Fredric Effects announce Utility Perkolator MkII
A classic Harmonic Perkolator with some unique new features.
The Utility Perkolator based the fabled Interfax Harmonic Percolator from the 1970s. The Harmonic Percolator is a simple yet fascinating circuit which readily lends itself to tweaking and improvement. Fredric Effects already build a faithfully vintage correct version of the Harmonic Percolator, however the Utility Perkolator takes this circuit in another direction. Using higher gain, lower leakage Russian Germanium transistors, and a low pass filter which only removes the high-end hisses and glitches associated with the HP, the Utility Perkolator has a considerably lower noise floor. The result is a tighter and more controllable effect which is still capable of producing the classic Harmonic Percolator sound.
The Utility Perkolator MkII is available in attractive 'cold war cream' with two colour black/metallic silver screen printed artwork featuring the Berlin TV Tower for £95 RRP.
Check out Fredric Effects' demo below:
About Fredric Effects
Based in North London, Fredric Effects has grown in the last five years to become one of the best regarded UK effects manufacturers. They build high quality handmade boutique pedals at realistic prices working musicians can afford. Fredric Effects pedals have found their way onto the pedal boards of many well-known and ground-breaking guitarists and bassists around the world.
See more at:
http://www.fredric.co.uk/utility-perkolator
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Jam Pedals Delay Llama Supreme
Jam Pedals' new delay offers some seriously different sounds.
Jam pedals have always been a source of interesting, unique and beautifully presented effects, and so it is the case here with their latest addition at Summer NAMM 2016; introducing the Delay Llama Supreme.
A souped up version of their successful Delay Llama pedal, the supreme adds a load of cool features; a Note-Divide control, two expression in's for delay level and delay time, and a modulation switch.
With such an entourage of wacky features, the Delay Llama could be an essential addition for all players looking for a delay with a twist.
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Supro 1600 Supreme 6V6 amp
Supro's tribute to Keef will start you up!
Supro USA has announced the 1600 Supreme, an all-tube tribute to rock guitar icon Keith Richards. This historic replica sees the return of the Chicago-made 1x10 amplifier used extensively by the Rolling Stones guitarists throughout decades of rock and roll hits.
With ample headroom for use with pedals and plenty of volume on tap for playing live, the new Supro 1600 Supreme carries on this legacy as the the no-frills, grab-and-go amplifier. From warm jazz and clean country twang to dirty blues and hard rock, the Supreme projects loud, clear, punchy tone, with unrivaled clarity, touch dynamics and low noise floor---even when pushed into glorious 6V6 power-tube overdrive.
The legendary Supro preamp found in the 1600 Supreme features a pair of parallel gain stages fed into a shared tone knob. This versatile, dual-input preamp allows two instruments to share the same combo amplifier, as well as providing the convenient option of plugging a single instrument into IN1+2, for double the gain. The two inputs can also be used with an A/B or A/B/Y switch to accomplish channel switching for both clean and dirty tones with one guitar.
Features:
- 1959 Vintage Supro Cosmetics and Circuitry
- 2 Channels with Parallel Link and shared tone control
- 25 Watts Cathode-Bias "Class-A" Power Amp
- Ample headroom for live performance with pedals
- 1×10" Custom Voiced Supro BD10 speaker
- EXT Speaker jack for matching extension cabinet
- 3x JJ 12AX7 preamp tubes
- 2x JJ 6V6 power tubes
- Gold Faceplate
- Black Rhino Hide Tolex
- 17 5/8" x 7 1/2" x 15 1/2"
- 33.6 lbs / 15.3 kg
- Assembled in NY, USA
Check out Supro's demo of the new 1600 Supreme below:
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro
Awesome compression in a pedalboard-friendly format!
Pigtronix have announced a brand new addition to their range of guitar effects pedals, the Philosopher's Tone Micro.
The original Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone is known for its noiseless clean sustain, and the new micro version is no different. Ushering in a new generation of futuristic analog technology, the Philosopher's Tone Micro delivers all of the parallel optical compression and unrivaled sustain of the original award-winning Pigtronix pedal in a micro-size chassis that runs on standard 9V external power.
In addition to VOLUME and SUSTAIN controls, the Philosopher's Tone Micro features a parallel BLEND knob that allows the musician to mix their instrument's original tone with the compressed sound effect. This technique restores natural pick-attack and allows more extreme sustain settings to remain musical. The TREBLE control provides up to 6db cut or boost at 2KHz for fine-tuning the frequency response of the effect. The Philosopher's Tone Micro features true-bypass switching and 9V operation, with internal 18V power rails for maximum clean headroom, even when used with hot pickups and line-level signals.
Features:
- Noiseless Clean Sustain
- Blend control for Parallel Compression
- Treble EQ for Boost or Cut at 2kHz
- Runs on standard 9V external power
- Internal 18V power for max headroom
- True Bypass switching
- Size = 3.75" x 1.5" x 1.75"
Check out Paul Gilbert's demo of the Philosopher's Tone Micro below:
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Hungry Robot Starlite V2
The latest update to the Starlite adds some great new features.
Hungry Robot have announced a brand new update to their Starlite reverb.
The original Starlite was the world's 1st modulated reverb with tap tempo controlled rate. The release of this pedal marked a giant leap forward in the world of time-based effects. Version 2 adds an updated LFO for smoother modulation and quieter operation and a new knob that controls LFO Ramp Up/Ramp Down.
The Starlite is an offshoot of Hungry Robot's popular Stargazer reverb, known for being an extremely musical reverb, and features an atmospheric, present reverb with the same self-oscillation capabilities. The addition of thick, pulsating modulation makes The Starlite the ultimate ambient experience.
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Boss Waza Craft CE-2w
The latest Waza Craft pedal brings multiple flavours of classic chorus tones.
Boss have announced a brand new addition to their Waza Craft line, the CE-2w Chorus. With a default sound based on the original 1979 CE-2 Chorus the Waza Craft model adds an expansive new sound field with stereo output, which was unavailable in the mono CE-2. An additional CE-1 mode fully reproduces the stereo chorus and vibrato sounds of the legendary CE-1, with the addition of variable chorus depth not available in the original pedal. To commemorate the birth of BOSS effects, the CE-2W is made exclusively in Japan, just as the original CE-1 and CE-2 were.
Boss Waza Craft CE-w Features:
• Special edition Waza Craft pedal delivers the ultimate BOSS tone experience
• Standard mode provides a perfect reproduction of the legendary CE-2 sound
• CE-1 mode features chorus and vibrato, authentically reproducing the two stereo sound modes in the world’s first chorus pedal
• Includes new sounds not available in the original pedals, including CE-2 stereo output and variable depth for CE-1 chorus sounds
• Rate and Depth knobs provide fine sound adjustment in both pedal modes
• Premium all-analog circuitry with bucket-brigade (BBD) delay line
• Made in Japan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of BOSS effects
• BOSS five-year warranty
Check out Boss' demo of the CE-2w:
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Reverend JW-1 Jenn Wasner Signature Model
Reverend win the award for the most eye-catching guitar at Summer NAMM 2016.
Looking for a guitar to help you stand out from the crowd? Then Reverend have the guitar for you at Summer NAMM 2016.
Jenn Wasner, of Wye Oak, Flock of Dimes, and Dungeonesse, has been playing Reverend Guitars since a friend showed her the Charger HB – the dynamo of the line with humbucker power that creates big, clear tones. When Reverend CEO Ken Haas reached out to her about building the Reverend Jenn Wasner Signature JW-1, she suggested something to match her April Camlin designed outfits that she wears on stage and that inform much of the visual aesthetic of her upcoming Flock of Dimes debut LP. Ken, who is always looking for something new and creative, agreed.
April is a Baltimore-based textile artist who designed a pattern called “Optic Interruption.” She adaptedit for the project, and Reverend designer Joe Naylor matched it to the Charger HB-style guitar. The visual effect is as dynamic as the sound.
Specifications:
- Classic H humbuckers specially designed for a balanced volume and tone when switching.
- 25.5” scale maple neck adds clarity to the tone.
- Body graphic of textile artist April Camlin’s “Optic Interruption,” while the back and sides are Midnight Black to highlight the pattern.
- Korina body
- Graphite nut
- Locking tuners
- Reverend’s Bass Contour Control
- Dual-action truss rod
See more at www.reverendguitars.com
Summer NAMM 2016: Outlaw Effects introduces four new pedals
These compact pedals could solve all of your pedalboard woes.
Micro effects pedal company Outlaw Effects has introduced two new power supplies and two new micro pedals.
The Power Supplies
The Kerosene (MSRP: $79.00) micro power supply helps users streamline their pedal boards by eliminating individual power cords/wall adapters. With eight 9V DC outputs each offering 300mA of current, and 2000mA of overall output, Kerosene has plenty of fuel to burn.
The Iron Horse (MSRP: $89.00) tuner/power supply features eight 9V DC outputs, two of which offer 500mA and the other six providing 100mA. The integrated tuner boasts a large 1 5/8" x 1 1/8" easy-to-read LCD display. Your signal is muted when tuning, and True Bypass switching retains the purity of your signal when the tuner is not in use.
Kerosene and Iron Horse each include eight 550mm DC connector cables, allowing the user to power a wide assortment of pedals and two 200mm polarity converter cables, making it possible to power pedals that require a positive-center.
The Pedals
The Lasso Looper (MSRP: $99.00) is a compact-sized 24 bit, 44kHz looping pedal lets you build multiple layers of guitar sound into rich sonic creations. Lasso Looper features a generous 10 minutes of recording time and unlimited overdubs, and allows users to record, playback, overdub, stop and delete all at the touch of a single, easy-to-use footswitch.
The Six Shooter II (MSRP: $45.00), is a new and improved version of the company's popular Six Shooter tuner pedal. This precision, compact-sized chromatic tuner is suitable for a wide range of instruments. The Six Shooter II features a quicker response time and more accuracy than its predecessor, and boasts a larger LCD screen (1 3/16" x 2").
Xvive announce two new Thomas Blug signature pedals
The two new signature pedals offer a variety of rock tones.
Xvive's range of compact pedals continues to grow with two new signature pedals from German guitar virtuoso Thomas Blug.
The Sweet Leo overdrive allows the player to blend a cleaner, more elegant overdrive tone with shimmering high end redolent of a iconic Class A valve amplifier. Crank up the Drive and Growl controls you have an instant dirty overdriven ‘tweed’ amp sound. Designer Thomas Blug describes the range of sounds as “clean, transparent vintage tones and anything in between".
The DynaRock is an open dynamic and warm pedal that comes close to the natural tone of tube amplification. With tons of punch and dynamic expression for classic rock tones, the DynaRock has classic gain with real tubelike dynamics.
Both are available now for £59.99
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).
Review: D'Addario NS Micro Tuner
This neat little tuner overs accuracy in a discrete format.
In the world of "who can make the smallest / brightest / lightest / most accurate / etc clip-on headstock tuner?", the D'Addario NS Micro Soundhole Tuner offers a rare genuine alternative with some neat innovation.
If you want to talk about heritage, let's talk about the name. The "NS" stands for Ned Steinberger, who famously brought the world of headless guitars into the mainstream and who has been working with Jim D'Addario to put together a range of guitar accessories.
The tuner is small and light. Initially I thought it would get in the way of my strumming hand, but as the tuner can hide away in the soundhole so snugly you never need to worry about it. The buttons are maybe a little fiddly to work with on the fly, but I think that is offset by how discrete the tuner is (and let's face it, nobody looks cool rocking out with a headstock tuner attached).
Fully chromatic, the tuner had no problem taking my Taylor Baby from DADGAD through to standard tuning and back down to my preferred half step down tuning. As with any tuner worth it's salt you can adjust the calibration, but most people won't need to deviate away from 440.
One concern I had when I first took the tuner out the box was the lack of battery cover, as the battery looks rather exposed. Once attached to the guitar, however, the underside of the soundboard keeps everything safe and sound where it needs to be.
D'Addario claim that by attaching the piezo directly to the soundboard of the guitar, you get a far more accurate reading. So if you're after discrete, accurate tuning, this is for you!
7/10 - Jay
Podcast Episode 58: Radiohead in Stereo (Video)
This week, we discuss the new TC Electronic Wiretap Riff Recorder, Radiohead's live setup and stereo rigs.
This week, we discuss the new TC Electronic Wiretap Riff Recorder, Radiohead's live setup and stereo rigs.
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.
Gretsch release loads of new Players models for NAMM 2017!
Victory's new models are natural evolutions of their award-winning amplifiers.
There's cool, and then there's Tony Iommi cool...
PRS unveil the new and totally incredible sounding J-MOD, John Mayer signature amplifier!
Ibanez doing 'mini' properly
This year Ibanez have expanded their mini pedal range from the simple, but brilliant Tube Screamer Mini to now include a Chorus, Metal and gloriously a Delay.
Parent and child
Based on the Ibanez AD-9 the Analog Delay Mini offers you all the qualities of an incredibly high spec delay in a tiny package. Still made in Japan the Mini Delay is a great example of tiny pedals done well. The market has become flooded with cheap mini pedals that offer space saving at the expense of tone, this is no such pedal. Heavy weight and high quality, when put side by side against its older sibling there is little difference, which is astounding! The AD-9 is nearly £200 and with good reason, for years the AD-9 has been the bench mark for Analog delays...the mini by comparison is £70!?! A remarkable price!
so what is everyone waiting for? We've all got a tiny bit of room on our board that we could fill up, and what better way to do it than with a tiny, brilliant, legendary analog delay.
TC Electronic announces Sub 'N' Up Octaver
TC Electronic's latest Toneprint pedal brings high performance to the pitch pack.
TC Electronic have announced a brand new pitch manipulating stompbox, the Sub 'N' Up Octaver.
Featuring TC's own next generation octave-engine and individual blend controls for dry, octave up and two sub-octaves, the Sub 'N' Up is designed to deliver flawless octave tones whether you're playing complex chords or single-note lines. As with the rest of the Toneprint series, the Sub 'N' Up allows the user to connect to an editor for further customisation, in this case, adding modulation to the mix.
TC Electronic Sub 'N' Up Features:
- Next generation octave-engine - for flawless polyphonic tracking
- Classic monophonic octaver - cool old-school octaver tones
- TonePrint Editor w. Modulation - for otherworldly octave tones
- TonePrint enabled
- True Bypass
- Compact design
- 9V/100mA
- High quality components
- Road-ready design
Check out TC Electronic's demo below:
Pedal Of The Week: CAST Engineering Casper Delay
This digital delay delivers some seriously analog vibes.
This new digital delay is definitely friendly, but does it have the capacity to be spooky?
Pedal Of The Week: Jonny Rock Gear Dino Range
Matt checks out this awesome compressor.
This week, Matt checks out the Jonny Rock Gear Dino Range compressor.
Kleissonic announce the Lucid fuzz
This extremely versatile fuzz is designed to be responsive to your guitar's volume control.
Kleissonic Boutique Pedals have announced the Lucid, an extremely versatile fuzz pedal
The Lucid features just two controls, Volume and Harmonics, with the Harmonics knob adjusting the harmonic consistency and range of the signal and the Volume knob controlling the overall output.
Designed to be responsive to the player's volume control, the Lucid cleans up nicely when you turn it down and doesn't get lost in the mix when it's cranked. The tone control of the guitar is also very effective and it doesn't get lost in the gain stages.
Kleissonic Lucid Features:
• True Bypass
• Input impedance: 3,8MOhm
• Output impedance: 9,5KOhm
• Power: Battery or center negative tip from 9-18 Volts DC
• Low power consumption <2mA at 9VDC.
• Dimensions:111 x 60 x 32 (mm)
• Weight: 270 gr
All Kleissonic Pedals are designed and built in Berlin, Germany. The Lucid carries retail suggested price of 175€ (euros), and can be purchased directly from the Kleissonic online shop at www.kleissonic.com, or by the authorized dealers.
Musikmesse 2016: Digitech Whammy Ricochet and Dirty Robot
Digitech have done it again. Two new pedals that will cause some serious sonic disruption.
Digitech have announced two brand new pedals, the Whammy Ricochet pitch shifter and the Dirty Robot stereo micro synth.
The Whammy Ricochet utilises the Whammy pitch shifting effect and puts in a pedal with a smaller pedalboard footprint. Without the realtime treadle controller, the Ricochet bends the pitch of the incoming note at a rate determined by shift and return controls, allowing the player to bounce their sound up or down in pitch for incredibly unique effects.
With seven pitch selections: 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, Octave, Double Octave, and Octave+Dry, as well as a toggle to select up or down for the selected pitch, the Whammy Ricochet offers non-latching or latching footswitch modes. An LED display shows the pitch trajectory at all times.
One of our all time favourite pedals at GN towers is Digitech Bass Synth Wah, so when we heard that Digitech were announcing a successor, the Dirty Robot, we all got rather excited.
Containing two synth voices (common envelope-style synthesis and vocal formant synthesis) and seven controls, including mix, modulation, drift, sensitivity, start, stop and time, the Dirty Robot offers the player a huge amount of control, and is capable of producing some incredible analog synth-style tones.
Musikmesse 2016: Boss TU-3S and TU-3W
Boss' new tuners are designed to revolutionise your pedalboard.
Boss have announced two brand new compact tuners at Musikmesse 2016.
Offering the same reliable operation and bulletproof durability as the rest of the Boss compact range, the TU-3S delivers industry-standard performance with a tiny pedalboard footprint. Both the display and tuning functions are identical to the ubiquitous TU-3, and the removal of the on/off switch makes this new model ideal for use with pedal switching systems like the BOSS ES-8 and ES-5.
Boss TU-3S Features:
• 21-segment LED meter with brightness control
• High Brightness mode enhances meter visibility outdoors
• Accu-Pitch Sign function provides visual verification when tuning is complete
• Chromatic and Guitar/Bass modes, with support for 7-string guitars and 6-string basses
• Guitar Flat mode supports “drop” tunings up to six semitones below standard pitch
• Powered by optional PSA-series adapter; DC Out jack for powering up to seven BOSS compact effect pedals via an optional PCS-20A daisy-chain cable
• BOSS five-year warranty
The latest addition to the Waza Craft series, the Boss TU-3W offers the same rock-solid tuning of the industry-standard TU-3. However the TU-3W now features redesigned circuitry with selectable buffered or true-bypass operation and the most transparent audio pass-through available.
Boss TU-3W Features:
• Superior tuning and premium signal buffer in one pedal
• Tuning functions are identical to the industry-standard TU-3
• Refined audio circuitry for exceptionally pure signal pass-through
• Buffer can be turned off for true-bypass operation
• BOSS five-year warranty