PEDAL

Phreakery
VOL. 19

Stompbox
Power-Ups!
Pro tips on giving
your stomps the right
juice, and the history
of digital effects.
PLUS:
Expert insights on Keeley,
Strymon, Way Huge,
Fender releases, and more.

Digital Press
 E L E C T R O - H A R M O N I X P R E S E N T S

POWERHOUSE EFFECTS IN A PICO-SIZED PACKAGE

Demos and more: ehx.com/picos

1 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19
Pro-Advice

The Power of a Good Supply

BY PUTRO SEHATKEKET SOLDIR

L et’s begin this article

with my personal
experience as a
pedal builder and a nov-
ice musician. One day, a
customer messaged me,
sounding a bit frustrat-
ed. “I received the pedal,
but it won’t light up. Did
it get damaged during
shipping?” they said. I
promptly began trouble-
shooting.
I started with clarifying
the signal source, checking
if the installation of the
input and output jacks
was correct, and, finally,
inquiring about the power
supply being used. To
my surprise, he replied,
“I’m using a laptop power
adapter. Shouldn’t that
work just fine? My laptop quality-control processes. In fact, we’ve conducted
is in good shape with it. Have I made a mistake? By experiments with various power supplies, ranging
the way, this is my first pedal ever.” from the cheapest ones available on the market to
For a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder how ones made by well-known brands with a strong
incidents like this were still occurring. It reminded reputation.
me of a time 20 years ago when I struggled to power During our experiments, we plugged all these power
my pedal with a phone charger, and it happened to supplies into a variety of pedals and let them run
be at my first gig! Do you think this is a funny story? continuously for a week. The results were astonishing:
Definitely not! I’m sure most of us have been there at Two power supplies burned out, and one of them
some point. Beginners in any field share two common was from a renowned brand in the power supply
traits: lack of knowledge and lack of experience. universe.
However, we’re currently in an era where a wealth We conducted these experiments not out of sheer
of information is readily available at our fingertips, curiosity. The electrical grid in our country, Indonesia,
including this article, which I hope will serve as an is notorious for its poor quality. Voltage fluctuations
informative artifact that is accessible to everyone. are common, and event organizers will sometimes
As pedal builders, we pay particular attention to haphazardly use power generators, lacking proper
power supplies, especially during the testing and planning. That’s why we felt the need to experiment

3 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19

with power supplies and their impact on pedals.
Moreover, I am fairly confident that most of us choose
to buy a power supply as infrequently as possible,
so we can spend our money on buying more and
more pedals, adding some boutique overdrives, or
expanding our collection with the latest and greatest
delay units under the guise of “upgrading.”
Well, in the end, the choice between buying the
fanciest delay unit and upgrading to a proper power
supply is a matter of personal preference. If you
can afford both at the same time, it’s undoubtedly
a smart and ideal choice. However, are we always
in an ideal situation? Most likely not. That’s why
I’m using this platform to convey a message to all of
you: A proper power supply, especially an isolated
type, is the most valuable and crucial investment in
a pedalboard! (Isolated power supplies offer one-to-
one connections with the pedals on your ’board, so if
one channel of the supply goes down, other pedals
will remain powered.)
This becomes even more critical if you’re a touring
musician with a highly complex pedalboard setup. In
such cases, an isolated power supply is an absolute
necessity. The stages you’ll visit can be unpredictable
and even chaotic! No matter how advanced and
costly your pedal collection is, if you’re using a low-
quality power supply, all those sophisticated and
expensive pedals are at risk of becoming useless or,
worse, suffering fatal damage. This can occur due
to voltage drops, which can lead to malfunctions or
excessive, disruptive noise, rendering your entire
setup completely useless.
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 4
Pro-Advice
The Evolution of the Digital Revolution
BY BARRY O’NEAL
B y most accounts, the digital effects revo-
lution began almost 50 years ago, when
Eventide created the H910 Harmonizer.
Early digital denizens included guitar players
Eddie Van Halen and Frank Zappa, who used
the harmonizer’s continuously variable pitch
shifting to great effect in their recorded and live
work. While extraordinarily clever, the earliest
digital effects were absolutely primitive com-
pared to the types of digital signal processors on
the market today. That H910 harmonizer cost the
equivalent of $7,500 when released, and equally
capable effects can currently be had at about a
twentieth of the cost, bringing digital effects to
the feet of the masses, and their processing su-
perpowers to our pedalboards.
At this point, the amount of words written in the
analog versus digital debate likely rivals the number
of celestial bodies in our galactic neighborhood.
5 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19
Discussing the chewiness of analog mids relative
to the number of Big Muff variants your modeler
offers is a surprisingly well-trod path, but how
did we get from the revolution of the ’70s to the
current digital regime?
The first digital effects were not like the highly
integrated DSP (digital signal processing) pedals
of today. Those pioneering engineers did not have
the benefit of many of the building-block integrated
circuits that have since proliferated the electronic
component marketplace. A quick search for high-
fidelity analog-to-digital converters yielded well
over one thousand results. Back in the digital age’s
infancy, none of these monolithic options existed.
Designers had to roll their own ADCs using discrete
components. What can be currently done with
one chip would have taken upwards of 100 times
more components to accomplish. This DIY ethos
actually created some interesting artifacts that now

The circuit board above shows the density and complexity of old-school
(DSP) digital signal processing, while modern DSP technology allows
cleaner, simpler, and higher-functioning pedal builds.
make vintage digital effects coveted. For instance,
the preamp of Lexicon’s classic PCM 42 digital
delay had a compression and limiting circuit so
that your signal would not overrun its primordial
discrete ADC. That preamp became part of the
“thing” that made people love the unit.
It wasn’t until the Boss DD-3 that engineers
were able to produce a commercial digital signal
processor in a compact pedal. The DD-3 benefitted
from the fact that Roland/Boss had created an
application-specific integrated circuit for use
in their SDE-3000 rack mount delay and other
products. Making a custom integrated circuit was
(and still is) extraordinarily expensive, but Roland
used its considerable buying power to condense
many of the required digital delay functions onto a
single piece of silicon. Boss designers shoehorned
the chip into one of their compact pedal enclosures,
added some analog signal conditioning, sprinkled
in some RAM, and the DD-3 was born. Even
the DD-3’s level of integration was bound to be
bested, though. By 2006, a company called Spin
Semiconductor developed an affordable DSP chip
that contained practically everything required
for effects processing, resulting in a small, easy-
to-use platform that has facilitated a boutique
DSP effects explosion.
Many of these effects are still a relatively
black-box affair. Whatever the manufacturer
programmed the effect to do is all that it will ever
do. The first digital effects were immutable, but
decades ago, the industry started using MIDI as a
means of off-loading and on-loading sounds and
programs in effects processors and synth modules.
These days, with the ubiquity of the personal
computer and USB, everyone has a device and
a means to upload new features to their suitably
equipped gear. The number of guitar players that
know how to update firmware is approaching the
number that can actually read music. Firmware
makes up the programs that govern how your
device behaves, and, like software, it can come with
bugs. New pedal releases sometimes have broken
features due to latent firmware bugs. Analog
designs can suffer from design shortcomings, too,
but their digital brethren can at least be updated.
Moreover, designers like those from Line 6 and
Fractal not only use the flexibility of firmware
to fix broken things but to add features that did
not exist before, adding value to a product you
already own.
Digital effects still feel very new to the scene, but
in reality, they are only about a decade younger
than the first analog guitar effect ever made.
While the amount of development they’ve had
for over half a century is incredible, it is still
possible to see the thread that connects the late,
great effects of the 20th century to the latest and
greatest of the 21st.
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 6
Pro-Advice
The Secrets of Powering Boss Pedals
BY AISHA LOE
B oss pedals, as we most familiarly know them,
started being produced in 1978. Prior to that,
the pedals began their journey under the Ro-
land moniker, nestled inside massive enclosures
that were oozing with style.
Shortly thereafter, the first Boss-named pedals
arrived—still in big boxes. The Boss CE-1, in particular,
became very popular and its sound became a staple
of ’80s rock.
7 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19
By the late ’70s, Boss pedals underwent a massive
redesign. The result was the Boss Compact Pedal
Series that we all know. The rugged yet stylized
design of the enclosures combined with the overall
good, solid sounds they produce make these pedals
a great value in a small package. Boss pedals could
now be powered via wall wart adapters instead of
heavy, internal transformers and required much less
pedalboard real estate, which made them an instant
hit with players.
I adore Boss pedals. I collect anything I can get my
hands on that Boss has made over the years. Even if the
sound a pedal produces is not for me, I enjoy taking a
poke around inside to look at the circuitry and wiring.
I’ve had the opportunity to refurbish quite a few and
have learned a thing or two about them in the process.
When someone asks me to take a look at a Boss
pedal that’s not working correctly, the first thing I ask
is, “Can you tell me what power supply you’re using?”
I find that in many cases they’re simply not using the
appropriate juice to give the pedal what it needs to
function properly. While most Boss units do run on
the same type of power, there are a few exceptions.
 Many of the older Boss pedals don’t use the 9V center-
negative power supply that we’ve grown accustomed
to as a sort of standard. Several power supplies have
been manufactured by Boss over the years. They all
have different specifications, and trust me … these
things matter! I’ve definitely blown up a beloved Boss
pedal or two in my lifetime by accidentally plugging
the wrong one in. (Don’t worry! I fixed them.) Some
of you might know what that feels like. It’s the worst!
Even if the pedal doesn’t ultimately get damaged,
under- or over-powering it can prohibit the thing
from sounding its best.
The ideal way to check what power supply you
should use with any pedal is, of course, to read the
label on the back. Those who collect older Boss pedals
know that often, when you buy the pedal used, the
label has already been removed.
Stinkfoot.se has a great list of all the Boss pedals and
the corresponding adapter the manufacturer suggests
should be used for each one. There’s a handy serial
number decoder here. In some cases, a particular
model’s circuitry will undergo a power section change
or two, so an older version needs a different adapter
than a newer incarnation. You can date the pedal via
the serial number listed in the battery compartment,
or, sometimes, on a sticker located near the base of
it. Once you know approximately when the pedal
was manufactured, it’s much easier to match it to the
suggested power requirements for that unit. Also, there
is sometimes a tiny label next to where you plug in the
power, which identifies which power supply you need.
Those who prefer to use multi-power-supply units
might have a slightly more difficult time getting all
the different power needs for these pedals out of
one dedicated unit, although new-generation power
supplies are highly flexible.
I would say eight times out of 10, a Boss pedal that
would normally come in for repair … doesn’t. I’ll
recommend the manufacturer’s suggested power
supply for that unit to its owner, who then buys it,
and—BOOM—it’s back in business.
For more reading on the history of Boss compact
pedals, visit roland.com. It explains the progression
of how the company evolved pedal designs over
the years and implemented changes in the way
the stomps are powered, arguably improving the
overall sound quality. To read about Boss adaptors
and their design, go to bossarea.com. And if you
want to go further down the rabbit hole, check out
the mojostompboxes.com blog.
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 8
Pro-Advice

Switching It up with an Effects Loop Box

BY AISHA LOE

T here is no right or wrong way to wire a pedalboard. It’s really a matter of personal taste and
what our ears find pleasing. Every musician has their own thing, and our pedalboards are
certainly an extension of that. For some, reconfiguring the pedalboard is a lifelong process,
and adding a new device often means something has got to go, because real estate is crucial!

Whether you are a fan of effects loops or not,

they can be useful tools. One of the go-to pedals
in my collection isn’t an effect. It’s a standalone
effects loop order switcher, which is basically a
pair of dedicated effects loops (A and B) in an
aluminum pedal enclosure. There are quite a
few companies that make a version of this type
of device. Some of these units have many other
options included and some are very basic, with
no knobs at all. I like to have a somewhat simple
one hanging around, with an input, an output,
and two sets of send/return jacks. Each channel
needs a volume knob, a foot switch, and a bypass
indicator light.
A loop switcher can be an especially useful
tool when putting together a pedalboard, or even
just adding a new stompbox to the mix. Signal
paths can be auditioned to see how pedals will
interact together before committing them to
Velcro. I find it is also super fun and handy to
use a switcher when doing sound explorations
and, ultimately, in my writing and recording
processes. There are so many more options sound-
wise, depending on how effects are ordered.
The rather simple unit I made allows for quick
changes, which helps me economize my time. In
fact, it’s so useful that I have one living full-time
on my pedalboard, in a really accessible spot, so
I can plug and unplug on the fly if something
isn’t working out sound-wise.
Fancier loop-switching devices can have
true bypass switching, buffers, lots of sends
and returns, knobs, signal paths routed any
which way.... The options are nearly endless.
Plenty of pedal builders out there can build

9 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19

custom units for a reasonable price,
tailored to anyone’s specific taste. You
might even go the rackmounted, pro-
audio hardware route if you want to
get extra fancy!
T h e r e a r e s e ve r a l d i f f e r e n t
commercial A/B loop switcher units
available that are on the simpler
end of the spectrum, like the JHS
Sw i t c h b a c k A / B E f f e c t s L o o p
Switcher ($102 street) and the MXR
M196 A/B Box Pedal ($59 street). The
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
Pedalboard Reconciler ($249 street) is
an awesome utility pedal with a few
more helpful options. My absolute
favorite simple go-to is the Boss LS-2
Line Selector Pedal ($113 street). It’s
got a small footprint and does all the
Wouldn’t it be nice if
the guitar was laid out
in a logical fashion?
Well, it is!
The CAGED system is your key
to understanding the fretboard.
And the best part is that if you
already know your basic guitar
chords, you already know
the fundamentals.
AVAILABLE NOW!
Paperback, Kindle & PDF
basics. Plus, it’s Boss, so it’s built
like a tank. Mine has survived 20
years of abuse so far.
S o m e p e d a l s s o u n d to t a l l y
different when inserted into an
effects loop instead of being
inserted directly in line. It’s really
informative to be able to hear those
differences. I feel like a whole new
world opened up to me when I
started using the LS-2. Some of my
favorite sounds that I have been
able to create came from putting
pedals in the loop that normally
get chained up in line directly. Give
it a try! And for those who DIY,
check out Beavis Audio Research’s
awesome site. There are several
different iterations to build.
Inludes
audio files
and more!
https://geni.us/CAGED
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 10
REVIEWS
Keeley
Noble Screamer
By Luke Ottenhof
WATCH THE
DEMO NOW
T he Keeley Noble Screamer hand-
somely combines many attributes
of Ibanez Tube Screamer- and
Nobels ODR-1-style circuits. Neither
of those iconic green machines need
much introduction. Both aesthetically
and sonically, the Tube Screamer is one
of the most recognizable pedals in the
effects pantheon, and the ODR-1’s an-
ecdotal honorifics (“The secret weapon
of Nashville session players!”) and
concretized list of evangelists (Guthrie
Trapp! Tom Bukovac!) are practically
part of the pedal’s name. But through
the use of switchable clipping and tone
control profiles, the compact, clever
Noble Screamer makes it possible to
blend and switch between flavors from
both green giants.
Greening Out
The Noble Screamer’s style is
minimalist and striking. It marks
the debut of Keeley’s new sloped
aluminum housing, which looks
great and feels sturdy. The Grinch-
green brushed aluminum knobs
look bold and easy to read against
the black enclosure too. Like the TS
and ODR-1, the all-analog Noble
Screamer features knobs for volume,
gain, and tone. But the Noble
Screamer has toggles under the latter
two pots that alter their respective
functions considerably. Flipping the
11 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19
switch under the gain knob to TS
mode engages soft-clipping diodes.
Switching the toggle below the tone
knob to TS-mode gives the user
control of a low-pass filter. In OD
modes, the circuit switches to hard-
clipping diodes, and the tone controls
sweeps from flat EQ to boosted bass
and treble in the fashion of the ODR-
1’s “spectrum” control. This simple
switching scheme yields a lot of
different flavors. The pedal can also
move between buffered and true
bypass switching by pressing and
holding the footswitch. It’s a smart,
flexible, and practical feature.
Mix and Match
The Noble Screamer sounds
delightful across the board. With
both toggles in TS mode and all
knobs at noon, you get soft grit with
great note definition and a tight
midrange focus. And while TS pedals
are famous for sweet low-gain tones,
all-Screamer settings beckon you to
max the drive control and unlock the
circuit’s smooth, singing distortion.
Adding output volume at these
settings brings a touch more width,
and the low-pass filter moves easily
between spiky and silky.
Flicking the switches to OD mode
with identical settings brings a very
noticeable volume boost and more
pronounced bass response and ever getting harsh, and the boost
Ratings
fullness. Compared to the TS settings, from the OD tone circuit makes the
you’ll either find it a touch dark, or TS drive a bit more commanding. Tones
pleasantly alive, depending on your Ease of Use
taste. The hard-clipping diodes make The Verdict Build/Design
Value
OD mode a much nastier proposition, While you could conceivably get a
and you can easily push the pedal to Tube Screamer and ODR-1 for the
thick distortion. I preferred keeping same price as the Noble Screamer, PROS Great tones in all
the tone and gain around 1 o’clock, the high-quality, USA-built Keeley is a settings. Practical design,
more flexible solution that takes up half High quality.
and the volume between noon and
3 o’clock, depending on how loud the space. True, the overdrive sounds
CONS Recombined tones
and rude I wanted to get. The tone here are largely familiar. But the Noble may not be better than the
control’s sweep is impressively useful Screamer is a smarter, cooler, and more originals to some ears.
in its OD “spectrum” guise as well. versatile way to access and reshape
You can access a lot of high-end those bedrock tones.
$199 street
clarity, and it doesn’t overdo the robertkeeley.com
ODR-1’s signature low-end thunder.
In low-gain settings, the OD mode is
predictably large sounding. But the
best low-gain/boost sounds might be
those that blend the soft clipping of
TS mode with the OD tone section.
These tones are especially smooth,
broad, and clear.
I don’t know that mixing and
matching the circuits is necessarily
better than each on its own, but it
certainly offers a different palate of
sounds. With the tone set for OD and
the drive in TS you can stretch the
bass and treble capabilities of the
TS’s gentler, more targeted overdrive
bite. Reverse the switches and you’ll
get the TS’s more focused mid-
range punch with harsher, heavier
distortion. For my tastes, the OD
tone/TS drive combo was the most
pleasing. It’s big and punchy without

PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 12

REVIEWS
Strymon
UltraViolet Review
By Charles Saufley
HEAR THE
DEMO NOW
M odulation effects are an enduring
source of new hooks and riffs. But
while I hear loads of vibrato, tasty
tremolo, and chorus in a lot of contempo-
rary guitar music, I don’t encounter much
in the way of Uni-Vibe-style tones. I guess
I can understand why. Used unimagina-
tively, Uni-Vibe sounds probably seem a
bit loaded—inextricably bound up in the
heavy psych swirl of Hendrix and Pink
Floyd.
Remove those contexts and
preconceptions, though, and a Uni-Vibe-
style effect can surprise—particularly when
it takes advantage of digital processing to
stretch the Uni-Vibe envelope. Strymon’s
new UltraViolet gracefully uses the DSP
advantage to expand the Uni-Vibe template’s
potential—conjuring swimming-in-
bubblegum swirl that feels authentically
analog and can dwell comfortably in sound
spheres outside the psych-rock canon.
Streamlined Straight Line to
Psycho Swish
Even at their most complex, Strymon
pedals are cool studies in approachable
digital pedal design. More recently,
though, Strymon started dabbling in
more compact, streamlined stomps. Used
here, that design philosophy gives the
UltraViolet a fluid functionality suited to
its rich, gooey voice.
There are modulation stars elsewhere in
the Strymon line. The multi-modulating
13 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19
Mobius and the yummy harmonic tremolo
on the popular Flint tremolo and reverb
are each marked by a beautiful, perceptible
depth in the modulations. That complexity
is very evident in the UltraViolet, and its
elegant control array makes it fun to explore
those intricacies.
The sensitivity and interactivity in the
most basic controls—speed, intensity, and
volume (which puts up to 4 dB of boost
at your disposal)—create a rich palette
of possible sounds. Strymon made cool
tweaks to these controls, too. Specifically,
they increased the range of the intensity
control relative to a real Uni-Vibe, making
it capable of more intense modulations at
slow speeds. The tweak may be less than
authentic, but it results in thick, super-
dreamy slow-phase sounds that lesser
Uni-Vibe-style stomps, and the real thing,
don’t deliver.
The real treats, though, are the blend
mode, which offers a 70 percent/30
percent dry/wet mix, and the bias mode
switch which shifts frequency emphasis
in the modulations. The blend mode
is a more articulate and sometimes
smoother alternative to the chorus and
vibrato channels. The 3-position bias
switch, meanwhile, can completely recast
the sound, feel, and response of a given
modulation setting as well as change
the interactive dynamics of the controls.
Together, they make the UltraViolet’s
vocabulary expansive. All those tone
variations can leave you longing for presets, a just-right rubberiness that will please Uni-
Ratings
which the Ultraviolet accommodates via Vibe traditionalists as well as vintage analog
Tones
MIDI (up to 300 presets) or the optional phaser fans. Ease of Use
MultiSwitch Plus. Unfortunately, there’s These same characteristics are apparent in Build/Design
no way to access presets in the absence of the blend mode, but there is more room for Value
these methods. That limitation makes the picking dynamics, finger-vibrato nuance, and
UltraViolet no less fun, though. rhythmic thrust. It’s a cool compromise for
PROS Intoxicating,
Uni-Vibe and phaser skeptics, and it extends addictive, and ultra-elastic
Wiggle Room for Weirder Wobbles the utility and value of the pedal significantly. Uni-Vibe, phase, chorus,
If you’re used to more basic Uni-Vibe style Some people consider a real Uni-Vibe’s vibrato and tremolo sounds—
pedals, the range in the Strymon’s controls useless. I always found that assessment harsh. many that sound super
can feel tricky in the courting stage. They’re unique. Great range in
Certainly, it doesn’t have the caramel gooiness controls. High quality.
sensitive, and small shifts can reshape a of the chorus mode. But here it can be made
modulation pattern profoundly. But it’s much more interesting and easier to tailor to CONS No capacity for
also really fun to dive in blindly and not get a specific musical context with help from the onboard presets.
too surgical. Along the way, you’re likely to bias mode switch.
discover that the UltraViolet is capable of $259 street
subtlety at low intensity levels, enabling The Verdict strymon.net
you to background radical textures—fast- The quality and variety of sounds, as well
fluttering modulations, for instance—that as the fun, intuitive means by which you
lend kinetics and mystery to a song without can explore and manipulate them, make
overpowering it. You’ll also find elastic the high-quality, U.S.-made UltraViolet
sounds with beautiful vowelly overtones look like a relative bargain at $259. For
that warp and stretch simple chord patterns some players, the lack
into deeply immersive environments. of onboard preset
The very cool bias switch transforms these capability might
already alluringly chewy modulations. Low make that price
bias mode tends to emphasize throbbiness— less appealing and
lending many faster rate settings a delicious make the pedal less
harmonic-tremolo-like pulse. At slower, phasey practical for the stage.
rates, it will coax elongated “wow”overtones For just about anyone
from slo-mo’ waveforms, giving spare phrases else on the prowl for
weight and soulful character. The low-bias authentic Uni-Vibe
mode can be overpowering. But more unhinged, sounds—and that
psychedelically minded players may well relish relishes the chance to
the extreme pulses found here. The mid-bias shape them into more
mode is, to my ear, the least appealing of the unique textures—
bunch. The mid-forward EQ profile tends to the UltraViolet has
obscure richness and detail in the waveforms. the potential to be
But this could be an advantage for players that a most intoxicating
want to foreground fuzzy leads or intricate pedalboard asset.
rhythms. The high-bias mode is the most
traditional of the bunch—silky, smooth, with

PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 14

REVIEWS

Shnobel Tone
Clean Boost
By Charles Saufley

L ike much of the world, the modern guitar Ratings

sphere often teeters toward brain-numb-
Tones
ing maximalism—maximum presets,
HEAR THE Ease of Use
DEMO NOW maximum amp models in a single floor unit, Build/Design
maximum nitpicking over minute differences in Value
aftermarket pickups. On some days it’s enough
to make the Shnobel Tone Clean Boost look
PROS Beautiful
like the most beautiful piece of guitar gear in minimalist design. Super
the world. As it turns out, beauty is more than low noise. Adds ample
enclosure deep in this very practical exercise body to thin tones.
in design economy.
CONS Those that like a
For starters, the Shnobel Tone Clean Boost is little color with their boost
carefully put together. The small through-hole might find it too clean.
circuit board is immaculately arranged and
soldered, and I/O jacks as well as the footswitch
$149 street
are mounted to the enclosure independent from shnobeltone.com
the circuit board. There is no battery option,
which may disappoint some minimalists thrilled
by the notion of hooking up the fewest possible
wires. That aside, there is little to fault in this
super-streamlined design.
On the sonic side, there’s much to love, too.
It’s an exceptionally quiet pedal, which is a
good thing given how little it colors your tone.
Mildly boosted sounds are about as near to
clean as you can get, and if you don’t mind the
absence of color, you should round our tone
score up to the highest mark. What the Clean
Boost does add is body and mass—particularly
when you have to work at low amp volumes
with single-coil pickups. That extra body also
makes thin fuzzes sound mammoth, opening
up cool tone-contrast possibilities. And at its
higher reaches, the Clean Boost will drive an
amp to thick, growling, delicious heights.

15 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19

October Audio
NVMBR Gain
By Ted Drozdowski

U sually when I get the finger, it‘s no-

Ratings
where near as much fun as October Tones
Audio’s NVMBR Gain. With just one Ease of Use
HEAR THE dial and a graphic of a witch’s severed digit Build/Design
DEMO NOW on top, the NVMBR Gain does a lot. Value

Snap it on with the knob all the way left,

and it works as a 5 dB line boost—good PROS Cheap, easy, and
to keep your amp or downstream effects offers a wide range of
sounding louder but clear. Turn it toward drive.
noon, and the output slowly increases. The CONS Limited by nature.
company says the left side of the dial is a
clean boost, but to my ears there’s subtle
compression and a mid-forward attitude that $109 street
octoberaudio.com
TS fans should dig as much as I did. At 12
o’clock—where the pedal’s character really
starts to change—I got hair and airy sparkle
that, with my PRS SE Silver Sky’s single-coils,
sounded like Hughie Thomasson’s opening
riffs in the Outlaws classic “Green Grass and
High Tides.”
The right side is this little monster’s
other, nastier head. From noon to floored, it
unleashes a soft-clipping-style overdrive that
goes from perfect for gritty controlled blues to
gnashing. If Syd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” tone
is your thing, all the way right is where you’ll
find it. But after, say, 3 o’clock the clipping
accelerates exponentially, so abandon hope
of much subtlety if you venture there. I could
easily see this mere 3.63" x 1.5" x 1.88" stomp
replacing another drive or two, to free up
pedalboard space. And at $109, it offers a lot
of functionality at a bargain tag.

PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 16

REVIEWS

Way Huge
Stone Burner
By Charles Saufley

W ay Huge’s Atreides Weirding Module is Ratings

one of Jeorge Tripps’ great gifts to the
Tones
world. It’s a gift that keeps giving, too.
HEAR THE Ease of Use
DEMO NOW The Attack Vector phaser and envelope was its Build/Design
first offspring. But the newest, the Stone Burner Value
Sub Atomic octave fuzz is a killer, maybe the
coolest, and probably the most practical pedal
PROS IUnusually flexible
from the Atreides family. It’s an unusually useful and sustain-rich octave
and forgiving octave fuzz that will generate up fuzz. Fat, rubbery synth-
to two sub octaves, which feature more or less like sounds. White-hot
prominently depending on the sub level. fuzz. Versatile tone and
fuzz and sub octave levels.
This sub octave filter works in concert with the
fuzz, which you can’t remove entirely from the CONS Can’t entirely
mix, but which ranges in intensity from nasty remove fuzz or octave
and spitty to double-nasty and surprisingly signal.
capable of sustain. Various mixes of the sub
and fuzz levels yield tonalities that stretch from $169 street
synthy elasticity and fuzz bass to fractured, jimdunlop.com
tectonic-scale Earth rumblings, and fuzz that
sounds like a banshee gargling gravel and rusty
nails. (I mean this in the most complimentary
possible sense.)
The wide-ranging tone knob, meanwhile, has
a profound effect on a given mix’s glitchiness,
sustain, and overtone profile. The Stone Burner
also responds in fascinating ways to guitar volume
and tone input—sometimes emphasizing tight
fundamentals and octaves in more concise and
equal parts, or enhancing the more synth-like
qualities of the filter. Variations in pitch from
finger vibrato and whammy bars activate many
ghostly responses and overtones, too. Needless
to say, it is a fairly confrontational effect, but the
Stone Burner is also malleable, sweet, bratty,
and beautiful.

17 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19

 FINDING “THAT” SOUND
“This whole concept started in my studio. When recording, the musicians were looking
for tones and textures that we couldn’t get straight from the guitar so I started collecting
© 2024 PRS Guitars

great sounding pedals. Then we started building devices with the help of some friends.
That’s how the first pedal prototypes were born. We believe the pedals we’ve created
are highly usable, great-sounding pieces of professional gear. A magic pedal makes the
pedal board. We’re trying to design pedals that make the board and stay on it”.
– Paul Reed Smith
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 18
REVIEWS
MXR
Hybrid Fuzz
By Dave Hunter
WATCH THE
DEMO NOW
F ans of vintage fuzz pedals will
probably debate the merits of
germanium versus silicon tran-
sistors and circuits until the last zinc-
carbon battery on the planet finally
fades and dies. So, rather than pick one
or the other, MXR’s new Hybrid Fuzz
uses both types of transistors with the
intent to blend the best of both worlds.
As you might suspect, MXR/
Dunlop’s design vehicle for this
experiment is the classic 2-knob Fuzz
Face, an elegant device that went
from germanium to silicon transistors
in the late ’60s, and is archetypal
in both guises. Why marry the two
transistor types in one pedal? Well,
the germanium transistors used in
commercial fuzz pedals from the
mid ’60s, made from this element,
are beloved for a certain warmth,
compression-like softness in the
attack, and responsiveness to varied
volume input. The downside—and
this is very subjective—is that they
can sound quite ragged when pushed
hard. The silicon transistors that
began to be used more commonly
in the late ’60s and ’70s are known
for their increased gain, greater
aggression, cutting power, and a
smoother, if buzzy, output.
T h e r e ’s a n o t h e r u p s i d e t o
silicon transistors. They are far
more consistent from unit to unit.
19 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19
Germanium transistors from the
same manufactured batch could vary
in values widely. As a consequence,
vintage fuzz pedals of the same make
can often sound quite different.
Contemporary manufacturers using
germanium transistors tend to select
and match them carefully for their
fuzz pedals to achieve more consistent
results. MXR goes through the same
process for the Hybrid Fuzz.
Dynamic Duo
The Hybrid Fuzz was designed
for MXR by Jeorge Tripps, the
legendary pedal progenitor behind
the Way Huge brand, which is now
also part of the Jim Dunlop stable.
Of the Hybrid design, Tripps tells
us: “A typical Fuzz Face has either
two silicon or two germanium
transistors. The Hybrid uses one of
each type that are gain spec’d for
their specific position in the circuit.
This is what gives the Hybrid Fuzz
its aggressive gain along with
warmth and smoothness.”
The Hybrid Fuzz could have branded
this as a Hybrid Fuzz Face, and used
that pedal’s iconic enclosure. Instead,
it’s housed in a practical, standard
compact MXR box, measuring
4 ¼" x 2 ¼" x 1 ¼", that’s adorned
in suitably psychedelic graphics,
including menacing eagles, giant
mushrooms, and all-seeing eyes. The
stylish, clear control knobs are easy to
read. The simple 2-knob complement
of fuzz and volume echoes that of
the original Fuzz Faces. Elsewhere,
it makes concessions to modernity
with true-bypass switching, an LED
indicator, and a center-negative input
for an external 9V power supply. A
9-volt battery can also be used if you’re
feeling nostalgic.
Fluffernutter
With humbuckers and single-coils,
my first impression of the MXR is one
of a classically voiced and very play-
able fuzz tone. I heard no extremes
that I could immediately chalk up to
the silicon or germanium side, but,
instead, a very appealing and im-
mediately likable fuzz sound most
guitarists could easily work with.
The best in-a-nutshell description is
this: It’s thick and creamy, relatively
smooth, yet bright and edgy enough
to cut through most mixes. I’m guess-
ing that’s exactly what MXR was hop-
ing to achieve with this hybrid design.
Listening more closely as I moved
through a range of settings, the effects
of the germanium-silicon marriage
become more apparent. For example,
there are times when I play a good
germanium fuzz and yearn for just a little
more aggression and bite. The Hybrid
Fuzz bridges that gap. Conversely, an
otherwise great-sounding silicon fuzz
sometimes leaves me longing for more
warmth and forgiveness in the attack,
Ratings
and the Hybrid Fuzz did that, too. In
fact, I yearn for few changes in the Tones
Hybrid Fuzz’s core gain and voicing. Ease of Use
I did find a few gaps in the available Build/Design
Value
fuzz voices that could leave other players
longing. For example, there are some
ripped-Velcro extreme-fuzz textures the PROS Impressive blends
Hybrid Fuzz doesn’t deliver. Nor does of the most appealing
characteristics of
it deliver the kind of low-gain-but-in-
germanium and silicon
your-face “kerrang!” some germanium transistors. Guitar volume
units can deliver at less aggressive responsiveness remains
levels. In the absence of those voices, largely intact.
some guitarists might conclude the
CONS Players seeking
Hybrid Fuzz is just a tad generic. But, more extremes might look
in general, I think the potential broad elsewhere.
appeal in these sounds still translates
to a lot of possibilities.
$169 street
Like many fuzz pedals, the two
jimdunlop.com
controls are very interactive and you’ll
likely need to tweak one after twisting
the other to retain a similar output level.
But the Hybrid Fuzz also interacts very
well with the guitar’s volume control,
offering the dynamics and ease of
adjustability that many seek and find
in germanium Fuzz Faces, and find
lacking in a silicon version.
The Verdict
The Hybrid Fuzz offers a very
appealing new flavor of fuzz and an
easily likable meeting point between
germanium and silicon. Some players
might seek the greater extremes of
one or the other. But I imagine plenty
more, in Goldilocks style, will find its
gain, voice, and feel “just right.”
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 20
REVIEWS

Fender
Shields Blender
By Charles Saufley

HEAR THE
DEMO NOW
K evin Shields tone chasers are a
minor cult—sharing insights and
discoveries about ways and means
to replicate the intoxicating, enveloping
sounds of My Bloody Valentine’s LPs, and
to a significant extent, in the realm of
overtones, and the magic made when
they interweave to form a more colorful
whole. Curiously, one of Shields’ and My
Bloody Valentine’s deepest probes into
in particular, their masterwork, Loveless. the overtone world is the bludgeoningly
It’s a curious pursuit, in a way, for it is well loud and sustained onslaught of the song
documented that Shields created most “You Made Me Realise.” Shields’ first
of that album’s time- and space-bending investigations of the Blender’s potential
sheets-of-sound guitar parts via the rather occurred during this nightly, set-ending
economical combination of reverse reverb ritual. And the combination of octave-up
and the vibrato on a Fender Jazzmaster. fuzz, a footswitchable fuzz boost, a tone
My Bloody Valentine on stage, however, knob, and a wet/dry blend control made
is quite another matter. Seeing the band it a perfect vehicle for adding another
live is a little like breathing the atmosphere color to the song’s outro overtone feast.
of another planet. It’s heavy, loud, and The Shields Blender, however, explodes
sometimes disorienting, which is largely the and expands the feature set—and
product of a sea of colliding and intertwining the available sounds—of the original
overtones. It’s an almost extra-dimensional Blender significantly.
extension of the songs on the records.
And to build the melodious, swirling, and Bigger Blend, Minds Blown
deafening world of MBV live, Shields reliesShields’ and Fender’s design additions
on an imposing quiver of stompboxes. As it profoundly expand the possibilities
afforded by the new Blender. First,
turns out, one of the most critical of these
is a vintage Fender Blender, an octave fuzzthere’s a new footswitchable, mammoth
sub-octave fuzz with dedicated volume
that went largely unappreciated in its time.
With the release of the Fender Shields control. It can be used with or without the
Blender, a highly modified version of the octave up signal from the original, which
original, the Blender’s days in the shadowscan now be added or subtracted via a
are likely numbered. pushbutton. That means you can use
the fuzz alone, with one of the octave
Building on a Blend effects, or both. That flexibility gives
For those less familiar with Shields’ you a wagonload of huge, menacing,
work, it’s important to know that his and mangled textures to work with.
ears, mind, and aesthetic fixations dwell, But they are just a fraction of the tones

21 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19

you can craft here. The fuzz has its own
very range-ful tone knob, which recasts
the fuzz’s personality considerably. The
expand section, which has a dedicated
footswitch (and was called the tone
boost on the original) enables you to
boost the fuzz output.
The wildest addition to the original
Blender, though, is the sag circuit.
Shields noted that many sag functions,
which starve a circuit of voltage, are a
bit subtle. This one is most assuredly
not. It’s also not the easiest function to
figure out. But practice yields very cool
and often unexpected results. While
it works in dynamically responsive,
rhythmic, almost tremolo-like ways at
the right settings (which seems to be
Shields’ preferred application), I loved
its potential in fingerpicked situations,
where its dynamic responsiveness
shined. Fingerpicking triads high
on the neck with both octave effects
engaged yielded melodic, glitchy effects
that could be continuously reshaped
by touch, and by using mellower
trigger levels you can summon a
greater degree of dynamic control.
It’s important to note that strong
octave-down fuzz settings can render
the sag control less nuanced. But used
together they can also summon the
chaotic, tectonic-scale, Earth-cracking
tonalities that are part of the live “You
Made Me Realise” or Neil Young’s most
deranged octave divider and melting
tweed Deluxe moments.
The Verdict Ratings
While it yields many chaotic results, the
Fender Shields Blender is not the product Tones
of a chaotic design approach. Shields is Ease of Use
known for striving for very specific sonic Build/Design
Value
results and for being uncompromising
in those quests. That a Kevin Shields-
approved pedal could exist at all is PROS Huge swaths of
something of a surprise to this longtime unexpected sounds that
can exist well outside the
fan. But what’s also a surprise is how
My Bloody Valentine tone
incredibly varied and full of twists the sphere. Beautiful, high
Shields Blender can be. The addition of the quality build. Fascinating,
sub-octave fuzz is inspired. So is the tricky- organic interactions
between controls.
to-wrangle, but ultimately satisfying, sag
circuit, which offers unusual tones and CONS Pedalboard space
interactivity galore. Making the fuzz freaks are going to complain
independently operable from the octave that it’s big.
effects also extends the pedal’s flexibility.
But it’s the potential interrelationships $299 street
between all of the controls and functions fender.com
that ultimately make the Shields Blender
such a rich mine of possible sounds. For
the intrepid and patient explorer willing
to crack the many codes within, fantastic
rewards await.
PREMIER GUITAR - DDIGITAL PRESS PEDAL PHREAKERY VOL. 19 22
Digital Press