCF Sample/Hold pedal, with elements of phaser, wah, filter and more thrown in – let’s take a look!
This particular effect is based off of a unit from the early-mid 1970s, the Oberheim Voltage Controlled Filter / Maestro Filter Sample Hold. Frank Zappa used the Oberheim VCF-200 to produce some of his signature tones during that decade, and can be heard on Zoot Allures, as well as on “Ship Ahoy” from the Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar album series. These effects are super-rare and not a ton of information is available, but the Acetylene Nirvana seems to be a pretty rad re-creation.
Resonance, Filter, Attack, Decay and Speed are the controls on tap here, and they all work together to create huge and weird sonic soundscapes. This box produces sounds from a wide range of effects genres, and is full of funk (auto-wah), outer space (phaser), sequencer (random step generator) tones and more. 100% analog as well, there’s a little bit of noise that comes with it, but it quickly disappears after you start turning knobs and delving into what it can do. Click the left-hand footswitch to transition into Sample/Hold mode, and this box becomes an unpredictable, tremolo-ish sequencer, spitting out random blips and bleeps until you’re unsure where time and space begin and end.
Not for the faint of heart (or ears), the Acetylene Nirvana is a must-have for anyone who likes to truly experiment with sound, and wants a new and exciting effect to add to their arsenal. With so many sounds pouring out of this pedal, it may take a little while to dial it in for your particular brand and flavor of music, but that’s what it’s all about, right? Thanks again to Joe at Lone Wolf Audio for creating and letting us check out this crazy and rad effect – we’ve got some more of his stuff coming up, so stay tuned for more reviews and demos, and be sure to head over to his site to see what crazy gear he’s got for sale this week!
GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE:
