Author Archive

New Pedal: Malekko Polyamorator Harmonizing Delay

In recent years, the pedal output of Portland's Malekko Heavy Industry has become somewhat spotty - and arguably underpromoted - but their new releases never cease to intrigue. We just stumbled upon the video of the Polyamorator, their new, three stage harmonizing/arpeggiating delay, which is a signature pedal for The…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Malekko Polyamorator Harmonizing Delay

Victory The Kraken V4 Preamp Pedal

Those in need of a helluva portable, two-channel tube preamp for heavy tones might have found what they were looking for in the Victory Amplification The Kraken V4, a device developed in collaboration with UK's one and only Rabea Massaad and created with heavy, progressive and extended-range overdrive tones in…Click on the title for more

Victory The Kraken V4 Preamp Pedal

Tsakalis AudioWorks Room #40 Marshall-in-a-Box

Evidently, among electric guitarists, the sonic thirst for Plexi-style overdrives is hard to quelch. Athens' Tsakalis AudioWorks is the latest stompbox builder to release a Marshall-in-a-box pedal inspired by the tones of that company's legendary tube amps that defined the sound or rock'n'roll. Using jfet technology, the Room #40 can…Click on the title for more

Tsakalis AudioWorks Room #40 Marshall-in-a-Box

BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet Simulator

The BOSS 200 series welcomes another member to its growing family, the IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet Simulator, an uber-comprehensive stereo device for performing, rehearsing, and recording without the burden of real amp and cabinets for both guitar (8amp types) and bass (3 amp types). We could spend all day…Click on the title for more

BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet Simulator

Spaceman Effects Delta II Tremolo

Notably, Portland's Spaceman Effects didn't have a compact tremolo in their roster until today, the day they released the Delta II. The rather simple interface can be misleading: this pedal can deliver a wide variety of rhythmic and tone-shaping options, from the traditional to the adventurous. The Lag knob is…Click on the title for more

Spaceman Effects Delta II Tremolo

New Pedal: Acorn Amplifiers TMA-1 Fuzz

Operating out of Atlanta, Georgia, Acorn Amplifiers crafts hand-made amps and pedals. The TMA-1 is, to date, their most involved foray into the world of fuzz, a four-stage transistor circuit that, quite uniquely, lets you select the clipping options for two of those stages (precisely, the second and third). The…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Acorn Amplifiers TMA-1 Fuzz

Walrus Audio Slö Multi Texture Reverb

The Walrus Audio Slö Multi Texture Reverb is a take on the creative atmospheric reverb device that has taken the stompbox scene by storm in the last decade or so, and at just $199 it represents a very intriguing option. We added it to our list of the 24 Best Ambient/Shoegazer…Click on the title for more

Walrus Audio Slö Multi Texture Reverb

Win an Eventide Tricerachorus and a Rude Tech 3MuF-14!

At a first glance, this may seem like a regular two-pedal giveaway, right? Technically, maybe, but tone-wise... ...if you consider that the Eventide Tricerachorus is a triple (stereo) chorus and the Rude Tech 3MuF-14 gives you access to three Russian Big Muff-style tones, then the numbers start adding up to…Click on the title for more

Win an Eventide Tricerachorus and a Rude Tech 3MuF-14!

New Pedal: API TranZformer GTR

A name nothing short of legendary in the pro audio realm, API entered the stompbox niche in 2017 with the TranZformer GT, an EQ + compressor inheriting the company's technology used in their mixing consoles' channel strips. As good as it sounded, that pedal had an obvious downside: it was…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: API TranZformer GTR

New Pedals: Whimsy Machines The Great Fantabulizing Whatsitdo Octave Fuzz

Whimsy Machines is a new, Virginia-based boutique builder that has been spoiling us with some very imaginative devices. Their new creation makes it clear right from its moniker that the company's stomping ground hasn't changed: enter the Great Fantabulizing Whatsitdo, a "Recursive Octave Fuzz." So, you may ask yourself, "whatsitdo?"…Click on the title for more

New Pedals: Whimsy Machines The Great Fantabulizing Whatsitdo Octave Fuzz

New Pedal: Blackstar Dept 10 Boost

Part of the Dept 10 series, the Blackstar Boost is a high voltage boost circuit that, when plugged in your pedal chain, is like adding two extra hot valve stages to your amp. It also features a 2-way passive James-Baxandall EQ for Low and High frequencies and a Built-in Buffer…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Blackstar Dept 10 Boost

New Pedal: REVV G8 Noise Gate Pedal

Canadian amp and pedal builder REVV just released their first non-gain pedal, although it definitely works to solve problems created by a high gain: the G8 noise gate. This is an extremely straightforward yet versatile three-knob circuit with Threshold, Hold and Release, where the Hold control fine-tunes the feel, ensuring…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: REVV G8 Noise Gate Pedal