Dustin McLaughlin

One of the most exciting releases we’ll surely see in 2020 is the Moog Subharmonicon, the brand's latest addition to its semi-modular synthesizer line. Everyone with a Mother-32, DFAM, and three-tier rack can now experience the semi-modular feng shui of this trinity of synths all jamming in harmony (or chaos).I got to have a first look at the Subharmonicon at the 2018 Moogfest when it was introduced as one of the DIY kit builds. Only 120 were produced for the festival. Ever since, I’ve seen synth heads on muffwiggler and the Moog forums asking when a full production model would be released and we’re elated to report that it’s here and it’s fantastic. Continue reading →

Before Meris began making some of the most cutting edge pedals in the industry, the brand actually got its start with a handful of 500 Series releases. The latest creation from Meris sees them returning to form with the Hedra 500 Series. For those who are wondering, this is the same 3-voice intelligent pitch shifter that was released in pedal form and made my list of the hottest releases of 2019. The new 500 Series version accels with pro audio grade components and is ideal for both tracking and mixing during your next session. Continue reading →

It all began in 2018, as Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio started the design process of a revolutionary looper pedal. He let the world in on the secret via a Kickstarter campaign that was overwhelmingly funded by rabid pedal heads. To say that anticipation has been high is an understatement, and while the journey has felt like a long one, we've finally reached the summit. The Chase Bliss Audio Blooper pedal is in our hands and it was worth the wait. Continue reading →

Dustin McLaughlin from Vintage King Audio here, and when I wasn't behind the camera or working on editing videos for VK, I was checking out the hottest guitar pedals of 2019. To say this year was "monumental" for pedals would be an absolute understatement. There were enough incredible releases to keep the heads talking on forums until 2040! So what happened in the world of guitar pedals in 2019? The smaller companies that we've come to know and love over the past few years like Meris and Chase Bliss Audio gave us incredible new tools for our boards. Meanwhile, industry forefathers like Electro-Harmonix and Boss continued their dominance with epic recreations and a few new concepts. Continue reading →

Over the past decade or so, musicians have increasingly looked to cab sims, impulse responses and DIs to lighten their load in terms of weight and volume. The new Strymon Iridium ($399) offers a different take on these options for guitarists by giving them a fully-featured cab sim/IR loader that lives on their pedalboard. Have you ever plugged your guitar directly into a full-range monitor with your favorite overdrive engaged? It sounds like a coffee can filled with hornets angrily buzzing around. With the Iridium placed after your overdrive and before the monitor, this transforms the can of bees into your favorite tube amp with the flick of a switch. Continue reading →

Just when you thought guitar pedals and effects couldn't get any better in 2017, gear designers stepped up their game and blew our collective lids in 2018. This year has been another incredible one for new toys to build, shape and destroy our tones with. While it was really hard to narrow down a top five with so many great releases, I've come up with a list of my favorite pedals, synth modules, effects and beyond from the past year. Watch our video below to hear my top five in action and continue below for more expansive demos of each piece and some honorable mentions I couldn't leave out. Continue reading →

Since 2013, Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio has been blowing the minds of guitar pedal lovers all over the world with his incredible creations like the Warped Vinyl, Tonal Recall and Brothers. With the release of his latest innovation, Thermae, he applies his mantra of "digital brain, analog heart" to a pitch shifter and delay pedal. The Thermae is an innovative reimagination of the delay pedal that is so incredibly capable, both in function and tone. With the amount of controls, whether it be knobs, switches or dip switches, the sound options with this pedal are endless. The Thermae showcases an incredible leap in technology, one that leaves you scratching your head when you realize just how far out you can take an analog signal path in 2018. Continue reading →

The Chase Bliss Audio Condor is a fantastic new pedal that gives us the ability to shape the necessary frequencies for our source to sit as it should within a mix. On the front panel it reads, “Condor, Analog EQ / Pre / Filter” and it is absolutely just that, but it’s what you do with it that makes it unlike any other tone shaping device out there. Continue reading →

Beginning in the late 1960s, the Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi became a rock n’ roll staple. From the early Axis Muffs designed for Jimi Hendrix to David Gilmour’s Ram’s Head and eventually Thurston Moore’s Civil War Big Muff, the iconic pedal truly changed the shape of heavy music forever. The Big Muff's lasting impact is also easy to see in the sheer number of clones, imports, color schemes and different variants that have been released over the years. Electro-Harmonix has gone back and is reissuing many of their classics in smaller sizes, including the recent release of the Op Amp Big Muff. One thing's for sure, while not all Big Muffs were created equal, they are all special in their own little way. Continue reading →

The Moog Music MF-104M is already a modern day classic and will without a doubt be a pedal that people will be lusting over for years to come. It features 800 ms of bucket brigade driven, analog delay that floats beautifully as you play. The repeats are simply gorgeous and sit perfectly underneath your dry signal. Experimenting with the extremely advanced modulation section is really what brings out the true charm of this pedal. With six different waveforms to choose from, you will find yourself dialing in arpeggios, laser blasts and classic tape delay tones for hours. Continue reading →