gear giveaway

Chase Bliss Billy Strings Wombtone Phaser

A discontinued Chase Bliss pedal, the (regular) Wombtone was a wildly flexible digitally controlled analog phaser pedal, thanks to its 6 knobs, 3 toggle switches, two footswitches, and 12 DIP switches in the back panel. The Minneapolis-based company reissued a Billy Strings limited edition featuring some variations on the original,…... Click for more

Chase Bliss Billy Strings Wombtone Phaser

Updated Pedal: Vongon Paragraphs II Resonant Filter

Vongon is a rather new pedal (and now also synth) brand based in Oakland that manufactures very intriguing and creative stompboxes. The Paragraph II is the updated 2024 version of their very first product: an analog four-pole resonant low-pass filter with stereo modulation (the previous version was mono). A comparison…... Click for more

Updated Pedal: Vongon Paragraphs II Resonant Filter

The 5 Best LoFi Pedals for Synths: Digital & Analog Fidelilty Reducers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qm8PmYSfe0 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…... Click for more

The 5 Best LoFi Pedals for Synths: Digital & Analog Fidelilty Reducers

Meris Enzo Synth Pedal

Born from a rib of Strymon, LA pedal manufacturer Meris has been getting a lot of traction in the last year or so with imaginative stompbox designs (we wrote a profile about them here), and we are thrilled to find out that they have launched a brand new pedal called Enzo.…... Click for more

Meris Enzo Synth Pedal

ADD Pedals L.A.G. V2 Lofi Atmosphere Generator

Most guitarists who get the "ambient bug" are always on the lookout for new, creative stompboxes that can widen their textural and spacey tonal options. The ADD Pedals L.A.G. (an acronym for Lofi Atmosphere Generator) promises to do just that, and it was recently updated to V2. The L.A.G. consists…... Click for more

ADD Pedals L.A.G. V2 Lofi Atmosphere Generator

The King of Gear Pitch Magpie

The King Of Gear Pitch Magpie has three modes: Glis Mode, Res Mode, and Vib Mode. Each mode is based around the same core pitch shifter, but each offers a unique effect. Glis Mode generates an auto-slide, adding a pitch slide when the input signal goes over a certain threshold.…... Click for more

The King of Gear Pitch Magpie

New Pedal: Empty Head Effects The Lover Overdrive

The Empty Head Effects The Lover is proof that dirt boxes (overdrives in particular) don't have to be straightforward and lacking gin imagination. With its controls named after love-related nouns, the Lover reminds us that love can be found everywhere, and feeds both the guitarists' passion for pedals and the…... Click for more

New Pedal: Empty Head Effects The Lover Overdrive

Empress Effects Echosystem Multi-Mode Delay

One of the brand new pedals that were on display at the 2017 first Montreal Stompbox Exhibit was the Empress Effects EchoSystem, the Canadian company's take on the "large-ish" multi-function digital delay pedal concept (its release date of May 4th, 2017 was just two days before our event!). The stompbox…... Click for more

Empress Effects Echosystem Multi-Mode Delay

AC Noises Ricorda Granular Reverb

The AC Noises Ricorda (which means "remember" in Italian, but sounds a lot like "recording" in English) is a stereo digital pedal that extends the concept of granular synthesis popular in digital delay circuits to the realm of ambient reverb. Granular synthesis consists in a digital memory that reorganizes more…... Click for more

AC Noises Ricorda Granular Reverb

Meris Hedra Stereo Rhythmical Pitch-Shifter

Of the (many) new pedal companies that have been popping out in the last few years, Meris has been the most well-received by musicians and critics alike, thanks to a series of releases that marry inspiring circuitry, elegant design, and innovative ideas. After launching the still hot polyphonic synth pedal…... Click for more

Meris Hedra Stereo Rhythmical Pitch-Shifter

Pladask Etterslep Granular Delay

The Pladask Etterslep is another highly experimental pedal by this Norwegian manufacturer that has treated us for a while now with several creative devices. It's described by the builder as a "time-based audio processor combining granular synthesis, tapped delay line and modified sample playback." This is not a very straightforward…... Click for more

Pladask Etterslep Granular Delay

Blackskycraft Unusual EAS Creative Ambient Reverb

Those of you enamored with creative sonic soundscapes may have found a new friend: the Blackskycraft Unusual EAS is an uber-tweakable, modulated ambient reverb with added filter and bitcrusher. Made in NYC by a small builder without a website, the Unusual EAS is unusual indeed, providing a thick and lush…... Click for more

Blackskycraft Unusual EAS Creative Ambient Reverb