Poly Effects' smart new Ample 56-Amps-in-a-box device delivers the same potent and richly detailed IR-infused experience as first witnessed on its Verbs pedal
In my usual way I’ve poured over the Ample manual several times, and distilled the essentials down into a graphical visual format. This is my most detailed Poly Effects visual to-date with a lot of fine details - including all the Cab variants in the margins.
Same as with the ’Verbs’ - this is an IR-infused approach (specifically Neural Amp Modelling) - where those Classic Amps have been expertly captured and profiled - and rendered in simple but richly textured stereo format. You don’t get...
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 ...
The Battle for the Amp Capture / Profiler Middle-Ground heats up - Neural DSP Nano Cortex vs AmpliTube Tonex
When I first saw a teaser for the Neural DSP Nano Cortex I thought it was an interesting idea - but one that I wouldn’t necessarily get along with. For instance - because the Source Audio compacts offload a lot of the pedal control to the Neuro App - that has entirely managed to put me off those devices - I love the larger One Series pedals - Ventris, Nemesis, Collider and recent Artifakt - which you can entirely run off the surface controls - but I’ve never really gotten on with any of the ...
Universal Audio rolls out its 'Anti' 1992 High Gain Amp Modeller, based on the original Peavey 5150 EVH Amp
So - following on from the Dream (DLX Reverb), Ruby (Vox AC30), Woodrow (Tweed), and Lion (Plexi) Amp Modellers, we now have a UAFX High Gain Modelling Amp - modelled on Eddie Van Halen’s original official amp - the 1992 block logo Peavey 5150 - which is still one of the most used metal distortion amps in its many derivations - including EVH brand, Peavey 5650, and Victory Kraken to name a few.
Controls - Pre Gain [Resonance], Presence [Gate], Output, CAB : UK V30 / CA V30 / White 75, Mode ...
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 ...
GPX Inspired #1 - The Pedalboards of Cyril Demaegd
So this has been on the cards for a while, in fact I needed to get an update of both boards featured here, as the first version I had was almost a year ago now. The idea was always to feature reader’s pedalboards - which had been somewhat noticeably / significantly inspired by this very site.
And I’m delighted that Long-term GPX friend and pedal fan Cyril Demaegd, board game designer / developer (founder of Ystari Games) and touring musician, has been somewhat ’Inspired by GPX’ since December of...
Dave Friedman follows up his excellent 2-Channel Twin Tube IR-X Preamp with the Dirty Shirley / Twin Sister IR-D Equivalent
I covered the IR-X back on September 28th - marking what a rip-roaring success it was - combining an all-analog Twin 12AX7 Tube Preamp with DSP Emulated Power Amp and Cab IR’s.
The control topology of the two pedals is nigh identical, with a few subtle differences, including Dual Bright + Structure Switches on the IR-D. Both pedals have Gain and Boost trimmers on the right-hand side. And both pedals retail at $499 | €595 | £499. Still relatively compact at 165 x 140 x 58 mms, while the ...
DSM & Humboldt's Simplifer X Zero Watt Reverb Stereo / Dual Amplifier is a magnificent marvel of analog audio engineering
I’m totally in awe of the technical prowess presented on this killer dual analog amps in a pedal format.
It’s actually a very compact device at just 125 x 105 x 65 mms, and carries so many advanced functions here almost entirely in the analog domain. There’s not a single sub-menu here - this is surely WYSIWYG perfection - while it does use every available surface to cram in all the technology that is needed to support all those features.
At first encounter this all seem wholly intuitive...
AmpliTube incredibly shrinks its ToneX AI Infused Modelling Pedal into a mini enclosure - courtesy of the ToneX One
This is truly quite a feat of engineering, and it’s all so beautifully executed too. That said Boss’s Katana : Go had a useful tiny screen, and Bluetooth connectivity to its app - which this devices could really have benefitted from. I’ve long grown tired of having to USB-cable-connect my pedals to a laptop app for updates - it should all really just be bluetooth to an iOS or Android mobile phone app by now.
In any case, the operation of this device could not be easier - you first of course...
Line 6 releases ingenious 'My First Fisher-Price' style Beginners All-in-1 Multi-FX Box - the POD Express
I was a touch critical about the HX One - possibly overly so - as it’s really decent for what it delivers and how. While I could not be more effusively positive about this new POD Express!
For anyone starting out in guitar effects - you get everything you need in one smart little box - with intuitive and mostly surfaced control (vs Noise Gate).
If I was thinking of buying in my very first guitar effect pedal - then I don’t think I could do better than this. It contains 7 Amp & Cab ...
![First-hand Impressions of the Walrus Audio Mako Series II [M1] High-Fidelity Modulation Machine](https://d6a2e7ghqts3o.cloudfront.net/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/556/2024-GPX-Walrus-Audio-Mako-II-M1-Y-7001.jpg "First-hand Impressions of the Walrus Audio Mako Series II [M1] High-Fidelity Modulation Machine")
