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Pedal Chain State of Power for 2024

Best in ClassCioksFriedman EffectsNux FXPower SuppliesStrymonUtility+-
2024-GPX-SK-Power-Supplies-700-P2.jpg

I hadn’t intended to upgrade my power supply infrastructure this year - but was kind of compelled to because of the recent Poly VERBS addition to the chain. The Poly VERBS needs 500mA, so I swapped over the supplies for the VERBS and Hologram Microcosm slots - as the Friedman Power Grid was powering the particular VERBS slot and only delivers 350mA - which turns out is actually not enough for either pedal (Microcosm states 400mA requirement). The Microsm kind of works with no noticeable ...

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Boss BD-2 Blues Driver-ology - Originals, Derivatives, and Adjacents!

Best in ClassBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossDigiTechDistortionDOD EffectsDriveElectric LoveFuzzGermanium FuzzHello Sailor EffectsKeeley EngineeringMooerOneder EffectsOverdrivesmallsound/bigsoundSoul Power InstrumentsStrymonWinnipeg Electrical Co+-
2023-GPX-Boss-Blues-Driverse-Labels-700.jpg

This rundown has been a long time in the making - having been iterated many times over, and changed as recently as this last Tuesday - when Keeley brought out its Muse Driver - Super AT Mod replacement!

 

Readers will know that I’ve cited the Keeley Freak Fuzz Modded BD-2 Blues Driver as my favourite all-time overdrive pedal, and be extension - the Blues Driver circuit and variations of it are my own very favourite gain tones. Some gravitate towards Tube Screamer, others Blues Breaker, Timmy ...

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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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2023-GPX-Strymon-Ultraviolet-Vibe-700.jpg

So Strymon delivers another first for them - this time around tackling the Uni-Vibe format in their usual fashion. This Ultraviolet is not quite as evolved and enhanced as its two predecessors - the Cloudburst Reverb and Brig Delay.

 

And instead of putting the Mix on a fully variable knob - they’ve instead implemented that with a 3-way toggle - which has the classic 50:50 Chorus on the left, a new 70:30 Blend in the middle, and a 100% Wet Mix Vibrato on the right.

 

So apart from their ...

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2023-GPX-Strymon-Brig-Delay-700.jpg

So the new Brig dBucket Delay is of the same lineage as the former Strymon Brigadier - while not at all a distillation of that pedal, but rather entirely its own thing - where the only thing those pedals properly share is that they are both Analog Bucket Brigade Device Emulating Delays.

 

At the core of the Brig are 3 different delay voicings :

  • 3205 : (left position) 30–300ms Recreates the character of vintage delay pedals that used a single low voltage MN3205 BBD chip for gritty repeats—
...
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Strymon's new Compact Stereo Cloudburst Ambient Reverb is the most Extraordinarily Versatile Single Algorithm Reverb

Ambient EffectsDigital ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbStrymon+-
2023-GPX-Strymon-Cloudburst-700.jpg

Strymon never go about things lightly - and while this Reverb started off as a compact take on the BigSky’s Cloud Algorithm - this version has been developed to be so much more. As an example - the Decay from 1 o’c to 5 o’c is identical to the Big Sky Cloud - while when you move the dial into the left hemisphere things get much more subtle and lighter. 

 

For each of these controls - typically to the right of centre / right hemisphere you get more accentuated / textured tones - while dialling...

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2023 January Pedal-Chain Update - Episode I - A Mighty Start

Analog Music CompanyBeautiful Noise EffectsBitcrushing and Lo-FiBixonicBoostBoost and OverdriveChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoDistortionDriveDrive WorkstationDrunk BeaverDual-DriveEQEventideFairfield CircuitryFjord FuzzFlangerFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGlitchGranular DelayHologram ElectronicsHumanoid PedalsKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionModulationModulation WorkstationMuir Audio DesignMulti-DriveMulti-FXNordland ElectronicsODR Style OverdriveOhmless PedalsOneControlOverdrivePedal ChainPhaserPoly EffectsRing ModulationRotary SpeakerSilicon FuzzStrymonTremoloUni-Vibe and VibeUtility+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-Jaunary-700.jpg

What a magnificent start to the year -  I don’t think I’ve ever had such a strong January selection - I could almost stick a pin in it and take the rest of the year off! Several of these slots won’t see much change between now and the end of the year - and so impressive is this latest batch of additions - that I can’t really see what might be improved in order to replace most of those.

 

I was not expecting to add the Eventide H90 quite so quickly - while the Hologram Microcosm has always ...

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Pedal Chain State of Power for 2023

CioksFriedman EffectsPower SuppliesStrymonUtility+-
2023-GPX-SK-Power-Supplies-700.jpg

As you will see in my forthcoming end of the month Pedal Chain Update - I acquired an Eventide H90 Harmonizer over the Christmas period - before that - my various Power Supplies / Outlets were already at Maximum capacity / use - with all outlets already assigned.

 

This means that I inevitably had to add one more Power Supply into the mix - where the only suitable candidates really came from Cioks - as the H90 requires at least 1,200 mA of current - where you need to use a Cioks Parallel ...

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