We’re back today with the latest incarnation of the amazing Ampero Series of multi-effects units from our friends at Hotone. This latest one, the Ampero II CDCM HD Gen 2 Amp Modeler / Effects Processor, brings familiar layouts, options and connectivity together with some new innovations, upgrades and sonic improvements. If you can’t already tell from the photos, this is a complex machine, with lots to discover…but...
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The first two pedals we checked out from SviSound (several years ago), the SiMosFuzz and the Germanium Mini, both leaned towards the Fuzz side of things. Today’s pedal, the DistoZoid-3EQ Distortion, brings a different sort of sonic palette to the table. Five simple knobs create a recipe for amp and eardrum destruction – come along as we explore this beastly, sci-fi-looking, pedalboard-friendly creation… The DistoZoid...
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It’s always exciting when we get to check out new pedals from companies for the first time, and we’re stoked to welcome Artisanal Effects into the mix today. Their Toneshaper Drive EQ Overdrive pedal combines the oomph of an overdrive with the frequency-sculpting of a 6-band EQ, for a well-rounded sound that can fit with ANY setup. There’s a lot of history on this one, so lets hear from the builder about how it came...
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After we got our hands on a GHOST Stereo Effects Processor from ENDORPHIN.ES last month, we couldn’t wait for their next creation to head our way. Well, we’ve got just that for you today: the GOLDEN MASTER Multiband Mastering Processor. Used at the end of your signal chain, it gives everything in your chain a polish, and edge, a sparkle, and with a ton of options and sounds, it’s a unit you didn’t know you...
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Throughout the years, I’ve been fortunate to get my hands on nearly every pedal that Chase Bliss has put out, except one…until today. Much like its rare and elusive namesake, the Condor HiFi Analog Tone Bird has eluded our grasp, but the long wait has finally come to and end. Building on the original version released in 2018, this updated unit has some new features, new design aspects and the “must-have” sound...
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The Ampero line of multi effects processors and modelers has always been a joy to review and demo, and we’re stoked to be back at it again today. The latest creation from our friends at Hotone comes in the form of the Ampero II Stage Amp Modeler / Effects Processor, the newest in this series, and I’m pretty sure the most powerful yet. It’s a true wonder how they pack all of the amps, cabs, effects, routing, parameter...
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We’re diving into the world of UAFX from Universal Audio again today, but this one takes a different sort of turn. The OX Stomp Dynamic Speaker Emulator provides you with the ability to mimic just about any speaker cabinet + microphone setup you could think of. With on-board options and easy controls, plus a ton of extras as usual, this unit continues UA’s magnificent run of amazing pedals… Grab an OX Stomp from...
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Today’s pedal combines three effects into one enclosure, saving space on your board and giving you a wide range of sounds. The ATD Alien Tone Dragon, the latest release from our friends at Analog Alien, lets you easily meld from boost to breakup to crunch to fuzz and more. We’re excited to help bring this one to the masses, let’s dive right in! *Grab an Alien Tone Dragon from Sweetwater:...
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Sure, you probably have a tone knob on your guitar, and most likely your amp has some sort of EQ capabilities, but what happens when you really need to shape your sound via certain frequencies? Well, you turn to the pros at Source Audio, and their newest tone-shaping masterpiece, the EQ2 Programmable Equalizer (brought to you today by our friends at Sweetwater). EQ’ing, on-board tuning, presets and more: this pedal will sculpt...
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Combining Preamp, Overdrive and Boost into one pedal might seem like a lot, but with the Westerlund Audio ONE, everything melds together in sonic perfection. This options-laden mammoth can give your signal a pop, shape your tone, add in some breakup or get downright crunchy – whatever you need, it can handle with ease. So many knobs and swithces, and we’re totally here for it – let’s check it out! The...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) I Have Too Many Pedals, How To Pare Down By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. There comes a point where every guitar player realizes they have too many effects pedals! It’s true, it happens, but you don’t need to get rid of any, you just...
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When a huge company like StewMac contacts you and asks if you’d like to demo some gear from them, there’s only one answer: an emphatic YES, PLEASE. Today, we’re going to check out a pedal, yes, but some other guitar-related gear as well, all of which is available on the StewMac website, and all of which can help you greatly improve your tone and unleash your creativity. Lots to get into, let’s do it!! First up,...
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We love the way the folks at VVco Pedals incorporate great effects with nostalgic merch from past movies, TV shows and more, and we’re especially stoked about today’s featured pedal. The Dark Father Preamp is clearly representative of a certain Jedi-turned-Sith, and it sounds just as evil. Melding elements of overdrive, fuzz, distortion, EQ, boost and preamp, this multi-faceted effect is not only fun to look at, it sounds...
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The fine folks over at Eventide have been big supporters of Pedal of the Day for years now – we’ve reviewed just about every one of their modern pedals, and have been lucky enough to be included in their last several new release days as well. Today, we’re doing it once again, and with possibly their biggest, most grandiose effects unit to date. The H90 Harmonizer® takes everything that we all love about the...
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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. Today’s pedal is a brand new one for them, not a revitalized version, and brings with it a control section not often seen. The Roscoe EQ is an equalization effect that definitely aims to please, as you’ll soon discover…. The Roscoe is a 6-band EQ that...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) How To Get The Most Out Of Your Pedals By Steven Kendzorski for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. I have GAS, and it’s bad. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is a common ailment among new guitar players, triggered by tone-envy, causing them to spend every...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) A Practical Look at Guitar Pedals By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer Guitar pedals are an incredible way to sculpt the final sound from your guitar, they provide amazing effects at just the push of a button. In some cases they are even necessary to get the right sound for a particular...
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Somewhat recently, we were able to check out the Valeton GP-100VT, a nice multi-effects pedal that squished a lot of tones into a fairly small enclosure. Well, Valeton has had a quick turnaround beefing up this concept, and we’re proud to help release the GP-200 Multi-Effects Processor today. This new-gen HD modeling multi-effects processor declares an unprecedented upgrade in order to bring you a better sonic experience –...
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A good boost pedal will bring your clean tone up in volume, a perhaps even add in a bit of grit when it’s really pushed, too. But what if there was a boost pedal that was specific to what one kind of TUBE sounded like? That’s today’s effect, the Rift Amplification EL34 EQ Boost, a powerful three-knob machine that aims to be the secret weapon in your rig… The EL34 EQ Boost helps emulate the tone and harmonics of...
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We have had the pleasure of reviewing every iteration of the Ampero Series of effects units from Hotone Audio thus far, and we’re going to keep that streak alive today. Presenting the new Ampero II Stomp, and amp modeler and effects processor that takes everything from the previous versions and pushes them to their limits. Ampero II Stomp implements brand new tri-core digital platform and independent AD/DA from ESS® Sabre®...
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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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Much like the Boost pedals we were talking about in the other day’s review, there are certain pedals that you sometimes don’t even know you need. Today’s pedal is one of those, hands down, and it’s hard to even describe why. When a piece of gear works, sometimes it just works, without explanation. However, we’ll try our best to tell you about the 29 Pedals EUNA Elite UNity Amplifier…just be patient,...
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After checking out the Rooms Stereo Reverberator last month from Death By Audio, we couldn’t wait to get our grubby paws on some more of their gear. Alas, salvation hath arrived in the form of the down and dirty Apocalypse Overdriver Fuzz, a powerhouse of a beast that boosts, crushes and annihilates anything and everything in its path – ARE YOU READY??? The Apocalypse is a jack-of-all trades fuzz pedal. After being...
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Equalization and Boost pedals are not always flashy, or the most talked-about, or the hottest new releases when they are debuted. Today’s pedal flips the script, though, providing plenty of eye-opening tonal brilliance and showing us all how these two pedal genres can be best utilized in any situation. The Ground Control Audio Noodles Tone Shaper EQ Boost gives you a whopping 64 different tone combinations from its 3 bands, each...
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The Simplifier Zero Watt Amp + CABSIM is a preamp, EQ, boost, overdrive, cabinet simulator and more wrapped into one tidy little package. The crews at DSM Noisemaker and Humboldt Electronics have created a machine which allows you to integrate your pedalboard adding full stereo routing directly to a PA System, Amps, Audio Interfaces or anything you need with its 4 simultaneous outputs (2 x XLR, 2 x 1/4 bypass-able outs), stereo...
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Our first foray into the heavy world of Hilbish Design effects was the incredible Red Fang Night Destroyer Distortion Preamp a couple months back. Big and bold, it encompassed Red Fang’s music and attitude perfectly. Today’s pedal, the Pessimiser King Buzzo Distortion, focuses on the multitude of unique distorted tones coveted by The Melvins’ leader for decades, bringing them all together into one box. The Pessimiser...
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In today’s brave new world, filled with digital amp emulators and effects processors, sometimes it’s nice to take it back old school and analog. Today’s “pedal” is actually an amp that fits right onto your pedalboard, and is full of tonal and routing options. The Thermion Zero Dynamic Hybrid Amplifier lets you play live, rehearse or practice at home with just your pedals. Lots to explore, let’s get...
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Over the last couple of years, effects units that offer just about all the algorithms you could want or need have been popping up like crazy. Ranging from affordable to everyone to affordable for a select few, these multi-effects platforms have changed the way people construct their rigs – and how they’re using individual pedals as well. Today’s pedal, the AMT Electronics U-2 Pangaea Brain Frame Ultima, is one of...
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We have never reviewed a bad pedal from our friends at Fairfield Circuitry, and luckily that trend is going to continue today. The Long Life Parametric EQ is an extremely unique effects pedal, one that’s sometimes hard to categorize. A filter effect with wide range and application, this versatile machine combines tilt and notch/boost equalization around a 2nd-order state-variable core. In short, it’s a one-band parametric...
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Having an EQ, a Boost and a Compressor in your signal chain are key ingredients for a lot of guitar players, and we tend to agree. Most times, however, these effects have to come from three separate sources, taking up a lot of real estate on your board, and having you tap dancing around like a maniac to get even a core sound correct. Well, those days just might be over. Today, we’re checking out the marvelous DryBell Unit67 EQ...
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Many times throughout the course of a year, there are certain pedals that have a TON of hype around them, that just about everyone in the industry is waiting for their release to the public. Today’s pedal might just top the list for 2020, even though we’re only halfway through (really, only halfway?). The Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MKII is not only a collaborative effort with Benson Amps, but a surge forward in...
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As impressive as their amps have always been, the crew at Orange have, especially in recent years, had a knack for conjuring up some fantastic effects pedals. The Orange Amps Bax Bangeetar Guitar Pre-EQ is a pedal, but is more of a machine masquerading as a pedal (and it has the girth to prove it). Not shy about its size or power, this mammoth boasts a unique and hugely versatile gain structure with extensive EQ controls. You can dial...
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While we haven’t ever ventured TOO far into the world of multi-effects processors, we did get a chance to check out the Ampero from Hotone Audio almost exactly a year ago today, and were extremely impressed by how well it performed. Cramming a ton of amps, cabinet and effects into one unit has got to be tricky for any company, and to do it as well and for such an affordable price point was a stroke of genius. Today, we’re...
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About a year ago, we reviewed and demoed a new and exciting pedal from our friends at Walrus Audio, the DEFCON4 Preamp/EQ/Boost. Vintage-looking and killer-sounding, this pedal was an excellent tone-shaper, one that we thought would surely be around for many years. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the DEFCON4 had to be abruptly discontinued, but it’s come roaring back as the EB-10 Preamp/EQ/Boost, complete...
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Sometimes, we stumble across a company that doesn’t have a lot of information pertaining to them on the old interwebs, making it a tricky puzzle as to if they’re still in business or not. Today’s pedal comes to us from AboveGroundFX, whose pedals are available at Vintage King, but who don’t appear to have a social media presence or an updated website to their name. Regardless, the Tone Control Booster is a nice...
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“Eh, it’s just a Boost pedal, right?” Wrong. Boost pedals can absolutely be the key ingredient to any rig, and we’ve got one today that will prove just that. The new BEQ-2 from Diamond Pedals is a Boost-EQ that’s simple yet versatile. Boasting just a couple of controls, this seemingly basic effect will transform your sound, and alter the way you see and use your overall setup as well. Let’s give it...
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We are always honored when pedal companies keep coming back to us for more reviews and demos, and that is certainly the case with our friends at Night Owl Industries. Having already checked out their Oscar and Edison Preamps, we were stoked to see what they could come up with next. A true original in a familiar enclosure, Q the EQ is an awesome tone-shaper laid right at your feet. Featuring three controls and a massive internal...
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Here’s the rub: we really dig us some pedals from Adventure Audio. If for nothing else than being rabid Stranger Things fans, the Demogorgon Fuzz Tremolo Reverb was one of our favorite pedals pretty much EVER, and the Dream Reaper Fuzz Mod Machine was no slouch itself. That said, we were of course super-stoked to check out the Glacial Zenith II, an overdrive, EQ and boost all wrapped into one pedal, with a myriad of order and...
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Everyone ready? HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! And what better way to celebrate than with a hauntingly excellent boost preamp pedal from our friends over at JHS Pedals, right? The Haunting Mids, in addition to featuring some ghoulish graphics, adjusts the Midrange of your sound to your specs, providing a perfect opportunity to tame or heighten anything you’re not 100% happy with about your tone. With a simple control section and a wide range...
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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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We’ve had a blast over the years reviewing effects pedals from Ninevolt Pedals/Animals Pedal, and today we’re venturing for the first time into acoustic territory from these guys. The Firewood Acoustic D.I. is an active D.I. that fits in both live stages and recording studios alike, using analog and discrete circuits and able to output to a mixer or an amplifier without missing delicate expressions. This simple pedal...
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Equalization effects pedals tend to get lost in the chatter, what with so many interesting noisemakers available today. They are, however, an important piece to many rigs, and today’s pedal takes it up to a new level in terms of usability and EQ options for your tone. The PA-1QG (there’s also the PA-1QB for bass) from pedal innovators Free The Tone has been specifically designed for your guitar setup, integrating the combo...
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It’s always a treat when we get a 2-in-1 pedal to check out here at Pedal of the Day, and even cooler when we get a 3-in-1 effect. Today’s pedal blows right past these and gives us a rare and unsurpassed FIVE-in-1 stompbox, something that sounds complicated, but in reality is just easy to use and produces great sounds. The PRISM from Jackson Audio is a buffer, boost, EQ, overdrive and preamp all rolled into one –...
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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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Well, since today just so happens to be my birthday (thank you, thank you), I thought I’d review a pedal that’s almost as old as I am…almost. Graphic Equalizer pedals tend to be easily dismissed by a lot of pedal people, but I’m here to reassure you that they have their place in any rig. This one in particular, the GE10, was made from 1985-1989, so it’s got a couple of miles on it, but don’t let...
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Sometimes, it can be hard to find great gear to go along with your acoustic setup, as so much gear is geared (hehe) towards electric playing. Granted, you can use electric pedals in your acoustic rig, but that seems a little lazy to me. I’d rather spend the money on something that had thought put into it, had great sounds specified for a mellower sound and had options that wouldn’t throw my wooden friend into a feedback...
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Right out of the gate, the Bumblebee from Hungry Robot Pedals had me intrigued. This pedal is being hyped as an EQ-Boost-Overdrive-Distortion-Fuzz, which seems like a pretty tall order to me. But with a few twists of the knobs, I could tell that this thing was a beast, and could deliver on all it promises, and perhaps a little bit more. A truly unique and dirty pedal, the Bumblebee can perform many functions, from a delicious clean...
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