Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
JHS goes fully Gnarly with their Double Dragon Monophonic Dual +/- Octave Distortion
So JHS have deliberately gone a little off-the-piste ’nasty’ here - where these monophonic effects glitch out in interesting ways when you try to play more than one note at a time. Even single notes can glitch out every now and again.
I already have a few pedals that cover similar ground - often using a CMOS chip at the heart. Some of the most fearsome of those can become pretty untameable - depending on how fine you set the input sensitivity.
Controls - Volume, Dry/Wet Mix, Oct-, Oct+....
2026 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Steady Progress
February is always something of a lull - particularly after the hyper busy NAMM-inflected January. This month is the doldrums of the calendar where not much gets releases. I did though manage to land a decent selection of a dozen pedals - obviously some from the previous year. With the Sinvertek MGAT-1 EVO being the standout pedal landed - where the Klowra Gnash and Wampler Golden Jubilee were pretty spectacular too. 3 x Klowra pedals on the board this month - all excellent!
Of course there...
Klowra's second wave of effects is led by the excellent precision-honed and super versatile Verdict Four-Voice Polyphonic Octave Generator
The Klowra Verdict definitely sits within POG territory - but with a much broader set of features and functions - including 2 variations of Freeze and Ramp Hold effects on the Footswitch.
Along with numerous shaping elements to get even more out of those octaves. Including Low Pass Filter and Attack and Release speeds.
This is a very finely honed high-fidelity device that performs superbly however you configure those settings. ...
Electro-Harmonix rolls out Pico edition of its Intelligent Harmony Machine
EHX first introduced its Intelligent Harmony Machine in November of 2021, and 5 years later we now get a Mini / Pico edition of that circuit - with very slightly fewer controls, but all the main parts fully intact.
The new diminutive Harmony Machine is at $149 vs the original’s $241.50 - so a circa $90 saving - which is significant.
Controls - Volume, #Button : Normal / Sharp, Dry>Wet Mix, Key : C Major (A Min), C# Major (A# Min), D Major (B Min), D# Major (C Min), E Major (C# Min), F ...
Collision Devices introduces new compact Snack Series of Mono effects - a Fuzz, a Pitcher, and a Delay
Collision Devices delivers a unique compact form factor of effects, all well priced at €199, and all with identical 6 x Controls Topologies, and with 3 x Modes and 3 x Presets onboard. As well as cool stepped wedge-shape enclosure.
The Magic Knob does something different in each mode. Plug in an expression pedal and assign it to the control of your choice. No further documentation is offered, and no manuals as yet!
All 3 SNACK pedals have a high appeal, these seem to be a mix of analog...
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 - ...
2025 September Pedal-Chain Update - Episode IX - 55-Part Lunacy!
Another super busy month - where the lack of a holiday is really starting to impact my wellbeing - as I’m about as shattered and burned out as is possible without going entirely into meltdown - I’m teetering on the edge!
Here follow the highlights of the month - which I normally try to limit to around 10 elements - but stand at 12 for September. No show or onside attendances this month - while plenty of other activities - and some killer releases of course!
- Jo Quail @ the Roland Store,
Boss takes aim at the Whammy, Drop and Pitchfork pedals with its superior glitch-free Polyphonic Pitch-Shifters - the XS-1 Compact and 4-in-1 XS-100 Flagship
Over two years in the making, Boss has evolved pitch-shifting to a more pristine clear and precise glitch-free style of Polyphonic Pitch-Shifting. Most previous efforts deliver a somewhat ’effected’ signal - where unwanted artificial and additional artefacts are typically added into the mix. This new generation of XS Polyphonic Pitch-Shifters gives you the most precise pitch-shifting experience to-date.
These devices have very much been optimised for high-gain drop-tuning players - who have...
OPFXS's Dig Deep MK3 Sub-Harmonic Octaver delivers fantastic Separated Monophonic Basslines
This reminds me a little of Boss’s OC-5 - which has a similar feature where you can split off just the bottom strings for Octaver action - while the upper strings remain unaffected. The Dig Deep does a similar thing - with a few more parameters and features, and with 3 Presets onboard.
Controls - Dry [-1 Oct], Sub Mix [-2 Oct], Low Pass [High Pass], Ctrl 1 [Ctrl 2], Split (Split output across Out and Sub Out, [Ctrl III] / [Delete], Shift [Save], Wave (Wave Form) [Ctrl IV] [Scroll], Range [...
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