Today’s guest review comes to us from Sean G. – find him on Instagram (@TheNoiseReel), Twitter (@TheNoiseReel) and Facebook (The Noise Reel).Sometimes I find myself not wanting to share a special piece of gear that I use only because it feels like I found something so in tune with what I hear in my head that it would somehow become less special. Like the more people that know about this the less special it somehow becomes....
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*This is our last review before a much-needed (and we think deserved) break for the holidays here in the States. Thanks everyone for another killer year of support and helping Pedal of the Day continue to grow and thrive – and if you haven’t already, head over to Our Online Store and pick up some shirts, stickers and pedals for the musician in your life, or as a little treat to yourself. See you in 2017 – Cheers!*...
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We’ve partnered up with our friends Ground Control Audio a couple times over the last few months to check out their rad lineup of pedals, and today it looks like we’re gonna do it again! Their latest offering is the aesthetically pleasing and excellent sounding (and hard to pronounce at first) Amaterasu Bright Pre-Amp, a simple, down-to-earth boost that offers a couple different options, and will send your amp into the...
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The enclosures that Classic Audio Effects are known for are some of the coolest around, and we’re super-stoked to be bringing you guys our review of their new gem, the Stumphouse Drive. This inventive brown stompbox defies all pedal building logic, and introduces a rad new way to adjust the gain in your drive, building on the technology they started with their popular line of Volume Roller pedals. A new innovation to add to your...
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When it comes to delay in general, one of the names that instantly pops into your head is TC Electronic. From the famed 2290 rack units of the 80’s, to all of their newer models, most of which we’ve had the pleasure to review: Flashback, Triple Delay, Alter Ego, Nova Delay and Repeater and so on. Today’s featured pedal is also a delay, and a massive one at that. The Alter Ego x4 Vintage Echo boasts sounds from...
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Tube Screamers are one of the most popular effects pedal models of all time, whether you dig ’em or not. There have been many, many recreations of these fine machines as well, some with excellent tones that nearly match the originals, some that don’t get as close or fall a bit short in overall sound. Today’s pedal absolutely falls into the former category, in the fine tradition of well-defined craftsmanship and tone...
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*SURPRISE SATURDAY REVIEW* We sure have had a fun time reviewing and demoing the lineup of pedals from our friends across the sea in Japan, Ninevolt Pedals, and today we’re going to take a look at another one of their classic effects. Now, if the name Fishing Is As Fun As Fuzz doesn’t make you smile a little bit, maybe you should rethink your life and how you can be happier. Inspired (apparently) by the completion of the...
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Take a look at today’s pedal, and there’s a good chance a wave of nostalgia is going to wash over you…unless you were born after 2000, and then you won’t know what this is or why it’s awesome (sucks for you). The crew at RayGun FX have taken a little piece of our childhood and turned it into a rad fuzz pedal, because, let’s face it, it was never the best handheld video game system created, but it...
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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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Before the name Devi Ever was recently issued back to the original owner, they were making pedals under the moniker Fuzz Goddess, and we’ve got a look at one of these pedals for you today. The Atomizer is a fairly stripped-down fuzz, with only two controls, but the amount of the effect here is close to overwhelming, that’s how much fuzz is available. Let’s see how this guy fares against some of the other fuzzes...
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Pedals like the one we’ve got for you today are always a blast to review, as they seem so futuristic and uncommon, even though they were first released decades ago. With a ton of knobs, footswitches and jacks, the UE 305 is a multi effect for the ages, combining three excellent pedals from Ibanez’s golden age of effects into one HUGE enclosure (no joke, this thing is massive). Let’s just dive right in and see what...
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The crew over at Hungry Robot Pedals has been known for creating new, unique and innovative effects since their inception in 2012, quickly garnering a reputation for the obscure and awesome. Today’s featured pedal might just be the most unique yet, and is one hell of a fun pedal to play around with. The Kármán Line is a delay and oscillation device that uses a modulating joystick with a heavily filtered delay line that...
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Speaking of crazy pedals….no, for real, today’s featured pedal is a real nut, and one we attempted to fully embrace. The Heliotrope is a harmonic pixelator from Catalinbread, and if you’re not sure what that is, neither are we. Still. However, it is a must-have box for all musical experimenters, and one that we had an absolute blast trying to decipher. Basically, a Harmonic Pixelator is Catalinbread’s way of...
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Some effects pedals are created to strictly do one thing: make noise. Today’s pedal is not just a fuzz, not just a distorter of sound, not just an eardrum blaster, but a little box of noise-infused noise, with a light dusting of noise on top. Loud Loud Loud is the best way to describe the Fūzwami Fuzz from Friday Club Pedals, although that is not all it can do, as we shall find out. The controls on the Fūzwami are labeled...
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Usability is an absolute KEY to creating a successful pedal these days, especially when you start adding more buttons and features and options for the consumer to explore and create with. The Mineshaft Reverb from our friends at Swindler Effects looks fairly basic at first glance, but when you dig in a little bit, you’ll find this pristine-looking pedal has plenty going for it, and is, in all actuality, a tricky 2-in-1 pedal. We...
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We had a great time when we reviewed the original version of the Clockwork Delay from GFI System last year, so we were more than stoked to check out the newest model, v2. Building on the incredible first go-round, this next generation pedal takes us into the delay stratosphere, with a ton of presets, tap tempo, stereo input and output, and a whole lot more. Here we go… The Clockwork v2 offers one standard digital delay mode, as...
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A couple months ago, we reviewed today’s featured pedal’s little brother, the 550-TT Analog Delay, and were quite impressed. The Deluxe Memory Man 1100-TT Analog Delay is very similar to it’s younger incarnation, but with one solid difference: Time. Since the control layout, Input and Output jacks, Tap Tempo capabilities and the FX Loop are all the same, head over here to get the skinny on all the controls and quirks...
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Pedals that can perform more than one function or contain more than one effect are always welcome with open arms (and ears) here at Pedal of the Day. Today’s featured pedal, the Martini™ Dual Analog Chorus Vibrato from Tortuga Effects, features two incredible-sounding effects rolled into one smooth box, with differing sounds and tones for days. If you love a good vibrato sound or adding some chorus to your tone, this might just...
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For those of you who don’t already know, we’re crazy Star Wars fans here at Pedal of the Day, so when the chance arose to check out a pedal with an semi-iconic robot plastered on its enclosure, we knew we’d be in for a treat, regardless of how it sounded. Fortunately, it didn’t disappoint in the sonic category, either, making it a definite Win-Win for us, and really for anyone who plays this pedal, if they like...
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What’s better than a killer delay pedal? Well, not much, but they’re even better when there are TWO of them in one box! The Multi Tap 2 Delay sees a collaboration between Hermida Audio and Lovepedal, two excellent pedal builders in their own rights, and proof that sometimes two heads can be better than one. This golden creation was inspired by both the wavering tape delay sounds of the 70’s and the crisp, digital,...
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Let’s face it: there are a LOT of overdrive pedals on the market right now. A LOT. For us, as pedal reviewers, we love it when something new and exciting in the world of overdrives comes along, and today’s featured pedal gave us that very feeling as soon as we plugged it in. It’s not so much the outer controls that make the Aerostat Overdrive from Killer Otter Electric stand out amongst a sea of screamers and klones,...
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Sometimes, we come across a pedal that, at first glance, looks like it might be a bit complicated, and we’re gonna have to spend a good deal of time figuring out how it works. Today’s featured pedal, the Chrono Delay DLY-4 is one of these pedals, but it’s a real trickster, as its ease of use and ability to conjure up killer sounds quickly is one of its strengths as an effect, and one we were more than happy to...
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Today’s featured pedal is yet another overdrive in a long line that we’ve reviewed, but this one has a couple of secrets up its sleeve for some great tonal functionality. The Smooth Driver is the first offering from Burnt Audio Effects, and is an excellent first stage pedal to really push your amp and add some much-needed crunch to your overall sound. With a simple setup and broad range, this baby blue beauty really get...
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We reviewed a pretty cool pedal here at Pedal of the Day a while back, from a manufacturer in Germany, and while we couldn’t read the labels on the control knobs, we discovered that it was a great piece of gear nonetheless. Well, we’re back at it again, and today we’ve got another pedal from our German friends Orion Effekte. The De Luxe Motor Fuzz is a great little fuzz pedal with a bunch of options, tones and fuzzy...
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The third pedal in the current lineup of Cathouse Pedals that we get the pleasure to check out today is a complex and option-filled distortion/overdrive. The Screamer will keep you on your toes as you attempt to figure out just what it is, and how it can benefit you sound. Relatively simple but full of flavor and oomph, this thing comes at you like a ton a rock and roll bricks. Gain, Tone and Volume all show up on the control panel,...
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Ring modulators are a love or hate kind of pedal, in our experience (we happen to fall into the former category here at POTD), but it would be hard to find anyone that wouldn’t like to sit down and play with today’s featured piece of gear. Randy’s Revenge (where do these guys come up with these awesome names?) is a ring mod, for sure, but also boasts elements of tremolo, vibrato, fuzz and more, all inside a...
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Sometimes, the simplest, plain-looking pedals will really throw you for a loop when you plug them in. For example, today’s featured pedal, the Gritt Fuzz from Marx Effects, does just that. With a basic design layout and minimal aesthetic to distract you, this little black box packs a wallop of sounds into a tiny and unassuming enclosure. There are only two control knobs present here: the Left side is a Gain knob, and the Right...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Daniel N. – find him on Instagram (@danielguitarist) and say hi! The .45 Caliber by J.Rockett Audio Designs is one beast of an OD pedal. It is based on a 1962 plexus and strives to get that AC/DC sound (Malcom and Angus). It does that sound very well and also has many other tones that are extremely useful. It can be a great low gain pedal, perfect for neck pickups. It can just easily...
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One knob pedals can be super-fun, space-saving and powerful, and today’s featured pedal is all of those things and more. The Dream Eater Fuzz, aside from having a horrifically awesome name, boasts a simple layout with a unique fuzz sound and style all its own. Here we go… The lone control knob here is a Gain knob, and features a broad range of sonic possibilities waiting to jump out and surprise you. One awesome feature is...
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Today’s “pedal” is a bit of a new territory for us, and one that we were excited to attempt and figure out. The PEDALpUNK! is an audio interface designed to allow analog devices to interact with digital workstations and computers without any quality loss. There’s a lot going on here, so let’s dive in and see what we can discover! The three control knobs are what you use to dial in the sounds emitted from...
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The band Mastodon has been one of our favorites for years, so we were super-stoked to check out a signature pedal from their bass player, Troy Sanders. Working with the crew from Wren and Cuff, the Elephant Skin Distortion was born, and havoc was unleashed on metal fans everywhere. Featuring a well-known Wren and Cuff pedal on one side and a boost on the other, this is one piece of gear that’s sure to find it’s way onto...
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Sometimes, you don’t actually have to spend a ton of cash to get a great-sounding pedal…no, seriously! Today’s featured pedal, the Mind Bender Vibrato/Chorus from BBE Sound proves that fact over and over again, combining monetary efficiency with some excellent tones that are sure to make you and your amp happy. Let’s take a gander at this blue beauty, shall we? The controls are nice and easy to use on the Mind...
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We love it when a pedal works equally for both guitar and bass, and today’s pedal is exactly one of those rare beasts. The El Oso Bass Distortion from Heavy Electronics adds some great dirt and crunch to both instruments, but somehow manages to walk the fine line between the two without overpowering either one. This doesn’t happen very often in the pedal world, and we’re excited to see what it can do for us. Aside...
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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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One of our favorite things here at Pedal of the Day is when someone sends us a custom pedal with our logo on it – since we have no clue how to actually BUILD these pedals, seeing our design embossed on an effect is a pretty rare and cool thing that we appreciate a lot. The guys over at PuzzleSounds not only didn’t make us build the Deep Blue Delay they sent us, but they emblazoned it with our signature circle as well,...
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FUNK. You may dig it, you may not, but no one can deny the effects it has had on pretty much all genres of music, and musicians from said genres as well. One of the key tools in this head-bobbing odyssey of slap bass and synth-ish bliss is the beloved Envelope Filter effect, made popular by a list of artists too long to name at the moment (just Google it, k?). One of the most revered of these filters is the classic 440 from DOD, who...
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It’s always a welcome sight when a box wrapped in clear Walrus Audio tape shows up on our doorstep, and their latest offering is one for the ages. The 385 Overdrive is actually based off of an old film projector (huh?), giving it a unique sonic flavor and tone. How they replicated this circuit remains a mystery, but we sure had fun putting it through the ringer to see what it could do. Apparently, using tube-powered audio...
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What can you say about a boost pedal? If it’s made correctly, it boosts your instrument’s signal, driving your amp and letting everyone in the crowd know you f’n rock. The good folks at Way Huge Electronics / Jim Dunlop have created a boost pedal that not only pummels your amp, but adds in a special little lite and punch to your tone as well. The Angry Troll is a boost capable of pumping up to +50dB of gain into your...
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Let’s face it: sometimes mini pedals can leave something to be desired. Trying to cram a bunch of sounds into a super-tiny enclosure has proven to be a somewhat difficult task, but apparently not for the folks over at Malekko Heavy Industry. Their Vibrato pedal, part of the Omicron Series, packs a wallop of tone and flexibility into a itty-bitty pedal, perfect for saving space but not sacrificing any sound in your rig. Built...
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The first couple of pedals from McCaffrey Audio that we reviewed, the Zero to Sixty Drive and Green Vodka Muff Fuzz, were just plain awesome, and we couldn’t wait to see what their next creation was going to be. Taking a turn towards the unexpected, they have now released the Run Rabbit Run, which is their take on a Vibrato-type pedal, but with so much more going on than you’d think. Designed to give you that classic...
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Recently, we had the chance to review and demo a great pedal from a company who has been a supporter of our since practically the beginning: Stacks FX. Their Native Lung Reverb was one of the coolest pedals we’d checked out in a minute, and today we’re honored to be able to present to you guys another one of their fine creations, the Fuzz Gazer. This purple beast is a Silicon fuzz with a ton of tone on tap. Volume controls...
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Sometimes, companies release different versions of pedals, ones that have basically the same layout, but maybe a few less gadgets and gizmos, and sell it at a cheaper price. The Deluxe Memory Man 550-TT Analog Delay retains all the power and prestige of it’s big brother, the 1100-TT, but pretty much just shortens the delay time. Also, the 1100-TT’s first version were made with the coveted NOS Panasonic MN3005 chips, but...
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Boost pedals are Boost pedals, right? They make your instrument sound louder, and help push your amp sometimes into slight overdrive territory, and that’s about it…or is it? The crew over at Vertex has crafted a new kind of boost pedal, aptly named the Boost, that does an excellent job of performing its main function, but does so much more as well. First off, this is the first boost pedal we’ve ever seen that has an...
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WE LOVE DELAY. Alright, we admit it, happy now? Today’s pedal isn’t going to help to decrease our love of this glorious effect, as it is chock full of killer tones, massive options and both classic and more modern delay sounds. The Magic City Delay comes to us from Swindler Effects, and this particular edition happens to have a bit of a cool design backstory as well. Repeats, Mix and Time are all present as control knobs...
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Every pedal company strives to have their pedals be easily recognizable – whether it’s colors, shapes, design, graphics…the list goes on, but you want to make your mark. The guys at StoneFly Effects have most definitely accomplished that feat, with their crazy array of graphics, enclosure sizes, control knob placement and more, and today’s pedal continues in that realm. The Two Headed Werewolf is a fuzzy,...
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3-In-1 effects pedals usually require, well, 3 switches, a huge enclosure and a control panel that rivals something at a NASA launch site. Today’s pedal brings the versatility of 3 pedals to one super-small enclosure, providing a bunch of tones all with a user-friendly mindset. The Bipolar from PFX is a Buffer, Boost and Overdrive all rolled into one – curious yet? The Bipolar features just three control knobs, but they...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Ric N. – find him on Instagram (@ricnewsom) and Twitter (@ricnewsom). “What does that do?” “Drugs. It does drugs. All of them.” That’s how a lot of conversations start about my Count to Five. Granted, explaining what a delay/sampler with pitch, speed, and direction manipulation DOES is usually more than people can digest -including me. But I’ll do my...
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A lot of times, boost pedals just do one thing: Boost. While that is all well and good, sometimes you want a little more from a signal enhancer, and today’s featured pedal does just that and more. The Two Stroke Boost EQ pedal from Orange Amps is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill boost pedal, but a complex (yet easy to use) tone sculpter, instrument booster and EQ all rolled into one. The Two Stroke doesn’t look like your...
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REVERB! You love it, you know you do, and today’s pedal will make you love it even more. One of the highest-quality and well-known reverbs out there, the Space Reverb from Eventide is truly the next level in studio and live performance reverb effects, with up to 100 preset reverbs, studio-quality sound, stereo outputs and more. We’ll give you a little run-down of how this big black beauty works, and show you a demo video...
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Pedals such as today’s featured behemoth are intimidating, plain and simple. However, once you sit down and chat with the Flanger Hoax from Electro-Harmonix for a little while, you’ll find that it’s a mellow, mild-mannered piece of gear, that just so happens to have a bunch of features and options, making it that much more lovable. A flanger, phaser and modulation monster all wrapped into one, this pedal has a bit of...
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