As we continue on with our Flamma Fridays series, we shift gears just a bit this week, from modulation to DIRT. The Flamma Innovation FS06 Digital Preamp provide 7 different preamp flavors to explore, with each one being based on a different well-known amplifier. Covering classic and modern tones alike, this purple-headed warrior has a ton of stuff going on, so let’s jump right in! The 7 different models you can choose from on...
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Phasers are absolutely in our top tier of favorite effects on this planet, and we love a good tremolo, too. Today’s pedal mashes both of these effects into the tiniest of enclosures, while still bringing unprecedented quality and tonal bliss to the table. The Pigtronix Moon Pool Tremvelope Phaser is part of their newly released lineup of small, pedalboard-friendly pedals, and this is a hell of a way to start it off. Bringing all...
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We love Delay, and we love Fuzz. When they’re combined into one pedal, we love it even more. And when that pedal is something new and unique and exciting, it just can’t be beat. Such is the case with today’s effect, the Rad Sauce Electronics Dirtlay Fuzz Delay. A mix between a fuzz and a dirty delay, the sky’s the limit with this innovative yet simple device. One big knob, one little knob, two footswitches....
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It seems like there’ve been a bunch of chorus and vibrato sounds coming through the office as of late, and more are actually on the way. Smack dab in the middle, we’ve got today’s gorgeous Univibe-esque piece of gear, the R WEAVER FX Violet Vibe Chorus Vibrato. Harkening instantly back to the late 60’s/early 70’s, this purple beauty oozes classic and vintage tones, with specs that honor the original...
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On last week’s Flamma Friday, we looked at the FS05 Modulation pedal…today, we’re gonna shrink that effect down, without losing any of those incredible sounds. The FC05 Mini Modulation pedal crams elements of chorus, flanger, phaser and more into its bright, shiny green box, with differing controls for each of its 11 effect types. Housed in a sturdy, durable metal shell, this tiny multi-effect creates larger than...
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We love pedals with a lot of controls, and today’s featured effect showcases this in fine fashion. From the moment you gaze upon the Olsen Interface Warspit Distortion, you’re both frightened and intrigued, which can become a perfect combination. With no labels, seven knobs, 5 switches and two stomps, this is an experimenter’s dream box… The golden knobs give you a wide range of sounds and tones to test out and...
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There are a LOT of overdrive pedals in our world today, and we’ve seen a pretty decent number of them here at Pedal of the Day. A certain green screamer effect circuit seems to get copied and cloned, or slightly altered to fit the maker’s sonic needs, as does today’s specific pedal. The Vertex Tone Secret Overdrive recreates the sound of these “classic” pedals hitting a Blackface 12AX7 preamp, but with...
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We’ve loved the couple of pedals from Bad Penny FX we’ve had the chance to demo, and today’s effect keeps that tradition going strong. The Fuzz Controller (the first handmade unit from Bad Penny) is inspired by classic British design, but is a modern, dynamic fuzz circuit as well. Lots of controls and switches on this one, let’s dive right on in… The internal circuit of The Fuzz Controller utilizes NOS...
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Flamma Fridays rolls along here at Pedal of the Day, and we’re headed down another new path this week. The FS05 Multi Modulation pedal crams elements of chorus, flanger, phaser and more into its bright, shiny yellow box, with differing controls for each of its 11 effect types. Presets, stereo connections and more make this box come alive, and seamlessly meld with your current setup. The 11 different modulation effect types on...
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We eagerly await each new release from our pals at Strymon, as many of you do, and their latest is an absolute mindbender. The Zelzah Multidimensional Phaser, aside from having a wicked rad name, is a modulation pedal like no other. Focusing on phasing, it also sports elements of chorus, vibrato, flanger and tremolo, all while sweeping an enormous range of phaser tones, modern and vintage. Grab your headphones and strap in,...
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We recently added a new amplifier into our demo mix, the wonderfully and versatile Revv Amplification D20, and we can’t get enough of it. Revv also makes effects pedals, and they sent a couple over for us to check out, starting with the G2 Overdrive. Based on the “Green Channel” from Revv’s Generator amps, this powerhouse provides clear, dynamic, amp-like tone to push your rig where you need it to go. The...
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We love to dive in and explore any sort of Multi-Effects units that come our way – they can hold so many effects and combinations, the possibilities to what you can create are endless. Today, we’re checking out the newest unit from Valeton, the GP-100VT Multi-Effects Processor. Crammed full of all your favorite effects, amps, cabs, presets, a looper and more, this little machine has got a lot to offer. The design and...
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Flamma Fridays is upon us once again! Today, we’re featuring an effect genre that probably doesn’t get talked about enough: The Noise Gate. Helping to tame harsh tones and get rid of unwanted hiss is the name of the game with these pedals, and the Flamma Innovation FC10 Noise Gate performs flawlessly in this regard. There’s not a lot to the FC10 Noise Gate: one knob and one switch. You use the Threshold knob to...
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ONE KNOB. ONE KNOB TO RULE THEM ALL… And so it goes for today’s pedal, the Calico Effects Pounce Preamp. The simplicity you might expect from a one-knob pedal, regardless of genre, can sometime be deceiving. Is that the case with this golden beauty? Let’s delve in and see what’s in store… The Pounce is NOT a transparent, clean, preamp booster…no siree Bob. Quite the opposite, in fact, it adds...
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Seemingly out of nowhere, Discomfort Designs has become one of our favorite pedal companies of late. Creating loud, weird and exciting effects, these guys are pushing the levels of noise creation to new heights. Their latest, the Neon Black Fuzz Booster, combines two odd circuits and makes them into one powerhouse of a pedal. In your face, bold, screechy and fantastic, let’s check it out… The left side of the Neon Black is...
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When you see a Dophix pedal, you know exactly what it is, and where it’s from. The subdued silver enclosure and minimal controls & graphics create fine works of art, much like the art or artists each pedal is based on. Today, we’ve got another one from their lineup, the Lussuria Overdrive, another one with just three control knobs, but loaded with killer tones and amp-driving gusto, all the way from Italy. The...
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Welcome to our first installment of Flamma Fridays! For the next 8+ weeks, we’re going to showcase a different pedal from Flamma Innovation every Friday, running through their Mini FC Series lineup, as well as a couple from the classic FS Series. First up, the FC03 Delay, the first in this wonderful collection of small pedal, designed to fit anywhere without sacrificing any tonal quality. Mini pedals can sometimes lack in...
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Over the years, a Volume pedal has become basically a requirement for all of our pedalboard and demo setups here at Pedal of the Day. We also love a good wah pedal, and Expression pedals are key to controlling many effects’ parameters in demo situations as well. But what if you could harness the power of these three different pedals and put them into ONE super-enclosure? Well, the crew at Hotone Audio has done just that, with...
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Towards the end of last year, we dove headfirst into a couple of magnificent pedals from Interchange Noise Works. The On Air Fuzz and Element 119 Distortion brought new ideas about these two genres to the table, and we were thoroughly impressed by both. Today, we’ve got a couple more pedals from these guys – a dirty, overdriven trio, to be precise, aptly named Overdrives I, II & III. Overdrives I, II & III all...
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We all love a good vintage distortion or fuzz tone, right? While there are some sought-after sounds from the past, there are a ton of excellent modern dirt sounds available as well – but which ones to choose? With today’s effect, the VVco Pedals AfterLife Distortion Fuzz, you don’t have to… Inspired by both new and old, the AfterLife has FOUR different internal analog circuits that provide 2 distortions and 2...
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Last year, we got our hands on a BloodBuzz Fuzz Overdrive from Eastwood Guitars and Valco FX. It was a BIG, mammoth of a pedal, with killer tones and a ton of options. The second offering from Valco FX comes your way today, in the form of the KGB Fuzz. This smaller (but still bigger than most) effects unit is a multi-function, tone-sculpting machine, with all the switches, knobs and sliders you’ll need to produce some incredible...
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Today we’re continuing down the path of Dual Enlightenment, thanks to the wonderful DCP Dual Series from our friends at Caline. The DCP-08 Nightwolf Overdrive Fuzz combines two of our favorite effects into one box, perfect for adding a bit of tone-shaping or completely annihilating your clean sound. These two classic effects make for a great team, let’s check out some more details! The Left side of the Nightwolf is a...
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After the wild recent successes that were the NU-33 Vinyl Engine and Imperial Fuzz MKII, we couldn’t wait to check out some more pedals from our friends at SolidGoldFX. Today, we’re gonna gaze lovingly into the eyes of the EM-III Multi-Head Octave Echo, which are a bunch of words not commonly heard mashed together. This delay takes us on a crazy sonic adventure, with new and exciting twists and turns around every...
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Only one knob on today’s pedal, you say? How boring… Well, sometimes, that’s all you need to make a bold and loud musical statement. We’re taking a look at the Animals Pedal Dawn Ocean Meditation Boost, a clean booster that reproduces numerous vintage tones and powerful, classic style boosting to your signal… A collaboration with Matthew Holl from Wren and Cuff, the Dawn Ocean raises your...
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Pedal of the Day here! After the wonderful echoes of the Delay Llama Xtreme and the vintage glory of the Ripply Fall, we’re bringing you our third piece of gear from JAM Pedals in as many months – the Harmonious Monk Tremolo. A collaboration with Mick and Dan from That Pedal Show, this modulated beauty combines 2 types of tremolo into one space-saving box, complete with 2 tremolo speeds, internal adjustments, selectable...
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The MTHRFCKR=RPTR Cassette Tape Delay Preamp was one of our favorite pedals in 2020, and we’re excited to dive back into the world of Mile End Effects once again today. The Ronald PreAmp 150 takes one of the sections of a beloved tone-enhancing unit from the 70’s, pulls it out and gives it to you in a solo pedal presentation. Let’s see if we can discover the rich, full bodied and sparkling tone that this pre-amp...
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Ever since Night Owl Industries sent us their first pedal three years ago, we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing and demoing their entire lineup. That wonderful streak continues today with the Parabellum Preamp Drive Distortion, a collaboration between Night Owl and Dunwich Amps. A mix of three distinct voices, each being processed independently then mixed back together, this one creates a dense, complex distortion not attainable...
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A little over three years ago, we got our hands on the first model of today’s pedal, and we loved it. The TA-1H from Free The Tone was one of the first stereo choruses we had come across, and the wide spectrum of sounds it covered put a big old smile on our face. Today, we’ve got the next generation for you: the Tri Avatar TA-2H Multi-Dimensional Chorus, which takes the building blocks from its older sibling and just makes...
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If you couldn’t tell from the name of the company, This Heavy Earth doesn’t make effects pedals for the timid. Focusing on the heavier side of things, names like Grim, Flesh Rot and Crustifixion let you know these pedals mean business. Today, we’re checking out the CHVRCHBVRNER, an Overdrive Distortion with a ton of controls to sculpt and shape genres from blues to death metal…and everything in between, Right...
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After having the opportunity to review and demo a couple of pedals recently from Hilibish Design, the Pessimiser and Night Destroyer, we were stoked when they sent over their latest creation. These guys don’t mess around, and today’s Deathimizer Octave Fuzz is no joke. Another collaboration with King Buzzo from The Melvins, this destructive machine is a fuzz with ear drum wrecking highs stacked with an analog two octave...
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We certainly love three-knob overdrives and one-knob phasers and non-too-complex delay pedals here, but what really peaks our interest are the bizarre, the weird, the unique, the intriguing. Today’s pedal encompasses all of these qualities, taking your instrument’s signal and completely annihilating it, to points beyond recognition. The TMA-1 Jupiter: and Beyond the Infinite from Discomfort Designs is a ring...
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We’ve been fortunate to have our share of limited edition pedals come through here at Pedal of the Day, and we have another rare gem for you once again. The Sub Fuzz Pop Drive is a collaboration between Sub Pop Records and Verellen Amps, packing 2 monster dirt effects into one fairly large enclosure. Not a lot of info on these pedals out there, so we’ll do our best to explain this one… On the left, you’ve got...
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There’s no denying the effect (see what we did there) that Boss Pedals have had on the music industry over the last 4+ decades, and today we’re going to acknowledge two of their most coveted stompboxes. The MT-2 Metal Zone and SD-1 SUPER OverDrive have been staples on pedalboards across the world, since their releases in 1991 and 1981, respectively. Wanting to celebrate 40 and 30 years of continuous production of these two...
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We’ve got something special for you all today, a dual post featuring an effects pedal AND a guitar…from the same company. Sometimes, all you need is one good pedal with one good guitar (and an amp, of course), like the Dunable Guitars Eidolon Boost Delay Reverb and the Cyclops DE Series guitar. Both add key ingredients to a successful and tone-filled setup, each adding their own bits of flavor to compliment each other, and...
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The legacy of ZVEX Effects now stretches back over a quarter of a century. Beginning in 1995, Zachary Vex has become known for his innovative and genre-bending pedals, gracing the boards of folks like Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor, J Mascis, Billy Gibbons, Jack White and many more. Today, we’ve got one of their classic pedals for ya – the Box of Rock Distortion 25th Anniversary Vexter Series. The Box of Rock is a staple in...
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We got a chance to check out the Sunnmanor Preamp from Calico Effects recently, and were seriously impressed by its range and diversity. Today, we’ve got another effect from these guys, the MFT Overdrive, a more straightforward but just as rockin’ a pedal as the first. This one’s a classic plug and play, but with a bit of a twist from the norm… A lot of overdrive pedals feature the classic lineup of Volume,...
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The DCP Dual Pedal Series from Caline has been a blast so far, and today we’re bringing you the EIGHTH effect in this lineup. A true tone-shaping machine, the DCP-10 Steller EQ Compressor combines 2 front end effects to start your tone out on a high note. Using these two to sculpt and dial in the exact sounds you’re after, this is an invaluable addition to any rig. The left EQ side features 5 frequency band sliders and one...
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Our pal Pat down in Houston, Texas, has been building guitar pedals since 2008 as Garland FX, continuing to churn out inventive and unique designs and circuits for every type of music. Today, we’re going to revisit the first pedal we ever came across of his, the Cosmo Delay. This is an updated version from our 2014 review (and we have a demo this time, too!), so let’s jump right in and see what space-laden adventures...
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Roman Belonozhko Ridgefield, WA Shnobel Tone www.shnobeltone.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 14 years old so Ive been at it for over 20 years. I was born in Ukraine, which is a small Eastern European country, and at that time it was still part of the Soviet Union. Growing up I had uncles from both my mom’s and dad’s side that are...
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Last month, we were introduced to Weird Noise Pedals, an up-and-coming effects company out of Astoria, OR. Their Fuzz It was a wonderful one-knob buzz machine, and we couldn’t wait to dive into today’s more complex pedal. What The Fuzz is a 2 silicon transistor fuzz pedal capable of everything from touch sensitive overdrive to a thick fuzz. Very responsive to your guitar’s volume and tone controls, this one really makes...
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Modulation is a key ingredient to any rig, whether it’s coming from a phaser, a chorus or a vibrato….but what if you could have ALL THREE in one enclosure? That’s where today’s effect, the JAM Pedals Ripply Fall Chorus Vibrato Phaser, comes into play. Combining a couple other JAM Pedals into one, these side-by-side effects will launch your sound and creativity into the musical stratosphere. The Ripple side...
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There are, apparently, still musicians out there who dislike the Phaser effect. Now, while we can’t necessarily understand why, it doesn’t stop us from bringing you all the best phaser pedals we can find, and we’ve got another new one today. The Mojo Hand FX Mister-O Phase Shifter is a modern recreation of a classic, the Maestro Phase Shifter, first released in the early 1970’s. With vintage tones and some...
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Modulated Delay is one of the greatest effects on the planet, and we’ve got a pretty incredible example for you today. The Red Witch Pedals Binary Star Time Modulator provides a huge range of analog-flavored sounds, from classic slap back to vibrato-infused modulation to insane pitch-shifting and more. Buckle up, kids, we’re going on an outer space journey… The controls section, while not seemingly too complex,...
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Many moons ago, we had the pleasure of sitting down and exploring the wonderful Gurus Amps Echosex2 Echo Delay. Reimagining the famous Binson Echorec, and with a real 12AX7B tube inside, this delay was quite a stellar piece of gear. Then, a while back, Gurus teamed up with FoxGear and began creating a line of smaller, more affordable pedals. The first of these that we’re going to check out is the EchoSex Baby, a small version of...
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It seems that Flanger is quickly becoming the effect of 2021, with a lot of new and interesting releases coming about over the last few months. We have a wonderful one today for you, too – the Hochstrasser Electronics Chemtrail Analog Flanger. This unassuming and powerful modulation device utilizes bucket brigade chips to create and modulate a short delay line, and can function as a flanger, chorus or vibrato effect....
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We’ve always had an affinity for the simplistic look and complex sound surrounding the gear from Jānis.lv Effect Pedals, and we’re stoked to bring you their latest creation once more today. The Laika Plūsma Reverb is a subtle effect, but one that can climb into ambient oscillation territory with ease. Just four knobs and one toggle switch, but sometimes, that’s all you need… The Laika Plūsma’s controls...
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Let’s head back in TI:ME today, into the land of warm delays and vintage echoes. With a nod to classic echo units of the past, the Crazy Tube Circuits TI:ME Echo Delay is a retro-inspired machine, capable of instantly warming your tone. With separate analog and digital paths, tap tempo, modulation and more, this little pedal has a LOT going on. The all analog signal path in the TI:ME Echo Delay features a high-quality opamp,...
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We’ve had a couple of pedals from Discomfort Designs come through the shop recently, and they just keep getting better. Today’s machine, the Black Tooth Doom Octave Distorter, sounds as mean as its name might suggest…and then some. Not for the weak, faint-of-heart or tender-eared, this crushing black beauty is all geared up to rip some speakers and melt some faces… The Black Tooth is a high gain, hard-clipping...
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We’ve got a real treat for you all today, one of the most anticipated and highly-hyped effects pedals of the year…maybe the decade. A collaboration between Boss and Sola Sound, the TB-2W Waza Craft Tone Bender is a fuzz pedal that brings vintage tone into the modern world. Based on the classic Tone Bender MKII, the TB-2W has been painstakingly scrutinized and researched, to bring you possibly the finest Tone Bender...
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We’ve been chatting a lot about Boost pedals recently, and are excited to present a new version of an instant classic. The Vertex Boost MKII picks up right where the original MKI left off, offering a smaller enclosure without sacrificing any tone or functionality. Not just a signal booster – this one enhances and drives any rig that needs it. At 33% slimmer than the Boost MKI, the MKII easily sneaks onto any pedalboard....
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