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2023-GPX-ALABS-Timeslip-Delay-700.jpg

The ALABS Audio Pedals were so successful over the Christmas / New Year period - that they were sold out for a while. So I thought it prudent to pause the action until ALABS were back in sync with the demand.

 

The TimeSlip is my second-favourite of the quartet and shares Cetus’s perfect mix of algorithms - mixing up classic and more traditional flavours with some more intriguing and unusual modern and futuristics ones. I really love this pedal in particular for superb sweep of algorithms - ...

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End of Year Pedal-Chain Update - Final Formation - Class of 2023

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAnasoundsBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBitcrushing and Lo-FiBixonicBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCompressorCoppersoundDecibelicsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrive WorkstationDual-DriveEchoverbElectric LoveEmpress EffectsEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQEventideFjord FuzzFlangerFortin AmpsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGlitchGuitar Synth and SequencerHello Sailor EffectsHologram ElectronicsIntensive Care AudioJackson AudioJAM PedalsKernomKeyztoneKlone and Transparent OverdriveLo-Fi DelayLooperMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMessiah GuitarsMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXNoise GateOctave FuzzOctaverOddball DelayOddball FuzzOddball ModulationOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPastFXPedal ChainPedalPalFXPickup ModellerPitch-ShiftingPlate ReverbPoly EffectsPreAmpRack Style ReverbRainger FXReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbRing ModulationRotary SpeakerShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleSwellTape DelayTark AudioTC ElectronicThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveUtilityVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-Class-of-2023-700.jpg

The final arrangement for the year - all the pedals that impressed the most!

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2023 Guitar Pedals of the Year - The Best of the Best

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAmp and Cab IR SimAnalog DelayBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCollision DevicesDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDual-DriveEchoverbElectric LoveFjord FuzzFlangerFlower PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGranular DelayHello Sailor EffectsHologram ElectronicsJackson AudioJAM PedalsKernomKeyztoneLo-Fi DelayMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMeris EffectsMessiah GuitarsModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXOctave FuzzOddball DelayOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPastFXPickup ModellerPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbRainger FXReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleTark AudioTC ElectronicTremoloUtility+-
2023-GPX-Best-of-the-Best-Pedals-700.jpg

So we featured 120 pedals across the 5 Genre categories this year - as you’ve witnessed over the last 5 days, and those have been whittled and distilled down to these 27 Magnificent and Exceedingly Flavoursome candidates.

 

Picking out the very best of those is obviously a slightly subjective exercise while based on a series of exacting criteria - including innovation, versatility, practicality, variability, playability, quality of manufacture, quality of output and sheer enjoyment.

 

Here ...

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2023 Best New Time-Based Effects Pedals of the Year

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAnalog DelayAnasoundsBenson AmpsBest in ClassBleak District ElectricBossChase Bliss AudioCoffee Shop PedalsColortone PedalsDelayDelay WorkstationDiamond PedalsDigital DelayDigital ReverbDouble TrackingEchoverbFjord FuzzFlower PedalsGranular DelayJet PedalsLo-Fi DelayMeris EffectsOddball DelayPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonTape DelayTC ElectronicT-Rex EffectsWalrus Audio+-
2023-GPX-Best-Time-Based-Effecst-V2-700.jpg

And so to the final category - where competition is extremely fierce this year. No doubt some of your favourites will have missed the cut here - but hopefully this selection is fully representative of the best of the year. Obvious I lean more towards immersive stereo effects - mono doesn’t really do it for me so much - while there is a smattering of mono pedals in here too. Price, format, versatility and practicality - everything counts!

 

Of the 23 featured in the selection - I own around ...

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Rob Chapman's All-Time Favourite Guitar Pedals

Amp and Cab IR SimAtomic AmpsBad Cat AmplifiersBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCryBabyDawner Prince EffectsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDigiTechDistortionElectro-HarmonixEQFuzzG-Lab Guitar LaboratoryGuitar Synth and SequencerJim DunlopKlone and Transparent OverdriveKorgMarshall Style DistortionModulationMooerMXRMythos PedalsNeunaberOctave FuzzOddball ModulationODR Style OverdriveOverdrivePitchPitch-ShiftingPreAmpReverbReverb WorkstationRob ChapmanRockBoxSilicon FuzzThropyFXUAFXUniversal AudioUtilityVemuramVox Style DistortionWah and Fixed WahZvex+-
2023-GPX-Rob-Chapman-Favourite-Pedals-700.jpg

So right at the end of last month Rob Chapman posted up a YouTube video of a rundown of his all-time favourite guitar pedals. He initially states he’s going to name his 10 most favoured ones - but goes on to mention 20 - which I’ve fully included here.

 

Rob has a great ear for tone - as countless of his own and Anderton’s videos have proven time and time again. And I really love his everyman approach to guitar gear. I’ve encountered him in person 2 or 3 times now over the years - and he’s ...

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2023 November Pedal-Chain Update - Episode XI - Delineated Duality

ALABS AudioBeetronics FXBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChase Bliss AudioDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDistortionDriveFortin AmpsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzHello Sailor EffectsLife Is Unfair AudioMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulation WorkstationOctaverOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPedal ChainPedal PartnersPedalPalFXPitch-ShiftingReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayThorpyFX+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-November-V2-700.jpg

This whole year has occurred at such breakneck speed and volume - with so much happening all day and every day - that I have perpetually felt like I was always in the process of catching up and never quite had time to catch my breath as such. I’ve taken just one whole weekend off in the whole year - and am as close to burn-out as I’ve ever been. Every time I attended a Guitar or Pedal show I was up all night doing the write-up - average time for those articles was / is around 36 hours give or ...

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The Brand New ALABS Audio Adam Adventures Series pedal range takes budget pedals into entirely new realms of quality and innovation

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsBest of BrandsChorus and VibratoDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFlangerGranular DelayLo-Fi DelayModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-FXOctaverOddball DelayPhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayRing ModulationRotary SpeakerSpacey ReverbTape DelayTremoloUni-Vibe and Vibe+-
2023-GPX-ALABS-Range-700.jpg

I’m really proud to be supporting a small fledgling audio products brand based in Singapore - which has only been around for a couple of years or so, and was originally known for making studio quality Microphones, Wooden Earcup Headphones and Mixing Consoles. ALABS Audio’s Jinbo Hui reached out to me back in September - to ask if I would want to support the launch of their new Adam Adventures Series pedal range - and I of course said I needed to be properly impressed by those pedals for me to ...

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7 Limited Blackout Black Friday Pedals for 2023 - 6 part of Reverb.com's Blacked Out Series, 5 of which are brand new, plus Beetronics Blackout Nectar!

Analog DelayBeetronics FXBlender and MixerBoost and OverdriveChorus and VibratoDeath By AudioDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionEarthQuaker DevicesFuzzJHS PedalsLine 6LooperOddball DelayOld Blood Noise EndeavorsPhaserReverbReverb WorkstationTalk Box and VocoderWalrus Audio+-
2023-GPX-Reverb-Black-Friday-Blackour-Editions-700.jpg

So back in 2019 - Reverb.com coordinated Black Friday Limited Blacked Out Editions across 17 Brands and 19 Pedals - and by and large it was a resounding success - a lot of those sold out very quickly - and overall pretty much every special pedal maid was sold in fairly short order.

 

I always thought it a little surprising that this exercise wasn’t repeated more often as I kind of expected it to be an annual or biennial thing following on from the 2019 event. While we’ve had to wait 4 years ...

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Hologram Electronics's Chroma Console is a genuinely innovative 20-Algorithm Stereo Multi-Effector that you can route and shape in all kinds of clever ways

Bitcrushing and Lo-FiBoost and OverdriveChorus and VibratoCompressorDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDouble TrackingFuzzHologram ElectronicsModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-FXPhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingReverbReverb WorkstationTremolo+-
2023-GPX-Hologram-Chroma-Console-700.jpg

This is one pedal you definitely need to dip into the manual to understand fully what’s going on - while the Hologram Electronics engineers have imbued this device with so much intuitive smarts that you should be up and running in no time.

 

This pedal is a shoe-in for the Eventide H90 on my #35 slot while they’re quite different beasts really - and the H90 gets you more granular in some ways - with many more algorithms precisely modelled - while you can only deploy two in combination. While ...

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TC Electronic finally releases 2290 P Dynamic Digital Delay & FX Processor Pedal Edition of its legendary 1985 Rack Mount Unit

DelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayModulationModulation WorkstationTC Electronic+-
2023-GPX-TCE-2290-Delay-700.jpg

It’s great to see that shortly after Boss / Roland revived their 1983 SDE-3000 Rack Delay Unit, TC Electronic is now doing the same for its 1985 2990 Dynamic Digital Delay + Effects Control Processor. Both of these are superb conversions with most of the original features and functions intact. The only thing TC were unable to fit in really was the Keypad from the 1985 unit - but most everything else is present and correct.

 

The Boss SDE-3000 can obviously deliver 4 delays simultaneously - ...

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