gear giveaway

Fairfield Circuitry Placeholder BBD-based Reverb

Quebec prides itself with being different, and the province's most prominent pedal maker has always done things a little sideways, with devices that don't sound quite like anybody else's. The Fairfield Circuitry Placeholder keeps that streak alive. It's an analog reverb built around BBD chips, but it's not trying to…... Click for more

Fairfield Circuitry Placeholder BBD-based Reverb

EAE Scattering Stereo Reverb

Stepping away from traditional, diffuse ambient washes, the Electronic Audio Experiments Scattering approaches spatial processing through a complex multi-tap delay network that feels refreshingly alive. Tracing its spiritual roots back to EAE’s earlier Hypersleep - which was ultimately limited by exhausted supplies of the rare MN3011 bucket brigade chip -…... Click for more

EAE Scattering Stereo Reverb

Echo Fix EF-P2 Real Spring Reverb

The Echo Fix EF-P2 is the latest release in the rather restricted niche of real spring reverb pedals, i.e. stompboxes utilizing the spring + tank technology found in the reverbs embedded in vintage amps like the Fender Deluxe. The Australian company was already well-known for its authentic (and not exactly…... Click for more

Echo Fix EF-P2 Real Spring Reverb

NativeAudio In the Water Reflector

There's a Blackfeet story about Old Man — Napi — who saw berries reflected in a stream and kept diving in to grab them. Every time he came up empty, he saw them again, dove deeper, tied rocks to his legs, nearly drowned. Finally he crawled to shore, looked up,…... Click for more

NativeAudio In the Water Reflector

Chase Bliss Bad Mood

The MOOD MKII, released a couple years back, became one of those pedals people either bonded with immediately or spent months trying to figure out. The Chase Bliss BAD MOOD is the third pedal in the company's Small Batch Bliss collection — a limited-run, made-to-order special edition that takes the…... Click for more

Chase Bliss Bad Mood

Klowra Limbo Stereo Reverb

Part of a series of pedals we previewed at NAMM 2025 (see bottom video), the Klowra Limbo Reverb is a studio-grade stereo reverb pedal featuring nine high-quality algorithms, from realistic rooms and classic plates/springs to ethereal, otherworldly textures. Designed for versatility, it combines deep parameter control with dynamic expression options,…... Click for more

Klowra Limbo Stereo Reverb

New Pedal: Death By Audio & Rainger FX Amp Crash

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…... Click for more

New Pedal: Death By Audio & Rainger FX Amp Crash

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…... Click for more

New Pedal: Empty Head Effects Seafarer Reverb

Walrus Audio Lüm Granular Reverb

Walrus Audio took three of their most interesting pedals — the Slö, Lore, and Fable — threw them in a blender, and came out with something that's earned its own permanent spot on the roster. The Walrus Audio Lüm is a granular reverb that doesn't just wash your signal in…... Click for more

Walrus Audio Lüm Granular Reverb

Milkman Sound Benson The Amp

For years, players have coveted the rich, responsive tones of Benson amplifiers. Now, in a landmark collaboration with Milkman Sound, that coveted sound is available in its most versatile form yet: Milkman Sound Benson The Amp. This hand-built unit places the exact signature preamp from Chris Benson's legendary Chimera and…... Click for more

Milkman Sound Benson The Amp

New Pedal: Hungry Robot The Stargazer Dual Ambient Reverb

Hungry Robot has been quietly rebuilding its lineup this year. First came the Moby Dick tape delay. Now comes the new Stargazer, a dual-channel ambient reverb that takes the bones of the 2014 original and gives it a serious update. The original Stargazer was a simple dual-preset reverb. Two channels,…... Click for more

New Pedal: Hungry Robot The Stargazer Dual Ambient Reverb

Strymon El Capistan V2 Tape Delay

The Strymon El Capistan is a lush stereo emulation of a vintage Tape Echo device, in a cleverly simple box. It offers three Tape modes emulating different reading head configurations (Fixed, Multi and Single) and three ways to slightly tweak each one of them. Separate controls for Tape Age and…... Click for more

Strymon El Capistan V2 Tape Delay