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The IK Multimedia TONEX Board is a cost-effective flagship floor processor that finally bridges the gap between software captures and professional touring hardware. It integrates the vast ToneNET library directly into a live rig, offering uncompromising flexibility without the typical four-figure price tag. The TONEX Board centers around IK’s award-winning AI Machine Modeling technology, which maps the exact dynamic response, volume-knob cleanup, and feel of real-world amplifiers, cabinets, and pedals. Expanding far beyond a standard modeler, it features a robust dual-signal-chain architecture supporting up to four Tone Models simultaneously, complemented by over 70 studio-grade effects derived from AmpliTube. Dual-Chain & Routing Flexibility: Runs dual-amp, wet/dry, or true stereo rigs with split-and-mix routing, 12 effect slots per preset, and a versatile stereo FX loop that can function as two independent mono loops. Control & Navigation: Features a high-resolution 5-inch color touchscreen with five precision encoders, alongside four footswitches configured across three performance modes (Preset, Scene, and Stomp). Extensive Preset Storage: Houses over 1,400 preset slots organized across 12 setlists, 40 banks, and 3 presets per bank. Tour-Ready I/O: Equipped with independent stereo output pairs (balanced XLR and 1/4-inch line) with global parametric EQs, MIDI I/O, dual expression pedal inputs, and a […]... Click on the title for more
Packing that legendary 1960s Black Panel amp character into a streamlined, pedalboard-friendly footprint, the Mad Professor Super Black Mini brings pure vintage tone to a smaller stage. Featuring a fully analog circuit that faithfully maps out the entire signal path of a classic tube amplifier, it delivers true amp-like touch response. Compared to the original mid-sized unit, the Mini is built with a few vital updates: Streamlined Footprint: The secondary Sweet Honey Overdrive section found on the original has been removed, resulting in a much smaller enclosure that saves precious board real estate. Retained Core Preamp Control: Despite its smaller size, it keeps all eight essential tone-shaping controls intact, including Bass, Middle, Treble, Gain, Volume, Presence, plus the Bass Cut and Compression toggle switches. Enhanced Headroom: Redesigned with increased headroom and a higher output level, the Mini lets those signature sparkly, percussive cleans and punchy dynamics cut through with extra authority. Whether you want pristine glass-like chime at lower gain settings or the glorious, organic breakup of a cranked tube amp without shaking the room, the Super Black Mini handles it all. Run it directly in front of your amplifier as a powerful tone shaper, or drop it straight into […]... Click on the title for more
The Keeley Tube Drive is one of Robert Keeley’s most ambitious projects. It pairs the legendary Super Phat Mod overdrive circuit with a genuine high-voltage 12AX7 tube preamp running at over 100 volts — real tube warmth, not a digital emulation. Each side runs independently or combined in either order, so you get everything from a clean boost to thick, saturated drive. The Super Phat Mod side brings that transparent, dynamic JFET overdrive Keeley’s known for, full of harmonic content. The tube stage adds touch-sensitive breakup on a clean amp, or pushes an already-driven amp harder. Run them together and you get an infinite palette of saturation, from subtle grit to scorching leads. Sweetwater’s tone purists love it because you can never have too much tube warmth in your chain. It’s also built for the modern pedalboard. A remote TRS jack lets you switch each side externally (Tip for Drive, Ring for Tube). It takes 9–18V power so you can dial in headroom. Every 12AX7 is hand-selected and broken in, protected by a custom Keeley shroud with a vented rear panel for airflow. You get true bypass or silent buffered switching, plus a tube-removal tool, shield, and grommet in the […]... Click on the title for more
When Alexander Pedals set out to design the Velvet Noise, the goal was to find a better way to tackle stereo widening without falling into the usual traps of phase cancellation, mono collapse, or unnatural artifacts. Traditional methods like mid/side processing or micro-delays can often fall apart under headphones or cause issues down the line. Instead, Alexander dove into acoustic research and came back with a unique approach called velvet-noise decorrelation. Rather than digitally tricking the ear, the pedal convolves each channel with sparse, pseudo-random impulse sequences. This makes the left and right sides genuinely distinct while completely sidestepping the harsh comb filtering that plagues conventional wideners. Because the impulses are sparse, the circuit stays remarkably lightweight and free of the latency usually tied to convolution processing. Operation is intentionally straightforward. A single Width knob controls the entire effect: fully counterclockwise leaves your signal untouched, while turning it clockwise smoothly introduces the decorrelated space. Pushing it to the max brings in a touch of subtle modulation for maximum separation. Built around a discrete JFET input preamp with flexible TRS/TS I/O and dip-switch configurations for mono compatibility, the Velvet Noise is a thoughtful, elegant tool designed to widen your sound while […]... Click on the title for more
When building the KJams Rotary 2, the goal was simply to see if careful study and rigorous testing against an original vintage rotary speaker could yield something genuinely authentic in a compact stompbox. Handcrafted in Holland, Michigan, each unit features a solid wood faceplate to ensure every pedal has its own unique character. Underneath that warm exterior, the pedal utilizes a popular Spin FV-1 DSP architecture split by an 800Hz crossover, driving independent virtual woofer and horn elements that accelerate, decelerate, and shift pitch independently. A toggle switch lets you move between Single mode—featuring two speed controls and a horn-to-woofer mix—and Dual mode, which introduces a second horn for a lush, chorusing depth. Designed to be straightforward and hardworking on a board, the Rotary 2 includes a dedicated Spd1/Spd2 footswitch that can either instantly jump between speeds or simulate the physical ramp-up and ramp-down inertia of a real rotating cabinet, depending on how the controls are set. With standard mono I/O, an external speed jack, expression capability, and a modest 62mA power draw, it’s a humble, deeply faithful tool designed to bring the organic, moving warmth of classic rotary speakers right to your feet.... Click on the title for more
When NYC’s noise-mongers Death By Audio and London’s imaginative mad scientists Rainger FX cross paths, the result was always going to be wonderfully unhinged. Both builders share a relentless passion for pushing stompbox design past the edge of convention, favoring wild textures, raw industrial aesthetics, and circuits that feel dangerously alive. When David Rainger brought a concept to Oliver Ackermann about placing a microphone inside a pedal to capture ambient sound, Death By Audio didn’t just tweak the idea—they escalated it by dropping a real 3-watt amplifier and an internal 2-inch speaker right into the chassis. The resulting Amp Crash completely breaks the mold of traditional overdrive or digital amp simulation by creating sound through genuine physical interaction. Instead of mimicking a cranked combo, a real amplifier pushes a real speaker, while an internal microphone captures the air moving inside the box. Players can seamlessly blend this direct amp signal with the mic’d sound to conjure anything from a warm, touch-sensitive overdrive to crushing fuzz, natural feedback, and totally unpredictable harmonic blooms. Far from a one-trick gimmick, the unit is packed with a built-in multi-effects engine featuring Reverb, Echo, and Chorus to warp those physical tones even further. It […]... Click on the title for more
When Mark from Summer School Electronics set out to design the Double Major, his goal was simply to take one of the most iconic transparent drive topologies from the last few decades and give it a bit more room to breathe. Instead of keeping it as a single-channel box, he took the core circuit and doubled it inside one enclosure, utilizing those legendary germanium diodes that give the design its unmistakable feel. Built in Syracuse, New York, the pedal gives players genuine flexibility on both channels. Because each side features independent Volume, Drive, and Tone controls alongside switchable soft or hard clipping, users aren’t just getting two identical sounds. You can set one side up as a pristine, low-gain boost and the other as a heavier, harder-clipped drive, then stack them in either order to see where things land. Mark has always focused on gear that feels intuitive and gets out of the player’s way, and the Double Major really comes alive under the fingers. Whether you’re trying to push a tube amp over the edge or just find two distinct sweet spots on the fly, it’s a straightforward, hardworking tool designed to inspire.... Click on the title for more