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ALABS Audio's Cetus 9 Mode Stereo Compact Reverb is truly one of the finest of its kind - mixing up classic and unique Reverb Algorithms in superb fashion

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsDigital ReverbPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2023-GPX-ALABS-Cetus-Reverb-700.jpg

So I’ve kind of left the best to last! All 4 ALABS Audio Adam Adventures Series pedals are amazing, and particularly for the price. I note that the TimeSlip and Cetus have moved up $10 to the same price point as the Orbital - or $109.99 vs $99.99 - but they’re really worth it at twice the price even!

 

Someone commented the these were Walrus Audio levels of production and packaging - but with JHS 3 Series pricing. I feel they’re going to be very hard to beat at that price point - and for me ...

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The first GPX Deviation of 2024 is a speculative Concept Visual for a possible Boss RV-7 Reverb

Ambient EffectsBossDigital ReverbGPX DeviationGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2024-GPX-Deviation-RV-7-700.jpg

It’s been quiet a while since Boss completed its Digital Delay Range Revamp with the DD-3T and DD-8 - back in September of 2019 - that selection is fully rounded and up-up-to-date still - with each of the 4 pedals at the top of its respective game - DD-3T, DD-8, DD-200, and DD-500!

 

We had to wait an age for the RV-200 to arrive - where the DD-200  was part of the original June 2019 200-Series quartet. The current generation of compact Boss Reverb is the RV-6 - which was released as long ago...

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2024 January Pedal-Chain Update - Episode I - Blues-Driven

Ambient EffectsBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveDigital ReverbDistortionDrunk BeaverEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFuzzGermanium FuzzKuro Custom AudioMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationMulti-DriveOneder EffectsOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPlate ReverbPoly EffectsPreAmpRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSinverteksmallsound/bigsoundSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbSubdecay EffectsTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTru-Fi Guitar EffectsVictory AmpsWinnipeg Electrical Co+-
2024-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-January-700.jpg

So 2024 is off to a pretty spirted start! I treaded myself to 2 pedals right at the tail end of the year - the Poly VERBS puts in an appearance in this month’s selection - while the Reeves Electro BHS-D is running a touch late and will be part of the February selection instead.

 

This time of the year has to be mostly about NAMM - while I feel that a lot of builders kind of took away from NAMM and launched / showcased their new release in advance!

 

I’ve still to make it to NAMM - timing’s ...

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Poly Effects VERBS Convolution Reverberator brings something genuinely new to the Reverb Workstation Genre

Ambient EffectsDigital ReverbPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2023-GPX-Poly-Verbs-700.jpg

Like many I was entirely captivated by the Andertons demo of this pedal (as below) - and was fortunate to be quick enough off the mark to snag one of from the very first edition. My good friend Joe Halliday of Hello Sailor Effects obviously came across the demo just a little bit after me - as I surely snagged one of the last ones from that small initial Andertons batch. The fact that there is an Icelandic Space featured (my country of birth) on the VERBS - was also instrumental in my rapid ...

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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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Boss delights all by finally releasing its RV-200 Reverb Workstation - and yes it really is well worth the wait!

Ambient EffectsBossDigital ReverbPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2023-GPX-Boss-RV-200-Reverb-700.jpg

Readers will know that I’m a huge fan of Boss’s 200 series - particularly the SY-200 and DD-200 units. For the size and price - the DD-200 really is my go-to Delay - with the absolute perfect mix of Algorithms. And Boss has exactly repeated that magical formula for the RV-200 - delivering the perfect mix of algorithms, features and functions - with one really cool entirely new one - the Arpverb (Arpeggiated Reverb).

 

It’s probably best to jump right into the algorithms, where it initially ...

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Meris repeats its LVX Sound Designer project for its new Mercury X Modular Reverberator - harnessing algorithms from the Mercury 7 and Chase Bliss CXM 1978 along with 3 brand new ones

Ambient EffectsAnalog ReverbDigital DelayDigital ReverbMeris EffectsPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2023-GPX-Meris-Mercury-X-Reverb-700.jpg

We all knew this was in the works - it was just a question as to when this inevitable follow-up to the Meris LVX Modular Delay would materialise - and that time is now evidently! This is another one of those supreme Sound Designer style pedals - and is somewhat reminiscent of Strymon’s NightSky ’Design-a-Reverb’ as I kind of referred to it at the time. Both have lots of hidden secondary features, parameters and functions - while the Meris Mercury X of course goes a few steps further in its ...

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Crazy Tube Circuits shrinks down and improves on its ingenious 80's inspired Sidekick Multi-FX, and doubles down on the number of algorithms

Ambient EffectsChorus and VibratoCrazy Tube CircuitsDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbFlangerModulationPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbTape Delay+-
2023-GPX-CTC-Sidekick-Jr-700.jpg

Crazy Tube Circuits’ Christos Ntaifotis is the master of miniaturisation - and he’s achieved a similar marvel of engineering here as he did with his Phi Golden Ratio Compressor - with the key difference being that the compressor was an all-analog 3-in-1 confection, while there was no way you would be able to fit 3 Analog modulations, 2 delays, and 6 reverbs into a compact enclosure any other way - DSP is the only vehicle that can make that possible.

 

And Chris here has settled on just the ...

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