Strymon

Close your eyes and picture a Strymon pedal. Chances are, you’re envisioning a double, perhaps triple-wide hunk of aluminum sporting two or three footswitches and an array of knobs, lights, and toggles covering its face. From their size and complexity, you can almost feel how much glorious sound is packed into Strymon’s pedals, but their latest release bucks that trend. 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 →

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 →

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 →