Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
A first impressions dive into Isn'tses Chernobylizer Radioactive Atmospherics Noise-Maker Mini Art Synthesizer
I was somewhat wowed by Isnt’tses Mini Art Synths at the recent Birmingham Noise Maker Market Show. These are intricately designed open circuits - with topological details worked into the surface - in a mix of black, white and gold, and various strategically and topologically placed components - which often represent structures from that landscape.
For the Chernobylizer the art-side is a mix of realism and impressionism - where the 4 large capacitors represent the 4 Chernobyl Nuclear ...
Isn'tses brilliantly combines creative sound generation with electronic arts and design for its series of Experimental Mini Art Synthesisers
At the recent inaugural Birmingham Noise Maker Market Show, one of the highlights for me was London-based Isn’tses - namely duo Lisa McKendrick and Tim Drage - who perform highly stylised experimental electronic music with colourful visuals and costumes to match - including Mexican Lucha Libre animal masks.
They make their own instruments too - including this superbly themed quartet / quadfecta of mini noise-maker Art-Synths featured here. Each of those has a highly evocative theme and a ...
Glitch Cloud's Haze is a cool Stereo Lo-Fi Looping Tape Machine, Glitched Digital Buffer and Sample Juggler
I’ve featured a number of sample-repeaters / micro-loopers of late - while I really like the sound and look of this one from Glitch Cloud Audio.
"Haze is a generative composer that transforms sound into texture. Skips, stutters, and fluid time become rhythm and motion. Feed it a loop. Plug in an instrument. Let it mutate for hours."
I recently covered the Puremagnetik JOTS - which I likened to pedals from Chase Bliss, Discomfort Designs and Kinotone. And this is another of that ilk, and...
Puremagnetik unleashes JOTS Dual Track Wanderer : Twin Sample-Repeater-Manipulator
This is my first exposure to Puremagnetik - where this is actually their second pedal, preceded by the LAPS Multitrack Collage Machine.
Puremagnetik seemingly mines sort of similar territory to Chase Bliss, Discomfort Designs and Kinotone - creating micro-looper style manipulators and multi-track layering and effects shaping.
The JOTS consists of 2 x 30 second Samples / Buffers / Tracks which you manipulate in various ways. There are 2 x toggle-switches, one sets which Track you are ...
Alexander Pedals further evolves and perfects its Syntax Error Computer Audio System - now in V3 XP compact Leap Series Edition
In the visual you can see the Three Versions of the Syntax Error. The Original compact came out during Summer NAMM back in 2017. I did a number of features that included that pedal - and it was a target for me for the longest time - but for whatever reason - I never quite managed to acquire one of those.
Then in 2021 we got the larger V2 edition with Screen - which I considered a little large for my need - for such a niche pedal.
And now in 2026 Alexander has finally delivered the perfect ...
Coffee Shop's latest Cold Brew Modulator is a smart and versatile Stereo Chorus + Vibrato with 4 x Lofi-Modes and 3 Presets onboard
My good friend Benno has created another super versatile genre pedal - this time a vintage-inspired Chorus + Vibrato with 4 Lofi Modes, Tap Tempo and 3 Presets onboard - also full MIDI control, and able to be deployed in Mono, MISO, and Full Stereo. It further has a cool Ramp feature - where you can Ramp up and down between 2 settings.
To get to the 4th Lofi Mode - you hold down the right-hand footswitch, and move the Lofi Selector into the middle.
The Lag button extends the delay time as ...
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 - ...
Mojo Hand FX delivers cool Nintendo SNES S-SMP Inspired SMPLoFi Bitcrusher / Reverb / Filter
This pedal reminds me a little of the recent EHX Pico Atomic Cluster Sonic De-Rezzer and Atomic Frequencies Oscillator. Both are a little Lo-Fi and essentially drop the Resolution of the output in slightly different ways.
This SMPLoFi features 2 Core Modes - Mode 1 is a Bitchrusher - and if you hit the Red Button - you get Mode 2 Reverb and Band Pass Filter. Both Modes have the Blue Knob Dry > Wet Mix as a common element.
This pedal is very much 80’s / Nintendo inspired - sort of chip-...
Electro-Harmonix unveils unusual Pico Atomic Cluster Spectral Decomposer - which for me is a Sonic De-Rezzer and Atomic Frequencies Oscillator
EHX’s latest Mini / Pico pedal is he fairly unique Atomic Cluster - which with Speed and Atoms knobs fully clockwise gives you a full resolution rendering of your Dry Signal - but lower the output resolution when you crank both this knobs counter clockwise. Essentially lowering the output frequency resolution!
The right-hand Atoms knobs breaks the signal frequencies down into lower resolution oscillations - where you get a fairly acute ’mangling’ counter clockwise - with the signal’s ...
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