We’re always interested in what our gear-making friends across the pond are up to, and today we’ve got a new company that we’re checking out for the first time. Jānis lv Effect Pedals are straight outta Birzgale, Latvia, and have both a unique look and sound to their effects. With just a couple pedals in their lineup so far, we’re excited to check out the first one, the Miesnieks, a powerful...
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Collaborations between pedal companies and artists/players are always a good time, especially when said guitarist is one of your favorite songwriters around. Walrus Audio has teamed up with Mr. Ryan Adams for a special tone-shaping pedal, designed to work quickly and easily with both single coil and humbucking pickups, perfect for when your set requires multiple guitar changes and you don’t want to have to re-adjust your tone...
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If you’ve heard one or a hundred or more demos of ours over the last couple years, there’s a good chance the sound you’ve heard was coming from a Benson Amp. The Monarch has been part of our demo setup for a while now, and since we love its sound and tone so much, we were stoked to hear that Chris and the crew were finally putting out a pedal. Now, as far as effects go, “Preamp” isn’t always one...
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It’s been a minute since we had a new pedal from JHS Pedals come through the shop, but they’ve reappeared with a brand new effect that sure to get the tremolo/vibe folks salivating. The Kodiak is a Tap Tempo Tremolo pedal, complete with a ton of bells and whistles that will suit anyone looking to add a fat, bold, pulsing effect to their lineup or board. Boasting subdivision note control, 4 differing waveform choices,...
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Since the mid-2000’s, there has usually been some form of a Keeley Compressor within arm’s reach around the house and office. Starting with the classic 2-knob, moving up to the 4-knob, PRO and PLUS versions, alongside the Morning Glory in the Steak and Eggs and finally (for now, anyway), in today’s featured 2-in-1 pedal. The Aria features 2 sides, one compressor and one overdrive, that couldn’t play nicer...
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Tattoos and music have gone hand in hand for decades, so it only makes sense to add effects pedals in and make a killer trio, right? Our new pal Joe Halliday from across the pond in the UK has managed to successfully fuse all three of these things together, to create a company offering reasonably-priced effects that look and sound great, perfect for the working musician and up-and-coming bands throughout the globe. Today, we look at...
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When a pedal describes itself as a Phaser, our interest is automatically peaked. Now, not everyone loves the phaser effect, for whatever reason, but then a pedal comes along that changes the game, and could possibly make a whole slew of haters into converts after they hear it in action. That pedal has arrived today, folks: the Arctic Wolf from Dogmatek Effects Pedals is a twin modulator phaser, but is also a ring modulator, tremolo,...
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Tremolo pedals are always welcome here in the Pedal of the Day office, as each one seems to have its own personality, features and tones, regardless of how many knobs, bells and whistles it may have. Today’s featured pedal leans towards the high end of that spectrum, with a ton of tonal options and sonic parameters waiting to be explored, and unleash all of their glory onto any recording or unsuspecting crowd. The Quaverato from...
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Big. Black. Bold. Bowerful. Well, maybe not that last one, but the others (and Powerful) definitely describe the lineup of pedals produced by Wounded Paw Audio. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure to check out their Battering Ram Overdrive/Fuzz, Echo Drive and, most recently, the Black Wolf, a massive distortion for guitar AND bass. Today, we’ve got another creation of theirs for you: the Bighorn Overdrive. A little...
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Here’s a good recipe for sonic success: take a Delay pedal, make it TWO delays in one and the ADD in an independent Reverb section….sound good so far? Well, that’s about all you really need, and our Featured Pedal today just happens to showcase all of these features. The Twin Whales from Mammouth Machine has two separate delay lines, running in parallel, plus a lone footswitchable reverb portion to add in all the...
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Strange, unusual, sonically inventive, eardrum pummeling….we love pedals like these, and have a great one for you today. The Dream Reaper is a fuzzy modulation machine from Adventure Audio, and while that description might not tell you EXACTLY what this pedal is all about, it’s a good thing. Exploration and experimenting are what you do with a pedal like this, and we did just that many times over, trying to coax out new...
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We were recently fortunate enough to review and demo the String Slinger Overdrive from our friends at Free The Tone, and what an overdrive that was. Seeing as how they released TWO overdrives at virtually the same time, we were understandably excited to see what lay in store for us with the Fire Mist FM-1V Overdrive, a different spin on another classic amp, packed into one pedal and ready to rip. Where the String Slinger focused on...
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Have you ever been truly, genuinely and pleasantly surprised by an effects pedal? Recently, we had the chance to check out a pedal from Danelectro’s Billionaire lineup, the Big Spender Spinning Speaker, and it really threw us for a loop (in a good way), so we were super-excited to test out another in this series of effects. The Cash Cow is a simple overdrive pedal (or so it seems) with an easy to use control section and small,...
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It’s been a hot minute since we had anything from Yellowcake come through the office, but boy, was it worth the wait. The Lida Machine is an analog resonant filter, with hints of tremolo and vibrato, ring modulator, phaser and more jammed into an impressive-looking and sounding enclosure. With two footswitches and a lot of knobs, we’re ready to dive in and explore this beast immediately… Also known as a VCF (Voltage...
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Today’s pedal is an awesomely odd one to approach, as it is really 10 pedals in one. The Console from ELTA Music uses a series of interchangeable sound cartridges, each with its own set of three modes, to produce a wide array of tones and auditory revelations that will alter your approach to creating music. We are going to review and demo all 10 of these cartridges eventually, and the next one is our series is the Filter and...
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We here at Pedal of the Day have been fortunate to be able to review and demo many pedals from our friend Eric at Hungry Robot Pedals, which makes us even more excited about today’s featured effect. Having checked out the original Moby Dick Delay, we were excited to see what changes and improvements awaited us in V2 – well, let’s just say that our expectations were exceeded. Aside from the obvious smaller enclosure,...
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We’ve always been intrigued and interested in pedals that have lots of knobs, dipswitches and In/Out jacks, so when today’s pedal came along, we were super stoked to test it out. The Spectravibe from Endangered Audio Research (makers of the now-famous AD4096 Analog Delay) is a tremolo and vibrato pedal, but it’s also much, much more than just that. With elements of compression, overdrive, distortion, auto wah and...
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There’s just no substitute for a good analog delay, plain and simple. We love the classic, vintage models, the newer modern stuff and pretty much everything in between. Today’s featured pedal falls into the modern category, but boasts sounds and tones reminiscent of the units from decades gone by. The Warp Drive from RPS Effects gives you that tasty vintage delay warmth based on the noteworthy “bucket brigade’...
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Oooooohhhhhhh…..NEW DELAY DAY! We love ’em, and are super-stoked about his one, people. The Temporal Tap Machine from MAK Crazy Sound Technology not only has one of the longest combined names we’ve come across, but has killer delay tones, a ton of sonic options and fantastic sounds to heighten and excite all of your guitar-playing endeavors. With so much packed into a small enclosure, there’s a lot to chat...
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The World of Compressors here in effects pedal land has really come on strong the last couple of years, with some incredible, studio-quality stompboxes coming out into the fold more and more. Today’s featured pedal is no exception, using an expected control section to produce not just excellent, high-quality compression, but a gorgeous clean boost sound if you need it as well. Straight from our friends at Analog Alien, the Alien...
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Plugging into a really loud, dirty effects pedal that just rocks your amplifier is one of the purest joys in life. When you get to it with a pedal that is a distortion AND a fuzz, that makes it even better. The Distorter from MidValleyFX says it all in its name, as it unleashes distortion fury, destroying everything in its path, and has a couple of different sonic options for days, weeks and years of fun. The simple control section on...
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We love a good delay around here, analog OR digital, and there’s only one thing better than having a pedal with one delay, right….? One that has TWO delays! The Deep Space is a dual digital delay from Homenoise Effects, and it features not only two separate echo circuits, but a couple of tasty options that will make it a must-have for anyone who loves clean, crisp and sometimes out-of-this-world delay tones. Lots to...
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We’ve got something a little different for you today, something that’s a brand-new design, and just may totally change the MIDI landscape in the effects world. POLY Expressive is a MIDI foot controller, but one like you’ve never seen before. Using specific direction, position and pressure commands, all executed hands-free with your feet, this genius invention allows you to really open up the MIDI capabilities locked...
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TWENTY-FIVE VOLTS OF POWER? Welcome to today’s beast of an overdrive, folks: the Two Five 25V from classic noisemakers Wren and Cuff. It’s been a minute since we had a pedal of theirs pass through the shop, and what a way to return! This yellow monster reminds us of those striped, buzzing insects you hope don’t sting you on a picnic, full of terror, gusto, determination and oozing with grit and tone. Not only do the...
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If you’re on the lookout for nice, simple, run-of-the-mill overdrive/distortion effect, today’s featured pedal is definitely NOT for you. The Kismet from Ramble FX houses everything you love about dirt pedals, from clean boost to almost heavy metal, into one enclosure, but adds a ton of options and features as well. Four presets, toggling/cycling, expression pedal control, even MIDI and more, this blue tank can easily...
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Sometimes, huge things arrive in extremely small packages. At just 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 3.5″, today’s featured pedal packs a big punch while taking up minimal real estate on your pedalboard. The Oscar from Night Owl Industries is an all-tube preamp, designed to boost your signal, overdrive a distortion pedal, bring out the best in your amplifier and more, fitting in to any rig around. The Oscar uses either an EF86...
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Right away, today’s featured pedal jumps out at you: big box, crazy, futuristic graphics and knobs the size of small cars…well, not really, but it’s a bold-looking effect, for sure. Once you plug in the Spitfire Overdrive Distortion from Lauren Audio, you realize all of your excitement and fear was not for nothing, as gorgeous dirt tones drip and ooze from your amplifier. Created by Lauren Audio in sunny Southern...
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We have been fortunate enough to review and demo the entire lineup of effects pedals from the crew at Animals Pedal, and are once again more than happy to bring you their latest offering today. Designed in conjunction with another well-known and respected pedal builder, the Tioga Road Cycling Distortion is nice and compact in physicality, but huge in tone and presence. Re-creating all your favorite classic rock guitar sounds, along...
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A couple weeks back, we reviewed a pedal from do-it-yourselfers MOD Kits DIY, the Suspended Chime Chorus Delay, and were pleasantly surprised by how good an inexpensive pedal could sound. Well, we’re back with another one of theirs today, the Verb Deluxe, a reverb with a basic layout and controls, but with a lot of soul and character to share with the world. If you’re looking for an extra little sparkle to add to your...
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We are gonna get down and dirty today, folks, with a pedal that throws all caution and sonic civility to the wind, then steps on it and smashes it to pieces. The Bit Reactor is a hardware bit crusher and downsampler, creating vintage video game noises and producing real-world signals with a stream of 1s and 0s. Want a wild and wack effect that gets into octave and fuzz territory, all while conjuring up auditory memories of your youth...
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Where do we begin with today’s featured pedal? Just when you thought Joel and the Chase Bliss Audio team couldn’t top themselves, here comes the Thermae, an analog delay and pitch shifter to top all analog delays and pitch shifters. Capable of more out-of-this-world sounds than you’d ever think possible, this blue marvel takes playing music to another echelon, vaulting your creativity and inspiration to entirely new...
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The effects company Montreal Assembly is an elusive entity in today’s modern world, with little to no online presence, just a basic website and little social media activity. Somehow, they’ve managed to make an incredible name for themselves, and we get to check out one of their now-discontinued creations today. The Positive Overdrive Distortion is just that: a driving force of gritty tone and crunchy distortion that leaves...
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Remember when you first discovered how to add a little bit of funk into your playing? Those couple of chords that you could jam on forever, thinking you were going to form the next Parliament or be the next Stevie Wonder, but on guitar? The Blurst from Electro-Harmonix is a modulated filter pedal that brings the funk with authority, while adding in some fun twists and turns, and always keeping a smile on your face. Diverting slightly...
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Not that they need any introduction, but the crew at EarthQuaker Devices just keeps on crushing it, and although today’s pedal might not be their newest release, it’s on par with everything else in their vast catalog of effects pedals. The Spires is a double fuzz inspired by a classic fuzz pedal AND a now-discontinued piece of EarthQuaker gear. Easy to use, fun to play and inspiring to hear, let’s check out this...
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The folks at Free The Tone are known for their extravagant, options-laden effects pedals, many of which we’ve had the pleasure to review and demo. That said, when today’s pedal arrived in the mail, we were a bit shocked to discover that it had just THREE control knobs, and didn’t have any of the thrilling digital fun that usually accompanies their gear. In typical fashion, however, they have managed to surpass our...
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Continuing with a streak of impressive effects pedal creations, the crew at M.D. Effects brings us another tasty morsel to devour. Today’s featured pedal is The Timber, a versatile low-mid gain overdrive boost that is derived from a completely original circuit, and features a couple surprises thrown into the mix. A completely new approach to the traditional “gain stage,” this green monster offers up a wide range of...
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Sometimes, you just need ONE knob to get some incredible tone out of your guitar and amp. Today’s featured pedal proves that in spades, bringing a wide range of tones and dBs to work with and apply to your sound, beefing it up with any coloration. The B1G 1 is a simple gain booster, but has been designed by and electronics guru, and brings true studio quality right onto your pedalboard. The B1G 1 is an all-analog gain boost with...
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We love seeing effects arrive at the shop from smaller pedal companies who are up-and-coming in the game, and we are going to check out a scorcher of a fuzz today. Andrew and Tori from MidValleyFX have built the Go To Fuzz, and aptly-named distortion that could just be the one effect in your rig you rely on the most moving forward. Simple and powerful, this gated beauty can conjure up classic and distinguished tones, while...
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Cross-company collaborations are always a fun excursion in the effects pedal world, and today’s featured piece of gear is from two of the best. Robert Keeley and Keeley Electronics have partnered up with Dan and Mick, from the hugely popular YouTube series That Pedal Show, to create an overdrive/boost combo pedal that features a wide range of tones, spanning the full spectrum of overdriven glory throughout its many options and...
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Since the inception of Pedal of the Day, Mike and Vick Audio have been one of our biggest supporters, and we in turn have had the pleasure of checking out many of their pedals over the years. Consistently putting out beautiful, excellent-sounding machines, we’ve come to expect killer sound and fantastic build quality from them, and the pedals always live up to these high standards. The V-2 Overdrive Distortion is no different, a...
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We get pedals coming through the office here from time to time that are so fun and so insane that they’re difficult to write about. The Tesla Oscilador (Oscillating Tesla, for you English-speakers) from Lee de Forest is a synthesizer-fuzz-envelope-filter-harmonizer-laser-maker of a pedal – again, difficult to write about. While you’ll get the best idea of what this thing can do from the demo video below, we’ll...
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The Uni-Vibe is an iconic effect, whether coming from Hendrix and Band of Gypsy’s “Machine Gun,” Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” or multiple tracks from “Dark Side of the Moon” from Pink Floyd, you’ve heard it before many times, and chances are you dig it. Today’s pedal seeks to re-create those iconic effects units of the past, with a couple new enhancements as well. The...
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Roadie Bass has finally arrived and it will change the way you tune bass guitars. This tuner has all the features of Roadie 2 and a powerful motor which turns even those rusty pegs. Twice as powerful as Roadie 2, Roadie Bass does not require a mobile phone to work, allowing you to tune wherever you are, and lets you tune up to 150 strings on a single charge. Automatically tunes all string instruments including bass, acoustic,...
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Straight-up, no-frills, to-the-point effects pedals are becoming somewhat of a rarity in today’s crazy market, so we were pretty excited about today’s featured piece of gear, a simple-to-use and extremely easy to dial in fuzz pedal from across the way in Slovenia. The MindFuzz from Surfadelic Soundwaves has a bare minimum control section, but is absolutely jam-packed with tone, power and, of course, FUZZ. The little...
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Doom. Sludge. Stoner. Down and dirty, low-tuned and mellowly aggressive music has been around for decades, and has taken on many shapes, forms and monikers. There are certain effects pedal out there that instantly remind you of these types of musical genres, and today’s pedal does just that and more. The Golem Distortion from Deep Space Devices delivers all the low end you could want or need, but also manages to keep things from...
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The Narwhal Distortion Fuzz from PLBR Effects is one of the funnest fuzzes we’ve seen come through as of late, so we were pretty stoked to try out its bug brother, the Maritimus Distortion Fuzz as well. Taking similar controls from the Narwhal and expanding upon them, the Maritimus allows you to further shape your tone and create magnificent walls of distorted fuzz. There’s a lot to get to in this pedal, so let’s...
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As an online reviewer and demo-er of effects pedals, we really like stuff that’s a bit out of the ordinary. “Auditory Signal Disruptor” is one of those phrases that is immediately intriguing, and today’s pedal that happens to be attached to that tagline does not disappoint. The Mountain from our new pals at Frost Giant Electronics just ripped a hole (metaphorically) in our amp the first time we plugged it in,...
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A couple of years ago, a revolutionary delay pedal was unleashed on the market, changing the landscape of effects forever. The Nemesis from Source Audio remains one of the top delays around, even after a few years and a multitude of other have tried to top it. The crew at Source Audio, recognizing this accomplishment, decided to further their sonic adventure and crafted today’s featured pedal, one that’s sure to sit...
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Having reviewed the first and second versions of today’s wicked awesome delay pedal, we were intrigued to see what this latest V3 would bring, and what new and exciting features would be incorporated. Just when you think there are no more improvements to be made, the guys and gals at GFI System manage to top themselves once again, raining down a fury of tones and relatively easy-to-use and intuitive controls, for a well-rounded...
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The resurrection and resurgence of the new Shin-ei brand of pedals started off with the stellar Vibe-Bro (click here for our review and demo), and continues to build and build with more pedals from vintage eras. The Screaming Sister is an octave boost based on the Prescription Electronics’ Clean Octave Boost (COB), a now rare (and crazy expensive) effect used by Doyle Bramhall II, Jonny Lang and more. This simple three-knob box...
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