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2024 London Synth and Pedal Expo Pedal Highlights

ALABS AudioAmpliTubeAudio Distribution GroupAudio KitchenAudiolithe FXBlack Country CustomsBossChase Bliss AudioCornerstone Music GearEndorphin.esEventideFace MIFilling DistributionFlattley Guitar PedalsGamechanger AudioGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailIK MultimediaIntensive Care AudioLaney AmplificationOrigin EffectsPRS GuitarsRabbit Hole FXRainger FXRed Panda LabTubesteaderVS Audio+-
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Where the Birmingham Show was a little sprawling and chaotic for me, I very much felt more at home at the Studio 9294 venue for this year’s London Synth and Pedal Expo. As Media Partner for the show, the second year in a row, I was of course in for the entirety of both the day, and actually in very early in particular on the Sunday.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the two days -I love having the #90 Bar & Kitchen next door - for some very decent lunches - superb burger on the first day, and Sunday...

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Most of you will be familiar with the $399 / €399 / £339 Boss Waza-Air Wireless Guitar Headphone Amp - which delivers the Katana Amp ecosystem within a wireless Bluetooth Headphone Set. The Amps and Effects selection is controlled by a Bluetooth connected Mobile App - and since all the processing is done inline within the Headphones you don’t suffer any wireless lag. That proposition though is rather dear for many, and very much limits the choice and style of headphone you have at your disposal...

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The Birmingham Guitar Show 2024 Highlights

Aim AudioAmp and Cab IR SimAudio Distribution GroupBirmingham Guitar ShowBoost and OverdriveBossBuzzing Bugs Audio DevicesCollision DevicesDistortionFace MIFlattley Guitar PedalsFredric EffectsFunny Little BoxesFuzzFX Pedal PlanetGoliath FXGuitar Gear RetailGuitar HeroesHamstead SoundsworksHello Sailor EffectsKMA AudioMulti-FXOrigin EffectsPedal PatchRedbeard EffectsRitual DevicesThorpyFXUK Guitar Show+-
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Wow, The Guitar Show was certainly a rollercoaster of an event with the busiest crowd I’ve witnessed to-date. At times it was quite a struggle to make your way through the packed waves of attendees, which did though start to peter out just a little after 3 o’c. For me it was fast and furious from the start - and I found it a little awkward navigating around the hall - as the stand layout seemed to have all kinds of little nooks and crannies - which made some booths incredibly easy to overlook ...

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2024-GPX-Drunk-Beaver-Khelnytskyi-OD-700.jpg

I’m so excited to get my hands on this new Pedal Drop pedal. Readers will long have read on this blog that I was desperate to get my hand on an original 14-Leg Opamp-loaded OD-1 style overdrive, but with some additional tone-shaping mods also.

 

And that is exactly what Vitalli has done here. He’s been able to source NOS Motorola MC3403 14-Leg Opamp chips which are the exact equivalent specs of the original 14-Leg Raytheon Opamps - which have the same core designation number - while rather ...

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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+-
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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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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+-
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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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Boss's brand new VE-22 Vocal Performer Effects Processor massively improves on 2009's VE-20

Ambient EffectsBitcrushing and Lo-FiBossChorus and VibratoCompressorDelayDistortionEQFlangerHarmonizerModulationMulti-FXNoise GatePhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingReverbRing ModulationSlicer and Stutter+-
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We’re steadily seeing the Boss 20-Series pedals being replaced now, and the VE-20 is the latest to get a very significant upgrade. The new VE-22 moves things on pretty massively and completely revamps and enhances the form factor, switches, knobs and overall control interface - with 3 core switches now in place of the former 2 - and really smart dedicated controls for each of the core functions - all served by a highly visibly and usable LED screen.

 

If you’re a singer or vocal performer of ...

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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+-
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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+-
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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+-
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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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