NYC BANDS & GEAR Issue #51 Vol. #3 Summer 2017 thedelimag.com
In 2004, The Deli was born with the mission of being on the side of small, independent, and local bands and artists, rather than the big, mainstream, and internationally recognized ones all the other publications competed to cover.
NYC BANDS & GEAR Issue #51 Vol. #3 Summer 2017 thedelimag.com
Thirteen years later, that mission is taking on wider connotations: in many fields, the fight between big and corporate vs. small and independent has been brought to extreme levels by the internet and a handful of companies that were able to exploit its potential.
Editor In Chief / Publisher
Paolo De Gregorio Founder
Charles Newman Editor
Olivia Sisinni executive Editor
quang d. tran graphic designer Kaz Yabe ( www.kazyabe.com )
Contributing Writers
Brandon Stoner Interns
Lilly Milman Ethan Ames Tafari Lemma Allie Miller Pearse Devlin Publishers
The Deli Magazine LLC Mother West, NYC
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Ben Apatoff Dave Cromwell Geena Kloeppel William Sisskind Henry Solotaroff-Webber
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Kevin Blatchford
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Distribution Coordinator
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Binod Lamsal
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Jason Grimste (aka brokemc) Web Developer
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Facebook, Google, and Amazon (among others) have already done incalculable damage to small, local entities like newspapers and mom and pop shops including many musical instrument stores. A few weeks ago, a notable New Yorker took a first, important step against this trend (read about it on pages 24-25). Here at The Deli, we want to see this pattern reversed (or at least tamed), in particular in the music store department. You can help! Buy your instruments locally - or online from smaller stores (they have websites too, and often offer free shipping just like Amazon!). Take any opportunity to support what’s local and independent – after all, aren’t you part of it? Paolo De Gregorio, Editor in Chief
Raise your voice. XS Wireless 1 & 2 microphone systems
As a singer, speaker or instrumentalist, you want to connect with your audience. Focus on your message – not on the equipment. Be confident. To meet those demands, Sennheiser created the XS Wireless microphone system. Thanks to its intuitive, one-touch scanning and synchronization, XS Wireless 1 combines exceptional ease of use with great sound quality. If you’re ready to take the next step, XS Wireless 2 offers additional control, flexibility and ruggedness to withstand the toughest live conditions. It’s time to raise your voice. For all microphone options, visit: sennheiser.com/xs-wireless
Raise your voice. XS Wireless 1 & 2 microphone systems. As a singer, speaker or instrumentalist, you want to connect with your audience. Focus on your message – not on the equipment. Be confident. To meet those demands, Sennheiser created the XS Wireless microphone system. Thanks to its intuitive, one-touch scanning and synchronization, XS Wireless 1 combines exceptional ease of use with great sound quality. If you’re ready to take the next step, XS Wireless 2 offers additional control, flexibility and ruggedness to withstand the toughest live conditions. It’s time to raise your voice. For all microphone options visit sennheiser.com/xs-wireless
Fresh Buzz | New Artists Collaboration remains all-important in the indie music scene, as McKenzie Ellis proves with the music she makes under the moniker Mothica. Born in Oklahoma City and now based in Brooklyn, the young gloom-pop artist has made connections with some of North America’s best underground acts, such as Canada’s Tennyson and LA’s Crywolf, among many others. While lending her vocals to guest appearances, touring regularly, and releasing remixes of her tracks on Soundcloud, Mothica found time to release her newest EP, Heavy Heart, this past May. The electronica and dubstep inspired album features Mothica’s voice front and center; she uses it as a powerful instrument that conveys emotion with confidence. Heavy Heart’s first single – “Out Of It”, which Mothica released in August 2016 – packs one of the hardest punches on the EP, culminating in a pop opus worthy of repeated play. (Will Sisskind)
Mo thi ca Aisha Badru’s songs are oddly fit for background tracks. They seem tailored for small, sentimental moments that stick to the back of your subconscious. In fact, you might recognize her music from a recent Volkswagen commercial in which it’s used in this exact context. Her voice, piercing through a warm current of acoustic instrumentation, delivers a shiver of intense nostalgia you might feel after visiting your childhood’s neighborhood. It’s a return to a place without its identifiers, a place teeming with the ghostly, ephemeral nature of memory. Aisha recently announced on her Facebook profile that she signed a record deal and has a full length record on its way. First single “Mind of Fire” is an impressive, almost entirely a cappella ballad (except for a subtle two-note bass line) about the challenges related to fighting for freedom in our society. (Andrew Strader)
Ais ha Ba dru
Socc er Mom my
Soccer Mommy’s new album, Collection, is a plethora of emotions, shimmery guitars, and sarcasm. Front-woman Sophie Allison has mastered the art of the cool vocal timbre and lyrics that evoke silent, sad-girl suffering. An example? “I wish we didn’t make out in your friend’s bedroom / but she won’t ever love you like the way I do” she sings on “3AM at a Party.” Dreamy chord progressions and Allison’s softly hummed falsetto make for a heap of atmospheric moments, grounded in both the occasional rocking drumset and the wit of her song titles. I’ve never had “Benadryl Dreams” but Soccer Mommy makes them sound like a sweet trip, which is just how I’d describe Collection. (Geena Kloeppel)
Records of the Month
2
3. Guerilla Toss
1
GT Ultra
3
1. Japanese Breakfast
Soft Sounds From Another Planet
Her new LP Soft Sounds From Another Planet begins with the crisp snare and buzzing synth of “Diving Woman”. Reminiscent of theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore and the chilling soundtrack of sci-fi classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still, the LP’s opener is bittersweet and atmospheric. Zauner’s lush vocals entrance with ease, wooing listeners with delicate bravado and immaculate execution, alongside swelling undertones of intimacy and unapologetic appetite. Dreamlike and hypnotically romantic, the confessional candidness of “Road Head” brings to mind Porches’ “Hour” and the brooding lust of Trust’s darkest cuts. The directness of Zauner’s narratives continues with “Machinist,” as she addresses her audience without hes8
diates the kind of candy-flavored teenage angst you might remember blasting from your headphones on the way to middle school, Charly Bliss’s lyrics are not so bubblegum. Instead, their latest release, the long-awaited LP called Guppy, uses adult-themes to propel their music outside the realm of teen bedrooms, and its meditations on love and life are sure to hit home with many twentysomethings. The combination of sincerity and self-awareness is what makes Charly Bliss much more than many other nostalgia-fueled power pop groups. (Olivia Sisinni)
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itation. Oscillating between auto-tune and whispers, the melodic integrity of this anthem lies in its delectably retro aura, palpable immediacy, and abrupt end that quickly bleeds into the hushed drama of “Planetary Ambience,” at memorable preface to the album’s title track. More of a proclamation of healing than a song about heartbreak, this gentle yet gripping ballad makes a promise that doubles as a warning: “I’ll never let you hurt me.” (Dianca London)
2. Charly Bliss Guppy
If you told me Charly Bliss was a band from ’96, I wouldn’t flinch. The NYC fourpiece crafts grunge-tinged power pop that manages to feel ’90s-authentic instead of a trendy emulation. Though the band ra-
Guerilla Toss’ new full length, GT Ultra, was partly inspired by the CIA’s previously classified, “Project MKUltra,” an initiative that experimented with drugs to weaken and torture those under interrogation, and, appropriately enough, the album art is covered with acid blotter papers. The release, the band’s second under DFA Record, showcases a more mature production style that doesn’t get in the way of the group’s signature unpredictability. An acid trip in itself, GT Ultra takes the conventions of dance, punk, electronic, and rock music and rips them apart. “Can I Get the Real Stuff,” their second track, introduces the band’s repeated practice of entering the realm of a recognizable sound/genre, and tearing down the walls with something unexpected. Their fourth track “TV Do Tell” follows this same idea, bringing in instances of ’80s pop, until an uncontrollable frenzy takes over—as if someone was messing with the pitch lever on the entire track while changing the tempo signature without warning. “Skull Pop” features cryptic lyrics feel like a recap of a hallucination, paired with a musical accompaniment that seems to hint that something went wrong along the way. GT Ultra follows no patterns, no norms, yet comes together throughout the turmoil as one of the most exciting releases of 2017. (Pearse Devlin)
Feature | Cover Artist
Ian Sweet
Prime Time for
“Slime Time”
IAN SWEET Faces the Future Longing for the Past.”
with “A
Written by
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Ben Apatoff
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If you weren’t watching kids’ TV in the early 2000s, you probably missed Slime Time Live, a Nickelodeon show that revolved around games, celebrity guests and (inevitably) “sliming” the audience and contestants with a bucket of green goo. Online video clips of the show capture a playful, even escapist atmosphere, all the more remarkable when remembering it inspired IAN SWEET’s mournful single “Slime Time Live,” off their lauded debut album Shapeshifter. “Your makeup is running, clean it up, smile and shrug,” sings bandleader Jilian Medford over notes that suggest Kate Bush running up Sonic Youth’s hill. “Another five weeks ’til it kicks in / Then I won’t feel like dying / Meanwhile I’ll re-enact Slime Time Live / No other contestants just me getting slimed.” Raised in the Los Angeles suburbs, Medford graduated from the Berklee College of Music before moving to New York to pursue music. “My parents took me to music festivals at a young age,” she recalls. “I always knew I wanted to be up there doing that.” She began performing as a solo artist (“Ian” is a childhood nickname for Medford), but after meeting drummer Tim Cheney and bassist Damien Scalise, the current lineup of IAN SWEET formed. “I think there is a noticeable edge with bands that form in Boston,” reflects Cheney. “The history of music originating from that area has an energy and rawness that stands apart from the rest of the country—Pile, Krill, Kal Marks. I think sometimes we stand out due to that inherent grittiness for better or worse.” Cheney, a multi-instrumentalist who joined IAN SWEET as the bassist before switching to drums, also created the band’s video for “If You’re Crying,” a Smiths-like slice of jangle pop, through performance footage and video clips from the bandmates’ phones, offering glimpses into the band’s road antics and camaraderie. Says Medford’s, “Touring is so much fun for us. We are constantly learning about each other and trying to make each other laugh. We all have strong opinions and ideas that we want to get heard. We have to work like a team in everything we do.” “We’re still constantly working on the interpersonal relations side of the band,” adds Scalise. “We have become like family over the past three years and like any family, things get rough, but love is belle of the ball, always.” Shapeshifter’s lyrics are rife with millennial childhood popular culture, from “Real Slime Time” to “All Skaters Go to Heaven” to “#23”,
the latter a reference to the Chicago Bulls’ infamous #23, complete with nods to the basketball star’s signature sneakers and the film Space Jam. But as with “Real Slime Time,” the result is less idealistic and nostalgic than one might imagine. “Jordan was a rebellious rock star figure,” says Cheney. “It makes sense that Jil growing up would look up to that kind of attitude regardless of her interest in sports.” Likewise, IAN SWEET and Shapeshifter reflect Jordan’s restlessness and complexity more than his grinning, TV pitchman and Bugs Bunny pal image. The title track drifts in and out of any sense of conventional structure, Medford’s (shape)shifting progressions and vocals giving the sense that the song could fall apart at any second. The lovely, almost Björk-like “2soft2chew” imagines dreamy indie pop with a fearsome delivery. The aforementioned “If You’re Crying” from the band’s self-titled EP (originally released in 2014) gives one of IAN SWEET’s catchiest riffs and a frolicking video some chilling couplets (“I woke up and smashed my head / It was real bloody for about ten seconds / Until you stopped it with your hand / You said ‘Darling don’t you try that shit again’”) that will be interpreted as a reflection of Medford’s struggles with depression and panic attacks. It’s a turmoil that comes out in the band’s tumultuous music and their live performances, which Medford describes as “Kind of like a rollercoaster. Energetic. Emotional and really personal.” “We are so inspired by the music in Brooklyn and the music we have experienced through constantly touring this past year,” says Medford. “We like to keep our performances engaging and fresh, and it happens naturally just because we have so much fun when we get up there together.” She smiles. “I think we stand out because people can feel how genuinely excited we are to be playing together.”
[Klon KTR Overdrive] For when we kick into choruses or crescendo parts of the song. [ZVEX Instant Lofi Junky] Tape warble; used in the song “#23” throughout. [MXR Micro Chorus] Used to accent lead lines. [TC Electronics Transistor Pedal] I mostly keep this on throughout the set at a low delay rate, just so there is slight slap back.
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bands + gear
Read the full features on audio.thedelimagazine.com
Sharkmuffin
Garage Psych Surf Punk
NYC-based Sharkmuffin creates punchy garage rock wrapped in a fuzzy, ’60s cool that is at once feminine and fearless. On the heels of a new album release, the masterminds behind the band, Tarra Thiessen (guitar/vox) and Natalie Kirch (bass/vox) gave us an in-depth look into the meaning behind their latest tracks, and the delicious array of pedals they use to help create their frenetic tunes. What’s on your pedal boards these days? Tarra: Death By Audio Fuzz War, Death By Audio Interstellar Overdrive, Death By Audio Echo Dream, Shape Shifter Tremolo, & a BOSS tuner. Natalie: My setup is pretty basic. I use an Apocalypse Death By Audio fuzz pedal and tuning pedal. Are there any NEW pieces of gear you are intensely thinking about? Tarra: I really want to put a tremolo bar on one of my guitars. Natalie: I’ve been debating getting an Echo Dream pedal.
The Shacks
Dream Pop Alt Folk
With demure, breathy vocals and delicate, bluesy instrumentals, The Shacks produce soft and subdued soul that find its strength in simplicity instead of powerhouse thrills. Was there a specific pedal that kind of changed your life? These days I only use one pedal when I play live. It’s a 1970’s Mica Fuzz-Wah pedal. I used to tour a lot, playing guitar for the great Charles Bradley. His producer and studio guitarist, Tom Brenneck, is one of my main influences as a guitar player, and also a great guy. He was one of the first people I started hanging with in the Daptone Records scene when I was 14 or 15, and he was always super cool and encouraging. I think the only stompbox effects he uses on Charles’ records are fuzz and a little bit of wahwah. Live, he uses a Ibanez Fuzz-Wau pedal, which happens to have a reverse wah-wah. So when I started playing with Charles Bradley, I picked up a really similar piece. Ibanez products came under a bunch of dif12
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ferent names back in the day, and my Mica Fuzz-Wah is essentially the same as Tommy’s, except the Wah is not in reverse. That’s the only pedal I use live. It’s got two fuzz settings, one regular and one extra thin. And it has two controls, Fuzz Depth and Balance, which I set during sound check to the desired balance with my clean signal.
Dave Cromwell, Geena Kloeppel, Will Sisskind, Olivia Sisinni, Ethan Ames, Lilly Milman, Allie Miller, Pearse Devlin and Tafari Lemma contributed to this section.
Fruit & Flowers
Garage Psych Punk
If you are feeling in the mood for surfy and grungey sonic fun, we’ve got a band for you: Brooklyn-based Fruit & Flowers. We heard the ladies dig guitar pedals, so we thought to ask a few questions about them.
Lyzi’s pedals.
Wilder Maker
Ana’s pedalboard.
Can we get a peek at the band’s pedal boards and a quick rundown of how you use each pedal? Lyzi: I had never had pedals before this year. I have some I don’t even know what to do with… kind of a nice feeling. I use a Lotus Noise and Distortion pedal, BOSS DS-1 Distortion, BOSS Super Chorus, Empress FX Tape Delay, and a Catalinbread Talisman Reverb. The Lotus pedal is great for feedback and leads or just a little extra boost. It can get pretty intense if you want to take it there. The Chorus I typically use for a wobbly tremolo effect. I keep my reverb pedal on for almost all the tunes. Ana: I use an Analogman modded BOSS Super-Overdrive for a boost, tone control, and a little crunch, mostly for riffier parts or when the chorus hits. Next one is an Ibanez DS-7; it sounds abrasive and kind of awful but I love it. I mostly use it for solos, so the sound cuts through. Next is a Malekko lofi EKKO 616 analog delay. I like to use it with my MXR Carbon Copy, with a longer delay time set. I like having another delay pedal in the chain so when I click off the Carbon Copy, there’s still some delay on the signal. I tend to keep the Holy Grail on the Spring setting, to get that surfy reverb sound.
Dream Folk Mellow Pop
From the electric guitar hook to the soft, confident, sultry vocals, it is clear that Brooklyn’s Wilder Maker has mastered the art of caressing the ear. We spoke to the band about their recent sound shift, and the gear they’ve used on their latest releases. Your new music is a lot more electric. Were guitar pedals part of what inspired this record, at least sonically? Definitely. We’ve been in the process of slowly becoming a rock band rather than a singer songwriter project, and I think the process is finally complete. Now I use the Catalinbread plate Reverb instead of the Holy Grail, and that stays on nearly all the time. Then the Keeley Memphis Sun, which I use for a very specific slapback in one song, and for the ADT style effect sometimes, which is really fun. Next your standard BOSS tuner, then the Crowther Prunes & Custard, famous for being the A Ghost Is Born guitar solo pedal. This is a new one for me; I used to rely on hitting the amp tubes to generate any distortion, but sometimes it would require too much volume for the stage, so I’ve started using this. It’s mostly intervallic so it can vary from adding a slight edge on linear parts to a total car crash of a sound if you’re playing several notes at once. It gives you a lot of control in your hands, rather than on the pedal itself, which I love. the deli Summer 2017
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bands + gear
Read the full features on audio.thedelimagazine.com
Strawberry Runners
Indie Pop Alt Folk
There’s a certain overarching sweetness that consumes the Denver/ New York-based group, Strawberry Runners, but a close listen will reveal a far more complicated sound. The pop-driven arrangements and saccharine melodies support lyrics filled with darkness -a juxtaposition that’s at once uplifting and upsetting. (Lilly Milman) Was there a specific pedal (or two) that kind of changed your life? My favorite pedal has been the empress super tape delay for a long time. It was a bit of an investment, but it sounds beautiful, has so much versatility - from a subtle tremolo-type sound, to chaotic, backward-looping echoes. What do you have on your board these days? Please give us a brief explanation of how you use each pedal. I have my Keeley compressor on most of the time. I use a JHS morning glory overdrive pedal and I like it because it’s really light + subtle I use a Strymon Blue Sky reverb. I keep the Empress Superdelay really low most of the time, but sometimes I like to get freaky with it. I don’t use the looping pedal all that much, but once in awhile, I need to loop something. I use it a lot in the writing process, but only occasionally live. And... a TC Helicon Vocal Harmony pedal. It’s a fun little surprise.
Mutoid Man
Punk Metal Math Metal
Sludgy, frenetic, and surprisingly melodic, Mutoid Man serves up nasty, heavy jams with a side of skilled riffage. Their latest release, War Moans, is 12-tracks worth of head spinning metal aptitude, so of course, we here at the Deli were very curious as to what kind of gear went into making their signature gut-busting sound. What do you have on your pedalboard these days? [This] is my basic setup for Mutoid Man. Yellow tape arrows indicate Super Shifter quick octave up for piercing eardrums and a slow-diving octave down for brown note central. There’s a reverse delay for mild trippy ambience, flanger, octave down laser-like sonic intensity mimicking some intergalactic bass playing alien phenom, a sampler pedal for when I get lonely as the lone guitar player in a band and want some loopy company, octave up for more sharp frequency violence upon unsuspecting eardrums, and a (sexual) organ simulator for me to launch into “take me out to the ballgame” at any given moment. What’s your favorite pedal on your board right now? The B-9 is pretty great as it tracks one’s playing super well - it’s also a happy medium for all the years I’ve said how badly I wanna take piano lessons. 14
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Photo: Jammi York
bands + gear
Read the full features on audio.thedelimagazine.com
Overlake
Shoegazer Dream Pop
Overlake specializes in serving up gazey and delicious tracks that feature strong melody-writing chops. Though there’s enough wall-of-sound goodness to sink your teeth into, the band also manages to meld upbeat, indie-inspired choruses that you may find echoing up in the space between your ears all day. There are a lot more distorted guitars in this new record, what gear left your rig and what found its place in it between 2014 and 2017? I have two guitars, both Jazzmasters. One’s a Squire J Mascis model, and the other is a Mexican Fender. The amp I use is a VOX AC-15. I currently use four pedals: an MXR Carbon Copy delay pedal, a Line 6 delay/loop pedal, BOSS overdrive/distortion, and an Electro-Harmonix Bad Stone phaser. I used to have two Danelectro pedals, a phaser and a tremolo, but they fell out of the chain. They sound great but they’re not very durable. I tend to use the two delay pedals in tandem with each other to make the guitar sound bigger. The Line 6 gets used for loops and noise samples for segues between songs. The overdrive is self-explanatory.
Arthur Moon
Avant Indie Psych Soul
Avant-pop sextet, Arthur Moon, recently released their sonorously boisterous debut EP, Our Head, and since then, the record’s delicate, electro-tinged 5 tracks have been defiantly stuck in our heads. Recently, we chatted with the band’s members about the magic happening behind their gear that gives them such a distinct sound. What do you have on your pedalboard these days? Lora-Faye: You’ll notice my board is completely out of a logical order. But I love the way the Little Big Muff sounds coming, unconventionally, after the delay and reverb. Like a giant, scary mush. I also love the way the Earthquaker Ghost Echo Reverb sounds coming before the MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay. It confuses and pleases me. Oh and also the way the Big Muff sounds coming into the BOSS Chorus without any reverb. It’s like sandpaper on a sunburn and it’s featured heavily on one of our upcoming releases. Nick: [The AMT volume pedal] – the smallest volume pedal I’ve seen that works well. I use it ALL the time. [Zoom G2.1nu] – I bought this for the serviceable tremolo. However, I have been customizing and programming patches, both generally and for Arthur Moon songs since. Its versatility has kept it on my pedal board for years. [Ditto loop pedal] – I recently switched to this loop pedal which has very nice reverse and 1/2 speed settings. 16
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Lora’s pedalboard.
Nick’s pedalboard.
bands + gear
Read the full features on audio.thedelimagazine.com
The Sofas
Psych Rock Indie Rock
What do you have on your board these days? Will (Vocals/Guitar): Right now I have a Diamond J-Drive MK3, Fulltone OCD, ProCo Rat, Electro Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay, and a BOSS Tuner. I’m still searching for the perfect blend of fuzz and distortion, so most of the pedals sit in that category. Our songs rely on building upon layers and layers of fuzz and noise, and these three distortion pedals do that nicely. I still don’t know how to use the Memory Boy. What’s your favorite pedal on your board right now? My go-to pedal for a while has been the Diamond J-Drive MK3. I was using a Fuzz Factory a few years back and wasn’t totally happy with it — I think it’s a bit too unruly for a main distortion pedal. What do you have on your board these days? Myles (Bass): My pedal board consists of a Minifooger OverDrive, a BOSS CEB-3 Chorus and a BOSS Bass Synth SYB-3. I like combining the Minifooger and CEB-3 when I can and the Synth which kinda produces an ocean texture to the fuzz.
Will’s pedalboard.
Heaven
Myles’s pedals.
What’s your favorite pedal on your board right now? I really love the Minifooger Overdrive pedal, it has a really big range and sounds awesome.
Shoegazer Drone Rock
Heaven sits somewhere between shoegaze and psych sensibilities and produces songs that act as sonic love notes to both genres. Their mind bending tracks have the ability to sound vast, sweeping and decidedly, not of this earth. Tell us about your first time with... a guitar pedal. How old were you and what did you stomp on? It’s blurry remembering back to the first moment, but by 14 I was in a band called Vinyl and I know by that point we had a distortion pedal — most likely a BOSS, and I distinctly remember the BOSS flanger. By the end of high school, I had discovered vintage pedals and had an original Electro-Harmonix Memory Man and also somehow found a FOXX fuzz/wah/volume that has this octave shift when you slope it forward. I still have it! It’s only been on stage maybe once tho, its super temperamental. Was there a specific pedal (or two) that kind of changed your life? The FOXX fuzz/wah/volume I can genuinely say changed my life. The fuzz on that thing is incredible, with a side selector knob that has a super psychedelic blip-blop sound when it’s turned. You can dial in the fuzz, and the wah function shapes the fuzz color too, not only the pitch. And it does this insane octave shift when sloped forward. 18
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bands + gear
Read the full features on audio.thedelimagazine.com
Poppies
Indie Pop Bedroom Pop
Ian: When playing live, I use a Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Pedal Tuner connected to a BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter Pedal, then a Fuzzroucious Dark Driving overdrive pedal. My Fender Deluxe is always set to the clean channel, but the Dark Driving is always on so I can get a little bit of gain when need be, without turning on a separate distortion. You can play around with it a lot, it’s got a separate diode modification setting.
Photo: Joe Sabado
Ian’s pedals.
May’s pedals.
Color Tongue
I use the Phase Shifter pretty rarely, only for a few small parts to replicate things I’ve played on past recordings. I’d eventually like to swap it out for a Mu-Tron Phasor 2, my favorite phaser pedal. Otherwise, I sometimes use an Akai E2 Headrush for delay. The Headrush has a really nice subtle delay, and I really like that it has two buttons instead of one. I’m kind of a dummy when figuring out one button stomp box delay and loop pedals. My brother modded mine so that the tap tempo button is really easy to push down, allowing for faster tempos and some crazy sounds. May: I don’t always tune, but when I do I’m doing it with my trusty Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Pedal Tuner! For when the songs get heavy or if I feel like going into some more leady parts, I stomp on my Ibanez Turbo Tube Screamer. Really nice warm and dirty sound.
Psych Rock Indie Rock
Spacey Brooklyn band Color Tongue plays imaginative psych rock, that while feeling expansive, grounds itself with both its fun and infectious qualities. With such a myriad of different sounds coming from their debut LP ‘Sprouts,’ we were curious to hear the band talk a little about their creative process and gear. Are there any instruments that became signature sounds in the record? Most notably the many sounds of our dog Thunder haha. We recorded all the vocals in our apartment so there’s a lot of takes with Thunder barking or playing in the background. What about your pedals? After the TC Polytune, we move to the MXR Phase 90 (David Gilmour inspired). From there it feeds into my first line of distortion which is the OCD overdrive by Fulltone. I just recently came to the realization that two levels of distortion are fully necessary for our sound. When I’m looking for some more punch, I switch over to the EHX Big Muff wicker. Very lush, loud, and lovely. Then it hits my BOSS DD7 delay, followed by the very whirly Earthquaker Depths pedal, a stellar vibe machine. And finally, a Cry Baby Wah. 20
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With its striking, full-color vertical display and quick, accurate response, the new D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner helps you make sure not to miss the mark—even in demanding onstage conditions. Its slim profile leaves room on your pedalboard for it’sRthere youPneed of E the D ’AallDyour D Aeffects, R I O so CH O Mwhen AT I C E Dit, A but L Tout UN R way when you don’t.
With its striking, full-color vertical display and quick, accurate response, the new D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner helps you makeDsure to. Cmiss mark—even in demanding onstage A D D not ARIO O M / Pthe E DA LT U N E R conditions. Its slim profile leaves room on your pedalboard for all your effects, so it’s there when you need it, but out of the way when you don’t. D A D D A R I O . C O M / P E D A LT U N E R
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7th Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit + Pedal Exchange Main Drag Music September 9 & 10, 2017
FREE!
NYC stompboxers! Lots of new stuff going on at this year’s BK Stompbox Exhibit! Bring your old, unused pedals for a store credit to buy new pedals by participating manufacturers! Also, grab a $35 “pedal voucher” for $10 here! bit.ly/35Stompbox.
This year you can also enjoy pedal demos in the store’s two isolation booths through real amps!
Photos from Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit in April: Eilon Paz (StompboxBook.com)
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Feature | Stompbox Biz
EHX, Amazon, and David’s Sling NYC’s Stompbox Pioneer Drops Online Retail Giant Written by
W
hat I always found attractive about NYC is its romance with experimentation. At first, I felt it in records by The Velvet Underground, Television, and Sonic Youth (among many others). After moving to the Big Apple, I saw it everywhere, as if it was part of the city’s DNA; NYC’s geography made it the Eastern link through which millions of “American dreamers at heart” (read: immigrants) came through — people who made the ultimate life experiment by traveling hundreds of miles away from home in search of a better future. Mass immigration is a thing of the past, but NYC’s edge is still intact. Hordes of people move here every given year to 24
Electro-Harmonix founder and owner, Mike Matthews.
Paolo De Gregorio
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start new companies (or jobs), seek new experiences, and take head-on the challenge of building something meaningful. The years spent in the city can have a profound effect on anybody’s future. Enter Mike Matthews, the mercurial New Yorker who, in 1968, founded (and still owns) Queens-based guitar pedal builder Electro-Harmonix. The man knows a thing or two about experimenting. EHX was one of the first companies ever to ramp up stompbox manufacturing to mass production levels, managing somehow to retain a “boutique” and “rock’n’roll” reputation (the fact that he was friends with Jimi Hendrix — who bought one of his very first Big Muff fuzz pedals in 1969 — might have helped in
that department). Other EHX-branded experiments carry names like Memory Man, the first delay pedal without moving parts, Micro Synthesizer, the first guitar synth pedal, and Hot Tubes, the first pedal simulating the distortion of a tube amp. Approaching its 50th year mark, Electro-Harmonix is one of the top 3 manufacturers of guitar pedals in the world, with hundreds of models under its belt, and at least a dozen of “timeless classics.” Then in 2017 came a different kind of “first” - : Mike decided to drop Amazon from the list of EHX dealers. He won’t hide that the decision was entirely motivated by business factors (as thoroughly outlined in a couple of online interviews),
[ Left to right.]
Big Muff - An immortal classic fuzz, also used by Jimi Hendrix. Hot Tubes - First pedal simulating the distortion of a tube amp. Memory Man - First delay pedal without moving parts. Micro Synthesizer - First guitar synth pedal.
but it sure required immense chutzpah. “I do not think that Amazon creates demand,” Mike stresses. “We do a lot of advertising throughout the world — even still in magazines... We have a huge email list with which we do big e-blasts to all of our end customers and all of our dealers, and also we advertise aggressively on social media on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. We feel that we create demand for our stuff, and many music stores make their own videos of our product. Other dealers post our videos on their sites. And in the stores, in the pedal department, where there’s a guy that digs our stuff, he’s showing the pedal and saying, ‘Hey, I really dig this Electro-Harmonix pedal.’ So, I think all the demand is created by us and our musical instrument store dealers.” Mike just gave music stores an extra reason to like his stompboxes, but also a powerful new story to tell — a David vs. Goliath tale. In this metaphor, Mike provides the sling (and advice on where to hit): “Amazon is great for the consumer because of its fast delivery and return policy, but from the vendor perspective — in my opinion — it’s a disaster, it’s a pain in the ass.” Think about this, too: Amazon is in the stompbox biz just to make a buck out of it. They provide no advice, no reviews, no videos. 99% of the pedals found on Amazon can be bought online outside Amazon, at the same price, with free shipping. Why wouldn’t you use that sling?
Mythology aside, retailers are seeing this move as a business opportunity, a supply “hole” waiting to be filled: “I think the music stores — big and small — are motivated, not because they want to do me any favors, but because they see they’ll have more business” says Mike. “All the business that went to Amazon will end up going to other dealers.”
“I do not think that Amazon creates demand.” This being said, not all online retail is necessarily detrimental to brick and mortar stores. Companies like Reverb.com and Ebay (who simply facilitate online sales by third parties), have a model that works better for manufacturers while supporting retailers. Also, “they quickly get on top of problems and resolve them.” Remarkably, just a few days after the announcement, it was already clear to Mike that his choice had brought along something not entirely unexpected, but at a faster pace than he imagined: “Since we banned Amazon, we have gotten orders from lots of new dealers, from dealers that haven’t ordered [with] us in years, [and] from dealers that used to send small orders that now send much bigger orders. I knew we would pick up the slack because, together with the dealers, we create the demand, but I’m surprised how fast we’ve picked up the slack.”
Dumping Amazon is tapping into something that goes beyond simple admiration for “sticking it to Wall Street” (a soundbite that already resonates wildly with the community of musicians). This event’s sheer unlikeliness is bringing hope to a sector that’s been gradually shrinking, and living for years with the thought, in the back of its mind, that the online giant sooner or later was going to swallow it whole. We can bet many in the industry are wondering if other companies will follow EHX’s example, Mike doesn’t want to interfere: “You know, what other vendors do, that’s their business, they have to do what they think is best for them and their customers. However, I kind of feel that for vendors that have too high a percentage of their business with Amazon it’s too risky for them to stop, and they feel like they’re trapped.” Asked if changes in Amazon’s policy might get him to migrate back to the online retailer, Mike is categoric. “I have no regrets about my decision, and I have no intention of changing my mind about it.” But hopefully, this choice will help change the mind of others. Because, ultimately, whether the future will belong to a few Goliaths or many Davids (or a mix of the two), it’s still entirely up to each one of us. But in a world where David loses badly, the American Dream dies, together with the NYC we know and love. d the deli Summer 2017
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The Stompbox Exhibit’s Essential Accessories Stompbox Exhibit - September 9 & 10 Main Drag Music, Williamsburg The Stompbox Exhibit is, of course, all about guitar pedals. But it couldn’t happen without some crucial “ancillary” equipment provided by our sponsors. Here’s a list of these helpful instruments and devices:
Atomic Amps / Studio Devil Amplifire
D’Addario Strings
Founded in Farmingdale, Long Island, in 1974, D’Addario has progressed from humble Italian origins to become of the world’s top string manufacturers. The company recently launched a new set of strings called NYXL, a complete redesign of their product from the ground up that’s stronger, more durable, more easily bendable, and less likely to go out of tune than the regular nickel-plated steel string. Earlier in 2017 they also launched their first chromatic Tuner.
Strymon Zuma and Ojai Power Supplies
Strymon’s entry in the already crowded field of power supplies came as a surprise in 2016, but it shouldn’t have, since their analog design gurus Gregg Stock and Josh Forbes collectively have a rich history designing power supply systems for a wide range of industries. The Zuma and Ojai provide, respectively, 9 and 5 high-current, individually isolated, ultra-low-noise outputs, each providing a massive 500mA of current. They both feature innovative technology that allows your pedals to achieve their highest possible dynamic range.
Strymon Zuma and Ojai Power Supplies
D’Addario Strings
Atomic Amps / Studio Devil Amplifire
Born of a collaboration between guitar modelers/designers Atomic Amps and Studio Devil, Amplifire is a powerful amp tone and multieffects pedal. It will be also amplifying most of the boards at the upcoming Stompbbox Exhibit. Among its many features, Amplifire can load third party speaker impulses, faithfully recreating the experience of playing through the greatest guitar amps of all-time.
MONO Pedalboards
Already an industry leader in the instrument case realm, MONO announced at this year’s NAMM show that they would be introducing their first line of pedalboards - and they’ve been an immediate hit. Available in five different formats, the MONO boards are cut from a single piece of 3mm anodized aluminum, and feature cut-outs optimized to facilitate any kind of custom wiring. MONO offers these boards in either a flat or ten degree incline, and each one is shipped with 3M dual lock for attaching the pedals to it. The boards come with a sturdy padded soft case and are available in black or silver. 26
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MONO Pedalboard
Big Thanks also to:
Reverb.com
Since its 2013 launch, this online marketplace focusing on musical gear has quickly become one of the most popular sites for musicians. Reverb allows individuals, retailers, and manufacturers to create free listings for instruments and other equipment, charging a sale fee that’s a fraction compared to other generic online marketplaces. The platform also offers a useful price guide and a very popular news section featuring, among other things, video reviews, tutorials and interviews with artists and manufacturers.
Tech 21 delivers consistent quality sound studio to studio, club to club, arena to arena. Choose yours today. Tech 21 Fly Rigs are pro units armed with sweet analog tones. In the footprint of a pixie, each embodies an entire, multi-application “rig,” so you can rule the road, rehearsal or recording gig. Choose from the Fly Rig 5 and Richie Kotzen RK5 Signature Fly Rig for guitar, and the Bass Fly Rig.
NEW: Q\Strip
For guitar, bass, acoustic, fiddle, etc.
NEW: Geddy Lee Signature SansAmp™ GED-2112 TECH21NYC.COM
Pedal News
from
Delicious-Audio.com DS-1-4A Celebrates BOSS Compact Series’ 40th Anniversary They say that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the stompbox empire that goes under the name of the BOSS compact pedal series - arguably the most popular line of stompboxes out there. In the beginning were three, brightly colored, simple pedals featuring just two knobs: the Over Drive OD-1, the Phaser PH-1 and the Spectrum SP-1. That was 1977, exactly forty years ago. The most iconic of all BOSS pedals, the DS-1 Distortion, was actually released in 1978. Sporting a darker orange case than the OD-1, the DS-1 featured higher gain, a hard-edged attack, less of a mid-range focus, and an extremely welcome tone knob. It was (and still is) valued because of its flexibility - working well at both a lower gain setting or as a boost. The DS-1 went on to become the top-selling BOSS pedal ever, finding a place on records by guitarists as diverse as Kurt Cobain, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. To celebrate the compact pedal series’ 40th anniversary, BOSS released the DS-1-4A, a classy black and gold version of the same circuit, that will be available for a limited time in 2017.
Hotone Xtomp Mini One Pedal Does Them All In many games, the most valuable card is not the Ace or the King but the Joker: lacking a fixed identity, that funny trickster can be whatever you want him to be. In the pedal realm, Hotone’s XTOMP plays the same role. A smartphone-hosted “Bluetooth Modeling” app transforms the singular pedal into a growing number of high-quality, realistic emulations of existing effects (we are currently around 300, all free!). The Japanese company recently introduced a compact version of the pedal called XTOMP Mini that sells at $149.99. At that price (versus the $250 of the bigger one), this pedal packs an awful lot of bang for your buck, in particular for studio musicians who need to be able to provide a wide variety of tonal options depending on the session. Both units can reproduce one pedal (or cabinet) emulation at a time (the regular XTOMP has some combo options), and hold up to 4 effects in their memory for quick switching. Replacing one of the four stored emulations with a new one takes around 30 seconds.
Next Level Mini Pedals? One Control BJF Series Since their introduction a few years ago, mini effect pedals have been the delight of cheapo guitarists and the curse of boutique maniacs. But, as it always happens, constant improvements have allowed manufacturers to pack more and more quality into ever smaller packages, and it feels like we have reached the point where minipedals can actually compete with their bigger brothers and sisters. Japanese manufacturer One Control, already specializing in mini switchers and utility boxes, recently teamed up with Swedish pedal engineer Bjorn Juhl, who created very successful designs for Mad Professor and Bearfoot FX, in the effort to take the mini-pedal format to the next level. The product of this collaboration is a line of mini-stompboxes called One Control BJF Series, consisting already of 20 effects, four of which were presented at the latest NAMM show (pictured). 28
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Effects Pedal News brought to you by
Red Panda Company Profile
Red Panda Lab sprung to life in 2009 when Curt Malouin built his first product — a module for the Line6 ToneCore pedals. By 2012, and the introduction of the Particle granular delay, Red Panda was his fulltime job. But what sent him down the path from writing optimization software used by auto manufacturers to becoming one of the fresh new faces in digital effect pedals? “I have been programming computers and messing with electronics since I was a little kid, and as I grew up those two worlds would come together. I’m not a musician, I’m an engineer, but I really enjoy working with sound. Designing products that warp and twist sound. I had built some guitar pedals in college. It all came together in 2009. A friend of mine sent me a YouTube video of an organ being played through some old, beat-up stomp box. I was
burnt out working on software 16 hours a day and was looking to get back into hardware and it seemed like a guitar pedal was a nice size of a product/project where one person could do it start to finish, and in the early days I did do it all.” Read Blake Wright’s full article: http://bit.ly/RedPandaLab
Chase Bliss Audio Brothers Review
The Chase Bliss Audio Brothers Analog Gainstage suffers from one major drawback as I see it. It is painted gold, which means that even though I was blown away by how it sounded from the second I turned it on, I kept trying to do really boring stuff with it. Everyone knows that I am legally required to tell you that a gold-colored drive pedal is “transparent”. The Brothers is not transparent. Sure, you can dial the gain back and get some great low gain articulation from the B side in the drive setting. But the Brothers is really six pedals in one that can be combined up to 33 different ways; and it truly shines when you combine its two sides into a wooly, harmonically-rich fuzz. Read Wade Burden’s full review: http://bit.ly/CBA-Bros
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Fault Overdrive Review
The Fault overdrive/distortion is the latest straightforward entry from Old Blood Noise Endeavors. OBNE started by taking commonplace effects and twisting them to do unusual things. Lately, though, they’ve been slowly building a toolkit they call their Utility Line: a few simple tools, like an EQ Buffer pedal, a headphone amp, and an AB/Y Switcher. While the Fault isn’t technically a part of the Utility Line, it is akin to it in both spirit and function, while at the same time managing to be a bit more fun. The Active EQ in the Fault was first developed for OBNE’s EQ Buffer, and is the heart of any latent weirdness it possesses. The Fault is essentially their active EQ in a mid-range drive. Read Wade Burden’s full review: http://bit.ly/OBNEFault the deli Summer 2017
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@ BK Brooklyn Pedals Stompbox Stompbox Exhibit Exhibit 2017 2017
Main Drag Music September 9 & 10, 2017 – FREE!
Preamp / Dynamics
VHT Redline Micro 6 • A 6 Watts amp in a tiny enclosure. • Volume and Tone controls. • Instrument In, Aux In, Headphone Out, and Speaker Out make it extremely versatile.
PREAMP /EQ
• Improved version of the uber-popular Keeley compressor, with added expander/sustainer function. • Simple Release Switch that is tuned for single coils or humbuckers. • Blend Control to mix in direct sound and newly designed Tone Control.
FILTER
Tech 21 Q/Strip • A studio grade instrument preamp in DI format emulating the circuit and EQ of the vintage consoles of the ’60s and ’70s. • 4 band EQ section with two parametric mids and added high and low pass filters.
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Keeley Compressor Plus
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Lightning Boy Audio OP-2 • 100% vacuum tube powered compressor • Super transparent, features fast attack with adjustable knee and auto-release emulating the classic LA-2A • Turbo switch acts as a boost, adding more “tube tone.”
API TranZformer GT • A 3 band EQ/Compressor from the legendary console manufacturer. • Input Gain control with +30dB of gain. • Separate footswitch for compressor and EQ.
Filter + fuzz
MOD Kits DIY Tea Philter • It comes in bits and pieces for you to build. • Produces a fixed wah tone, Zappa-style, often used to cut through the mix during solos. • Point-to-point wiring and easyto-follow instructions.
TWA Dynamorph • A filter + distortion pedal with an envelope-detection circuit that interacts with the player’s performance. • Features a series of obscurely named switches and knobs that open a sea of sonic possibilities. • Mode switch selects between two different overall EQ settings.
Death By Audio Evil Filter • Deep and radical filter with fuzz. • Three filter modes (high, band, low) and two resonance modes (high and normal). • Two fuzz modes and CV/Expression in.
pedal Exchange! Get a Store Credit for Your Unused Pedals! Overdrive
Chellee Odie Modified OD • A mid gain, TS style overdrive pedal with unique voicing options and tons of clean overhead. • Three drive texture settings: Asymmetric diode clipping, Asymmetric MOSFET clipping, and clean boost. • Voicing switch adds more EQ options.
Dual Overdrive
Strymon Sunset Dual Overdrive • Two customizable overdrive channels, independently selectable and flexibly routable. • Each channel features 3 distinct circuits, from transparent “more amp” to heavy saturated fuzz. • Separate Tone, Drive and Level controls for each channel.
Ceriatone Centura • A well received Klon emulation. • Also sold as an unassembled kit (for $25 less).
Classic Audio FX Stump House Drive
Lunastone True Overdrive 2
• A medium gain overdrive using 3 cascading opamp stages and a symmetrical silicon clipping scheme. • Roller wheel controls the gain. • Tone and Volume knobs on the side of the pedal.
• Transparent and tube-like overdrive with an extra low end punch. • It closely emulates the sound and dynamics of a tube circuit. • Transitions smoothly from crunch to screaming mayhem.
Outlaw Effects Deputy Marshal
ProCo FAT RAT
Distortion
Fuzzrocious lunaReclipse • An innovative multi-function distortion-overdrive with 12 different gain options • The 12 position rotary includes various configurations of pairs of Germanium and LED diodes, as well as clean boost options. • Volume knob adds extra flexibility.
• A Marshall Plexi emulation that packs all the features you need in a mini enclosure. • Tone knob and bright/normal toggle for extra flexibility.
• Switches between the original or a new MOSFET clipping circuit (smoother upper midrange). • Stock/Fat option lets you enhance the low-res frequency response. • Socketed op-amp lets you switch the chip. the deli Summer 2017
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Pedals @ BK Stompbox Exhibit 2017
Main Drag Music September 9 & 10, 2017 – FREE!
Fuzz
EarthQuaker Devices Erupter • EQD’s take on the classic fuzz, with a big but tight low end, biting top. • Single knob setup lets you bias the NOS silicon transistors for the perfect sound, while still being touch responsive.
Floating Forest Dream Eater • Covers a broad range of tones from smooth synth sounds to biting fuzz. • Point to point wiring on perfboard, high quality parts and unique hand-painted cassis. • Each paint job is unique.
Ibanez 850 FZ Mini • Compact version of the legendary (and quite rare) OD850 fuzz. • It’s a pre-Tube Screamer pedal! • True Bypass and 9v PSU option.
6 Degrees FX Millie Fuzz mkII • A 2-channel Fuzz Face & Big Muff hybrid. • The Crunch channel has the modified FF fed into buffer and EQ borrowed from BM, offering a familiar classic silicon fuzz tone. • The Burn channel stacks an extra BM gain stage on the FF, creating a more saturated, aggressive and long sustaining fuzz.
Octave Fuzz
Main Ace FX Reverend Mother Fuzz • Classic fuzz tone with extra boost. • Three-way switch gives you stock tone, mid boost (up position) and bass boost (down position).
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Dusky Electronics Octomotron • An original circuit with its own brash and synthy voice. • Adjusting your guitar’s volume knob opens a dramatic range of timbres. • Bass boost switch.
Rabbit Hole FX Merkin Fuzz • Offers sustain for miles and precise fine-tuning to your gear through 3 Knobs and 2 Switches. • Clean knob adds clean tone for extra definition/low end. • Wave switch adds octave effect.
Union Tube & Transistor Bumble Buzz • Designed for Jack White and sold under the Third Man record label brand. • It’s knobless! • Premier Guitar: “a lot like the Univox Superfuzz in the first (unscooped) tone-switch position.”
Pedals @ BK Stompbox Exhibit 2017
Main Drag Music September 9 & 10, 2017 – FREE!
Delay
Anasound Utopia Tape Echo • Vintage sounding tape echo, followed by a modulation circuit. • Excels at slap-back delays. • Four internal trim pots control the modulation’s Tone, Depth, Rate and add extra delay time.
TAPE ECHO
T-Rex Replicator Jr. Tape Echo • A reduced, smaller, more affordable version of the Replicator Tape Echo. • True, 100% analog tape echo pedal with replaceable tape cartridge. • Controls for level, feedback and time. 34
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JHS Pedals Pink Panther Tape Delay • Digital and Tape delay in one selectable through a side switch. • Mod 1 is a subtle shimmering effect, Mod 2 is darker and more intense. • Dark and Mix knobs add extra tonal possibilities.
Seymour Duncan Andromeda • A fully programmable digital delay with classic and modern tones. • Dynamic Expression™ feature allows you to change the effect just through your performance’s dynamics. • Eight delay types and eight knobs for straightforward operation.
Wampler The Doctor Lo-Fi Delay • Gritty sounding delay born from a collaboration with guitarist Brad Paisley. • Excels at old-school slapback and ambient soundscapes (does self-oscillation). • Modulation and Tap Tempo features.
REVERB
TUNER
Eventide Space • Studio-quality reverb do it all with Tap Tempo, instant program change and MIDI Clock. • Real-time control with 10 knobs, programmable hotswitch and MIDI or expression pedal. • 100 presets, including artists presets.
Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb • Features two completely independent reverb processors, one entirely dedicated to the spring effect (True Spring Engine). • Seamless and unlimited “spillover” from one preset to the next. • 12 onboard reverb engines + expanding extras via the Neuro app.
D’Addario Chromatic Tuner • Full-color vertical display allows for quick intuitive tuning. • 32-bit processor for fast response. • True-bypass wiring.
DO A DOUBLE-TAKE The new DOD Rubberneck Analog Delay has double the features with the cool new double-wide chassis. The Rubberneck boasts over a second of warm and musical 100% analog repeats you crave. Double concentric knobs give you independent control of the modulation rate and depth as well as gain and tone of the delay. The double footswitches allow for unique extended features like momentary control of the dizzying pitch sweep of “Rubbernecking.” Feedback loop send/return, remote footswitch control, and true bypass make the Rubberneck Analog Delay the must have delay of the year.
©2017 HARMAN
Eventide is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc. © 2017 Eventide Inc.
Pedals @ BK Stompbox Exhibit 2017
Main Drag Music September 9 & 10, 2017 – FREE!
AMBIENT/EXPERIMENTAL
Hologram Electronics Infinite Jets • Tracks the dynamics of your playing, samples individual notes and chords, and then reinterprets them as new sounds using two independent channels of infinite sustain. • It offers 4 separate sampling effects in one: Blur, Synth, Glitch, and Swell.
FEEDBACK GENERATOR
• Analog-voiced, tap-tempo delay with an added original ambient reverb circuit. • The reverb is created through several internal feedback loops, subtle multi-head Binson effect, and the “Ripple Effect.” • The Ripple Effect scatters and transform each successive delay trail into reverb.
UNI-VIBE
McCaffrey Audio Run Rabbit Run • A Uni-Vibe emulation with a couple of twists. • The CRAZY footswitch doubles the rate of the modulation and takes it to ring mod/octave/ synth features. • The THUMP switch allows you to add low end response when turning down the DEPTH knob. 36
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Montreal Assembly 856 for ZELLERSASN
Hungry Robot The Wash V2 w/ Tap Tempo
DigiTech FreqOut
• Looper and sample sequencer. • Samples are taken of different parts of a loop and played back in various rhythms and at different pitches. • Any parameter can be controlled by an external midi device.
• Generates natural feedback at any volume. • Can focus out-of-control feedback on a preferred harmonic at any stage position. • Adjustable feedback Onset (pre-delay), Gain (feedback level ), Dry On/Off, latching or momentary operation.
BASS
DryBell Vibe Machine V2 • The first authentic recreation of a Uni-Vibe in regular size enclosure. • Adds 3 new ‘set and forget’ side controls to the V-1 arsenal: CHORUS, GRIT and CUSTOM. • Features a lot of extra under the hood features including tap tempo compatibility and expression pedal input.
Hartke HF44 Fuzz • A very musical Fuzz pedal designed for bass delivering the high-voltage saturated sound of a tube. • Mid and Tone controls dial in the harmonic character and high-frequency edge.
ISP Technologies Beta Bass • Complete bass preamp providing EQ, Compression, Exciter and Distorion. • Decimator noise reduction eliminates unwanted floor noise. • Semi-paramatric mid band EQ allows precise EQ sculpting.