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MTL KnobSession ’26: Concours de pédales | Pedal Giveaway! (Canada Residents Only)

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MTL KnobSession ’26: Concours de pédales | Pedal Giveaway! (Canada Residents Only)

Updated Pedal: Old Blood Noise Beam Splitter V2 Stereo Distortion

If you’ve ever chased the wall-of-guitars studio magic of triple-tracking a single part, Old Blood Noise Endeavors’ Beam Splitter V2 is built to solve it. It takes your mono input, splits it into three parallel analog drive paths, routes two of them through independent delay lines, and outputs them in mono, stereo, or OBNE’s unique “trereo” format. While the original was a brilliant, set-it-and-forget-it spatial dirt box, V2 transforms the concept into a fully realized live and studio machine. OBNE completely revoiced the third drive for a wider gain range, lowered the overall noise floor, and overhauled the architecture with full digital control. You now get a robust three-footswitch layout for toggling individual drives or scrolling presets, onboard storage for three presets (expandable to 127 via MIDI), expression assignment for any knob, and a new Spread parameter to fine-tune your stereo width. It retains all the weird, lush chorusing, slapback, and massive texture of the original while adding the professional connectivity modern rigs demand. Key Controls & I/O Drive Section: Independent Gain, Volume, and Tone pots for each of the three parallel overdrive paths (with the third circuit heavily revoiced for expanded range). Time & Feedback: Dedicated delay parameters (up […]... Click on the title for more

Updated Pedal: Old Blood Noise Beam Splitter V2 Stereo Distortion

JHS Morning Glory Clean Overdrive V4

The Morning Glory Clean is not a new pedal. It is the same Bluesbreaker-style overdrive JHS has been building for years, but with one significant architectural change: a parallel clean blend integrated at the circuit level rather than tacked on as an afterthought.... Click on the title for more

JHS Morning Glory Clean Overdrive V4

New Pedal: MXR Flanger/Doubler

Compressing the legendary footprint of MXR’s vintage studio rack unit into a pedalboard-friendly stompbox, the MXR Flanger/Doubler utilizes authentic bucket-brigade device (BBD) circuitry to deliver real, analog motion. Bridging the gap between sweeping, jet-engine flanging and thickened, offset doubling, it provides a versatile analog architecture built for both guitar rigs and advanced studio routing. The pedal’s dual-voice engine seamlessly transitions from subtle, chorus-like doubling to aggressive, jet-engine flanging via a dedicated button, while standard manual, width, speed, regen, and mix controls allow for dialing in everything from mellow shimmer to sharp metallic resonance. The addition of an invert switch for polarity shaping, real-time visual tracking LEDs, CV connectivity, and a rear-panel line-level input switch elevates it above a standard stompbox, turning a vintage studio staple into a remarkably flexible hybrid tool for both guitar rigs and modular synthesizer setups. Here’s a look at the controls: Doubler button – switches between sweeping flanging and thickened offset doubling; Manual, Width, and Speed – shape the sweep rate, range, and center point; Regen knob – controls feedback intensity (from mellow shimmer to metallic bite); Mix knob – blends wet and dry signals. Invert switch – reverses wet signal polarity for airy/hollow or punchy […]... Click on the title for more

New Pedal: MXR Flanger/Doubler

Keeley Tube Drive – 1950 Sylvania 12AT7WA

The Keeley Tube Drive is a limited, collector-grade dual-gain engine pairing a genuine 1950s Sylvania 12AT7WA high-voltage Class A tube preamp with Keeley’s legendary Super Phat Mod circuit. Built in Oklahoma City as a numbered run of 100 units with a brushed gold gloss finish, it offers rich touch sensitivity, amp-like body, and flexible dual-voice stacking. It was available for pre-sale on the builder’s site, but sold out within minutes! Controls: Tube Stage (Left): Dual triodes running in series in Class A, feeding a vintage tweed-amp-style tone stack for warm grit and touch-sensitive dynamics. Super Phat Mod Stage (Right): Dedicated drive circuit delivering punch, body, and sustain while preserving the guitar’s natural character. Three Knobs Per Channel: Level, Gain/Drive and Tone – which allows adjusting the EQ of each channel separately. Routing & Switching: Switchable effect order (Tube into Drive or Drive into Tube) via a simple foot gesture or an external Remote jack (Tip assigned to Drive, Ring assigned to Tube). Hardware & Maintenance: Standard top-mounted jacks, a vented rear-panel jack plate for airflow, internal high-voltage conversion powered via a standard 9V DC (min. 500mA) supply, and a tube extraction pin with an included Allen key for easy tube swaps. […]... Click on the title for more

Keeley Tube Drive – 1950 Sylvania 12AT7WA

New Pedal Kit: Coppersound/JHS Boost-a-Drive Fuzz

Engineered as an ambitious hybrid utility box, the JHS/Coppersound Boost-a-Drive Fuzz is a DIY kit released in collaboration with the folks at Coppersound. Born from Josh Scott’s Short Circuit series and produced in collaboration with CopperSound, the Boost-a-Drive Fuzz is a multi-stage hybrid circuit that takes the classic two-transistor LPB-1 architecture and evolves it into a dynamic, multi-mode saturation engine. Rather than simply copying a single vintage topology, it merges cascading gain behaviors that channel the feel of high-headroom boosters, amp-like dynamic overdrive, and aggressive, Fuzz Face-style square-wave fuzz into a single interactive platform. Key Specs: Dual high-gain transistor topology, 3-mode Mode selector: Boost, Drive, Fuzz Passive low-pass tone filter, (comparable to a RAT-style EQ knob) Dedicated Gain and Master Volume pots Internal biasing trim pots The Consensus: Independent builder communities and gear roundups praise its broad, highly responsive sweep. Reviewers note that because you are actively adjusting the circuit’s operating point with the gain control, every millimeter of the sweep yields distinct, usable textures—bridging the gap between transparent line-pushing and jagged, touch-sensitive breakup.... Click on the title for more

New Pedal Kit: Coppersound/JHS Boost-a-Drive Fuzz

Seward Park Maravilla Germanium Preamp/Overdrive

Bridging the gap between a transparent preamp and a fuzzy-drive machine, the Seward Park Maravilla delivers a rich blend of touch-sensitive clarity and fuzzy-drive weight. Dual pre and post-gain controls allow players to easily dial in everything from open, low-gain preamp boost to harmonically dense, saturated clipping without muddying the low end. Reviewers and early community roundups praise its expansive control framework and dynamic harmonic texturing, highlighting how the interactive gain staging and transformer saturation make it an exceptionally versatile tool for fuzzy overdrive, tonal sweetening, and preamp duties alike. Key Specs: Vintage germanium transistors, Onboard audio transformer, Independent Pre/Post gain stages, Extensive EQ controls with Tone, Mid, Air (Presence) knobs, Master Loud output.... Click on the title for more

Seward Park Maravilla Germanium Preamp/Overdrive

New Pedal: Suhr Brighton Treble Booster

The Suhr Brighton is a treble booster, but it’s not trying to be a Rangemaster clone or a one-trick box. It’s designed to add the top-end sparkle you need to rise above a band mix without losing what makes your sound yours. It’s a simple control set — gain, bias, body, smooth — that hits your amp with extra gain and enhanced clarity, while retaining picking nuance and handling subtle dynamics at low volume and full saturation with equal ease. The Bias control adds harmonic distortion and natural breakup. The Body knob tailors low-end — useful for bright guitars that need some heft. The 2-position Smooth switch shifts the voice from a gentle push to screaming lead bliss. Pete Thorn’s demo runs it through Queen and Blackmore territory — classic treble booster stuff — and Suhr’s site calls the tones “absolutely massive.” On the Gear Page, owners say it nails the “Bohemian Rhapsody” solo and highlight the buffered output and Fat/Smooth toggles as features that make it more than a one-trick Rangemaster clone. Bottom line: it does the classic thing well, but the extra controls make it flexible enough for modern setups, i.e. you’re not stuck with thin and bright if […]... Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Suhr Brighton Treble Booster

New Pedal: Missing Link Audio Zepptone Overdrive/Fuzz

The explosive, touch-responsive overdriven tones you hear on Led Zeppelin’s early tracks like “Communication Breakdown” and “Good Times Bad Times” surely inspired many guitarists. That cranked-amp character where saturation and aggression become the same thing also inspired the Missing Link Audio Zepptone pedal. That was the starting point; from there, the circuit opens up into a wider range of drive and fuzz sounds. Instead of stacking separate fuzz and overdrive pedals, this pedal blends both into one interactive gain circuit, delivering the harmonic richness and dynamic response of a pushed amp plus fuzz texture—the sustain and bite of “Heartbreaker” or “Whole Lotta Love,” but with modern consistency. Independent Gain and Fuzz controls layer saturation: Gain shapes overdrive character (attack, punch, amp-like breakup), while Fuzz adds grit, density, and sustain. Because the two interact, adjusting one reshapes the other, covering everything from gritty rhythm tones to thick lead saturation. Two toggles expand voicing options: Body switches output capacitor paths for tighter or fuller low end, while Shift alters midrange focus for either open, cutting rhythm tones or thicker, forward lead voicing. Interactive Output and Level controls shape not just loudness but how hard you’re pushing your amp or next pedal, dialing […]... Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Missing Link Audio Zepptone Overdrive/Fuzz

New Pedal: Empty Head Effects Seafarer Reverb

Empty Head Effects , run by Nic out of Mainz, Germany, has been building a reputation for thoughtful, textural pedal designs. We got familiar with the company at our 2026 edition of the London Synth & Pedal Expo, where they attracted a lot of interest. Their upcoming Seafarer is a modulated reverb that’s been in development for a while — breadboarded back in April, teased at pedal shows, and now apparently set to dock soon. The circuit offers a mono long-tailed reverb, but the modulation is where it gets interesting. Instead of a standard chorus or vibrato on the repeats, it uses random pitch modulation meant to mimic the lapping of water. There’s also a random tremolo effect described as “water-logged ears” — uneven, unpredictable, the way sound behaves when you’re half-submerged. A low-pass filter can be controlled by an internal LFO, an external expression pedal, or a front-panel pot, which lets you sweep the reverb tail from bright to dark in real time. Other features include a soft-clipping diode distortion for thickening or dirtying the repeats, separate wet and dry volume knobs, and an infinite feedback footswitch for those moments when you want the reverb to never, ever stop. The search […]... Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Empty Head Effects Seafarer Reverb

Warm Audio Dirty Boy Jr. Overdrive

Dirty Boy Pedals have been a cult brand since the 1980s. The company started with Alex Saraceno building one-off circuits for his son, Blues Saraceno, who was making a name as a session guitarist. Those hand-wired, no-compromise designs earned a quiet but fierce following among players who knew. Over the years, the Dirty Boy Preamp became something of a legend — a compact box that somehow pulled off touch-sensitive overdrive, tube amp emulation, and speaker simulation all at once. It was the kind of pedal you’d hunt down on forums and never sell. Now Warm Audio has partnered with Dirty Boy to bring that circuit back in the Dirty Boy Jr. Overdrive and a couple more circuits. This isn’t a tribute or a “inspired by” — it’s a faithful recreation of the original preamp, shrunk into a standard pedal format without cutting corners. What makes it interesting is how it actually plays. The Dirty Boy Jr. runs on Warm Audio’s T.A.E. (Tube Amp Emulation) circuitry, which is a fancy way of saying it responds like a real amp. Dig in and it saturates naturally. Roll back your guitar’s volume and it cleans up without turning thin or lifeless. The harmonics […]... Click on the title for more

Warm Audio Dirty Boy Jr. Overdrive

Flattley Pedals Silver Centurion

The Flattley Pedals Silver Centurion is a straightforward, Klon-inspired transparent overdrive pedal designed for cutting through mixes while maintaining note clarity. It works well as a boost with amps or other drives, responding smoothly to guitar volume adjustments.... Click on the title for more

Flattley Pedals Silver Centurion