I’m a little late with this as Meris held back the press release until launch - so I was only provided with the details at the same time as everyone else - which is really rather unusual. I had a number of other projects already on the go - and so I’m a couple days late with this!

As always - each Meris device delivers way beyond its specific core category, its Enzo X for instance is almost as much a multi-modulator as it is a synth - and here we have lots of extras thrown into the mix - ...

I’m lagging a little behind on these now - as Hotone has delivered a second excellent pedal for its Neon Collection / Series - an equally cool looking Freqlux 3-Voice Pitch-Shifter with a tonne of features onboard - including 200 presets slots, with 100 superior factory presets already loaded.

I still need to land the Hotone Verbera Convolution Reverb - where its high current draw initially put me off a little (rated @ 1000mA) - but I was later corrected - as that high current number was ...

So JHS have deliberately gone a little off-the-piste ’nasty’ here - where these monophonic effects glitch out in interesting ways when you try to play more than one note at a time. Even single notes can glitch out every now and again.

I already have a few pedals that cover similar ground - often using a CMOS chip at the heart. Some of the most fearsome of those can become pretty untameable - depending on how fine you set the input sensitivity.

Controls - Volume, Dry/Wet Mix, Oct-, Oct+....

February is always something of a lull - particularly after the hyper busy NAMM-inflected January. This month is the doldrums of the calendar where not much gets releases. I did though manage to land a decent selection of a dozen pedals - obviously some from the previous year. With the Sinvertek MGAT-1 EVO being the standout pedal landed - where the Klowra Gnash and Wampler Golden Jubilee were pretty spectacular too. 3 x Klowra pedals on the board this month - all excellent!

Of course there...

The Klowra Verdict definitely sits within POG territory - but with a much broader set of features and functions - including 2 variations of Freeze and Ramp Hold effects on the Footswitch.

Along with numerous shaping elements to get even more out of those octaves. Including Low Pass Filter and Attack and Release speeds.

This is a very finely honed high-fidelity device that performs superbly however you configure those settings. ...

I’m a huge Maiden fan - and it’s cool to see a CryBaby in Eddie livery. I’m not 100% clear why the Killers Album Artwork was selected Here. Like most fans I place Poweslave as the greatest Maiden album - but there are lists with Killers at the top. I much prefer Powerslave over Killers by some margin and for a variety of reasons - while there are plenty of killer tracks on both.

So Dunlop have borrowed the Killers artwork for this signature Iron Maiden CryBaby. The actual CryBaby variant is...

EHX first introduced its Intelligent Harmony Machine in November of 2021, and 5 years later we now get a Mini / Pico edition of that circuit - with very slightly fewer controls, but all the main parts fully intact.

The new diminutive Harmony Machine is at $149 vs the original’s $241.50 - so a circa $90 saving - which is significant.

Controls - Volume, #Button : Normal / Sharp, Dry>Wet Mix, Key : C Major (A Min), C# Major (A# Min), D Major (B Min), D# Major (C Min), E Major (C# Min), F ...

Collision Devices delivers a unique compact form factor of effects, all well priced at €199, and all with identical 6 x Controls Topologies, and with  3 x Modes and 3 x Presets onboard. As well as cool stepped wedge-shape enclosure.

The Magic Knob does something different in each mode. Plug in an expression pedal and assign it to the control of your choice. No further documentation is offered, and no manuals as yet!

All 3 SNACK pedals have a high appeal, these seem to be a mix of analog...

New Pedals in the Class of 2025 Pedal-Chain Snapshot = 41

[OCTOBER]  = 9

[NOVEMBER] = 6

[MARCH] = 5

[SEPTEMBER] = 5

[AUGUST] = 4

[JANUARY] = 3

[FEBRUARY]  = 3

[APRIL] = 2

[JUNE] = 2

[MAY] = 1

[JULY] = 1

[A-Z by Brand]

1. Becos FX CompIQ Pro Yuna Soft Knee Blackmer VCA Studio Style Compressor [SEPTEMBER]
2. Blue Colander Grimrobe Dual Cascaded Super Rat [OCTOBER]
3. Blue FX Devices Fuzz Fields Ultimate Modulated Fuzz [SEPTEMBER]
4. Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble Leslie / Rotary Speaker