Thursday, April 25, 2024

COMPRESSOR- ORIGIN EFFECTS Cali76___NEW___ VERSION 2 !!!!!! Better???

ORIGIN EFFECTS Cali76  
Compressor V.2
$370.00 USD
ouch!
Has the best got better??? Just released. Except for the LED lights
the only giveaway is the f.ing price!!! 😕  
The layout is Dry, for your wet/dry mix, Out, a level, Ratio, amount 
of compression Attack, foe a delay before the comp kicks in and Release, how long before the comp fades away. 
 
CONCLUSION___
They needed to do this simply because there 
are now choices from Wampler, UA, and know 
J. Rockett offering all the the different studio 
classics so we have choice. I confess I do love 
the Cali but the new J.Rockett Fairchild 66 
is equally good and $230.00 USD.

OD/PreAmp- FRIEDMAN IR-D PreAmp___NEW___ 2 channel Marshall Plexi plus

FRIEDMAN IR-D PreAmp
A real tube pre that can be used in the same ways one would use a modeller. 
You get two channels and a boost. The voicing is that of a hot rodded classic 
Marshall Super Lead Plexi PreAmp. The features are endless and and the layout 
needs explaining. If i write it out you will get lost. So I will let 
the videos do the talking.
CONCLUSION ___
It sounds as it should like a real tube amp because it indeed 
uses tubes. Yes not a model but the real thing. 
What's not to love!!!


thefineprint 
I am 77 and taking my Plexi to a gig is getting a bit much. I have been 
wrestling about getting a modeler? First I only need one killer amp not 
dozens. I hate giving up tubes!!! I want the sound, feel and response that 
ONLY tubes can provide. Ideally a Plexi. This pedal has zero competition 
in my mind. I could still use my cab. I would just need a power amp. 
I will have to give this a serious think.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

MODELER- AMPLITUDE TONEX ONE___NEW TODAY___ $180.00 pedal ...$2300.00 sound

AMPLITUDE TONEX ONE
$180.00 USD

PREVIEW
This is a total surprise. Amplitude were a Pro software company before they made any pedals. It is why they have such high quality sounds. 
It has 20 presets of amps, cabs and effects. You can download all that the full size unit has and edit as well and you get free software to do it. Yes and it is capable with an interface to make your own models. In short it does all the 'Must Have' of what the full size model does and with the same quality of sound. Sounds that compare with Neural and Fractal? YES! This is a game changer!!! 
I will update ALL day as new videos and info comes out!!!

thefineprint
I expect this pedal is already sold out and even if you do 
a pre-order it may take months to arrive. 

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

FUZZ- SUMMER SCHOOL ELECTRONICS Class Reunion__NEW__ Muff & Tube Screamer

SUMMER SCHOOL 
ELECTRONICS 
The CLASS REUNION ||| 
$180.00 USD
Once I read thru the gobbly goop I was lucky enough to figure 
out we have a Green Russian Muff and a Tube Screamer. It is two of the companies pedals combined into one pedal. 
The layout has a Gain and Tone for each pedal. Volume is for both sides and Blend determines which side is loudest. Both sides have a silicon clipping diode and LED for overkill distortion.  
CONCLUSION___ 
A lot of noises good and bad. The ts side is a bit thin using the silicon diode. The LED predictable gives it a Metal vibe. The Muff sounds like a good basic Muff and with the LED you get a full blown Doom thing. I feel the blend is its secret sauce. It can make good better and the unuseable turned into the just right.
I have a Muff, the Boss ts best know as an SD-1 OD.  
I also have a great EQ and a Rat to throw into the mix. 
In short stacking separate pedals does much more. 
Big but ...on a smaller board this could be a good
choice to cover the Metal vibe of many genres. 

REVERB- MAD PROFESSOR Silver Spring Reverb... Robben Ford's fave

MAD PROFESSOR 
Silver Spring Reverb
$220.00 USD
This is now by Reverb chip generations a golden oldy. It came out in 2012. 
Old chips at best can have some character to the sound like a pedal with germanium transistors. They can however have some nasty analysing distortion. Robben Ford is a big fan. It is basically just one algorithm
needed and used to create a Fender/Accusonic type Spring Reverb. 
The layout is Reverb, that controls the dry wet mix, Tone and 
Time which is the length of the decay. 
CONCLUSION ___
Like all pedals that claim to clone a sound one 
either measures how close or simply only cares 
that it makes a pleasing substitution. I find it 
an exceptional substitution and I owned Fender 
amps, for a start I had 2 different Twin Reverbs 
over the years. 

Monday, April 22, 2024

FUZZ- CALINE CP-53 Fuzzy Face Voodoo Octave ... more the same than different???

CALINE CP-53 
FUZZY FACE ||VOODOO OCTAVE
$30.00 USD
Another good ol' Octave Fuzz. Don't ask. Some are a take on the original or take on an American copy or indeed the MIJ Boss that is still not on offer even though Boss did an accidental release of it and pulled it the next day. Rumors were it was the covid thing stopping production. Voodoo Labs had a Fuzz for about 20 years but it is a sub octave Fuzz. The Caline compares well with the Joyo Voodoo Octave  Since you asked the Joyo is $35.00 USD. Check out the Post on the Joyo. The layout is Volume, Tone, Gain and a switch that kicks in a mid scoop. In fact identical to the Joyo setup.
CONCLUSION ___ 
It sounds good but not better than others including the $30.00 USD, Boss Hyper Fuzz clone the Behringer Super Fuzz. All 3 are impressive and Pro sounding. 
 

Saturday, April 20, 2024

OVERDRIVE- COUCH ELECTRONIC Baker's Dozen ___NEW ___ Bluesbreaker clone +

COUCH ELECTRONICS 
Bakers Dozen
$215.00 USD
A new company from builder designer Slobodan in Slovenia. It is his take on a Bluesbreaker. Yes the enclosure looks like a B.B. The big little surprise is 
it is almost the size of a standard Hammond 1590B 
box. Same height but a tad wider. Dead cool!!!
The layout is as expected a Volume,Tone and Gain.  
   [][]
CONCLUSION ___
Pulled back it sounds very much like the Marshall original but pushed it has a 
gain stage borrowed from an old MXR 
Micro Amp (so was the DOD 250 PreAmp)  
A design as we know that can give it some serious kick.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

FUZZ & OD- CATALINBREAD [70's Collection] ___NEW___Fuzz Face & Tube Screamer


$215.00 USD
free for U.S. shipping
CATALINBREAD|
StarCrash  Fuzz
Yes our old friend the Fuzz Face .The Layout tells us what is the same ol' and what is different. You get Level, but Gain is dimed & fixed & the Tone is gone. You get instead of a BIAS control that will alter Gain and bring 
down highs and you get a High pass filter to tighten unruly lows.  
CONCLUSION ___ 
It is a very excellent sounding
Fuzz but it ain't no Fuzz Face.
You can get a lot of good usable 
noises from it. I really like it!!!

$215.00 USD
SideArm Overdrive 
A Tube Screamer where they let you cut the 1K poke and put it down to 720Kh to pull back on that cocked Wah vibe. The layout is Volume, Gain and Tone but you have a mids to boost or drop the mid poke. 
CONCLUSION ___
A versatile OD but again not a ts. 
No complaints. It is it's own thing. 
It fits into your kit or not as it is 
not a focused tool but a Swiss 
Army Knife pedal. 

OVERDRIVE- WAY HUGE Smalls Supa-Lead ... Marshall-in-a-Box ??? WTF!!! :-(

WAY HUGE  Smalls 
SUPA-LEAD  Overdrive Mk-lll 
$150.00 USD
It is meant to be a take on a pedal with great tube amp like qualities. Some say it is a designer Jeorge Tripps MIAB, derived from a modded 
version of his Fat Sandwich design.
Version 1 was a very large pedal, Version 2 was never released. 
So WTF, is going on.
One guy that bought on Reverb said in his personal review 
that it is harsh and shrill. Yes! I thought, 
but it could be worse. 😦
The layout is Volume Tone and Gain.
CONCLUSION ___
If I had to say what it basically sounded like in one polite word 
I would say Rat. No it is NOT a Rat but it has a very aggressive rip your face off near Fuzz thing going on. The formal term is 
it is a Hardclipper Distortion pedal. If you buy it to use as a Hardclipper, to be in RAT territory, but different, then why not. 
BIG but ...for a MIAB I could name dozens and this would 
NEVER be among them.


COMPRESSOR- MOVAL Pandora Compressor ...good Diamond CP-1 clone & CHEAP!!!

$22.00 USD
AliExpess/free shipping
MOVAL Pandora Comp 
It is an optic compressor. It uses light to control the opening and closing of its signal. Unlike the famous MXR Dyna Comp it triggers fast and very smoothly. 
The only downside is they tend to kill some highs so traditionally they have 
always included an EQ to put them back. Diamond created an ingenious 
use of using LED light to do the job. Before Diamond Optic Comps were notoriously expensive and unreliable. 
The layout is Level, Comp amount and that important EQ. It uses 
the classic studio Mamma Bear ratio of 4 to 1.
COMPRESSOR ___
Ideal for those that do not like a comp but want the benefits. 
Dead easy to use and with a very gentle smooth operation.  
A must have for flatpickers.
I have always had a Pigtonix Philosopher's Tone mini Comp. 
I like how Optic comp has a warm tone. 
It however is $100 more, lol.