NAMM 2017: Electro-Harmonix Blurst
It was the best of times, it was the Blurst of times...
Electro-Harmonix have announced a brand new modulated filter, the Blurst.
Described as a radical modulating filter, the Blurst takes its inspiration from an effect often used on synthesizers, but with some features that make it especially suitable for guitar players and bassists who want to explore new sonic territory.
Featuring an analog, low pass filter with adjustable resonance, three modulation waveform shapes, tap tempo with tap divide and EXP control over Range, Rate or Filter, the Blurst offers a huge range of out-there tones.
Designed with experimental musicians in mind, the Blurst works with an expression pedal, the EHX 8-Step Program and other control voltage sources. Check out EHX's demo to head exactly what it can do!
NAMM 2017: Mad Professor Effects unveil the Twimble
Mad Professor Effects announce The Twimble!
As the countdown to NAMM 2017 continues Mad Professor grace us with the unveiling of their wonderful new, completely genius Twimble Overdrive/Predrive.
In the words of Mad Professor their new wonder pedal lets you to be the foundation of the tone. With Twimble pedal your picking attack, your guitar and the pickups you have chosen will retain their character, keeping your valuable original sonic footprint intact.
Designed for those who want their tone 'organic', the Twimble has two separate footswitchable functions the first is the predrive; designed specifically to work with your amplifier tone and guitar volume control, to bring out the best in your overall sound. Think of the predrive as a subtle but delicious pallet sweetener before the main event of the drive.
The Twimble drive function offers some brilliantly unique controls to make sure you get the best out of this pedal. The Accent control allows you to pan through frequency sweet spots so you can focus your drive harmonics on the exact area of your tone that you want. The sensitivity function controls the amount of gain, and the contour function allows you to further modify the overall tone of your output signal.
COULD THERE BE ANY MORE TONE SHAPING!!!!!
A brilliant pedal by a brilliant effects company, fresh and ready for an awesome NAMM 2017!
TC Electronic announce 13 new pedals
Thirteen new pedals all under £50? TC are on fire right now!
It’s easy to forget that it was only six years ago that TC Electronic exploded into the mainstream pedal market with the release of their first run of compact pedals. With three drive / distortions plus a delay, chorus, reverb, vibrato and flanger, they brought out an entire pedalboard in one hit and it really made us all sit up straight and go “hang on, what?”. TC appeared to be mounting a real challenge and they were looking Boss / MXR / Electro-Harmonix straight in the eye. This was some proper Game of Thrones stuff and left us intrigued to see where things would go next.
Over the years, TC have brought out compacts for almost every style of effect going. But not only that, they’ve constantly brought out cool and interesting pedals to go alongside the core line (the Triple Delay and the Alter Ego were particular favourites here at GNHQ).
Fast forward to 2016 and an even bigger shakeup to the range. Earlier this year it was announced that Music Group had bought TC Electronic. As they also owned Behringer, I think a lot of people were expecting TC to release some more “budget” pedals, but I don’t think anybody was expecting this announcement. And what an announcement it is too! Thirteen pedals all topping out each under £50!
EchoBrain Analog Delay
The first thing anybody should notice here is the fact that this delay contains a Bucket Brigade chip; a firm sign of quality for any analogue delay. This has fairly simple controls; a wet/dry blend ‘Mix’ control, plus the regulation ‘Time’ and ‘Repeats’ you’d expect on an analogue delay. With up to 300ms of delay, this pedal offers versatility alongside bags of vibe and cool. Definite one to watch.
Afterglow Analogue Chorus
On the subject on Bucket Brigade chips, you’ll also find them in the Afterglow Chorus! A fairly standard set-up of wet/dry ‘Mix’ plus ‘Rate’ and ‘Depth’. Those chips really sound so earthy and lush. Simplicity is the key here.
Thunderstorm Analogue Flanger
The Thunderstorm also has a neat Bucket Brigade set up. Along with the standard ‘Rate’ and ‘Depth’ controls, you also have ‘Manual’ which controls the centre delay point of the effect, and an active ‘Feedback’ control. The the ‘Feedback’ to the left and you’ll find yourself with glitchy extreme flange sounds, turn right and you’ll be surrounded by a warm, dark resonance. If you leave the control in the centre your effect is more natural sounding. A very cool couple features.
Tailspin Analogue Vibrato
The final Bucket Brigade pedal in the lineup is a nice, simple analogue Vibrato. With just ‘Rate’ and ‘Depth’ here, TC are letting that chip do the talking and for me, I think that’s the right decision. I can see the Tailspin giving the Shaker a right run for its money.
Blood Moon Phaser
OK this sounds absolutely fantastic. Another fairly simple design with ‘Rate’ and ‘Depth’, but with a nice ‘Feedback’ control that allows you to reroute part of the signal of the four-step filter back into the circuit (literally feeding the signal back to the start) to open up a chasm of phase. A really lovely budget phaser.
Rush Analogue Booster
I’m always a little bit skeptical about any pedals that claim to be “clean” boosts. The TC Spark Booster has always been marketed as a “Clean Boost” which I’ve never really understood. Personally I think it’s a great clean *overdrive*, but it adds too much gain for it to be a clean boost. Really keen to see how this one sounds, but all the samples TC have published so far don’t show a transition between on and off. Jury’s out on this one.
Cinders Analogue Overdrive
Regular listeners to the Guitar Nerds podcast will know we’ve always had a huge soft spot for the transparent Mojo Mojo overdrive so this has a lot to measure up to. Simple controls in ‘Tone’, ‘Volume’ and ‘Drive’ offer a familiar set-up and I have to say those preliminary demos sound really promising!
Grand Megus Distortion
In a similar way to how TC handled their initial range of gain pedals (gain, gainier, gainiest), they’ve done the same here. The Grand Megus takes it up a notch at the expense of a bit of transparency from your sound. Everyone is after that “amp in a box” sound right now, and if you want to get that “up to 11” sound at a budget, you could do worse than look at the Grand Megus.
Fangs Metal Distortion
My word, there’s nothing subtle about this one is there? The thing that’ll set the Fangs aside from other Metal pedals is the mid-switch that allows three mid-shaping options that essentially cut from fierce high-mids through to a harsh scooped V sound. You still have full control over bass and treble frequencies plus your gain and volume with standalone knobs. It certainly looks the part too!
Rusty Fuzz
As it’s based on the iconic Silicone Fuzz Face you should know roughly what you’re expecting here. Raw, gated fuzz in a pedalboard-friendly housing. Dynamics are the name of the game here.
Forcefield Analogue Compressor
Like Boost, Compression is another effect that you really need to hear in context to the dry sound to know what you’re getting here. By the sounds of the initial demos, this is more centred around vintage compression rather than a glassy rack compressor. Compression is an effect that TC have done really well in recent years (the HyperGravity was a real surprise for us!), so I’m willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt for the time being!
Skysurfer Reverb
Until the Hall of Fame came along and ruined the party, the EHX Holy Grail really had the compact Reverb market sewn up. Nowadays you’re far more likely to see one of those now iconic firetruck red chassis on your mate’s pedalboard than the old stalwart, so we know TC have form with Reverb. The Skysurfer (I wonder where the idea for the name came from?) offers just the three core reverb sounds in ‘Hall’, ‘Spring’ and ‘Plate’, and the controls may seem a little backwards at first, but I think this is a cool set-up. The ‘Reverb’ knob controls the length of the effect whilst the “Mix” control is actually more of an effect volume, as opposed to a wet/dry blend. I think this could easily become a go-to for people after a more subtle reverb rather than the more extreme splashy verbs that have become popular in recent years.
The Prophet Digital Delay
This is inevitably going to get compared to its older sibling in the Flashback and I think that it does stand up to it as long as you bare in mind you’ve only got the one algorithm in there. Like the Skysurfer, the ‘Mix’ control allows you to adjust the volume of the effect as opposed to a wet/dry blend, which I think it quite a neat little control. You have a three-way micro switch to cut between three options for the subdivisions plus ‘Time’ and ‘Repeat’ knobs. This sounds great!
So there we have it. Thirteen new budget-friendly TC Electronic pedals. It’s worth noting that all of these are True Bypass, and more excitingly they all boast increasingly popular top-mounted jacks. These pedals have certainly been designed for people looking to put together a budget-friendly pedalboard and, honestly (and surprisingly?), there are some pretty great sounding pedals in the range. For me, the standouts are the Echobrain, the Afterglow and The Prophet and I’m really looking forward to spending some time with these to see whether any can live up to the classic TC compacts and become household names.
BOSS announce GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor
BOSS introduce a new portable powerhouse multi-effects unit
BOSS have announced a brand new addition to their effects line up, the GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor, a compact multi-effects unit driven by the flagship GT-series engine. With a huge selection of amps and effects, the GT-1 offers a light, portable package with with a streamlined interface for quick and easy sound creation.
Adopting a sound engine derived from the flagship GT-100, the GT-1 includes staple overdrive/distortions, choruses and delays, and BOSS' own cutting-edge MDP effects. Numerous COSM amps are also included, as well as a looper for enhancing solo playing sessions.
The modern design of the GT-1 makes it easy to slip in a guitar bag accessory pouch and the option of AC or battery power delivers mobile flexibility for performing and practicing anywhere. Up to seven hours of battery life from four AA-size batteries makes the GT-1 a serious contender for the most powerful mobile multi-effects ever.
A straightforward interface, means that the GT-1 is simple to use for both beginners and effects enthusiasts alike. The Easy Select function allows users to quickly find patches by genre, distortion, or effect type, while Easy Edit lets them tweak drive, modulation, and echo tones to perfection with little effort. Coupled with the free patch collections available from the BOSS Tone Central website, the GT-1 has all your effects covered.
The GT-1 supports USB connectivity, allowing users to record and re-amp tones with DAW software and interface with BOSS Tone Central and BOSS Tone Studio.
BOSS GT-1 Features:
- Flagship-class BOSS sound engine squeezed into a light and compact floor unit
- Modern design with no hard edges enables safe transport in a guitar bag
- Easy Select and Easy Edit functions for quickly choosing and tweaking patches
- Four AA batteries provide up to seven hours of playing time for busking and mobile gigs
- Onboard control switch and expression pedal; footswitch/expression pedal jack and USB
- Download ready-to- play pro patches for free at BOSS Tone Central
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Black Cat Monster K-Fuzz
This USA-built fuzz offers vintage and hotrodded tones.
Veteran pedal builder Black Cat Pedals has announced the Monster K-Fuzz stompbox, the latest edition of their uniquely hotrodded version of the '60s Kay Fuzztone. The new Monster K-Fuzz stompbox boasts all the bells and whistles features of previous version in a pedalboard friendly enclosure at a more affordable price.
The Monster K-Fuzz controls can be set to go anywhere from a vintage Kay to a fire breathing monster fuzz. Expression pedal control of the Fuzz Frequency allows the same functionality as the former treadle based versions. And with a look that pays tribute to the '60s original, the Black Cat Monster K-Fuzz is the ultimate evolution of the Kay Fuzztone.
Features:
- Expression pedal control of the Fuzz Frequency
- 3-way toggle switches for Clipping and Voicing
- Input Gain adjustment control
- "Pedalboard friendly" stompbox enclosure
- 3PDT true-bypass switch and Switchcraft jacks
- Premium quality through-hole components
- Hand-built in the USA
The Black Cat Monster K-Fuzz stompbox retails for $195. Check out Black Cat's website for more info.
Empress Effects announce Reverb pedal
Empress Effects' new reverb combines classic and ambient sounds with maximum connectivity.
After over 5 years of research and development, Empress Effects has released its new Reverb pedal.
Realistic simulations of spaces, as well as never-before-heard surreal ambiances are represented with stunning sound quality. Sporting stereo ins and outs, a small footprint and all the controls at your finger-tips, it strikes the perfect balance of control and ease of use, avoiding laborious menus. Presets, the versatile control port, and MIDI open up a world of possibilities for live performances.
FEATURES
- 24 studio quality algorithms and counting - The pedal has 12 algorithm types, some include multiple variations. For example, vintage and studio plate, dark and bright springs. Also, as more algorithms get added you can update your pedal via the SD Card.
- Classic Sounds - pristine sounding classic hall, plate, spring and room sounds.
- Ambient Sounds - A complete palette of tweak-able ambient sounds that offer the creative player so much territory to explore and make their own.
- Tap Functions - many algorithms have infinite hold settings or the ability to tap in delay time.
- Low Noise signal path - Features a signal to noise ratio of >104dB and maintains an analog dry path.
- Up to 35 Presets - Settings can be saved to 35 presets. With three stomp switches, accessing the presets is easy.
- 2 Preset Modes - Bank style or scrolling style preset modes.
- True Bypass and Buffered Bypass - It can be configured to run with true bypass or buffered bypass if you want to hear trails.
- Cabinet Simulator - 3 variations to choose from, perfect for recording, practicing or for gigs without an amp.
- Output Transformer - Get hum-free operation when operating in stereo with two amps. Output 2 is isolated with a transformer to eliminate nasty ground loops
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Reverb is available now for $449 (US).
Capture The Songs In Your Head With TC Electronics
TC Electronics introduce a pedal to capture all your ideas from conception to completion.
Another day, another new arrival from TC Electronics, and not just any arrival, something completely new, innovative, and very modern.
Introducing the TC Electronics Wiretap Riff Recorder! But, what's that you say? Yes, they do already make a looper, this isn't a looper....it's a riff recorder.
Crammed into the same chassis as the now legendary Ditto Looper, the Wiretap is a pedal aimed at songwriters everywhere. Complete with it's own phone app, the pedal can record up to 8 hours of prime jamming into its built in memory, so that 'million dollar' riff will never be lost again.
The App allows you to sync the pedal with your phone and import all your riffs, so you can send them to band mates or recall them later to write along to. TC have really thought this through to the Nth degree - the app even suggests random song titles for your jams to avoid filling your phone with 'untitled 1' 'untitled 2' etc.
So with a footprint small enough not to sacrifice a pedal space on your board you can now make sure all your parts are professionally recorded for reference, making the distance from conception to polished club banger a little shorter.
