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Pedal Reviews: FXdoctor Super 8-Bit Fuzz

FXdoctor's Super 8-Bit Fuzzdoes one thing well, and that's creating an unpredictable racket that sounds like a Commodore 64 that’s been dunked in acid. It certainly isn't a pedal you'd ever leave on and can’t be incorporated into a formalized song structure because it isn't designed to do the same…Click on the title for more

Pedal Reviews: FXdoctor Super 8-Bit Fuzz

Recording Drums: Tips and Tricks

We asked 3 top NYC producers to share their opinions about performing and recording drums in the studio - you can find their precious advice here.Click on the title for more

Recording Drums: Tips and Tricks

Wampler Sovereign

Wampler makes some grandiose claims for its Sovereign distortion pedal ($200). Before you’ve even opened the box, Wampler assures you you’ll soon be bowing down before the new king of crunch. The hyperbole goes on a bit, but after you’ve tried this pedal you’ll happily go along with the joke. It’s endlessly…Click on the title for more

Wampler Sovereign

SolidGoldFx’s Electroman Delay

Less than a couple of months after relaunching their Apollo phaser and Stutterbox tremolo pedals, Canadian manufacturers SolidGoldFx have struck again with the new version of the Electroman delay (pictured) and the Surf Rider Deluxe reverb. The cool thing about this Electroman is its Warp button. This allows you to instantly turn up the…Click on the title for more

SolidGoldFx’s Electroman Delay

Improve Your Recordings: Drums Tips and Secrets

There are a gazillion articles out there about how to record drums, but I’ve always thought that the best possible advice in this regard is not how to record but… what to record. Yes, mic positioning is challenging when recording a drum kit, but even the most sophisticated and flawless…Click on the title for more

Improve Your Recordings: Drums Tips and Secrets

A History of Audio Plug Ins: Invasion of the “Sound Snatchers”

Do you remember the movie “The Crow”? The one where Brandon Lee, after dying (for real) while the film was being shot, was replaced by a computer generated, perfectly realistic image of himself? Something similar happened in the recording field, where old stars of that scene like valves, tape machines,…Click on the title for more

A History of Audio Plug Ins: Invasion of the “Sound Snatchers”

Slide Guitar Tone Secrets: Pick the Right Material

When playing slide guitar, different materials used on your strings will create slightly different tones. If you are after a smooth slide with long, clean sustain, you should try a cut-off bottleneck, which was Ry Cooder’s choice. If you are aiming at something less atmospheric and with more “bite,” go…Click on the title for more

Slide Guitar Tone Secrets: Pick the Right Material

Pedal news: Snark Tuner

Snark Tuners has recently released their first pedal, the SN10 ($59). Building on the success of their popular clip-on instrument tuners, the SN10 is designed for quick and easy tuning on stage or in the studio. Just plug in and strike any note: yellow and red bars will show if…Click on the title for more

Pedal news: Snark Tuner

Pedal News: Mesa Boogie announces 4 overdrive pedals

Mesa/Boogie just announced a new line of overdrive pedals called "Four on the Floor" and consisting of the Tone-Burst, Grid Slammer, Flux-Drive, and Throttle Box, created using the same craftsmanship and quality components from their custom amplifiers. Here's a quick look at them: The Throttle Box is the most aggressive of the bunch, featuring…Click on the title for more

Pedal News: Mesa Boogie announces 4 overdrive pedals

Mooer Hustle Drive

Mooer’s Hustle Drive distortion pedal ($88), packs a surprising amount of versatility into a very small package. Though the Hustle Drive’s footprint is not much bigger than a couple of packs of chewing gum, you’ll find mini-knobs for volume and tone, plus a two-way switch for choosing high-peak or low-peak distortion characteristics, basically…Click on the title for more

Mooer Hustle Drive

Retro Corner: Uni-Vibe

The Uni-Vibe was introduced in the 1960s by Shin-ei, and was intended to emulate the "Doppler sound" of a Leslie speaker. It is a footpedal-operated phaser or phase shifter for creating chorus and vibrato simulations for electric organ or guitar. Despite not being used to recreate the Leslie, it has…Click on the title for more

Retro Corner: Uni-Vibe

Pedal News: GloKnob

It's not too often that I see a product that seems like it actually adds something new, useful and exciting to the drab world of pedal accessories. The GloKnob is an exception to that rule. Ever wanted to automate a pedal knob while in the middle of a solo or…Click on the title for more

Pedal News: GloKnob