End of September Pedal-Chain Update - Episode VIII - Starry Eyed Surprise

This slot is actually one of those in the heaviest rotation - with a large number of understudies here including - the Meris Hedra, DigiTech The Drop and Whammy Ricochet, Dr Scientist BitQuest, Mu-Tron Octavider, and TC Electronic Brainwaves, *Ditto+, Sub 'N Up, and Quintessence.

For now the Boss OC-5 is pride of place, but I see the Meris Hedra hewing back into principal position before too long. The Hedra will likely be the main choice with the OC-5 as most immediate alternative, while I'm also looking to acquire an EHX Pitch Fork+ for sometime rotation here too - likely equal understudy with the OC-5. The slot has actually shifted, as I previously has the Synth slot at #2 and Octaver, Pitch-Shifter etc. at #3, but it really makes more sense this way around.

I thought I'd best touch on slot #4 here as I'm rotating in the Fulltone Wahfull quite a lot these days for my principal Mick Ronson effect. Otherwise the Dr Scientist Dusk Dynamic Filter very much rules the roost, and when I'm feeling lazy - I just use that in conjunction with an octave or MKI style fuzz for my Ronno tones!

My two new Custom Expresso FX Dual Pedals are still seeing a lot of action here, as are the new for me KMA Fuzzly Bear and Minos Fuzz arrivals. While since the Toneczar OTP fuzz arrived, I've decided to bring the Toneczar Vault back into play too. This is a fantastic dense multi-texture fuzz which has great sort of blooming Super Fuzz style harmonics - but typically tighter, and to my ears at least also best or most nearly replicates the key tones of the Pete Cornish NG-3. In any case a superbly controllable and versatile High Gain / High-Texture fuzz!

You can read my September 8th review for the full-picture. I really love this very distinct overdrive which combines sparkling high frequencies with a beautifully elegant Muff-style long-tail sustain - which can still be cleaned up by the guitar volume dial. It has a very distinct timbre which is not apparent in any of my other overdrives and is very reminiscent of the unique character I first heard in Pete Cornish's CC-1 Overdrive. I've stated recently that I've gained new-found respect for Baxandall Active EQ's and the combination of High and Low Controls with Hi-Cut actually works really well and combines fantastically to delivery all manner of tones - as indicated in the article. It obviously has no fuzz voicing nor Parametric Mids or even in fact any Mids Control of any sort - while it still has near the same flexibility on different overdrive styles as does the Automatone Preamp MKII. For me they are beautifully compatible as a complementary pair - with between them should be able to cover most things. Not that I also have no intention on releasing my Kondo, Keeley Blues Driver of Jackson Audio Golden Boy or ThorpyFX Peacekeeper even - each of those has distinct tonalities and characters which I very much like - so while I see both the Automatone and Daily Driver as versatile all-rounders - they don't cover everything, and not necessarily to my own specific preferred timbres!

Boy is this slot seeing a lot of action - and the Vick Audio V-2 is already arrived for its turn, while I'm still very much loving the Buffalo FX Evolution and Patriot MKII as well as the EDQ Life Pedal V2 and Demon Pedals Parvati - amongst others. For now though my new Toneczar OTP BMP-style fuzz reigns supreme with its 3 different Gain/Sustain/Tightness modes. This pedal with its 4-Band Active EQ really does cover every type of Big Muff in the most musical way - right from ultra-smooth Black Russian style to more edgy and aggressive Violet Ram's Head and Triangle styles. The 18V power requirement gives it extra headroom and smoothness / sustain. And while plenty aggressive enough - I still have some 9V slightly more brutal sounding examples. If you're looking for one Muff pedal to rule them all - then this is undoubtedly that. I'm currently also in the process of acquiring all of Mike Vickery's Big Muffs - which means I will soon enough have all the EHX re-issues in modified format, along all the Vick Audio classics too - which is just a fantastic essential benchmark reference for that style of Fuzz.

I really could not be happier with the El Guapo - which lives up to every expectation - even though I foolishly forgot about the Presence knob in the beginning. I was thinking it didn't quite have the level / nuance of sizzle that my long-term champ the MI Effects Super Crunch Box V2 had. Of course I soon realised the error of my ways when I spotted the Presence knob and adjusted the core voicing exactly to my ideal preference. My favourite core JCM800 Mode is the Amber Guv'nor - but all 4 are great really and have their uses. On the Plexi Channel my facourite solo variety is the Blue Hot Rodded Plexi voicing - while the Green Screamer Mode combines best for accentuating the JCM800 distortion. So most of the time I deploy both sites together as Amber + Green. When I wish to utilise both sides properly independently and in combination in the easiest and most effective fashion - then it's a matter of combining Amber with Blue - that being my favourite solo Plexi voicing!

My typical High Gain slots are #23-#26 usually in increasing increments in gain assault - while this year their use has become slightly more freeform - with the Redbeard Honey Badger Sub-Octave Fuzz taking up a fairly substantial residence on #23. The Boss OD-200 going in on #25 in place of the MI Effects Megalith Delta, the Redbeard Red Mist MKIV pretty permanent on #26 - and the Toneczar Openhaus EQ Distortion feted to go in on the #24 slot in November. I've decided that with its 6-band Active EQ and 3 Gain Modes that this is my ideal Djent machine really - for those Mesa Rectifier and Diezel VH4 style tones. There is of course quite a lot happening in November - so I really hope I can make this happen - as it wound round out that selection nicely. I've also been considering the KSR Ceres in that role - but have decided that the Openhaus will likely suit me best - in combination with my other active pedals in that section.

This (Strymon NightSky) was really the biggest surprise for me this month and triggered some pretty weighty decision-making as I had been sort of holding out for the V2 Specular Tempus for whenever that is likely to materialise (possibly some time next year). I've also considerably warmed to the CBA Automatone CXM 1978 which I first considered a little over-large. In fact the NightSky is also a little over-large for my preferences, but I just love its unique building-block approach to building your own Reverb/s. I still dislike the system of presets which is a clunky hangover from the Volante, while I really love everything else and have been completely won over by this. October is my birthday month, and I'm not aware of many / any other killer significant releases in the month of October - so it will for sure happen fairly soon.