Updated Aug. 4, 2021 | by Paolo De Gregorio

best new FX pedal

It’s time for a quick recap of last month’s best new FX pedal releases!

As usual, we are separating gain and non-gain releases. Lists from previous months can be found here.

We organized the pedals in the interactive galleries below according to how exciting they seem to us.

As usual, mouseover or first tap on the thumbnails will open a description of the pedal, while a click or a second tap will open a video of the pedal.

Best New Non-Gain Pedals released in July 2021

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Alexander Pedals Syntax Error 2
$299 | Not exactly a new release, but an announced one (sans video). Twice as wide as the original, this arcade game-inspired pedal packs a ton of new features, including a full stereo path, a mini-sequencer, and an LCD screen to help you make sense of the insane tones it can deliver.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
2456933174
Red Panda Raster 2
$299 | A digital delay with a pitch- and frequency-shifter integrated into the feedback loop. It delivers harmonized delays, reverse delays, chorus, arpeggios, infinite descents, chaotic self-oscillation, and continuously evolving soundscapes. V2 is almost completely reinvented and stereo. Tons of new features include modulation and multiple LFO waves.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
497878338
Suhr Discovery Analog Delay
$549 | Probably the most fully featured analog delay on the market. Five knobs control the delay, with Regen, Lo Cut and High Cut allowing extensive sonic exploration. The modulation section has 3 three waveform options (triangle/sine/square) with controls for Depth/Speed. It has also Tap Tempo, 5 subdivisions, 127 Presets, assignable Exp and full Midi compatibility.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
213013152
GFI Rossie Filter
$199 | Unlike most of the pedals on this list, the Rossie is digital and hence has some capabilities that analog pedals can’t produce. Tap tempo, 2 onboard presets, LCD screen, and 3 filter modes: envelope, step filter, and manual filter. A handy mix control allows you to blend the filter effect in parallel.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
3638687344
IK Multimedia X-Vibe
$299 | A multi-mode, do-it-all, stereo modulation workstation that comes with an Amplitube 5 SE DAW plugin including an exact virtual reproduction of the hardware. It features 16 algorithms covering pretty much any possible modulation option, from all the classics to less intuitive modes like “Fox,” “Metallic” and “Stone.” It features 5 useful cabinet simulations, and Midi/USB compatibility.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
1688916528
IK Multimedia X-Time
$299 | A multi-mode, do-it-all stereo delay workstation that comes with an Amplitube 5 SE DAW plugin including an exact virtual reproduction of the hardware. It features 16 algorithms covering pretty much any possible delay option, from all the classics to creative modes like Duck, Arctic and Pitch. It features 5 useful cabinet simulations, and Midi/USB compatibility.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
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IK Multimedia X-Space
$299 | A multi-mode, do-it-all stereo reverb workstation that comes with an Amplitube 5 SE DAW plugin including an exact virtual reproduction of the hardware. It features 16 algorithms covering pretty much any possible reverb option, from all the classics to creative modes like Ethereal, Bloom and Magnetic. It features 5 useful cabinet simulations, and Midi/USB compatibility.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
More
Reverb Amazon
1499177506
Keyztone WahouWah
$249 | A pedal that connects to your regular wah and extends its range and sonic possibilities, changing its tone into the one of other models, transforming it into a boost pedal, or recreating other effects normally not within a wah's range, like Autowah and Auto-Volume. It sports 4 Wah Analog Filter Modes and controls for Frequency, Q Factor and Level, plus a Dry Level fader.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2347217980
Okko T3 Tremolo
~$299 | A creative tremolo based on a a triple photocell system featuring 2 modes (Harmonic and Regular), 3 Waveforms (Triangle, Sine and Square), Adjustable waveform symmetry (ramp ups/downs possible) and an extra Mix knob, which adds anoother optical tremolo for more complex waveforms.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
4287378779
Flamma Mod FC05
$39 | An incredibly affordable mini multi-modulation pedal that offers a total 11 effects from your all-time classics (Chorus, Vibrato, Phaser, Tremolo, Flanger, Rotary, etc) to edgy/unusual ones like Low Bit, Liquid, Stutter and even Ring Modulation. Three mini knobs let you set the Speed, Depth and one mode-variable setting through the Ctrl knob.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

Best New Gain Pedals released in July 2021

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Pete Cornish GC-1 Drive
$TBA | Celebrating Cornish's 45th year of designing gear, the GC-1 features a three-stage design that automatically switches between hard and soft clipping stages as the gain increases. It delivers soft and transparent sustain at low gain, ’70s Marshall-style overdrive at medium levels, and an intense overdrive when the gain is all the way up. It sports a 56db boost and 3 Band EQ.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1065601866
Valco FX KGB Fuzz
~$300 | A tone-sculpting fuzz that affects both the signal’s color and dynamics in complex ways even when the fuzz cis off, thanks to its Impedance knob. Lower Impedance produce softer dynamics and transients for a ‘rounded/vintage’ feel; higher settings deliver sharper highs and a more aggressive transient, great for synths. Four voicings, Dry Out, Tone knob and Blend fader round out the featutres.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
456590456
Vertex Ultraphonix MkII
$199 - Designed using four Dumble Overdrive Specials for voicing and calibration, this 4-knob pedal can get a wide variety of tones beyond the D-Style niche, from subtle to borderline Plexi and even RAT-like. Thicker sounding than other pedals in this list, it also provides great sustain. MkII adds a Level Out knob adding up to 8dbs of volume.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
4057677631
IK Multimedia X-Drive
$299 | A multi-mode, do-it-all gain pedal that comes with an Amplitube 5 SE DAW plugin including an exact virtual reproduction of the hardware. It features 16 algorithms covering pretty much any possible gain option, from amp-based overdrives (Modern, Metal, Monarch and Orange, etc.) to Boosts and Fuzz options,m and 5 Cab simulations. It features a useful Cab and Headphones Out.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
602045557
Nocturne JR Barnyard Pre-War Hot Preamp
$169 | A take on the vintage 1930’s-40s octal tube amp circuit found in early Gibson and Dickerson amps. Its semi-nasal vintage quality gets a more wooly character when cranked up. Two toggle switches allow the pedal to be tuned to a variety of guitars and basses. A blend control between the normal and a (virtual and hotter) mic channel allows to dial in some extra texture to taste.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
96607886
Way Huge STO
$149 | Built around around a 4741 op-amp, this is a a reimagined version of the Nobels ODR-1 (aka Nashville's “secret weapon”) delivering an even smoother and more pillowy sound than the original.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
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BECOS Ziffer Overdrive
~$175 | A Jordan Ziff signature, mini evolution of the company’s TS808-inspired TS8-MS Overdrive with variable voltage (7-18v). A 3 clipping modes delivers a variety of tones suitable for a large number of sonic environments, while the introduction of a Deep toggle allows for beefier tones. The unique Dry EQ knob affects the dry signal, that can be dialed in through the Mix knob.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
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Volta The Blue Overdrive
$~300 | A transparent and dynamic hand-built overdrive ideal for blues. The extra boost (with dedicated footswitch + knobs) and four toggle switches allow for noteworthy flexibility. With names like Body, Grease, Head, and Sheen, each toggle confers a different character to the tone, putting at the guitarist's fingertips a musical selection of voices to mix an match to taste.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
873505067
Siren Pedals Etana
$199 | A Lindsay Ell signature, three-knob overdrive that can deliver anything from a clean overdrive to a more aggressive saturation, bordering on distortion. It features three different clipping options through the Clip toggle switch.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2332166399
LPD Pedals Embers
$225 | A Klon-inspired overdrive with a broader gain range and an extra Bass knob that's particularly effective in fattening up or thining down the overdriven tone. 
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2625207315
Sabbadius El Toro
$TBA | A new take on the classic Tube Screamer. The New Old Stock TOSHIBA 1S1588 diodes give it a glassier tone, and it also offers more output than the original, allowing for a variety of saturation possibilities.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
481155475
McGregor Pedals Cozmic Fuzzball
$210 | A hand-built fuzz that stacks hard clipping with soft clipping and adds an overdriven transistor to deliver a range of tones from distortion to sustained fuzz. Attack controls the amount of signal hitting the transistor, adding fuzz and sustain at higher settings. Tone contrtols a variable high pass filter, cutting off muddy low frequencies (or welcoming them if used with a bass).
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

This is it for now, see you in a month!

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