We’re always excited to test out new gear from our friends at Universal Audio, and they’ve just sent us their four newest UAFX creations! We’re going to start this run off with the Orion Tape Echo, which takes a vintage sonic dive into the Echoplex EP-III musical pool. Three modes, a ton of control and beautiful echoes surround this pedal, just as it will engulf your sound and your entire rig… Thanks to the...
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After the Dream ’65, Ruby ’63, Woodrow ’55, Starlight, Golden and Astra effects units from Universal Audio were released, everyone was wondering what creations they’d come up with next for their stompbox lineup. Today, we’re proud to present the first of the next three pedals: the Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb. Built upon award-winning UAFX dual‑engine processing and an unquenchable thirst for...
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Continuing with our second of two new release pedals from our friends at Poison Noises, today we’re excited to bring you The Remnant Tape Delay. A perfect companion to yesterday’s Effluence Spring Reverb, this echo takes you back to the 70s with a quickness, providing classic, vintage delay tones around every turn. Listen for the fluttering echoes of a forgotten era, and follow them to the Remnant… The Remnant...
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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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A few months back, we reviewed and demoed the NUX Tape Core Deluxe, an excellent vintage tape echo machine, with a ton of features packed into a small pedal. Well, NUX decided that they wanted to give us all more of that classic flavor, so we present to you the NDD-7 Tape Echo. A tribute to the Japanese-made Space Echo from 1974, offers all the essential components from the old machines, plus some modern features, for an incredible...
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If you are looking for out-of-the-ordinary, mind-blowing, noise-creating machines, you should look no further than ezhi&aka. Made in extremely small batches and pretty hard to obtain, we’ve only had our grubby mitts on one other pedal of theirs, the Moomindrone T Drone Delay, until today. Let’s take a look at the Polarized Flutter Lofi Tapestop, a hard-to-define machine that utilizes a pad you “play” with...
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The sound of a vintage tape delay is one that has been heard on countless recordings over the last 5+ decades, and is sought-after by musicians the world over. Today’s pedal, the NUX Tape Core Deluxe Tape Echo Delay, brings us this particular delay sound, in compact form, with a slew of sonic options to choose from. Boasting 7 repro tape head combinations, plus a Sound-on-Sound feature, there’s plenty to explore with this...
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Binson Echorec. Space Echo. Echoplex. These are a few of the incredible tape delay machines that came out of the 1960’s and 70’s, to create some of the most unique and fantastic sounds we’ve ever heard. Today’s pedal combines aspects of many of these machines into one glorious, options-laden unit, fit for modern use and harkening back to vintage sounds. The Gecko Pedals Geckoplex EP-5 Tape Delay is...
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Tape echo delay units have been heard on classic recordings for decades, on albums from artists like Pink Floyd, Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Hawkwind, Chet Atkins, Eric Johnson, the late great Eddie Van Halen and many, many more. The old units, while possessing some secret ingredients and mojo, lend themselves to malfunctions, upkeep, unavailable replacement parts and general unreliability…but no more. Today...
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Although we’ve never had the pleasure of testing out an old Binson Echorec, Roland Space Echo or Maestro Echoplex, we sure love a good tape delay sound. Those machines, while classic and heard on thousands of incredible recordings, are now decades and decades old. This leads to a ton of maintenance, know-how and upkeep, and that’s if you actually KNOW what you’re doing. They can fail at any moment, usually requiring...
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Once again, we’ve got another fantastic Delay/Echo pedal for you today. The Demedash Effects T-120 Videotape Echo is a delay, yes, but one that emulates a sound not super-standard in the world of pedals. Seeking to re-create the sound of a worn out VHS videotape, this little aluminum (Limited Edition) box sounds worn-out, wobbly, garbled, faded and beat-down, and that’s just what we like from a delay like this. When you...
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The effects that have come out of the Red Panda camp since their inception have been radical, unpredictable, exciting and pretty much game-changing for this industry. Their latest adventure into the sonic unknown gives us a tape delay like no other we’ve heard – time stretching, pitch shifting, loop sampling and intelligent randomization are the names of the game here, people. The Tensor is a wildly entertaining,...
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There are a TON of tape echo/delay pedals out on the market these days, and there have been for years, but how many of them can say they use REAL TAPE to achieve the sounds they create? Precious few, honestly, especially ones that aren’t decades old and riddled with maintenance problems and unavailable or expensive replacement parts. The first Replicator from T-Rex solved those problems, as they released a fresh, modern and much...
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It’s no secret: WE LOVE DELAY. Old, new, analog, digital – bring it on. There’s a special place in our instrumental hearts for a good tape echo, though, and the Tapex 2 from Mr. Black Pedals is a top-notch inspirational charged delay that echoes (see what we did there?) the echoes of some classic players, songs and tones. A Stereophonic Tape Echo, this silver machine glistens and drips with analog sound, with a ton...
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Continuing our recent trend of some amazing tape delay echo machines, we’ve got another brilliant pedal for you today. The Deluxe Tape Machine Delay from LongAmp not only re-creates some fantastic sounds from the delay-filled 70’s, but does so while offering THREE distinct options, emulating the best tones from three of the most revered and classic delays ever made. Influenced by the Binson Echorec, Roland RE-201 Space...
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We love a good mini, pedalboard-friendly pedal here at Pedal of the Day, and who doesn’t? The crew at CNZ Audio has devised an entire lineup of these little wonders, and we’ve got the first of many coming at you today. The Tape Echo is, well, a tape echo pedal, with a ton of features packed into a small enclosure, and offering a compact fit, but not sacrificing any tone… Designed to emulate vintage reel-to-reel...
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There’s a decent chance you’ve heard of the famous Echoplex EP-3 Tape Delay from Maestro, made popular in the 70’s and 80’s by Andy Summers, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, and Brian May, among others. You may also know that these older units are finicky, tricky to repair, costly at times and not always the most road-worthy for the touring musician. That’s where today’s pedal comes in: the Belle Epoch...
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Well, we’ve got some more Strymon for all you pedal lovers out there, and this is absolutely one of our favorites that they produce. The El Capistan is a dTape Echo Delay, emulating the sounds and tones of classic tape echo machines of decades gone by, and doing a phenomenal job at it. Giving you a plethora of sonic options to choose from, you’re going to spend days, maybe weeks even, immersing yourself in all of...
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Tape delay/echo units have produced some of the most unique and recognizable tones in music history, used by countless artists and studio producers for decades. However, the older, “classic” units are big and bulky, and are extremely prone to damage, lack of replacement parts and near impossible upkeep. Fortunately, we live in a golden age of effects pedals, and companies like Danelectro re-create these machines with...
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Testing out totally new and unique pedals is something that really gets us all excited here at Pedal of the Day, and our featured gem today couldn’t be more unique or more original if it could try. Utilizing an ancient (!) form of audio recording to produce its sound, the Landscape HC-TT Human Controlled Tape Transport is a sonic manipulation device that blends the past, present and future into one funky and quirky little silver...
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Let’s face it: we all love delay. Sure, you can tell your friends or your buddies in the local death metal band that delay is weak and has no place in music, but as soon as you get home, you bust out your favorite delay and noodle for hours. You can admit it. Speaking of killer delays, today’s featured “pedal” just might top the list for modern analog echo recreations, and certainly holds a spot near the top of...
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Personally, I love volume pedals, and have had one on my board for over 10 years. While there have been some updates, features added and modifications galore as of late, volume pedals in general were always about the same size, shape and functioned as you’d think they would. The cats over at Tapestry Audio decided enough was enough, and set to building a revolutionary product that has forever altered the volume pedal landscape:...
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With their unique wooden tops and intriguing control layouts, the pedals from Anasounds in France are instantly recognizable, and we love to check ’em out here at Pedal of the Day. Since reviewing the Cerberus and Freq Up last year, we stumbled across a sweet, short-style delay/echo with some modulation for added depth. Producing sounds like the Echoplex, Binson Echorec and the Skreddy Echo, this is the Utopia Tape Echo Delay....
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16-bit Digital Delay. Tape echo emulation. Looper. Tap Tempo. Twenty-three point eight (that’s right, 23.8) seconds of delay time. These are all options we seek, for a variety of different pedals, right? There’s no way these could ALL be present in just one, sweet, blue-mixed-with-purple pedal, could there? As today’s pedal, the E2 HeadRush from Akai Professional, will show you, it IS possible…and so much more,...
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Don’t you just love to hear the sound of a good tape echo delay coming out of your amplifier, or stereo speakers, or a YouTube video? Of course you do, we all do! Problem is, to be able to get that authentic sound, you have to find AND be able to purchase a big, clunky machine, which may or may not even work properly, then take a short 6 week course on how to use it, switch tapes and keep up the general maintenance of the unit....
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The latest offering from the folks over at Strymon is based on some classic sounds throughout the past century: the Deco Tape Saturation and Doubletracker. Conjuring up the sounds of ancient reel-to-reel tape machines from the 50’s and 60’s, the Deco provides all the vintage echo and delay sounds you’re after, and the Tape Saturation side aims to fatten up your sound using tasty compression and just a bit of...
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Where to begin… Lets start with washy, wobble, and crinkle. So much tape goodness in one awesome pedal. Ive owned the El cap for about 7 months, and it still keeps me guessing what corner of the unknown universe i will be carried to next. But I digress, lest my rambling be in vain. The El Capistan can really make a huge array of sounds. Ambient, ethereal, nostalgic are obvious and easily attainable, but I really just love it for...
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The Time Traveler Tap Tempo pedal from Tapestry Audio is the world’s first tap tempo pedal with 10 BPM presets. It sends out a momentary signal just, like any standard tap pedal, when you select your preset by stepping on the right footswtich. The left footswitch gives you the ability to tap in a BPM and the knob in the middle lets you dial in the exact BPM. Click the knob to save the BPM on whatever preset number you are...
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Our first dive into the world of Blank Electronics a few weeks back was their Wizard Sleeve Distortion Fuzz, and what an eye-opener that pedal was. Today, we’re switching gears a bit with their second creation, the Reaching Modulated Delay. Blending aspects of many wonderful, classic delay and echo tones into one slim and slender enclosure, this is a delay that you might not expect…which makes it THAT. MUCH. COOLER…...
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Whenever we get a device sent in by ezhi&aka, we know it’s time to get crazy and indulge in our wildest musical explorations. Today’s pedal from them is the Polarized Flutter + Echo, a newly revamped version of the original Polarized Flutter we checked out a couple years back. With a couple of new control parameters and a wide range of wackiness on tap, this was a fun one to dive into, for sure… The Polarized...
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Analog delays have long been revered for their warm, sometimes dirty and always iconic tones, but typical parts availability and circuit designs have led them to incur some limitations from time to time. Today’s pedal, the Suhr Discovery Analog Delay, has so many features and options packed into it, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more easily maneuverable and great-sounding effects unit on the planet. Of course,...
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We’ve been reviewing and demoing effects units from NUX for over six years now, and they just keep getting better and better. After checking out the Verb Core Deluxe a couple weeks ago, we’re excited to bring you all the Time Core Deluxe MKII Stereo Delay, the latest in NUX’s Core Series of pedals. With seven delay modes and a built-in looper for mode eight, this one has a lot of options, sounds and vintage...
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If you know even the slightest bit about effects pedals, and you know what reverb is, there’s a 99% chance you’ve heard of the Strymon BigSky Reverberator. One of the most popular reverb pedals ever created, it set a new bar across the board for how reverb could sound. Today, we’re so stoked to bring you Strymon’s brand new take on this pedal, the BigSky MX – the new pinnacle of what a reverb pedal can be...
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After being pretty blown away by the Orbital Pitch Shifter and NovaDrift Modulation pedals from ALABS Audio, we were excited to check out the next pedal in their Adam Adventure Series, which happens to come from our favorite effect genre. The TimeSlip Stereo Delay features loads of echo modes, options and exploration into all things delay, with a wide stereo field to engulf your audience. Lots of knobs and switches here, let’s...
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We’ve been reviewing and demoing effects units from NUX for over six years now, and they just keep getting better and better. Today, we’re continuing our exploration into their Core Series of pedals (the Tape Core Deluxe was amazing, BTW) as we check out the Verb Core Deluxe, a vast-reaching, wide-ranging ambient powerhouse that brings your favorite reverb sounds up from the depths…let’s dive right in, shall...
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We’re continuing to dive into the world of Tone City pedals today, with a 2-in-1 that will quench even the most snobbish shoegazer’s thirst for the ultimate ambient effect. The Heavenly Lake Delay Reverb brings two of our favorite effects into the mix, smashes them into one beautifully aqua enclosure and adds a bunch of knobs to twist and turn as we see fit. If you like either of these genres of effects a LITTLE BIT,...
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It has been a hot minute since we’ve had any gear from our friends at Anasounds in the shop, and we’re excited to jump back in today with an amazing pedal creation from them. The Utopia Deluxe Echo Delay features loads of echo tones, some warm vintage preamp oomph and exploration beyond your wildest dreams. Come along as we check out this amazing machine, won’t you?? The Anasounds Utopia Deluxe was designed for the...
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The EF-X2 Tape Echo and the EF-P2 Spring Reverb from Echo Fix have been some of our favorite units we’ve reviewed in the last couple years, and we’re excited today to bring you their latest creation. Anointing you with a simple control section, but one that’s filled with gorgeous, vintage-tinged sonic options, this modulation machine is sure to conjure up tonal voices, forgotten sounds and beautiful feelings from...
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Ever since we got our Monarch 15W amplifier from Benson Amps back in 2017, we’ve loved everything they’ve put out, especially when the effects pedals made their debut. Having already checked out the Preamp, Germanium Fuzz, Germanium Boost and Stonk Box units, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on their first foray into out favorite all-time effect: Delay. The Delay Benson has created brings vintage and modern...
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A couple years ago, one of our favorite pedals ever came into the shop: the Geckoplex EP-5 Tape Delay from Gecko Pedals. It’s been a long wait, but well worth it, as we bring you their newest release, the O-Face Modulated Overdrive! This is an effects unit unlike any we’ve ever seen, so let’s dive right in and see what all the knobs and buttons and stuff can do… In short, the O-Face is like having four 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 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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One of the latest offerings from Universal Audio we’re looking at today is the UAFX Evermore Studio Reverb, which follows in the massive footsteps of their Golden Reverb release from a couple years back. This smaller but extremely powerful ambient machine has a similar control layout structure to the Orion Tape Echo we saw a few weeks ago, for easily dialing in beautiful tones in seconds. This pedal offers authentic emulation of...
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A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to get to review and demo the EF-X2 Tape Echo from Echo Fix, and was instantly thrown back into a vintage delay era. Today, let’s take a look at Echo Fix’ latest release, which also sends you back in time: the EF-P2 Spring Reverb. Cramming delicious, classic reverb tones into a modern-looking enclosure with some throwback visuals, this unit takes your reverb game to the next...
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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!!) The History of the Flanger By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. The Flanger guitar pedal has an interesting background that involves both science and a lot of luck! Like many guitar and music effects it stems from early experiments with...
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There’s one piece of gear that you and your pedals simply can’t function without: POWER. Without Power, your pedals can’t make any noise, and you can’t dazzle crowds for hours on end. That’s where today’s unit comes in – the MONO Medium 6 Output Low-Noise Isolated Power Supply. The MONO Medium Power Supply is an ultra-slim, expandable pedalboard power supply. It features 6 high current,...
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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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Well, we’ve got another batch of pedals from our friends at Caline coming at’cha over the next couple of months, starting today with a couple of glorious effects. The CP-513 Simon Super Delay brings a bunch of options to the table, while the CP-26 Snake Bite Cavernous Reverb provides all the ambient tones you’ll need to create wonderful music. These are two good pedals to start our journey with, let’s get right...
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If you’ve never seen the big, oddly-shaped Danelectro effects that were born decades ago, today’s pedal is an excellent place to start (check out our review for the DC-1 Cool Cat Stereo Chorus HERE, too). The DE-1 Dan-Echo is a remarkably impressive sounding digital delay pedal based around the PT2395 digital delay chip, bringing warmth and vintage tone to any pedalboard. With basic controls and bold sounds, this purple...
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Recently, we’ve had the pleasure of checking out the new Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb and Del-Verb Ambience Companion from Universal Audio, and were (as usual) pretty blown away. Today, we’re looking at the final unit in their latest lineup releases, the Max Preamp & Dual Compressor. Providing all the funk your single coils (and humbuckers, too) can handle, along with a gorgeous vintage-sounding preamp,...
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