Boss's new GX-10 Guitar Effects Processor shrinks down the GX-100 unit to more svelte proportions - while delivering 99% of the same experience
So for circa 30% less outlay, and a 38% saving in footprint - you get mostly the same device as the larger GX-100 unit. The obvious differences are the 5 fewer footswitches, and lack of CTL/EXP and In/Out Settings buttons. You also loose the 5-pin MIDI In & Out - where you need to use the USB port for that instead on the GX-10 Unit.
Other than those few elements we’re mostly talking about the same device - it has the exact same 4.3" LED Touch Screen, and same high fidelity sound engine as ...
Fractal Audio's new VP4 Virtual Pedalboard Multi-FX Processor goes head-to-head with Line 6's Helix HX Effects and Eventide's H90
So Fractal Audio Systems has thrown its hat in the ring with its first non-modelling device / unit - the VP4 Virtual Pedalboard Multi-FX Processor - which is quite a departure for the brand.
It’s obviously gunning for Line 6 and Eventide in particular, but also looking to knock out Boss and Strymon Workstation pedals. It has several of its own advantages, but with a number of caveats too. Overall it’s well priced for what it delivers - but for my own preferences it’s still somewhat over-...
The 10 Pedal Challenge - Mini and Large Enclosure Varieties
So I said I would expand the scope of the 10 Pedal Challenge to Mini and Large Enclosure variants if the original was well received. And in indeed that seems to be the case - with several readers encouraging me in particular to do the Large Pedals Edition.
So of course I’ve done the 2 remaining categories - Mini and Large! The Large Pedals were pretty much all obvious choices really and that board largely suggested itself. It was the Mini Pedals version that took the most cogitation!
It...
The 10 Pedal Challenge!
So a follower on instagram challenged me to shrink my elaborate pedal-chain down to just 10 pedals. My original plan was just to fill a Pedaltrain Nano Max board with 10 compact pedals. But I then decided I should do a Mid-Size variation too, using the Pedaltrain Classic 2 board or thereabouts. I may do further Mini and Large Format editions as a follow-up - depending on how well this article is received!
This was a trickier exercise than you would imagine - as I needed to shuffle through ...
Walrus Audio's Mako Series really comes of age with its extra features and new MKII screen-based control interface
I have always liked the look of the Walrus Audio Mako Series of MI Multi-Modulator, D1 Delay, R1 Reverb and ASC1 Amp Cab and Sim. And feel that these latest changes have really propelled some of these to the top of their respective categories - particularly in terms of Compact Enclosure Editions!
The new control interface is actually remarkably simple and intuitive - the knobs above each of the 3 screen segments allow you to click through different ’pages’ or screen of options - where you ...
Dr Scientist's most popular pedal - the BitQuest Multi-FX-Fuzz gets a Bonus Pack - which massively expands its capabilities
First launched in 2014 - the BitQuest Multi-FX / Multi-FX-Fuzz / Fuzz-Modulator - quickly became Dr Scientist’s most popular and best-selling pedal - and has held the line ever since - despite fierce competition from my other Frazz Dazzler Fuzz favourite! According to Ryan- there are only 2 core models of this pedal - the one which originated in 2014 - which holds all the way through to 2020 - while there are some circuitboard variations along the way too. Before 2020 you first move the Fuzz/...
SpiralCaster Cohen Hartman reveals his 12 all-time favourite pedals
Readers of this site will know that I’ve long admired the extraordinary sound-design talents of Cohen Hartman - who’s best known through his SpiralCaster Plays Pedals YouTube Channel. In my opinion he is one of the very finest pedal demo artists there ever was. He has a way of teasing out some truly unique tones and textures from most pedals - and taking them places where others just don’t or can’t seem to venture.
He did a slew of particularly brilliant demos in the lead up to my February ...
Reference Collection World Odyssey and other notable stats
Apologies that his is a little late - it took and age to research, compile and complete - and is filled with myriad wonderful fun facts - I sincerely hope you enjoy this one - as a whole heap of work has gone into bringing it to you!
So I spent the whole weekend working on updating my pedal inventory records to figure out exactly where I was at with the Reference Collection, the last time I did that exercise was a couple of years ago. I had kind of mentally estimated that I had around 1.300...
Boss announces significant V4 Update for the GT-1000, and V2 Update for the GT-1000 Core - which includes 3 New High Gain Amp Types
I feel I did the definitive write-up of the GT-1000 Core back in January of 2021. The Core stayed on my board from October 2020 through March of 2022 - so I certainly built up a decent knowledge and experience of that pedal. I will never though be one to have the GT-1000 as I prefer individual effects mostly, many of them analogue, with the occasional workstation - while I appreciate the leaps-and-bounds evolution of digital formats.
In the Update release notes much is made of improvements ...
Glou-Glou really impresses by releasing 4 diverse Millisecond-Range Flancher variant Voltage-Controlled Analog BBD Stereo Delay / Modulation Devices - all at the same time
At the end of November last year - I put out an article featuring the two very first full stereo analog bbd delay pedals - The Walrus Audio Meraki, and Flower Pedals Dahlia. Shortly after that went live - my friend Olivier Armbruster of Glou-Glou fame - sent me a message to say that he was working on a number of his own Analog BBD Stereo Delays. And that has now been revealed to be 4 separate units - with 2 minor variants of control topology - featuring different BBD Chips for different Delay ...
