LoFi effects are a fascinating niche that can add some magic to any musical material, and perhaps because of that, an increasing number of pedal builders have started offering products of this kind.
The history of recording and effects can be seen through the lens of a constant improvement in “fidelity” and audio quality. Still, it’s indisputable that the artifacts of old, analog recording gear have slowly morphed from something annoying and unwanted into something that, for many musicians and producers, is – rather curiously – desirable. Call it “texture” or “character,’ those subtle noises seem able to add an intangible quality that can enrich any musical content through a mix of nostalgia and “cool vintage factor.”
Analog & Digital LoFi + Modulation-Based Sonic Destruction
In this article we’ll take a look at what we think are the best line-in compatible pedals that recreate artifacts of old gear, and also effects that degrade your signal via synthesis and modulation: some of these pedals are inspired by vintage analog machines, creating effects like the hum and crackle of vinyl, the much loved “wow & flutter” of tape, or the reduced frequency bandwidth of radio frequency; others tackle digital gear-inspired lo-fi, offering effects like bit and sample reduction and glitching. Among these, some also deliver tone-decimating effects based on sound synthesis like ring modulation, filtering, and frequency modulation.
This is a list of our 5 favorite ones, but those among you looking for a more comprehensive list may want to look at our in-depth article about LoFi pedals.
THE BEST LOFI PEDALS FOR SYNTHS
#1 | Chase Bliss Generation Loss MkII
A complete stereo re-design of a popular pedal originally designed by Cooper FX, whose owner/engineer now is part of the Chase Bliss team. Classic mode keeps things exactly as MkI: an uber-tweakable emulator of the audio component of VHS cassettes that lets you add all the artifacts and failures of that tape format through a seemingly unending list of controls: two footswitches, six knobs, four toggle switches, and 16 DIP switches in the back panel activating all sorts of options (see below).
The new MKII mode emulates even more closely the artifacts of a VHS tape, including different models, malfunctions, and machine-specific artifacts. Both modes share a Ramp effect via the Aux footswitch, which can be configured to perform several tasks.
Synth players will be happy to know that it also features MIDI, CV and Expression control, presets, and internal modulation of all its knobs.
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#2 | Source Audio Artifakt
$349 | Click HERE for a video | Buy it on Sweetwater.
A fully stereo pedal boasting 7 LoFi modes accessible directly via the pedal’s central rotary knob, and offering even more possibilities through the company’s Neuro 3 software. Algorithms include Radio, Tape, “µVERB” (a primitive reverb effect), Crush (bitcrushing), Ladder (filter effect voiced after the Moog MF-101), Vinyl, and Glitch, which also does basic granular delay.
Each mode can be edited through the five knobs, with the Destruct control setting the amount of LoFiness, Filter dealing with EQ in different ways for each mode, and Vary adjusting a mode-dependent parameter. The Modulation knob + 3-way toggle lets you adjust the settings of the two onboard LFOs shared by all algorithms, while the useful Mix knob allows you to reintroduce the clean signal to taste.
12 onboard presets accessible via the two footswitches, MIDI compatibility via a 3.5mm TRS MIDI In & Thru, in-depth editing via the Neuro 3 app, and Expression control round up the features.
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#3 | Meris Ottobit Jr.
$299 | Click HERE for a video | Buy it on Sweetwater.
A stereo “Audio In >> Video Game Out” device that lets any musician with an output jack employ synthesis techniques and bitcrushing to create new audio textures. Sample rate and bit-reduction circuits are combined with tap tempo, LFOs, envelopes, a synth-style Low-Pass filter, and both amplitude (AM) and frequency modulation (FM).
Although it’s a digital-style lofi pedal at heart, the Ottobit provides plenty of inspiring rhythmic possibilities through the onboard (and tap-controlled) Sequencer, which can be programmed to trigger different decimation levels, pitch intervals, or filter frequencies.
It features CV In compatibility and a multi-function EXP jack for optional expansion with MIDI, Preset Switch, Expression Pedal, or Tap Switch with compatible hardware.
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#4 | Red Panda Bitmap 2
$329 | Click HERE for a video | Buy it on Sweetwater
A digital-style LoFi pedal that delivers not just bitcrushing and sample rate reduction, but also a host of other sonic annihilating effects like wavefolding, filtering, extreme digital distortion, and analog-voiced saturation.
However, the most unique effect you will find in this inspiring and playful stompbox is the modulation section, which can be applied to sample rate, mix or filter frequency, and follow triangle, square, and random waveforms. It can also be assigned to an envelope. Connecting an Expression pedal to the Bitmap opens up intriguing creative possibilities, adding nuance and scope to a type of effect that is too often exceedingly mono-dimensional.
Just like most other units on this list, the Bitmap 2 offers synth-friendly features like onboard presets (4), plus Midi and CV compatibility.
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#5 | Catalinbread Bitters
$209 | Click HERE for a video | Buy it on Sweetwater
An improved recreation of the Alesis Bitrman, a quirky, semi-vintage multi-fx with two fixed effects (Distortion and Phaser) and a selectable one between Decimator, Bitcrusher, Frequency Modulation, and Ring Modulation. The main innovation is the added (and super useful, given the radical nature of the algorithms) Mix knob that was missing from the original.
The effect options are Decimator, Bitcrusher, Frequency Modulation, and Ring Modulation. The key parameter of each mode is controlled by the algorithm-dependent Bitters knob.
The radioactive hazard-style rotary knob gives you the option to run the selectable effects last or first in the chain, with results often completely different.
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Explore dozens more similar pedals in our in-depth article about LoFi pedals or this other article about the best Bitcrusher stompboxes.
