Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Meris Evolves and Super-Sizes its Bitcrusher / Sequencer / Texturizer - now the Ottobit X Modular Degradation and Texture Engine / Workstation
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 - ...
2026 May Pedal-Chain Update - Episode V - Giga-Hoard Modulated Fuzz'n'Drive Board
May has been a little bit of strange month - lots of delays really, and waiting for pedals to land.
As inevitably happens most months - much was delayed this month, and I was unable to complete some of the larger articles - they will need to wait until next month, there’s certainly lots of projects in progress. Where new and imminent arrivals kind of scuppered several intended projects - hopefully they can be completed in June.
The first event I’m attending this month is tomorrow - as a micropub ...
Hotone's second Neon Series pedal - the Purple and Pink Freqlux Triple-Voice Stereo Pitch-Shifter is another handy addition to the Verbera from that same roster
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 ...
Red Panda's RD-1 Pitch Delay is a cool versatile 3-Mode Mono Frequency-shifting, Detuning and Chromatic Transposing Delay
Red Panda’s RD-1 Pitch Delay is a significant departure in delivering a simpler and more affordable device - extracting a few elements from the Raster, and providing a much streamlined mono variant of that pedal.
Controls - Blend, Feedback, Delay, Shift, Once button, RVRS button, MODE : Frequency-shifting / Detuning / Chromatic Transpose.
Ports - CTRL / Tap Tempo, TS In, USB-C, TS-Out, 9V DC [-] 150mA.
This is a relatively simple mono pedal - with a clean and clear control topology ...
Joe Anastasio's cool new Void Manufacturing Brand is now available at Joe's Pedals in the UK
We all know Joe Anastasio for his long-standing Lone Wolf Audio brand - Left Hand Wrath etc. while he now has a new umbrella brand ’Void Manufacturing’ which covers both Void and Lone Wolf Audio brands of pedals, alongside Void Modular Eurorack Devices.
My good friend Joe Light of Joe’s Pedals in Exeter, UK now stocks a range of Void Manufacturing and Lone Wolf Audio Pedals - which feature 8 new varieties - 3 of which have alternative colourway editions.
The range consists of 5 x Large,...
Electro-Harmonix rolls out Pico edition of its Intelligent Harmony Machine
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 introduces new compact Snack Series of Mono effects - a Fuzz, a Pitcher, and a Delay
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...
End of Year Pedal Chain Update - Class of 2025
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]
- Becos FX CompIQ Pro Yuna Soft Knee Blackmer VCA Studio Style Compressor [SEPTEMBER]
- Blue Colander Grimrobe Dual Cascaded Super Rat [OCTOBER]
- Blue FX Devices Fuzz Fields Ultimate Modulated Fuzz [SEPTEMBER]
- Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble Leslie / Rotary Speaker
2025 Best New Modulation, Pitch, Utility and Multi-FX Pedals of the Year
This has turned out to be the largest category for 2025 with 38 pedals in this selection. As I favour those pedals that I own first, and then the more pedalboard-friendly editions - inevitably there would be some casualties for the year. With the most significant of those being the larger format Meris Enzo X, and the Polyend MESS Multi-Effect Step Sequencer. I know there are some who favour each of those - but they just aren’t targets for me personally.
I always talk about having a lane - ...
Ghost Note Audio releases 3 x mostly 80's rack unit inspired Daedalus Digital Effects Series - consisting of the 3 Bit Fuzz / Crusher, Amverb Reverberator, and Swirls Modulator
So I’ve had my eye on Ghost Note Audio for a while - where the main principal seems to be of Icelandic descent - his name - Valdemar Erlingsson is very Icelandic, and I see he’s been educated at the University of Iceland. Valdemar is usually written ’Valdimar’ but both are valid.
In any case - Valdemar has been delivering some killer pedals to-date - mostly of the larger preamp pedal variety - and all those are analog of course. I love how some of those sound - but consider them to be ...
