The Alexander Pedals History Lesson is a deceivingly simple pedal that incorporates three decades of delay with added modulation and Tap Tempo + 3 Subdivisions controllable directly through the left footswitch.
With Vol 3 the delay modes increase from three to six (the three new ones are at the bottom of this list):
Mag Mode delivers a warm and rich magnetic tape-style echo.
BBD Mode gives you an analog delay of the Bucket Brigade Device, murky and wet.
Dig Mode is the 24 bit digital delay recreation, bright and present.
LoFi Mode is a grittier tape mode with a heavier wow & flutter and some distortion.
4HD Mode recreates the multi-tap delays with 4 separate virtual tape heads.
FLT Mode is inspired by the 12 bit rack delays of the 80’s and includes a resonant filter and a detune option.
The modulation is slightly different for each mode.
The new Vol. 3 version brings it up to speed with the company’s Neo Series with Presets, Midi compatibility, Expression Pedal in, and extra parameters (Tone, Level and Modulation Rate) adjustable via the Alt button in the center of the pedal.
We added the Alexander Pedals History Lesson Vol 3 to our list of Best Compact Multi-Delays.
The Alexander Pedals History Lesson Vol 3 pays tribute to the echoes of the past while simultaneously forging new delay paths for the modern player. This latest addition to the Alexander NEO series brings the power and functionality you’ve grown to love like presets, MIDI control, more modes and adjustable parameters along with expression control. 6 modes cover the 3 decades of Vol 2 and more with Magnetic providing the clean or crinkly tape echos, BBD covering warm, modulating analog-voiced delay, a 24-bit Digital mode for pristine studio style repeats, a gritty LoFi tape mode complete with wow and flutter and transistor drive, 4HD which is a delay giving you the unmistakable rhythmic echoes that comes from a signal passing through 4 head tape heads and Filter, a 12-bit resonant filter ‘rack delay’ that recreates the early digital era including radical pitch bending modulation.
The NEO Series allows the History Lesson to store 4 onboard presets without any other hardware or 16 with a MIDI controller. You can also set tap tempo with 3 tap divisions denoted by the main LED color. The Multijack accepts either a ¼” MIDI controller like the Disaster Area qConnect, a Footswitch to easily ramp between settings or an Expression pedal that can perform multiple parameter changes in real time. The History Lesson V3 also has a selectable Autotrails timer which attenuates the signal after bypassing, not to mention analog dry through to preserve your hard earned tone. As with all Alexander Pedals, the History Lesson V3 is designed and built in the USA and a portion of sales is donated to charity.
