Lydia Sean Mandrake is not one to follow the crowd or do things by halves. This Grand Classic Passion Project has way exceeded its Kickstarter timeline - but is all the better for it, and is overall a vast improvement on the original concept - acquiring an improved control topology, and a couple of key accessories along the way.

At the same time, Lydia developed Audiostorm’s own automated ’pick-and-place’ manufacturing assembly line, utilising numerous 3D-printed parts. Turns out Lydia is ...

So in an unusual departure for me, I’m going to let you participate in the decision. This is actually quite the conundrum - on account of the wildly varying price points - where each subsequent one is twice the price of its predecessor.

Each one of these is a different device as such - in terms of its workings, design and ergonomics. So you’re not entirely comparing like with like - but then that’s the same with all of pedaldom - where we frequently compare and contrast pedals across ...

A really cool sort of fuzz oddity, which is even less of a proper fuzz than the Mattoverse AirTrash. We’re dealing with various Bit-Crushed and Sample Rate Reduction and essentially modulation of the incoming signal - which renders some very sci-fi sounds. Mostly leaning into the synth side of things. You don’t get anything approximating traditional fuzz - but what you get is an extraordinarily versatile noise box - but one which requires patience and diligence!

Besides the two mode ...

And so we have a rather intriguing new pedal from Alexander Pedals - which looks like something you would typically be more likely to see coming out from Old Blood Noise Endeavors!

This new Forget Me Not Digital 4-Head Tape Delay is quite different from Alexander’s current models - which typically come with a handy mini screen. On this occasion though we have a much more traditional pedal - with no screen, and no hidden or secondary functions - everything is fully surfaces on this new pedal...

Firstly - props to my good friend Henry Kaiser for putting me onto this. This very neatly dovetails into the same kind of experience that I had with my fairly recent superb Tanabe.TV Trifecta. All of those pedals have it in common to sound already brilliant with all dials at noon, but then things get even better when you dial the pedals in to perfectly match your own rig.

Controls - Volume, Gain, Variac (< Classic Plexi | Instant Eddie >), Tone.

Those 4 controls configured to my ...

So I’m on a hat-trick of onsite visits to Rainger FX’s Willesden Junction HQ. I was supposed to be there ahead of the MiniDrone launch, but a mix up in communications meant that I ended up there a few days after, and what an instructive visit it was. Just 2 of the team were present besides David - Baptiste, and Matt - who are featured in the above concept cover picture too. Of the two other regulars - Prav was away on vacation, and I believe Martin only comes in on one day of the week or so - ...

I’ve touched on the SuperCollider on this site before, while the nature of its somewhat irregular small-batch manufacture meant that it remained rather elusive and out of reach for me for quite some years. In fact I just happened to come across a second-hand one on Ebay very recently - and managed to snap that one up at last. Just as well really, as I’m in the process of putting together a favourite Doom Fuzz rundown - what will be out in a week or two no doubt!

The combination of controls ...

So in my usual twisted fashion I’ve somewhat fallen down a rabbit hole of Mini Pedals these days. This project was sparked off by the recent Andertons Ultimate Doom Pedal Shoot-out. That has some very oddly selected pedals within its shoot-out considerations, but where the Tone City Matcha Cream Green Russian did extremely well - in fact winning the most rounds - 8 in total of all the pedals trialled.

The eventual winner was kind of immaterial to me, I was all of a sudden intrigued as to ...

So we now have a limited edition of the Unobtanium Klon + Dumble Dual Channel Overdrive in a different ’Raw’ Colourway, but more importantly with changes made to each of the 2 Channels!

On the Klon side we get a different ’Mod’ option on the Clipping / Compression switch. Were CTC’s Christos found that the NOS Mullard/Valvo OC45 germanium transistor paired exceptionally well with that circuit and generated even greater depths of breakup character.

While on the Dumble side that Chanel ...