For their ridiculously low price points, it’s hard to beat the lineup of effects pedals from Flamma Innovation. We’ve covered nearly every one in their lineup so far, and are excited to help introduce their newest offerings, with the FC16 Optical Tremolo being today’s focus. This fire engine red machine has an easy-to-use control set and a small footprint, to easily slide into any rig, big or small. The FC16 Optical Tremolo...
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Our friends over at Poison Noises are releasing new versions of their entire lineup of effects pedals, and have asked us to help showcase these overhauled creations. We’re looking at 2 pedals a week for the next couple months, continuing today with the Gluttonous Fuzz V3. Back for seconds, this one’s coming at ya with all of the delicious noise you were starving for…. Bringing back parameters from all the original...
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Our friends over at Poison Noises are releasing new versions of their entire lineup of effects pedals, and have asked us to help showcase these overhauled creations. We’re going to look at 2 pedals a week for the next couple months, starting with the Hall of Mirrors Reverb V2. With 8 different reverb modes to choose from, and individual parameters for each mode, there’s a TON to explore in this one… Eight modes of...
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For their ridiculously low price points, it’s hard to beat the lineup of effects pedals from Flamma Innovation. We’ve covered nearly every one in their lineup so far, and are excited to help introduce their newest offerings, continuing with the FC15 Analog Flanger. This salmon-tinged beauty has an easy-to-use control set and a small footprint, to easily slide into any rig, big or small. The Flamma FC15 Analog Flanger Pedal is an...
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Andrew and the crew at Mozztronics just keep putting out incredible pedal after incredible pedal, and we’re so glad we get to keep on reviewing and demoing these wonderful creations. For the last pedal in the latest batch they sent us, we’re taking a look at the JD-2 Thunder Drive, an amp/drive/preamp/distortion all wrapped into one undefinable and glorious effect. Strap in and hold on, this one’s a crusher (as...
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Hard to believe it’s been SIX YEARS since we had the pleasure of a pedal from Retro Mechanical Labs grace our presence, but this one definitely made up for lost time. The 432k Rev2 Distortion builds on the original version of the 432k, adding in some modifications to improve tone and give you more sonic options to experiment with. Beauty and brawn are once again combined into a big, gorgeous enclosure, complete with the classic...
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For their ridiculously low price points, it’s hard to beat the lineup of effects pedals from Flamma Innovation. We’ve covered nearly every one in their lineup so far, and are excited to help introduce their newest offerings, starting with the FC14 Analog Chorus. This light pink beauty has an easy-to-use control set and a small footprint, to easily slide into any rig, big or small. The Flamma FC14 Analog Chorus Pedal is an...
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It’s always an exciting time when the folks at Death By Audio create a new pedal, and we’re honored to be a part of today’s new release. The Space Bender Chorus Modulator replicates and warps your signal into beautiful and organic transmissions from a dimension somewhere beyond linear time. Under the hood lies an array of dynamically modulated delay lines allowing you to craft subtle vintage sci-fi sounds, bending...
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Sometimes, it’s nice to just get downright HEAVY with your effects, and today’s pedal and company both have the answers for all your sonic queries. This Heavy Earth makes heavy effects. PERIOD. Today, we’re taking a look at their Widower High-Gain Distortion, a blistering yet sophisticated unit that will literally take your head off with its high-gain, high-sustain, amp-like distortion. Sporting an active boost/cut 2...
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It’s been a minute since we had a pedal from Cusack Music in the shop, but today’s effect from their lineup comes absolutely roaring back into action. The Meta Plexi Distortion Boost, as the name might suggest, follows in the footsteps of a certain hallowed, classic amplifier preamp, instantly transforming your tone and sending you back to classic rock and metal heydays gone past. Plug in, crank up, annoy neighbors, melt...
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I’ve always been a fan of compressors – I know, it’s a love/hate relationship with a lot of players out there, but they’ve always seemed warm and useful in the majority of pedalboard builds I’ve done. Now, what if you take an incredible compressor and add in a parallel gain stage, fo an incredible 2-in-1 unit? That’s precisely what the folks at Collaboration Devices have done with the aptly named...
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Over the last several months, we’ve had the opportunity to get to know a relatively new company, Summer School Electronics, and explore their impressive lineup of effects. Ranging from boost (Bootster) to overdrive (Gladys) to fuzz (Stone Thrower) and delay (Snow Day), their pedals span multiple musical genres, providing something for everyone across the board. Today, we’ve got another effect of theirs for you, the...
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For those of us that really dig the vintage Uni-Vibe sound, but can’t afford to buy (or repair) an original unit, we all probably have a favorite pedal or two that gets that sound done really well. But, did you ever wish that it had something MORE, like maybe, I dunno…REVERB? The brand new J.Rockett Audio Designs Uni-Verb Chorus Vibrato Reverb takes these two gorgeous effects and smashes them into one reasonably-sized...
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For the second time in a row, we’ve got a seemingly basic but surprising pedal from our friends at Discomfort Designs. Following in the footsteps of The Big Mistake Fuzz, we present the mighty Doomsailor Distortion, a powerful beast with a simple control setup. With a wide range of tones and all the heavy grit you can handle, this one is ready to annihilate everything in its musical pathway… The Doomsailor Distortion is...
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The Dophix effects pedal lineup has an extremely distinct and unique look – retro metal enclosure, minimal graphics, small black knobs. Though each one is slightly different, you can always pick a Dophix pedal out of just about any lineup. Today’s creation keeps with that aesthetic, and brings some wonderful modulation to the table. The Uomo Vitruviano Chorus-Phaser has just two knobs, but a TON of sonic properties to...
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From the first glance at today’s pedal, the Silktone Amps Germanium Fuzz, you can see that it just looks different. And modern. And sophisticated. And exciting. Anytime there’s a meter of any type on any pedal, that’s usually an indicator of something special, and this one is no exception to that rule. Utilizing two germanium transistors at its heart, in the classic FF/TB1.5 topology, this circuit is tweaked to roll...
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The Klone. Since the majority of us think it’s absurd to spend $5,000 or more on a pedal, klones have become a musical godsend, offering a ton of different sonic flavors without the hefty price tags that go with the originals. We’re bringing you another lovely offering today, in the form of the My Little Klony from Daddy Daughter Pedal Works. This pink beauty is dialed in sonically to the mythical units, with a couple of...
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Fuzz pedals are awesome. Spitty, gated, nasty fuzz pedals are even awesomer. Today’s pedal, the Zero G IOD Honey Coma Fuzz, can do both, in spectacular fashion. With 4 knobs for a wide range of sounds on tap, this exciting and scary beast will give you a jolt of creativity from the second you plug it into your amplifier… Based on some old hooved honey producer of a fuzz known as the BeeBaa (read our review here), the Honey...
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Sometimes, great effects come from the unlikeliest of places – such is the case with the wonderful pedals from our friends at Jānis.lv Effect Pedals, who reside in Birzgale, Latvia. From the Miesnieks and Tre Tre to the RNGD and Laika Plūsma, each creation they release has a unique spin on its musical genre, all while looking very cohesive as a brand. Today, we’ve got their latest for you – the Purvs Fuzz, which...
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A good overdrive can really make you amp come alive and sculpt your tone, but what if you have TWO in one single pedal? That’s the name of the game with the impressive and options-laden Pantheon Dual Overdrive Deluxe from Wampler Pedals. From boost to crunch to powerful drive and up to heavy distortion, this purple beast has all you could want in a dirt pedal…and then some. The now legendary Wampler Pantheon provided a...
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The recent revival of the Maestro brand has brought a couple of great pedals our way. The Discoverer Delay and Comet Chorus were both a joy to explore, and we’ve got the third pedal in this impressive lineup for you today. The Invader Distortion features three knobs, one switch and a ton of tone to shape and sculpt your favorite distortion and overdrive sounds perfectly…let’s see what it’s all about! The...
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Along with many, many others around the world, we love us some Walrus Audio gear around here. And, as always, a new release from these guys exciting our wonder and curiosity, leading up to the point when today’s pedal was finally delivered to our doorstep. The Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator uses reverse reverbs and delays feeding back into each other, for stretching, warping, pitch-shifting, and time-bending glory....
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Over the course of the last few months, we’ve become more and more familiar with the excellent line of effects pedals coming from Summer School Electronics. From overdrive (Gladys) to fuzz (Stone Thrower) to delay (Snow Day), these hand-built machines just keep getting better and better with each new release. Today, we switch it up yet again and bring you The Bootster Booster, a volume and treble boost in one… The Bootster...
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Octave pedals don’t tend to get the hype and focus that modulation, overdrive, delay and reverb might, but we’re gonna try to change that. Today’s pedal, the October Audio Junk Lantern Dirty Octave Up Fuzz, provides a unique spin on a genre that you might normally overlook. Easy to dial in while full-ranged and inspiring, this little gem will make you rethink how you approach your next songwriting session…...
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Every once in a while, I come across a rare piece of effects history, a pedal that has long since been out of production, or very few were made in the first place. Today, we’re going to take a look at the Roland AF-100 BeeBaa Fuzz and Treble Booster, a huge silver beast that houses 2 effects and a lot of vintage attitude. Let us travel back about 5 decades and see what kind of gear they were creating then, shall we? Built...
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We love a good funk machine ’round here, and today’s pedal brings all the funky tones you need, in a simple package. Animals Pedal continues their steak of long and quirky pedals names with the Double Spy Mission is Impossible Filter, an auto-wah / envelope filter that suits the needs of any player. A staple for guitar and bass alike, this effect harkens back to the sounds of the ’70s, ushering in a new era of tonal...
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Fuzz and Distortion effects with multiple knobs and switches are always a good time to experiment with, and today’s pedal, while not over the top, provides a multitude of sonic caverns waiting to be explored. The Calico Effects Antlers Fuzz Distortion pays homage to the classic Green Muff circuit, giving you vintage-sounding and modern high gain tones alike. Three knobs, three switches and a lot of dirty dirt here –...
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The Blessed Mother Overdrive from Heather Brown Electronicals was one of the hottest pedals of last year, and one of our favorites as well. Then, Heather released a 2nd incarnation, the Fuzz Assumption, which was just as amazing, but with a little more bite to it. Today, we bring to you the third effect in this lineup, one which combines both Overdrive AND Fuzz, but can’t really be classified as either…take a journey with...
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Tremolo and Reverb: a classic combination, originally found built-in to amplifiers over 5 decades ago. Having one or the other on your board is always key, but to have them BOTH? And in ONE PEDAL? The J. Rockett Audio Designs Mr. Moto Tremolo Reverb makes all those dreams come true, giving you complete control over these two gorgeous effects. The Mr. Moto is everything you wish your amp had built in. The Mr. Moto is a very musical...
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Julep /ˈjo͞oləp/ – a sweet flavoured drink made from a sugar syrup, sometimes containing alcohol or medication. Today’s pedal, the Julep Stereo Pan / Phase from Mile End Effects, is by concept a semblance of the infamous Ibanez FP-777 Flying Pan, but functionally and electronically is an expansion and improvement on the idea. From syrupy, frothy vibe effects to dizzying, choppy stutters, this optical stereo panning/tremolo...
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Well, it’s that time again, time to journey down the sonic rabbit hole that comes from all creations made by Pladask Elektrisk. Today’s wild machine, the Feber Amplitude/Phase Modulator, is an exploration of the intersection of single sideband modulation, ring modulation, phasing and tremolo. Blips, beeps, sweeps, creeps and more pour our of this gorgeous effect, blowing all you thought you knew about sound right out of...
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You know who you are. You get a new fuzz pedal, turn the fuzz up all the way, set the tone, and never touch the knobs again. If you fall squarely into this camp, then you’ll love today’s pedal, The Big Mistake Fuzz from our friends at Discomfort Designs. There’s even less to do with this one, though, as it features one lone knob and nothing else, letting you produce blistering fuzz tones instantly… The Big...
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We’re always on the lookout for new pedal companies to discover, and today we’ve done EXACTLY that, with our first pedal from That New Pedal Company. Coming all the way from Galacia, Spain, the Raio Tones & Circuits 70s Overdrive uses a simple 2-knob layout to reproduce classic tones from a classic decade. Perfectly recreating the original sound of the first overdrive models, this one has a vintage sound that never...
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The RAT. In all its forms and iterations, it has remained one of the most popular distortion circuits in the world for more than 40 years, with many companies tweaking and trying their hand at improving it. We’ve got one of the best throwing their hat in the ring today, as we bring you the Wampler Pedals Ratsbane Distortion. Small in size but big in stature, this mini effect brings all the thunder of the original Rat sound, with...
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We’re honored to be a part of the story for today’s pedal, a special limited edition effect whose proceeds are helping those in need during the current horrible invasion of Ukraine. Rare Buzz Effects has taken their Snitch Distortion and re-branded it with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, as well as Ukrainian text for the control knobs. This is the Cyborg Ukrainian Distortion, folks… A little backstory: Cyborgs are...
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Since the Femtaur Boost Overdrive arrived here at the shop 3 years ago, we’ve had the pleasure of getting to check out a bunch of effects from Kink Guitar Pedals, located in Cranbourne, Australia. Each has been unique and exciting, but with a cohesiveness to the brand that makes them all work well as a group. Today, we’re taking a look at our 5th Kink pedal, the Atomic Spaghetti Overdrive Tremolo, which is exactly as fun...
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From the Zero Hybrid Amp to the Black Sun and Stone Age effects, we love the gear coming from the Thermion camp. Each piece is so unique and well thought out, not to mention adding a myriad of tonal choices to any rig. Today, we’re taking a look at their Gasoline Distortion Preamp, which combines classic rock, crunchy amps and a bit of heavy metal into a savory auditory stew… Gasoline is the tool that will make you set...
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DELAY…ELAY…LAY…AY…Y…we love it. In all forms and shapes, sizes and knobs, we can’t get enough of any and all delay effects out there. Today’s pedal, the Summer School Electronics Snow Day Delay, offers 2 independent delay settings, that can be run on their own or at the same time. With 4 unique delay options between the 2 settings, the Snow Day Delay can be your classic clean digital delay...
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When we know a pedal from the Phaser department is headed our way, we tend to get pretty excited. When it’s coming from Catalinbread, we get STOKED. Today’s pedal, the Many Worlds Phaser, produces classic tones, gorgeous modulation and adds to your sound in a myriad of different ways. Full of options and marvelous signal manipulation, this is one of the best we’ve had the pleasure to peruse… The Many Worlds is...
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A good reverb pedal is always a good thing to have…but what if it was mixed with 3 incredible modulation effects, all in one package? The Old Blood Noise Endeavors Procession Sci-Fi Reverb V2 aims at inspiring something new, something fringe and something risky. A cavalcade making its way through the deserts of a distant planet. The sounds of another world. Or something along those lines. The Procession’s simple controls...
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When you think of experimental effects pedal companies, Death By Audio immediately jumps right to the top of the list. Dirty, loud and beautiful, their lineup keeps us all on our toes, and opens up a myriad of new musical possibilities. Today, we’re looking at their latest release, the Germanium Filter, which proves that sometimes you only need 2 knobs to make a gigantic wall of sound. The Germanium Filter is DBA’s love...
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The Klon. There might not be a more easily-recognizable, more debated-about effect on the planet. And since they are rare and pricy, there are a LOT of copycats out there, but how to choose the right one? Well, the quest for the perfect clone may have just ended – welcome in the Centura Professional Overdrive from Ceriatone Amplification. Aesthetics aside, this beast sounds spot on to its original counterpart, made with...
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2-in-1 effects are always a treat – just having more than one option of sound in a single pedal can instantly open up ideas and get the creative train a’rollin’. Two switchable Boost/Distortion circuits are what awaits us in today’s pedal, the ZVEX Effects Double Rock Vexter Distortion, which squeezes elements from THREE other ZVEX effects into one enclosure. This one is loud, crisp and amp-thumping, to say the...
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When it comes to the 3-knob Overdrive, you’ve got to make it pretty creative and fun in order to stand out from the hundreds, or thousands, of other similar effects out there. Today’s pedal does just that, with intriguing graphics, a fun outer space backstory and, of course, incredible sound. The Interstellar Audio Machines Octonaut Hyperdrive brings classic, inspired tones to the forefront, creating a perfect addition to...
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It’s no big secret that delay is far and away our favorite effect around here, especially pedals that have lots of knobs and switches and experimental tendencies. So, of course, we were wicked excited when J. Rockett Audio Designs sent over their incredible Clockwork Echo for us to take for a spin. This analog circuit with digital control brings vintage and modern aspects together, to create one powerful and authentic old school...
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Our pal James Bowman started Bowman Audio Endeavors a couple years back, and each new pedal release brings his unique spin on effects to the forefront. Today, we’re taking a look at the Satan’s Fingers Fuzz, a sinister and opaque piece of gear that has two knobs and a ton of noise. This one crushes from the moment it’s turned on – let’s see what it’s all about… Satan’s Fingers is a...
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Effects pedals with one footswitch are great…but TWO footswitches? You know you’re in for a real treat. Such is the case with today’s mammoth beast, the Crossfire Overdrive Preamp from Crazy Tube Circuits. Inspired by one of the most iconic Pedal/Amp combinations in musical history, this two-sided gem shapes your tone, pushes your amp and much, much more… The left side is voiced after the blackface amps that...
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The legendary Stereo Chorus Flanger was the first TC Electronic product. EVER. This sought-after effect has been used in rigs and on recordings for nearly 5 decades, and we’re proud to bring you (with the help of Sweetwater) the modern reissue of this classic pedal. The SCF Gold Stereo Chorus Flanger brings all that vintage tone into the modern world, providing gorgeous, genre-spanning modulation for players of all kinds…...
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The Love Machine Octave Fuzz from All-Pedal has been one of the funnest pedals we’ve tried this year, and we couldn’t wait to test out some more gear from these guys. Today, we’re bringing you the Macrodose Envelope Filter, a powerful and options-laden creation that brings the funk and expands your consciousness. Get ready for an adventure, here we go…. Created in collaboration with Brian Marshall of Subdecay,...
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We recently checked out a couple of Klon-inspired overdrive pedals from our friends at Studio Daydream Handmade Pedals, and we were excited to continue exploring their effects lineup. Moving into a new realm, and highly regarded for its natural compressor sound, The Ray Compressor is back as the Rev.3.0, with an improved internal structure and a range of added functions. The EQ has been strengthened to three band,s while maintaining...
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