Strymon unveils Volante Magnetic Echo Machine

Create instant retrofuture atmosphere with evocative vintage delay tones. Activate your imagination with evolving ambient echoes and warm, organic feedback with just the right amount of grit. Sculpt your soundscape in real time as Volante becomes an extension and expansion of your musical instrument. Infuse your pedalboard with stunning vintage vibes that resonate and inspire. Delivering truly exceptional sound quality and intuitive playability, Volante is designed to radically enhance the sonic expressiveness of your pedalboard. Featuring magnetic drum echo, tape echo, and reel-to-reel studio echo, Volante is a stereo multi-head delay that also offers a looper and vintage spring reverb, with powerful sound-sculpting controls for limitless sonic possibilities.

Learn more about the Volante over at Strymon's website.

Earthquaker Devices unveils Black Ash Endangered Fuzz

Limited to 1500 units worldwide, Black Ash is a fuzz/overdrive that takes some cues from the vintage “three-knob Bender.” It uses a highly curated cache of rare and irreplaceable components including paper-in-oil capacitors and NOS half-watt carbon composition resistors from EQD President Jamie Stillman’s personal stash to light a fire under this classic fuzz/drive with an explosive-yet-detailed treble response, a sturdy midrange, and subterranean bass extension.

For more info, visit Earthquaker Devices

EHX unveils the Grand Canyon delay and looper

In somewhat predictable news, Electro-Harmonix is unveiling a big brother to their Canyon delay/looper, aptly named the Grand Canyon. Some improvements include stereo outputs, dedicated knobs for the hidden parameters, ability to use delay and looper independently and a new doubler mode. The Grand Canyon is expected to be priced at $249. See you next year when they announce the Oceans 12 reverb.

-Advanced multifunction delay and looper with up to three seconds of delay time
-12 effect types that cover a ton of tonal real estate to fuel your creativity: ECHO, MOD, MULTI, REVERSE, DMM, TAPE, REVERB, PITCH, SHIM, SAMPLE/HOLD, DRUM, DOUBLER
-Tails feature. Select whether the echoes fade out naturally or stops immediately when the pedal is switched to bypass mode
-Tap tempo with nine tap divide subdivisons
-Up to 16 minutes of recording time on the fully featured looper
-Loop audio remains in the Grand Canyon until you erase it, even after removing power
-13 presets can be saved or recalled
-3-button footswitch connector for remote operation
-Comes with an EHX 9.6DC-200 power supply

For more info, visit Electro Harmonix

BOSS unveils Waza Craft Metal Zone and Dimension C

From the official page:

Premium Waza Craft pedal with all-analog audio circuitry
Innovative dual-stage gain circuit built with discrete analog components
Standard mode updates the famous MT-2 Metal Zone sound with improved clarity and lower noise
Custom mode delivers full-throttle gain tones with wider range, increased dynamics, and tighter low end
Powerful three-band EQ provides intense sound customization with High, Low, and sweepable Midrange and up to 15 dB boost/cut on each band
Premium buffer for clean and clear tone when bypassed
Made in Japan
BOSS five-year warranty

From the official page:

Premium Waza Craft pedal with all-analog audio circuitry
Standard mode provides the sound of the original DC-2 Dimension C pedal
SDD-320 mode authentically reproduces the vintage Roland SDD-320 Dimension D, a legendary studio rack effect heard on countless hit records
Iconic four-button preset interface, updated with reliable electronic switches and LED status indicators
Four main sounds in each mode, plus six variations by pressing two switches together (20 total sounds available)
Premium buffer and enhanced bypass circuitry
Versatile I/O for integrating with any mono or stereo application, from guitar and bass pedalboards to keyboards and studio mixing
Made in Japan
BOSS five-year warranty

EarthQuaker Devices unveils Aqueduct vibrato

Aqueduct™ is a vintage-inspired pitch vibrato with eight modulation modes delivering synth-like sonar pulses, touch-sensitive frequency modulation, gentle rolling pitch-wobbles, steady kosmische pulsations, rapid trills, slimy sonic squiggles, whammy bar wiggles, pitch bends, pseudo-flange, and anything else your pitch-warped brain can picture in your murky mind’s eye.

For more info on the new EarthQuaker Aqueduct, visit the official product page.

EHX unveils Oceans 11 reverb

It's an 11-mode reverb akin to their previously released Canyon delay. At $150, it'll compete with pedals like the DigiTech Polara, BOSS RV-6 and TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2.

For more info, visit Electro Harmonix.

1. HALL – the rich reverberant sound of a grand concert hall
2. SPRING – pays homage to the classic Fender® 6G15 tube spring reverb
3. PLATE – the lush, warm reverb that got its name because a large metal plate was originally used to create it
4. REVRS – emulates the quirky reverse reverb effect where a note’s reverb fades-in backwards. (Jimmy Page claims to have invented it.)
5. ECHO –sends a recirculating echo thru the Plate reverb. The crisp clear delays get tastefully smudged by the airy plate reverb
6. TREM – reverb plus tremolo that’s applied to both the wet and dry mix of a Hall reverb, your choice of three different tremolo shapes
7. MOD – modulated reverb, three modes. Chorus laced onto the reverb tails creates a luscious atmospheric effect. Flanger wraps around the reverb tails and weaves a hypnotic tapestry. Chorus and flanger combined.
8. DYNA – Swell, gate and duck. Swell silences your notes’ attacks before blooming the tails back into the soundscape. Gate passes the reverb tail thru a noise gate that opens when it detects playing. (Phil Collins popularized the technique by applying it to drums.) Duck compresses the reverb tail while you’re playing and fades it back in when you’re resting.
9. AUTO-INF – Auto-infinite reverb that triggers a reverb wash for each note or chord. When a new one is struck, the previously resounding reverb crossfades to the new one
10. SHIM – Shimmer generates a rich octave-shifted reverb wash that modulates and blossoms behind your signal
11. POLY – Polyphonic reverb, two configurable bi-directional pitch shifts operating on your pre-reverb signal. Combine dissonant intervals with near infinite decays to create disorienting soundtracks, or choose perfect/major intervals to generate creative harmonies when jumping around a key signature

OBNE releases Flat Light Textural Flange Shifter

Building effects around a foundation of flanging, the Flat Light is the latest in the Old Blood Noise Endeavors pedal line. From pitch shifting flanger to highly resonant metallic sounds to reverb-like delays and recognizable swooshes, the Flat Light will induce motion to your sound no matter where it sits in your signal path.

The Flat Light features:

Three modes of flanger: Detune (shimmering pitch shift), Resonate (highly resonant multiflange), and Echo (reverb-like delay)
Four controls to shape the sound: Rate to set rate, Depth to set depth, Shift to affect the something extra, and Mix to go from 100% dry to 100% wet
A Tilt footswitch to momentarily maximize Rate or Shift controls
Expression jack for external control of Rate or Shift parameters
Internal trimpot to control output level
Relay bypass switching and standard 9VDC center negative power

The Flat Light is available now at Old Blood Noise Endeavors for $199.

MXR introduces Sugar Drive (it's a klone)

It's a mini-klone. It's $119. It looks really cheesy. Alternatively, it looks kinda cool. For more info, visit MXR.

The MXR Sugar Drive provides a diverse range of clear and transparent overdrive tones, from sauced up boosting to blown-tube distortion. It’s based on a rare overdrive pedal that has acquired a mythical reputation among fanatical tone-seekers thanks to its unique circuit design.

The key elements of that circuit design are the Drive control and something called a charge pump. First, the Drive control on this pedal doesn’t just increase the intensity of the overdrive pedal. It starts with your clean signal and then blends it with the overdrive effect as you turn it up, replicating the smooth transition of an amplifier going from clean to dirty. The charge pump increases overall headroom, which opens everything up nicely.

Of course, we had to put the MXR touch on this circuit. If you’re all about true bypass, then you’re in luck—this pedal uses it by default. The original used buffered bypass, though, and we know there’s a lot of players out there who don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. They’re in luck, too—just flick the Buffer switch on the side of the pedal to enable buffered bypassing.

With a simple three-knob setup and an MXR mini housing, this is the go-to overdrive to have on your pedalboard. It’s versatile and it saves space, and unlike the original pedals it’s based on, it won’t cost you thousands of dollars.

Fender unveils new pedals at NAMM

These, I believe, are Fender's first pedals since the unexceptional Competition Series pedals and certainly look more inspired than their predecessors.

Pugilist Distortion - MSRP: $99.99
A dual gain-stage distortion with a switch-activated bass boost.

Level Set Buffer - MSRP: $99.99
It's pretty feature-rich for a dedicated buffer pedal, if only because buffer pedals generally don't feature anything other than the buffer. Along with level and hi-frequency filter knobs, the footswitch allows you to mute the signal.

The Bends Compressor - MSRP: $129.99
Maybe it's named after the Radiohead album. Maybe it's named after decompression sickness.

Marine Layer Reverb - MSRP: 149.99
The oddest name from a set of oddly-named pedals. At its price point, it'll have heavy competition with the TC Hall of Fame, DigiTech Polara, BOSS RV6, et al.

Mirror Image Delay - MSRP: $149.99
Like the Marine Layer Reverb, this one will have a lot of competition in the $150 range.

Santa Ana Overdrive - MSRP: $199.99
Some good tone-shaping potential here with two different voices, a 3-band EQ and optional boost.

ProCo unveils Rat Tail Distortion cable

It's a Rat pedal.. in a cable. Instead of three knobs, users can select from three preset positions. The Rat Tail comes in three different lengths - 10 feet, 18 feet and 25 feet. For more info, visit ProCo.

RAT Tail Distortion cable

Distortion effect circuitry built into the connector
Same clipping Diodes using in Vintage RAT Distortion pedals
2 Ranges of distortion, selectable right on the connector
(Position 1 is True ByPass)

JHS unveils Bonsai 9-in-1 Tubescreamer

It's basically a 9-mode Tubescreamer, similar to their previously released Muffuletta. At $229 though, it seems miles behind the Earthquaker Palisades, which is only $20 more. For more info, visit JHS Pedals.

In the late 1970's the overdrive pedal was arguably perfected when Japanese engineers designed the sound that we now know as the heart and soul of so many of our favorite artists, recordings and sounds. Players ranging from The Edge, Trey Anastasio, Buddy Guy, Kirk Hammett, John Mayer, SRV, Carlos Santana and thousands more from every possible genre have utilized and depended on this classic iconic green box. If a single effect pedal was chosen to board a Voyager 3 mission and be solely responsible for showing the universe the sound of overdrive, it would undoubtably be Tube Screamer. It is probably the most produced and sold pedal in the history of guitar pedals! The Bonsai is our tribute to one of the greatest pedals ever created.

Empress Effects unveils Zoia

All that exists is this Knobs demo, but it looks pretty amazing.

Zoia is a compact grid of musical anything. Use modules to construct instruments, effects, utilities. Save and transfer them via SD. It is what you need it to be.

Features:
- Stereo operation (including Empress effect algorithms)
- MIDI i/o
- CV & clock in
- Save patches as supermodules to speed up creation
- Ongoing updates (new modules!)
- Random create function to jumpstart or invigorate your process
- Blocks can all be linked freely to multiple sources & destinations
- Extensive favourites system: even moments can be favourited, to quickly return to a safe place if your patch goes awry

This is an introduction. Tentative release information: Spring, $450.

Chase Bliss unveils Thermae Analog Delay / Harmonizer

Introducing Thermae™: Analog Delay / Harmonizer. Release: 5/31/18. $499. 100% analog signal path with digital control / presets / midi. Max delay time: at least 4 seconds (it likes to be underclocked) via 4x MN3005 chipset. Sequence mode, step mode, or normal mode for shifting through delay time intervals. Three modulation types with three subtypes. Glide knob for setting transition time between pitch intervals. Slightly resonant low pass filter for repeats. Full ramping and expression control. Optional trails or true bypass via dip switch. Momentary or latching bypass via dip switch. Come give it a whirl next week at the NAMM show at booth 3744

EHX unveils 95000 Performance Loop Laboratory

How much looping is too much looping?

EHX introduces the 95000 Performance Loop Laboratory, the company’s most advanced looper to date, featuring six mono tracks and one stereo mixdown track per loop. It will record up to 375 minutes and 100 loops with a 16GB Micro SD card and switching between loops is quick and easy.

The new 95000 is housed in a rugged, aluminum, all metal chassis with a control layout that has been optimized for use as both a tabletop and foot-pedal unit. This new design ensures that the player can take maximum advantage of the looper’s powerful performance capabilities.

The 95000 also features a robust I/O including two audio inputs, each capable of handling a microphone (phantom power is included), instrument or unbalanced line input so the unit can readily connect to all sound sources. Left / right outputs, a Monitor out and a Headphone Out are included.

-Import / export .WAV files to MAC or PC via the built-in USB port
-TAP Button allows you to set loop BPM
-Quantize or non-quantize (free running) recording modes
-Speed adjust over a 2-octave range
-Overdub or punch in / out recording
-Reverse playback and recording
-Loop progress may be displayed in Bar/Beat format
-Expression pedal control over loop volume
-Left/right outputs, Monitor Out, Headphone Output
-EHX 9.6DC-200 PSU included
-Dimensions in inches: 12.6 (w) x 5.9 (l) x 2.6 (h)
-Dimensions in mm: 320 (w) x 150 (l) x 65 (h)

For more info, visit Electro-Harmonix.

Walrus Audio unveils Fathom Reverb

The official demo is below, and additional demos are available from Brett Kingman, Reverb.com, JustNick, and Rabea. For more info and to pre-order, visit Walrus Audio.

*Preorders for the Fathom begin January 15th with an expected ship date of January 29th. *

The Fathom is a feature-rich reverb with 4 different customized reverb algorithms to choose from. Easily go from tasteful, small room reverb to long, modulated trails dripping of ambient goodness. The toggle switch adds options for low, medium and high modulation. Use the dampen knob to fine tune the tone of the reverb's decay.

The Fathom features 4 different algorithms.

Hall - Wide, open and vast with decay that ends with high-frequency rolloff. X knob adjusts pre-delay.
Plate - Full Body reverb with a smooth decay. X knob adjusts pre-delay.
Lo-fi - Filtered reverb with decay ranging from warm, to thin AM-sounding radio. X knob adjusts filter width.
Sonar - Reverb fed with both a high and low octave with the ability to blend the octaves with the X knob.

Momentary Functions:

When the pedal is in off position, press and hold the Bypass Switch to temporarily activate the effect to add a moment of reverb. Releasing the switch turns the effect off.

Press and hold the Sustain Switch while the pedal is on, to sustain the reverb decay for a dreamy ambient decrescendo.

Trails Mode:

To turn trails mode on or off, unplug the pedal and press and hold down the Bypass Switch for two seconds while plugging the pedal back in.

NUX unveils some Strymon-looking pedals

NUX has unveiled a line of three new pedals, and at first look, one would assume they're Strymon clones. They share an identical design and knob placement, but the similarities seem to end there. Among the new pedals is the a combination delay and reverb, and an amp simulator, either of which Strymon has. The last new pedal is a combination booster and compressor, but doesn't appear to be a clone of Strymon's own booster/compressor.

Atlantic Delay & Reverb

The Atlantic Delay & Reverb features an analog, digital and tape echo on the delay side, and a spring, hall and plate on the reverb side. A shimmer effect can be added to the plate reverb with a momentary switch. According to NUX, it's expected to be priced around $160. For more info, visit NUX.

Solid Studio IR & Power Amp Simulator

The Solid Studio IR & Power Amp Simulator features 8 cabinets, 8 microphones and 3 positions for each, and 3 tube models. For more info, visit NUX.

Masamune Booster & Kompressor

For more info, visit NUX.

Earthquaker Devices introduce Rainbow Machine V2 and Avalanche Run V2

The second version of the Rainbow Machine will have "more versatile, twice as loud as the original, with an extended delay time, deeper chorus tones, improved signal-to-noise ratio, silent flexiswitch footswitches on both the Activate and Magic functions." For more info, visit Earthquaker Devices.

Avalanche Run V2 will feature "an updated reverb algorithm for enhanced stereo imaging, new custom-built enclosure, flexi-switch switching for standard latching or momentary operation." For more info, visit Earthquaker Devices.

Earthquaker Devices unveils Westwood Translucent Drive Manipulator

It's basically a transparent overdrive, and with a list price of $179.00 it'll be within range of similar drive pedals. For more info, visit Earthquaker Devices.

Westwood is a touch sensitive translucent overdrive manipulator as clean and pure as the breeze which blows through a grove of Douglas Fir trees, and as hot as a damn fine cup of coffee.

This mild-mannered light- to medium-gain overdrive with active EQ controls will still knock the socks right off your trusty low-wattage combo amp, pushing it into anything from cutting, edge-of-breakup rhythm tones, all the way to articulate, singing lead tones stacked high with pleasing even-order harmonics and sweet, sweet sustain. And if you pair it up with your favorite head and cab, you should probably call the neighbors first, because the Westwood’s Level control has enough output on tap to alert the proper authorities. Even the FBI.

Each and every Westwood is a real Blue Rose case, hand built by a team of special agents in the Black Lodge of Akron, Ohio, USA, where the owls are not what they seem, there’s always music in the air, and the birds sing a pretty song.

TC Electronic unveils Sonic Specialists line of pedals

TC Electronic has unveiled their latest line of pedals, the Sonic Specialists. Coming in the same box as the "Behringer clones", they include a spring reverb, a shimmer reverb, a spinning speaker simulator and an Echoplex-styled pedal. The pedals are expected to be released in the coming months, check TC Electronic for more info.

Drip spring reverb

The best way to spice up your dry guitar sound with some distinctive character and depth is a good spring reverb. An homage to one of music's most recognizable reverb effects, Drip Spring Reverb instantly takes your tone back to the good old days of amp reverb, to the iconic California surf scene and countless classic blues recordings. Not to mention iconic instrumental bands such as The Shadows and The Ventures, who built their sound on those classic reverberated guitar tones. Quite simply, spring reverb was so ubiquitous on classic recordings that it has become a quintessential part of sound of the electric guitar.

For more info on the Drip, visit TC Electronic.

Fluorescence shimmer reverb

Shimmer reverb is one of those effects that you have to hear for yourself before you really know what it is. Originally pioneered by recording legends Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, shimmer is produced by layering a tail of reverb that is pitched up an octave and sent through a feedback loop on top of the dry signal. This produces lush soundscapes that take on a life of their known, ranging from voluptuous chimes, to interstellar travel-like sounds that will evoke memories of Carl Sagan's Cosmos while you're playing.

For more info on the Fluorescence, visit TC Electronic.

Gauss tape echo

Few delay effects are more revered, or iconic, than the tape echo machines of yesteryear. The warm, fat tones of the vintage reel-to-reel tape units have become the stuff of legends, but they are hard to come by, pretty temperamental and typically quite expensive. Gauss Tape Echo realistically emulates the sound of those legendary tape echo machines, plays well with other effects, and is pretty darn affordable!

For more info on the Gauss, visit TC Electronic.

Vibraclone rotary

Every guitar player knows the thick, syrupy tones of the iconic 60s guitar heroes blasting their licks through a rotating speaker cone. SRV, Hendrix, Trower and Gilmour to mention a few - they all mastered the unique tone of the original rotating speaker designs. Vibraclone brings that same luscious whirl to your sound, allowing you to explore everything from earthy and swampy to ethereal and spacy ambient tones - all the way up to full-on kaleidoscopic psychedelia!

For more info on the Vibraclone, visit TC Electronic.

Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer unveiled

It's a Tubescreamer that uses Korg's Nutube. Sweetwater has its listed on pre-order for $249 (yikes.) The Nu Tube Screamer is expected to make its formal debut at this month's NAMM show.

Equipped with a Nutube vacuum tube, the Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer is a worthy successor to one of the most-played overdrive pedals of all time. And it's even more versatile than the original, with a mix control for blending your dry tone with the overdriven sound. Thanks to its Nutube circuitry, the Nu Tube Screamer delivers impressive dynamics, excellent sensitivity, and tube-like compression when you hit it hard. And just like the original, the Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer is also an awesome clean boost for overdriving a tube amplifier that is already at the edge of breakup.

Nutube technology delivers genuine tube tone
Guitarists should be excited about Nutube technology — it offers the harmonic richness of tube distortion in a smaller, more power efficient package. It's a genuine vacuum tube, and that's why the Nu Tube Screamer has such an amp-like response. Explore its gain range with your picking dynamics, and enjoy the natural tube compression that takes hold when you dig into it.

Mix control for sonic versatility
More and more guitarists at Sweetwater are seeking out overdrive options with a mix control like the Nu Tube Screamer offers. You can balance the grind of the overdrive with the clear attack of your clean tone, which is especially useful for cutting through when playing lead. With the mix control fully counter-clockwise, you can use the Nu Tube Screamer as a pristine clean boost for pushing your amp's front end harder.

Even more headroom and gain
While the Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer can be powered by a 9V battery or power supply (sold separately), you can also use an 18V power supply for added headroom and gain.

Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer Overdrive Pedal Features:

Boost/overdrive pedal with Nutube vacuum tube technology
Amp-like response, with natural tube compression when you hit it hard
Mix control for blending dry tone with overdrive
Can be run on 9V power, or 18V power for greater gain and headroom
True bypass switching completely removes the circuit from your signal path when bypassed