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2024 London Synth and Pedal Expo Pedal Highlights

ALABS AudioAmpliTubeAudio Distribution GroupAudio KitchenAudiolithe FXBlack Country CustomsBossChase Bliss AudioCornerstone Music GearEndorphin.esEventideFace MIFilling DistributionFlattley Guitar PedalsGamechanger AudioGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailIK MultimediaIntensive Care AudioLaney AmplificationOrigin EffectsPRS GuitarsRabbit Hole FXRainger FXRed Panda LabTubesteaderVS Audio+-
2024-GPX-London-Synth-Pedal-Expo-Main-Great-Eastern-700.jpg

Where the Birmingham Show was a little sprawling and chaotic for me, I very much felt more at home at the Studio 9294 venue for this year’s London Synth and Pedal Expo. As Media Partner for the show, the second year in a row, I was of course in for the entirety of both the day, and actually in very early in particular on the Sunday.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the two days -I love having the #90 Bar & Kitchen next door - for some very decent lunches - superb burger on the first day, and Sunday...

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By Popular Decree Cornerstone launch their Klon + Blues Breaker Colosseum Dual Overdrive Pedal

Blues Breaker Style OverdriveBoost and OverdriveCornerstone Music GearKlone and Transparent Overdrive+-
2023-GPX-Cornerstone-Colosseum-700.jpg

Cornerstone reached out to its community a while back to ask what its customers wanted it to make next. And the overwhelming response was that they wanted a Cornerstone Klon + Blues Breaker Combo.

 

This is by no means a unique combination and there are already several pedals that fit that profile - the Keeley D&M Drive, Ceriatone Horse Breaker, Nordvang ’83 Drive, and NUX Queen of Tone to name a few.

 

Of course Cornerstone have a reputation for doing things slightly differently and ...

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2023 London Synth and Pedal Expo Highlights

Audio Distribution GroupBleak District ElectricBossChase Bliss AudioCornerstone Music GearDelicious Audio / Stompbox ExhibitFace MIGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailIntensive Care AudioLondon Synth & Pedal ExpoOrigin EffectsPaolo De GregorioPRS GuitarsRabbit Hole FXRainger FXRegent SoundsRotoSoundTom Cundall's Guitar ShedWunjo Guitars+-
2023-GPX-London-Synth-and-Pedal-Expo-Highlights-700.jpg

I’d like to start by saying that I’m truly proud to have been a Media Partner for this Inaugural Synth and Pedal Expo. It was a superb event - really well attended, and paves the way for an even bigger follow-up - likely taking place over two days next time.

 

This is the first time I’ve met Stompbox Exhibit Organiser and Delicious Audio Auteur Paolo De Gregorio face-to-face. We’ve had a long-term friendly correspondence and association and greeted each other as long-lost friends. Paolo has ...

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The Inaugural London Synth & Pedal Expo takes place at Motel Studios, Hoxton - TOMORROW - See you there!

Beetronics FXBleak District ElectricBlurry PedalBossChase Bliss AudioCicognaniCioksCollision DevicesCornerstone Music GearCrazy Tube CircuitsDaredevil PedalsDarkglass ElectronicsDeath By AudioDreadbox FXDryBell EffectsDunlop ManufacturingEarthQuaker DevicesEmma ElectronicsEmpress EffectsEventideGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailGurus AmpsJ RockettJackson AudioKeeley EngineeringKMA AudioKorgKSR AmplificationMaxonMeris EffectsMXRNobelsNuTektOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOrigin EffectsPeterson TunersPRS GuitarsPRS PedalsRainger FXSolidGoldFXSource AudioTwo Notes Audio EngineeringValco FXVemuramWalrus AudioWay Huge Effects+-
2023-GPX-Stomp-Box-Exhibit-London-2023-700.jpg

With me being a pedal aficionado first and foremost - that’s obviously my main area of focus for this imminent show and the above pedal brand visual - while there is an equal amount of killer Synth brands present too - as listed below.

 

This London Synth & Pedal Expo is my good friend Paolo De Gregorio’s first UK Event - who always has a fantastic multi-brand Stompbox Exhibit Booth at the NAMM Shows - and has organised a series of events for several years now throughout the North ...

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The Inaugural Stompbox Exhibit London Synth & Pedal Expo takes place at Motel Studios, Hoxton on Saturday March 18th

Beetronics FXBleak District ElectricBlurry PedalBossChase Bliss AudioCicognaniCioksCollision DevicesCornerstone Music GearCrazy Tube CircuitsDaredevil PedalsDarkglass ElectronicsDeath By AudioDreadbox FXDryBell EffectsDunlop ManufacturingEarthQuaker DevicesEmma ElectronicsEmpress EffectsEventideGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailGurus AmpsJ RockettJackson AudioKeeley EngineeringKMA AudioKorgKSR AmplificationMaxonMeris EffectsMXRNobelsNuTektOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOrigin EffectsPeterson TunersPRS GuitarsPRS PedalsRainger FXSolidGoldFXSource AudioTwo Notes Audio EngineeringValco FXVemuramWalrus AudioWay Huge Effects+-
2023-GPX-Stomp-Box-Exhibit-London-2023-700.jpg

With me being a pedal aficionado first and foremost - that’s obviously my main area of focus for this imminent show and the above pedal brand visual - while there is an equal amount of killer Synth brands present too - as listed below.

 

This London Synth & Pedal Expo is my good friend Paolo De Gregorio’s first UK Event - who always has a fantastic multi-brand Stompbox Exhibit Booth at the NAMM Shows - and has organised a series of events for several years now throughout the North ...

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2022 Best of New Modutility Pedals of the Year

Beetronics FXBest in ClassBitcrushing and Lo-FiBossChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCompressorCornerstone Music GearDeath By AudioDemiurge InstrumentsDSM & HumboldtElectro-HarmonixEmpress EffectsEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQEventideExpressionFjord FuzzFlangerFlower PedalsGlitchGlowfly EffectsGuitar Synth and SequencerHarmonizerHorrothia EffectsJAM PedalsKeyztoneKMA AudioModulationModulation WorkstationMuir Audio DesignMulti-FXMXRNoise GateOctaverOddball ModulationOld Blood Noise EndeavorsPastFXPedal BrainzPhaserPickup ModellerPitchPitch-ShiftingPladask ElektriskPRSRitual DevicesSamplerSlicer and StutterSource AudioSpaceman EffectsTC ElectronicTremoloUni-Vibe and VibeUtilityVS AudioWah and Fixed WahWalrus Audio+-
2022-GPX-Best-New-Modutility-Pedals-Annual-700.jpg

Another healthy selection - Modutility covering Modulation, Pitch and Utility pedal categories - for one of the strongest selection to date. Some of the pedals here are truly stellar, and I have a little over half here already in the collection.

 

I’m unlikely to ever get all the pedals featured here, but there are several already earmarked for acquisition in 2023 - with the Eventide H90 at the top of that list.

 

The ones I don’t yet own, or may never own even - include :

  • Chase Bliss
...
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Cornerstone replaces its Gladio Double Preamp with the even better Imperivm Daje Drive - which combines the Compact Gladio SC with the V2 Antique Classic Drive

BoostBoost and OverdriveCornerstone Music GearDriveDual-DriveDumble Style OverdriveMulti-DriveOverdriveTubescreamer Style Overdrive+-
2022--GPX-Cornerstone-Imperivm-700.jpg

We’ve known about this for a while, so the recent retirement of the much-loved Gladio Double Preamp wasn’t really a surprise. The plan has been for a while to combine the Antique Classic Drive with the Compact Single Channel variant of Gladio.

 

Controls - ANTIQUE (TS808) } Tone, Presence, Mids : TS808 / Cut, Comp : More / Less, Volume, Gain, Antique Footswitch, UNIVERSAL } Order : G > A / G < A, GLADIO (Dumble) } Tone, Clean, Comp : More / Less, Volume, Gain, Gladio Footswitch.

 

The...

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28 of the Best Enhanced and Extended Range Compact Tube Screamer Style Overdrives

AudiostormBecos FXBig Tone Music BreweryBoostBoost and OverdriveChellee EffectsChirality AudioCornerstone Music GearEarthQuaker DevicesFoxpedalJackson AudioJAM PedalsJHS PedalsKartakou AmplificationKHDKKing Tone EffectsKuro Custom AudioMI AudioNOC3 EffectsOrigin EffectsOverdrivePLBR EffectsPolarbear EffectsSeymour DuncanTate FXTone InkTubescreamer Style OverdriveVemuramVFE PedalsWalrus AudioWamplerWay Huge EffectsXotic Effects+-
2022-GPX-28-Best-Compact-Screamers-700-V2.jpg

So the recent launch of Origin Effects’ Halcyon enhanced TS808 type screamer prompted me to refresh my memory on what the competition to that was - and if the Halcyon was quite as appealing as it appeared to be. So I’ve trawled through all my usual resources, including my own memory banks - and come up with this list of 28 suitable candidates.

 

This list is specifically on enhanced / evolved Compact enclosure Tube Screamer types - so I exclude hybrids - such as Matthews Effects The Broker (...

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2022-GPX-Cornerstone-Aquarium-Vibe-700-V2.jpg

I’ve always had a soft spot for Uni-Vibes - which category seems to be having something of a renaissance these days - with around a dozen or so new varieties having been released over the last couple of years. A pet peeve of mine is that a lot of those uni-vibes are in over-sized vintage-style enclosures - which simply aren’t practical, and they largely keep to the same specs and feature-set as the very original Shin-ei varieties.

 

While there are a number of more progressive uni-vibes out ...

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In honour of Howard Alexander Dumble's Legacy - 18 of the best Dumble ODS Style Compact Overdrive Pedals

BJFEBoostBoost and OverdriveCause & Effect PedalsCornerstone Music GearDemon PedalsDumble Style OverdriveGTown AmpsHoward Alexander DumbleJ RockettJetter GearJRADLovepedalMad Professor EffectsMenatoneMojo Hand FXMXROverdriveProvidence PedalsShin's MusicStudio DaydreamTanabeVertex EffectsWamplerWilson Effects+-
2022GPX18CompactDumbleODS700V2.jpg

I had been meaning to do this exercise for quite some time - and have had a number of readers chasing me up about it - since my last Dumble Style Pedal overview was way back in February of 2019, and where I listed my then 9 favourite candidates - including three that I owned. This time around I’ve thrown 18 hats into the ring or twice as many as the last roundup.

 

The delay occurred  in part because I was waiting for my friend Brian Mena to officially launch his V2 Dumbstruck pedal - which ...

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