Guitar, Amps, Pedals

As one of the most popular techniques in modern recording, reamping allows engineers the flexibility to capture the best sounding guitar takes and send them through any amp or chain that they desire. This practice gives users the chance to experiment with different microphones, various settings on amplifiers, and unique pedal combinations without having to re-record another take. Want to know the best part? It's pretty easy to do! In this blog, we'll be going over the basics of reamping and the gear that you'll need to get the job done right. So sit back, plug in, and let's talk about how to get pristine takes that you can do whatever you want with later. Continue reading →

The beloved pedal makers at Strymon recently unleashed the brand's latest release, NightSky. This pedal takes on the form factor of the popular Volante Magnetic Echo Machine and gives users instant access to 13 presets (300 via MIDI) of lush, warm reverb with endless possibilities. NightSky is ideal for those who want to experiment with their reverb. The pedal offers up nine different knobs with additional button-based controls for dialing in the sound you're dreaming of. You can select different waveforms using the MOD section, sculpt the EQ of the effect with the TONE section, use GLIMMER and SHIMMER to enhance different frequencies and pitch shift your reverb... That's just the tip of the iceberg. Continue reading →

As a trusted resource of repairs for over decade, Echo Fix has certainly established themselves as the go-to when your tape echo machine has gone haywire. So it makes sense that the Australian company would go even further down the prototyping, testing, and design rabbit hole to create their own take on the classic tape echo. The resulting Tape Echo EF-X2 is nothing short of stunning. This unit has an extremely deep feature set, which starts with four basic functions; tape echo, real spring reverb, DSP reverb/chorus and preamp. From there, the possibilities to tweak and develop creative sounds are endless. Continue reading →

Keeping up with current guitar pedal releases can sometimes seem like a full-time job, there are just so many innovative brands who keep pushing the envelope and finding new ways to recreate classics. We wouldn't trade this embarrassment of riches for the world and that's why we put together a new video featuring our choices for the hottest pedals and effects of 2020 so far. Our list starts with the Vongon Paragraphs, an outstanding analog four-pole resonant low pass filter pedal that has been flying off the shelves for the company. Next, the legendary Shin-Ei line is back, and we're talking specifically about the picture-perfect fuzz of the Companion. Rounding out the pedal selections on our list, Strymon discontinued its long-time compression option in the OB-1, but it's now back with the impeccable Compadre. 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 →

Nestled in among the other small one-level buildings in the sleepy beachside streets of Ventura, California, sits an unassuming old storefront. The sun-baked exterior and paper-lined windows offer a distinct contrast to what lay inside, the brain trust of one of the world's exciting pedal makers, Meris. Unboxing a Meris pedal or 500 Series module is an experience unlike any other. This is thanks in part to Engineer/Founder Terry Burton, DSP Engineer/VP Angelo Mazzocco, and Creative Director Jinna Kim. Each aspect of the brand's products, whether it be packaging and artwork or design and function, offer up a connective aesthetic and sound that is distinctly their own. Continue reading →

Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio gave the pedal world quite a shock last week when he dropped the new Mood micro-looper and delay. With many in the community looking towards the previously announced Blooper and Automatone as the brand's next potential releases, the Mood pedal was a pleasant surprise. The pedal is another collaboration (much like the recent Dark World), between Chase Bliss Audio and two other brands, Old Blood Noise Endeavors and Drolo Effects. Essentially, the stompbox features two separate pedals inside with the left channel being dedicated to effects and the right side acting as the micro-looper. More on that in a minute though... Continue reading →

A few weeks back, we posted a new VK Shootout featuring a vintage EMT 140 plate reverb going up against some popular emulations. People were digging the shootout so much that we decided to do another blog that expands on other ways to get plate reverb sounds in the studio and during live performances. Since the release of the original EMT 140, the options for getting plate reverb sounds have gotten way smaller. Sure... Being smaller than a 600-pound metal structure isn't super hard, but we're talking much smaller, like nearly as small as the palm of your hand. Continue reading →