Delicious Audio #1 - Best Pedals of NAMM 2019 - Best Pedals of 2018 - Austin Pedal and Synth Expo

delicious 

audio 

Issue #1 Vol. #1 

Winter 2019 

delicious-audio.com 

the stompbox blog/video aggregator 

Bestof 

NAMM 

2019 

Austin 

Pedal & 

Synth 

Expo’19

delicious 

audio 

EDITOR IN CHIEF / PUBLISHER 

PAOLO DE GREGORIO 

EDITOR / PEDAL GURU 

NICHOLAS KULA 

ART DIRECTOR 

KAZ YABE ( WWW.KAZYABE.COM) 

ASSISTANT EDITOR / COPY EDITOR 

ERIN BETHUNE D’SOUZA 

COVER IMAGE 

KAZ YABE ( WWW.KAZYABE.COM) 

WEB DEVELOPER 

BINOD LAMSAL 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

CONNOR MCINERNEY 

TUCKER PENNINGTON 

SUNNY BETZ 

BRANDON STONER 

Advertising Inquiries: 

paolo.dg@thedelimag.com 

Issue #1 Vol. #1 

Winter 2019 


the stompbox blog/video aggregator 

MASTHEAD 

Hello pedal fiends, welcome to the first print issue 

of Delicious Audio! 

if you are wondering what we are, you can find 

more info about our blog/aggregator/magazine on 

page 4; this space, then, is dedicated to the object 

of our desires and its virtues: the stompbox. 

That’s what we prefer to call it, because we find any 

other label (like “guitar pedal” or “guitar effect”) very 

limiting. The stompbox doesn’t care what it’s fed, 

no matter what signal goes through it; guitar, bass, 

keyboards, vocals—it treats them all the same way. 

The stompbox opens up a plethora of creative possibilities, 

no matter what signal you feed it. 

It’s hard to deny that this is the musical era in 

which stompboxes have become much more than 

static musical machines: They have morphed into 

devices with the potential to inspire any electrified 

musician, and that’s important, because inspiration 

is what moves art forward. 

P.16 

BEST PEDALS 

OF NAMM 2019 

P.12 

NAMM 2019 

P.8 

THE PEDAL & 

SYNTH EXPO’S 

SHOWCASE 

EDITORS’ NOTE 

The latest NAMM show has once again brought an 

increased number of effects and manufacturers, 

pushing the envelope of pedal technology and giving 

us an even greater breadth of gear over which 

to drool. What once was a niche market confined to 

the outer reaches of the show floor has blossomed 

into a formidable industry whose boundaries expand 

past the esoteric and into the closest thing to 

a mainstream that music gear has. 

Here at Delicious Audio, we eat, sleep and breathe 

effects pedals, and if you are familiar with what we 

do you know that we take great care in consuming, 

organizing, and curating large groups of them just 

for you. It stands to reason, then, that we should 

find ourselves in the thick of the NAMM show floor 

on the hunt for the latest and greatest. 

The intelligence that we gathered has been distilled 

into these very pages and prepared for your 

consumption. Better yet, you’ll also be able to experience 

a sample of it with your own ears, hands, 

and eyes at the upcoming Austin Stompbox Exhibit. 

We hope to see you there! 

Paolo De Gregorio & Nicholas Kula 

P.26 

PEDALS OF THE 

AUSTIN 

STOMPBOX EXHIBIT 2019 

TABLE OF 

CONTENTS 

P.36 

SYNTHS AT 


P.40 

AUSTIN 

SYNTHS EXPO 

2019

What’s Delicious Audio? 

Delicious Audio is a blog entirely focused on stompboxes, whose content 

is driven by the videos published on YouTube by the most reputable videographers 

shooting demos of guitar effects. 

The team that runs it also organizes the Stompbox Exhibits, free guitar 

pedal parties, with editions in Brooklyn, Austin, Los Angeles, Toronto and 

Montreal, and the shared Stompbox Booth at the NAMM shows – see 

pictures of our 2019 NAMM booth on pages 12-14. 

In 2018 we have merged the Stompbox Exhibit with the Synth Expo (which 

we started in 2014), since the formats are increasingly complementary. 

Why an Aggregator? 

The aggregator format allows us to amplify the content posted by expert 

in the stompbox sector, while allowing us to be at once informative, 

neutral and supportive of both the content makers and the community of 

pedal builders. The “aggregation” of content is not automatic but curated, 

which allows us to retain a voice through the website’s blog posts. 

Does Delicious Audio Create Any Original Content? 

Yes it does. We regularly work on in-depth articles focused on a specific 

kind of effect. Some of our most popular pieces are about the “Klon 

Klones”, ambient reverbs and Uni-Vibe pedals – you can easily find these 

articles through generic Google searches. 

What About the Magazine? 

The issue you are reading is born on the ashes of The Deli, a magazine we 

started in 2004 that was focused on emerging NYC bands. After we debuted 

the Stompbox Exhibit in 2011 and then the Synth Expo in 2014, these 

shows allowed The Deli’s print issue to survive until the winter of 2019, 

when we decided to convert it into the publication you are reading now.

THE PEDAL & 


SHOWCASE 

DAY 1 

FRIDAY MARCH 15 

The Chuggin’ Monkey 

(219 E 6th St.) 

FREE! 

Lina Tullgren 

5:20pm 

Anemone 

4:30pm 

This DIY artist rarely conforms to the trends of the moment, while 

also avoiding the “kitchen sink” approach to experimentation. Simultaneously 

gritty and pristine thrashing drums and guitars can 

sneak up on the listener, whereas Tullgren’s vocals remain the 

gravitational center. Even more surprising is how her uncomfortably 

surreal songs harmonize together, reaching a point where 

her funeral marches are equally hypnotic and skin-crawling, 

beckoning us to go deeper into the void. (TUCKER PENNINGTON) 

Montreal alt-pop polymath Chloe Soldevila hits her stride on 

Beat My Distance, the second full length released under the 

project name Anemone. It’s a record drenched in vintage psychedelia 

and classic pop sensibilities, from a melancholic vocal 

performance on “Daffodils” to the progressive, shuffling beat of 

“Sunshine.” While Anemone clearly draws inspiration from hippy 

ephemera, the strength of Beat My Distance comes from how 

these soundscapes are filtered through a contemporary, frequently 

synth-laden perspective. (CONNOR MCINERNEY) 

Hot Flash Heat Wave 

3:40pm 

Soft Kill 

2:00pm 

Mood Ring—the latest EP by SF-based 

psych-rock group Hot Flash Heat Wave— 

couldn’t have a more suitable title. The always-morphing 

nature of the jewelry fits the 

group’s six diverse songs. Woozy guitars 

and brightly-colored bombast are part of the 

band’s DNA, but when it dip its toes in vaporwave 

aesthetics and off-kilter samples, the 

band’s sound really washes over the listener 

with a sun-kissed burnish. This combination 

of the expected and surprising makes Mood 

Ring a constantly fluctuating yet engrossing 

listen. (TUCKER PENNINGTON) 

8 delicious audio Winter 2019 

Reptaliens 

2:50pm 

Although the stylish indie pop duo of Bambi and 

Cole Browning has morphed into a quartet, it is still 

as succinctly focused on its interpretation of vintage 

psych pop as it was on debut LP FM-2030, 

with new single “Shuggie II” a landscape of curated 

arpeggios and tight basswork. While labeling Reptaliens 

as “yacht pop” might feel trite, it’s hard to 

deny the group’s music will be best enjoyed on a 

warm beachside (but preferably on a boat) while 

sipping a cool drink. (CONNOR MCINERNEY) 

“Punishing” isn’t the first word you’d think to 

describe Soft Kill, but the more its barrages of 

post-punk and shoegazer pummel into you, 

the more fitting the word becomes. On Savior, 

the Portland outfit buries most of its synths 

into a thundering vessel of fuzz. Moments of 

joy surface occasionally, only to get smothered 

in a wave of rumbling drums and crashing 

cymbals. In its relentless hail of gloom 

and doom, Soft Kill is here for the raw ennui. 

(TUCKER PENNINGTON)

THE PEDAL & 


SHOWCASE 

DAY 2 

SATURDAY MARCH 16 


(219 E 6th St.) 

FREE! 

Beshken 

5:20pm 

Photo: Nick Vernet 

Your Smith 

4:30pm 

Fresh off a sold out Fall tour in support of Gus Dapperton, 

NYC-based, genre-bending producer Beshken released in 

early March the video for single “Cursed,” the first taste of 

his forthcoming debut album Aisle of Palm, which seems 

to mark a sonic evolution towards a less structured and 

more experimental electronica. The song explores the 

concept of living like we’re dead due to an obsession with 

personal progress. (PAOLO DE GREGORIO) 

Last year folk artist Caroline Smith announced a change in 

name: with the new moniker (Your Smith) came a sound less 

rootsy and more modern, based on an upbeat, electronic indie 

pop. The arrangements, layered with synths and drum machines, 

are complemented by tongue-n-cheek lyrics and vocals 

varying between sweet gasping whispers, a Sheryl Crow rock 

feel, and vibes reminiscent of Robyn. “Bad Habit” is a single with 

all the attributes of a timeless pop song. (MICHELLE KICHERER) 

Helena Deland 

3:40pm 

Each whimsical folk-pop track off Helena 

Deland’s Altogether Unaccompanied is varied 

in texture and mood, and centered around the 

singer’s vocal prowess. It’s like Karen Peris and 

Vashti Bunyan but with the empowering presence 

of Sharon Van Etten – plus something 

entirely her own. The popping synths dropping 

like gumballs on tracks like “Claudion,” the 

warm keys on “Rise,” the lovely harmonies and 

hooks on “A Stone is a Stone” are all elements 

that contribute in making her album a beautifully 

produced synthpop dream. (MICHELLE KICHERER) 

CLAVVS 

2:50pm 

Brooklyn duo CLAVVS has always had their 

its squarely planted in the realm of electronic 

soul-pop. Yet with its recent EP No Saviors, the 

pair has cracked open new patterns to make 

its distinct ideas sound infinitely more versatile. 

“Lay Back” adds a baroque flourish that crashes 

down like a waterfall of strings, while the title 

track bursts with polyrhythms and self-assured 

brashness. CLAVVS is breaking out of the 

dream-pop bubble with exuberance and quality 

songs. (TUCKER PENNINGTON) 

Angelica Garcia 

2:00pm 

This Richmond-based singer-songwriter understands 

the potency that a little chaos can 

have in bringing pop music to life. Her voice 

can be lifted by the infectious “nu-cumbia” 

pianos and jaunty rhythms, but it’s the laconic 

lyrics and expressive delivery that Garcia 

injects in every line on “Karma the Knife” that 

emphasizes the tempestuous nature of her 

pop. Grounded in Latin rhythms, her bluesy 

bravado adds a noteworthy edge that brings 

a jolt to her style. (TUCKER PENNINGTON)

STOMPBOX 

TRENDS 

NAMM 


BY 

NICHOLAS 

KULA 

T 

hough one might think that it’s the holiday 

season that sees our beloved pedal companies 

galloping into the limelight to vaunt 

their new releases, any hardened pedal geek 

knows that the real fireworks begin just after New Year’s 

Day. The occasion is the winter NAMM Show in Anaheim 

and for folks like us, it may as well be a national holiday. 

Over one weekend in Orange County—and starting the 

Friday before—any staff position filled by a musician experiences 

its productivity grind to a halt. It’s NAMM, baby! 

In the convention center hosting the event, a basement area 

exists where pedal companies once remotely huddled together 

for warmth. At the 2019 NAMM show, however, effects 

manufacturers were sitting front-and-center in an area earmarked 

for high foot traffic. It was a move that sent a message 

loud and clear to the music equipment industry: Pedals 

are what showgoers are here to see—they’re relatively small, 

collectible, affordable, they perform wildly different tasks and 

they come in all sorts of shapes and colors. Those not knowledgeable 

about effects and their mark on music history can 

appreciate them aesthetically if not sonically, and it is that 

aesthetic draw that players and non-players can agree upon. 

Delicious Audio was smack in the middle of all this, with not 

one but two Stompbox Booths (pictured on the left page) 

hosting a total of 24 more or less emerging pedal manufacturers. 

On top of that, inside our main booth, we had 60 Cycle 

Hum shooting videos of all the new pedals released at NAMM 

(we ended up with 64 in total!) with our blog covering also the 

ones they couldn’t shoot. This presence gave us a vantage 

point on the new trends in the world of stompboxes, which is 

what we are going to tackle in this article. 

THERE’S NO STOPPING THE 

DIGITAL TRAIN 

Technology is accelerating at such a rapid clip that it eventually 

finds its way into the farthest corners of niche enthusiasm. The 

pedal format has transcended analog nuts and bolts and many 

stompboxes havenow full-blown computers inside them, complete 

with memory and processors. The technology of pedals 

has evolved dramatically in the last few years, and like in each 

and every walk of life, as things get more complex, they also 

get more expensive—the prices on this year’s models seem to 

be markedly higher compared to the past. 

It should come to nobody’s surprise then, that many of NAMM 

2019’s crop of effects focused on even more feature-laden and 

refined workings of some of the most electrically complicated 

circuits. While analog overdrive and fuzz haven’t lost their dominance 

and are witnessing some long due innovation (see carbon 

quantum tunneling), manufacturers continue the arms race for 

coders and digital engineers. And as this plays out, companies 

continue to blur the line between analog and digital. circuits. 

The Strymon Volante perfectly exemplifies this trend: Visually 

and sonically patterned after a highly-influential Italian-made 

magnetic echo machine, it dishes up a trio of awe-inspiring 

delay algorithms and an integrated looper before finishing the 

package with a spring reverb that leaves the player wanting 

12 delicious audio Winter 2019

nothing. No wonder it was voted as one of the two best pedals 

of the show in our aggregate chart (see pages 16-24). On the 

opposite side of the coin, certified and card-carrying mad scientist 

David Rainger unveiled his Drone Rainger, an absolute 

anomaly in the world of delay. As bonkers as it is inspiring. It’s 

unabashedly digital, but features two drone voices that you 

can engage separately, then play alongside. 

PEDAL SYNTHIFICATION #1: 

FILTERS AND OSCILLATORS 

The Drone, with its two oscillators, provides the perfect segue 

to a chapter dedicated to the growing niche of synth pedals. 

Meris, a new company born from a rib of 

Strymon, hit it big in late 2018 with Enzo, 

a polyphonic synth pedal with a truly innovative 

circuit that earned it the label of 

“the Ferrari of Synth Pedals.” It ended up 

on the top of our aggregate Best Pedals 

of 2018 list. 

Meris Enzo, Best 

pedal of 2018 in 

Delicious Audio 

aggregate chart. 

With its Motor prototype, Latvian manufacturer 

Gamechanger Audio showcased 

at NAMM another impressive polyphonic circuit, 

but with “spinning motors” replacing oscillators as sound 

source—you’ve got to hear it and see it for yourself. 

On the monophonic side of things, synth pedal pioneer Electro-Harmonix 

introduced two Mono Synths (one optimized 

for bass) giving players access to massive synth patches including 

vintage Moogs, Oberheims and more, while Keeley 

unveiled its debut in this niche with the Synth-1. They are 

both streamlined, easy to use machines, unlike the Moutarde, 

by French builder Glou-Glou, a complex (and big) 

filter and modulation monster featuring four non-tracking oscillators. 

Similar drone devices are also featured in the already 

mentioned Rainger FX Drone and in the other winner (tied with 

the Volante) of the Best of NAMM 2018 aggregate chart: the 

Beetronics Swarm Harmonic Fuzz, a wicked PLL-type 

circuit that gives players some organic harmonizing with a 

fuzz chaser. The Pigtronix Resotron also belongs to this 

category, using the same chip found in the Sequential Circuits 

Prophet 5 for an intriguing take on the envelope resonant filter. 

PEDAL SYNTHIFICATION #2: 

GRANULAR SYNTHESIS 

AND SEQUENCERS 

But that’s not quite it as far as synthesising pedals are concerned! 

Another emerging category of effects was one spearheaded 

by developers looking to push the sonic boundaries 

of today’s digital tech, including bitcrushers, sample manglers 

and stutter devices. 

Granular synthesis pioneers Red Panda upgraded its Particle 

granular delay to a second version that includes tap 

tempo and presets, while Catalinbread emerged with the 

Coriolis Effect, a genre-bending yet deceptively intuitive 

box that includes stutter, octave down, filtering and harmonizing 

in one unit. Cult Canadian builder Cooper FX took the 

opposite approach, giving players a near-infinite amount of 

control parameters with the Moment Machine, a pitch-shifter 

with a 16-step sequencer and over 200 tweakable controls, 

each accessible through the onboard screen. Speaking of 

sequencers and screens, new company Poly Effects introduced 

a multi-effect prototype called Morph that has a big 

touchscreen instead of knobs and features an internal step 

sequencer that can be applied to the its effects. 

delicious audio Winter 2019 13

SPACE AND TIME 

In the as spacey world of... spatial effects, reverb units are 

always prime candidates for the advancement of pedal tech, 

although this year not many manufacturers dove headfirst into 

developing a monstrous multi-option device. In fact, some operations 

saw fit to return to analog reverb—springs included. 

The Anasounds Element is one such device. Like Fender’s 

outboard reverb tank of years past, the Element relies on a spring 

cartridge, of which there are three different sizes available. Its 

core unit emulates the front end of a Twin amplifier, one of the 

most pedal-friendly amps in the history of rock music. Fender 

itself marked a return to those days as well, though through a 

much more technically advanced platform. Its Tre-Verb hearkens 

back to the company’s glory days, featuring every iteration 

of reverb and tremolo that showed up on its classic amps. 

Delay is also a permanently hot niche. Besides the already 

mentioned Strymon Volante, Eventide returned the scene with a 

gorgeous sounding (and looking) digital take on the bucket brigade 

delay, called Rose, while Seymour Duncan, GFI Systems 

and Free The Tone introduced lush multi-mode digital 

devices featuring both delay and reverb, a combination beloved 

by the experimental and shoegazer types. Keeley, Supro, Caroline 

and Lunastone are among the many companies that 

offered some simpler devices featuring personal takes. 

DIRT BOXES ARE ALIVE! 

For those who enjoy the comforts of old-school analog circuitry, 

winter NAMM was a goldmine of new gear, serving up 

tons of overdrive, fuzz, boost and modulation offerings. Overdrive 

was still the belle of the ball, and this year’s crop seemed 

to center on traditional designs that focus on a specific gain 

range, with new products from stalwarts such as Wampler, 

with its Bluesbreaker-inspired Pantheon, One Control and 

its Silver Jubilee recreation Silver Bee, Pettyjohn’s Chime 

MKII, and a couple of D-style emulations by Outlaw Effects 

(the Dumbleweed) and Joyo (the Taichi). 

However, the biggest story in the dirtbox world was the collaboration 

between Chase Bliss Audio and Benson Amps: 

the Automatone Preamp MKII. Featuring an ultra-sleek look 

and killer all-analog sound, the Preamp offers a bevy of user 

presets and... motorized faders! Recalling a preset moves the 

faders to the positions that comprise it, letting you slightly tweak 

your favorite sounds to fit your band or stage setup. In the fuzz 

realm manufacturers seem to be finally moving in the direction of 

innovation. Dunlop announced the Siete Santos, an Octavio 

circuit with a healthy EQ section in tow. David Rainger was up 

to his old tricks with the hotwired Dr. Freakenstein Chop Fuzz, 

pushing fuzz innovation to its absolute limit, and Spiral Electric 

FX introduced two fuzzes based on carbon quantum tunneling. 

SolidGoldFX stole the show in this department however, with 

the prototype of the Lysis, a circuit that merges rhythmic filtering 

and synthesis tones with a gnarly fuzz circuit that sounds like the 

hard-nosed synthesized fuzzbox of your dreams, not at all unlike 

the snarling grind of the Russian-made Formanta Polivoks. 

PATIENCE REQUIRED 

Some of these pedals are already available as you read this, 

while some are being targeted for shipment in the next few 

months—as per usual in NAMM parlance. 

If this year’s show is any indication, the pedal industry is alive 

and well. From being transported from its dank basement environs 

to the main drag of NAMM, the pedal community is 

stronger and more present than ever, and we hope you enjoyed 

your look at some of its awesome offerings. d 


The ZOIA is a sound design sandbox that allows 

for more in depth control and creation of effects 

and instruments than anything seen in a 

stompbox to date. Based on the concepts of 

modular synthesis, the Zoia can function as a 

synthesizer, sequencer, MIDI controller, a multi 

effect pedal or all of these at once. 

seymourduncan.net/darksun 

DIGITAL DELAY + REVERB 

DARK SUN

Best Pedals of NAMM 2019 

The splendor that was the NAMM 2019 show has come and gone 

in what feels like a heartbeat, and it’s now time to take stock 

of what stompable devices left a mark on our collective mind. 

This is what we did to try and figure that out: Faithful to our aggregating model, we 

gathered all the (reputable) “Best Of” articles and videos focused on the guitar pedals 

released at NAMM and created an aggregate chart from them. 

We tracked down five lists this year, and we think the results reflect quite accurately 

the general consensus about what stood out at the January show. 

The Jury is In But Also Out (on the web) 

Here are the “Best of NAMM 2019” lists we took into consideration for this endeavor, 

in rigorous alphabetical order: 

BestGuitarEffects.com : Top 22 Best Pedals of The NAMM Show 2019 

Guitar.com : The Best New Pedals at NAMM 2019 

GuitarPedalX : The Best New Pedals In and Around Winter NAMM 2019 Show 

Music Radar : The 14 best new guitar effects pedals of 2018 

Reverb.com : Andy’s 7 Pedal Picks on the NAMM 2019 Floor 

We never participate in the polling, so builders in search for somebody to blame for 

not picking their pedals will have to look somewhere else! 

There’s No Madness to Our Method 

The method we used to aggregate these lists and create our “‘final’ Best Of NAMM 

2019 chart” was very simple: we assigned one point to each pedal mentioned in one of 

these lists. We didn’t include products by companies that didn’t exhibit at NAMM 2019 

(GuitarPedalX’s list had a few). We ended up with a list of 48 stompboxes, which we 

diligently organized in the following pages, highlighting the first 17 effects with a picture 

and blurb and listing the remaining 31 on the last page as “Honorable Mentions.” 

The 

FINAL 

List! 

If you are looking for a more comprehensive list of the new pedals released at NAMM 

2019, don’t miss our two web pages, one focused on gain pedals and the other one on 

non-gain pedals—they are organized by kind of effect, links below! 

List of Gain and Compressor Pedals released at NAMM 2019: bit.ly/NAMM19-Gain 

List of Non-Gain Pedals released at NAMM 2019: bit.ly/NAMM19-NonGain 


ad_NOMAD_Half-pg_The Deli.qxp_Layout 1 2019-03-04 12:41 PM Page 1

THE BEST NEW GUITAR PEDALS 


# 

1 

Beetronics FX 

Swarm 

5pt. 

What happens when you marry an exquisitely voiced fuzz circuit to an equally 

voiced PLL circuit? The answer is the Beetronics Swarm. 

For those not in the know, a PLL circuit is a relatively new type of synthesizer-esque 

effect that relies on a phase locked loop IC, which in audio is used to affect 

the output signal in relation to the phase of the input. In short, pedal makers have 

been using them to craft rudimentary synth circuits, in which a guitar signal is sent 

into a square wave fuzz for tracking purposes, then fed into a PLL, whose stability 

is mostly questionable. This PLL circuit is a means to an end, giving you the bare 

essentials by way of harmonizing, stopping short of giving you a tweakable interface 

beyond simple mixing and blending. 

Enter: Beetronics, whose Swarm turns this nascent circuit on its ear with one of the 

first truly refined implementations of the formula. The fuzz circuit is quick and dirty 

but is much more refined and articulate than the brute-force squarewave approach 

found in almost all PLL circuits. And while most give you a harmony or two and 

leave it at that, the Swarm doubles down on the features by giving you harmonies 

but also a slick gliding circuit as well as several other ways to manipulate the synthesis, 

giving the Swarm a much greater feel than its competitors. And when you’re 

a guitarist, that’s the most important thing, isn’t it? 


# 

3 

# 

1 

Strymon 

Volante 

Clad in black and gold, the Strymon Volante immediately 

calls to mind the aesthetic profile of vintage 

Italian magnetic delay, but the sum of its parts is so 

much more than a simple Binson emulation. 

Nothing is as timeless as mechanical delay devices, 

and the Volante serves up the best of each in spades. 

For starters, the three modes present are Drum Delay, 

Tape Echo and Studio Delay, each with their specific 

parameters backed by hours upon hours of research. 

Chase Bliss Audio 

Preamp MKII 

When Joel Korte of Chase Bliss flew to Portland to meet with 

Chris Benson of Benson Amps, people thought it was two 

great minds getting together to shoot the breeze under a common 

umbrella. As it turns out, the two were hatching a scheme 

(or finalizing one) to develop one of the most ambitious gainbased 

boxes any of us had seen in quite some time. 

The original magnetic drum echoes are rife with tubes, 

containing them in all stages including the input and 

mixers. The result is a harmonically rich and impossibly 

warm piece of gear, and one that has been used on 

more classic records than we can count. Multi-head 

tape echo is another one of those classic sounds that 

you’ve surely heard even if you swear up and down 

that you haven’t. Four virtual tape heads give you the 

ability to program complex multi-tap delay patterns 

and every single mechanical parameter of such delay 

devices is emulated down to the alignment of the 

mechanical components. What Strymon calls Studio 

Delay is the sound of real tape machines buzzing and 

whirring, with a relatively clean sound rich with harmonic 

content available at your fingertips. This is the 

sound of early recording studios, plain and simple. 

Digging deeper, you’ll find scads of extras, including 

intuitive preset storage and recall, infinite repeats, individual 

head adjustment and tons more. 

4pt. 

You know Chase Bliss Audio by now: Joel’s digitally-controlled 

analog pedals have burst onto the scene and taken it 

by storm in recent years, with each and every one regarded 

by many as the best in their respective category. Chris Benson 

is much his equal in the amp world, rising to prominence 

very quickly and being a part of the backlines for some of 

rock music’s biggest contemporary artists. 

The Preamp MKII combines Chris’s knack for preamp circuitry 

with the immense knowledge of Joel to serve up a 

preamp circuit as functional and excellent sounding as it is 

beautiful. Featuring a bank of thick faders, the Preamp MKII 

offers up several user-adjustable presets, and once recalled, 

the faders mechanically slide to the position at which they 

were saved. This gives players a blank canvas with the faders 

set flat, or an excellent jumping-off point for fine-tuning an 

existing preset. With this combination of aesthetics, feature 

set and jaw-dropping tone, the Preamp MKII is going to blow 

minds when it’s released this fall. 

5pt. 




# 

4 

Wampler 

Terraform 

For a company that’s created deep dives into almost every 

effect imaginable, Wampler has been without a do-itall 

modulator since its inception. That all changes with the 

Terraform, a modulation box that focuses on highly-specialized 

takes on classic effects for some new sounds you 

simply can’t get anywhere else. Not content to offer a simple 

chorus-vibe-flanger box, the Terraform gives you highly 

tweakable takes on additive and subtractive flanging, 

through-zero flanging, phaser and several chorus modes. 

Extra features include a ton of inventive 

routing options, courtesy 

of the post ins and outs, allowing 

you to connect the same device 

at two different points in a signal 

chain. In addition to that, the Pantheon 

supplies global tap tempo 

and a centrally-located preset 

function equipped with eight 

slots. MIDI and expression options 

come standard, along with 

multiple LFO shaping options. 

3pt. 

“These will change in the 

final version,” Wampler says. 

# 

4 Eventide 

Rose 

3pt. 

These days, it seems like it would be hard for Eventide to 

top itself, but that’s exactly what happened at NAMM this 

year. Eventide’s Rose delay represents a return to organic 

effects by offering a kitchen-sink approach to one effect: 

digital delay. The Rose began its life as a set of ones and 

zeroes that Eventide “grafted” onto an analog control platform 

for an incredibly unique take on the concept of delay. 

The control set of the Rose offers up some familiar faces, 

but a series of small pushbutton switches dramatically expand 

the possibilities, from five incredibly unique modulation 

options with an unbelievable range of depth to time 

multipliers, one-touch phase inversion and a reverse playback 

function. Every level of the Rose is customizable, 

from the assignable Hotswitch to how the bypass switch 

functions. The Rose simply performs functions that can’t 

be done in the analog realm or the digital realm, needing 

the symbiosis of both to truly realize its full potential. 


# 

4 

Neunaber 

Neuron 

3pt. 

Several pedals of any size can cram the amount of 

features the Neuron boasts into any enclosure, let 

alone the compact box picked out by Neunaber. 

However, that’s just what the company has done, 

serving up a feature-packed dirt box in a deceptively 

demure enclosure. 

What does it do? A better question to ask might 

be “what doesn’t it do?” The Neuron gives players 

every bit of the entire gain range, from crystalline 

cleans to amp-smashing distortion, and also offers 

a built-in compressor, studio-quality noise gate 

and cab simulator. Add this to a rich three-band EQ 

that couples with a smart tilt EQ, MIDI with multiple 

presets and a total of 12 knobs when employing 

the “alt” feature set and you have a true ride-or-die 

dirt machine that rides shotgun at the mixing desk. 

# 

4 

ThorpyFX 

Deep Oggin 

3pt. 

After conquering the dirt realm rather swiftly, Adrian Thorpe’s 

battalion of dirt boxes quickly established him as one of the 

scene’s top minds, and he only reinforced that notion with the 

introduction of his Fat General comp and Chain Home trem. It 

should come as no surprise then that the man has his sights set 

on modulation, and his Deep Oggin is a total winner in this regard. 

Just like his dirt boxes, the Deep Oggin is an ultra-rich take on 

chorus and vibrato, designed in collaboration with Dan Coggins, 

the man behind the nearly-mythical Lovetone and its army of 

borderline-psychotic modulation devices. Not a duo to take a 

design and simply tweak a couple values, Thorpe and Coggins 

built the Deep Oggin from the ground up to achieve a breathtaking 

riff on the tried-and-true chorus formula, giving a rich 

three-dimensional shimmer due in no small part to the clever 

Treble control and bulletproof engineering. 




# 

8 

Rainger FX 2pt. 

The Drone Rainger 

Featuring one full second of delay 

time, the Drone Rainger gives you 

boatloads of options that will inspire 

your playing to no end. Two 

individual drone voices can be 

spliced into the signal at intervals 

you select, with plenty of routing 

and tuning options available at 

your fingertips. Further options 

such as chip-generated white 

noise and pitch sagging scramble 

your signal, making the repeats 

fight for air amongst the sonics. 

# 

8 

Seymour Duncan 

Dark Sun 2pt. 

A pedal full of options for people that 

don’t need two different pedals for delay 

and reverb,The Dark Sun delivers the 

very best of both effects for a hyper-inspirational 

box that pushes the boundaries 

of each. A routing switch lets you 

route the two effects in four different configurations, 

giving you some truly awe-inspiring 

combinations of time and space. 

A switch that doubles as a tap and preset 

function puts the secondary right at your 

feet so you don’t have to coddle the Dark 

Sun to get the most from it. 

# 

8 

Red Panda 

Particle V2 

A completely redesigned version of 

this granular delay, usinbg a modern 

32-bit processor and a high-performance 

ADC/DAC. It runs at a higher 

sampling rate, with more headroom 

and lower noise than the original. 

Keeps the immediacy and character 

of the original, with improved 

fidelity and wider control ranges. It 

can also do more traditional granular 

processing with dozens of 

simultaneous grains, and you can 

combine the different modes. 

# 

8 Blooper Looper 


A collaborative, creative stereo looper 

created in conjunction with 3 Degrees 

Audio (a very new company producing 

wicked looking digital effects) and 

Knobs, the talented Canadian videographer 

that produces all the Chase 

Bliss demos and is in charge of filming 

the process that leads to the creation 

of this effect. Still in prototype version, 

you can check its design progress on 

the Knobs YouTube channel. 

2pt. 

2pt. 

# 

8 Ibanez/ 

Vemuram 

Tube Screamer 

TSV808 2pt. 

A collaboration with Vemuram, a popular 

Japanese boutique pedal manufacturer. 

Billed as a “Next Generation 

Tube Screamer” the TSV808 is a marriage 

of the green overdrive and Vemuram’s 

Jan Ray overdrive, combining 

the familiar mid-boost EQ curve of 

the former with the expanded dynamic 

and frequency range of the latter. It 

also features a hand-crafted bass enclosure, 

as well as an output volume 

that is 7dB higher than the standard 

Tube Screamer. 

# 

8Alexander Pedals 

Radical Delay DX 

Tthe “neofied” version of this ‘80s 

flavored delay (Neo is the company’s 

series of pedals with high connectivity 

features and preset function). Each of 

the three modes offers some creative 

twists: Mod adds slow chorus or fast 

vibrato, Glitch is a clean digital delay 

that can do glitchy effects, while Bend 

adds pitch shifting. 

2pt. 




# 

8 

Tsakalis 

Audio Works 

Six B.O.D. 2pt. 

Hailing from Greece, the Tsakalis 

Audioworks Six B.O.D. serves up 

a buffet of dirt circuitry, with six 

different selectable modes inspired 

by such revered gain devices as the 

Analogman KOT, Marshall Bluesbreaker, 

Paul C Timmy and more. If 

these emulation sound even close 

to the original, this pedal packs a 

treasure chest worth of tone. 

# 

8 SolidGoldFX 

Lysis (Prototype) 

2pt. 

A wild pedal prototype that combines 

fuzz, synth and filter sweeping for a wild 

trip into synthesis. The Lysis does all 

this with a series of five knobs and five 

switches that adjust everything from 

the depth of the filter sweeps to the 

smoothness of the fuzz. No stone is left 

unturned on the quest for synth madness, 

and the Lysis delivers it in spades. 

# 

8 

Spaceman 2pt. 

Mission Control 

This is a pedal that sits as the central 

nervous system of your pedalboard 

and operates everything around it. 

Dialing in the Mission Control and 

stomping the Activate footswitch 

triggers attack and release times 

that you set. The built-in effects 

loop lets you insert any number of 

pedals into the path of the Mission 

Control and the analog VCA and 

accompanying envelope generator 

keeps the action nice and tight. 

# 

8 

Ernie Ball 

VPJR Tuner 

2pt. 

A volume pedal from the industry 

standard in the category with 

a built in tuner visible through a 

screen embedded on top of the 

pedal’s treadle. The large display 

automatically switches between 

tuner and volume modes 

depending on the signal level, 

allowing the player to tune at 

minimal volume. 

Anasounds Elements 

Spring Reverb 

Caroline 

Guitar Company 

Megabyte 

Catalinbread 

Coriolis Effect 

Danelectro 

The Breakdown 

Dunlop 

Billy Gibbons Siete Santos 

Octavio Fuzz 

EarthQuaker Devices 

Swiss Things 

EHX 

Mono Synth 

Empress Effects 

Zoia 

HONORABLE MENTIONS 

Fender 

Tre-Verb 

Foxpedal 

Quiver Harmonic Tremolo 

Free The Tone 

Future Factory 

Fuzzrocious 

Knob Jawn 

GFI System 

Synesthesia 

Hotone 

Ampero 

JHS 

Clover ’Edge’-style 

PreAmp/EQ 

Keeley Electronics 

DDR 


Eccos Stereo Vintage 

Tape Flanger Delay 


Fuzz Bender 

Laney 

Secret Path 

MXR 

Dookie Drive 

Old Blood Noise 

Endeavors 

Rêver 

Origin Effects 

RevivalDRIVE Compact 

Pigtronix 

Resotron 

Poly Effects 

Digit 

Rainger FX 

Dr. Freakenstein 

Chop Fuzz 

REVV 

G4 

Source Audio 

Spectrum 

Intelligent Filter 

Supro 

Delay 

TWA 

Mini Morph Modulated 

Fuzz/Distortion 

Two Notes 

Torpedo C.A.B. M 

Walrus Audio 

Lillian 


A BOUQUET 

OF SOUNDS 

A BOUQUET 

Rose is a modulated delay 

OF SOUND 

unlike any other. Learn more 

at eventideaudio.com/rose

THE PEDALS OF THE 

AUSTIN STOMPBOX EXHIBIT 2019 

Overdrive 

One Control 

Silver Bee 

Features a retooled version of 

the Honey Bee’s drive engine, 

giving you sounds reminiscent 

of classic American “silvery” 

combo amps of the ‘60s, the 

kind of gear that had a helping 

hand in crafting some of the 

world’s finest rock records. 

Animals Pedal 

Vintage Van Driving is Very Fun 

An affordable, flexible and very 

fun looking overdrive/boost 

that can deliver a variety of 

tones from clean boost to medium 

gain dirt. Engineered to 

respond well to both single coil 

and humbucker pickups. 

Outlaw FX 

Dumbleweed 

Based on a D-style amp, one 

of the most desired (and expensive!) 

tones in rock music. 

4 simple controls dial it in with 

Gain, Tone, Volume, and a 

Voice switch with extra control 

over the EQ. 

Mods Kits DIY 

Thunderdrive Deluxe LTD 

A DIY kit that you need to build 

and solder yourself. This version 

of the Thundredrive is an LED 

clipping overdrive that includes a 

three-way switch that will let you 

alternate between silicon diodes, 

germanium ones and a standard, 

cleaner boost selection. 

distortion PREAMP/EQ AMP EMULATOR routing 

ProCo 

RAT 2 

JHS Pedals 

Clover 

Rabbit Hole FX 

OGOD 


Swiss Things 

A fat, high gain, beloved classic 

distortion/fuzz for well 

under $100. One of the most 

cloned pedals out there, this is 

the real thing. 


Based on the rare BOSS FA-1 

this FET design has a Volume 

control and 3 band EQ, with 

3 switchable settings: Full 

EQ, No Mids (fixed mids, only 

High/Low knobs active), and 

No EQ. A balanced XLR output 

facilitates use with acoustic 

guitar or bass. 

Driven by mini-vacuum tubes 

found in old military radios and 

hearing-aids, this is an overdrive 

pedal that also works 

as an amp emulator with two 

headphone outputs. The Level 

knob controls the level of signal 

coming from the tubes for 

warmth, while Clean lets you 

blend the original signal back in 

for parallel distortion. 

A “pedalboard reconciler” featuring 

two effects loops, an 

AB-Y box, a buffered tuner output, 

20dB of clean boost with 

adjustable gain, an expression 

pedal output for volume control 

and a quiet, high headroom.

THE PEDALS OF THE 

AUSTIN STOMPBOX EXHIBIT 2019 

synth delay Modulation 


Synth-1 

Empress FX 

Zoia 

Teisco 

Delay 

Walrus Audio 

Lillian 

Labeled by the company as a 

“Fuzz Noise and Chaos Creator”, 

this is a reverse attack 

fuzz wave generator. There are 

controls over Level, Attack, 

Blend, and a band-pass Filter 

as well as a Chaos switch that 

changes pitch of the waveform. 

A 3-position switch gives you 

different waveforms and includes 

expression pedal input. 

The date of the Zoia release is 

(hopefully) approaching and the 

news for this innovative modular 

effect is that it will feature some 

pre-built effects and other mind 

blowing presets for both effects 

and synth sounds. One even 

lets you use it as a keyboard! 

This pedal’s limit is the sky. 

This legendary Japanese brand 

is returning with three new solid 

designs featuring gorgeous 

graphics. Their Delay has controls 

for Level, Feedback and 

Delay Time, as well as a modulation 

section with controls for 

Depth and Rate and a switch 

to choose between Fast/Slow 

mod rates. 

Based on the same concept 

of the Julia Chorus, the Lillian 

features knobs for Rate, Width 

and Feedback, a toggle switch 

to select between 6 or 4 stages 

and - just like the Julia - the 

bottom right D-P-V knob that 

acts as an enhanced Mix knob 

that adds some vibrato when 

turned all the way to the right. 

Multi-Effects 

Sponsors of the Austin Stompbox Exhibit 

Line 6 

HX Stomp 

It packs all of the Helix‘s amps, 

cabs, and effects into a stompbox 

roughly the size of a BOSS 

Space Echo. This shift in size 

makes this pedal a lot more 

appealing for all the guitarists 

who enjoy constantly upgrading 

their boards with new pedals 

but also find it useful to rely on a 

device that can drastically open 

up the palette of tonal options. 

PRS Guitars 

Founded in 1985, 

Paul Reed Smith Guitars 

has cemented 

its reputation for high 

quality guitars with 

an unmistakable look, 

and is known worldwide 

for being Santana’s 

six-string builder 

of choice. At NAMM 

2019 they unveiled 

three new signature 

models of their SE series: 

the SE Santana 

Singlecut Trem (pictured), 

the SE Schizoid 

and SE Paul’s Guitar. 

The company also 

manufactures bass 

and acoustic guitars 

and guitar amps. 

MONO 

Already an industry leader in the instrument 

case realm, MONO has become a major player 

in the pedalboard realm since they entered 

it in 2017. Available in five different sizes, the 

MONO boards are cut from a single piece of 

3mm anodized aluminum, and feature cutouts 

optimized to facilitate any kind of custom 

wiring. MONO also offers Rise elements 

in two different sizes to elevate key pedals. 

Each board comes with a sturdy padded soft 

case and is available in black or silver.

Aggregating the 

“Best Pedals of 2018” List 

T 

he NAMM show gave us the opportunity 

to look ahead at what 2019 will have 

to offer in the stompbox world, but we 

shouldn’t miss the opportunity of the new 

year to see what devices stood out from the 

crowd during the previous twelve months... 

Since Delicious Audio is an aggregator of 

pedal news and doesn’t review gear, our “Best 

Stompboxes of 2018” chart is an aggregate 

of the year-end lists compiled by other pedal-centered 

online resources. Up to this point 

(early January at the time of writing), we found 

this list of relevant “best ofs”: Reverb.com, 

The Pedal Zone, Dennis Kayzer, BestGuitarEffects.com, 

Popular Mechanics and 

Vintage King — the chart in these pages is 

compiled by tallying these lists’ results. 

Here’s how we did it: some of these lists (like 

The Pedal Zone’s one) assigned a specific 

“chart position” to each effect, while others 

(like the JHS one) just mentioned a list of devices 

in no particular order. To add the results 

up in a way that made sense, we decided to 

assign a value of 10 to any pedal that was 

given the #1 spot; we gave second places 

9 points, 8 to third places and so on. Pedals 

beyond the 9th position got just 1 point. 

Lists that didn’t specify an order generated 5 

points for each pedal. 

Here are the results! 

P.S. We’ll updating this page on 

Delicious-Audio.com whenever new, 

relevant year-end lists will be published: 

bit.ly/BestFX18—keep checking it! 


1 

2 


Dark World 

27 pt. 


3 

Meris 

Enzo 

29 pt. 

Red Panda 

Tensor 

23 pt.

4 5 


Pyramids 

6 6 

20 pt. 

8 

Benson 

Preamp 

15 pt. 

Beetronix 

Royal Jelly 

9 pt. 

BOSS 

MT-2w 

10 pt. 


Thermae 

10 pt. 

8 

10. Chase Bliss Audio - Condor 

10. Old Blood Noise Endeavors - Dweller 

10. Southampton Pedals - Indie Dream 

13. Dwarfcraft Devices - Witch Shifter 

14. Electro-Harmonix - OCEANS 11 

8pt. 

8pt. 

8pt. 

7pt. 

6pt. 

Find the full list of 40+ pedals here: bit.ly/BestFX18 

KMA Machines 

Horizont 

9 pt.

The Ultimate Guide to 

Reverb Pedals 


The object pictured here that 

looks like a 10 inch-long 

metal bath tub is how reverb 

effects for guitar looked like 

when they first appeared in the 

early ’60s — although you didn’t 

really see that, since it was hidden 

inside guitar amps like the Ampeg 

Reverberocket and the Fender Vibroverb. 

Those amps represented 

the beginning of a long lasting and 

prolific love story: the one between 

electric guitar and reverberation. 

The first reverb in stompbox format 

only appeared in the mid ’80s (DOD 

and BOSS units), but since then the 

acceleration in popularity has been 

A spring reverb tank. (Credit: Grebe, Common License) 

so swift that, thirty years later, looking 

for a reverb pedal has become a 

little bit like looking for a car: there’s 

a wide range of options and prices, 

with each model excelling at different 

things and offering different features. 

This is why when confronted 

with the idea of creating a guide to 

reverb pedals we decided to organize 

it in the four categories below 

— you can find the full articles by following 

the red links next to the titles. 

Best Ambient/Shoegazer Reverb Pedals 

bit.ly/GazeVerbs 

Once upon a shoe-gazing time, guitarists had few choices when it 

came to pedals that could create washes of ambiance. Many players 

used multiple delay and reverb pedals at the end of their signal chains 

to generate deep, blooming and lingering soundscapes. These days, 

thanks to advances in digital signal processing (DSP) chips, pedal 

makers can create stompboxes dedicated to this particular brand of 

reverb. As it happens, pedals that excel at creating ambience are all 

the rage right now. We’ve spent some time with the current crop of offerings 

and have collected 18 that we consider the best. All of the pedals 

listed in this article will allow you to create cavernous reverbs with 

lingering tails, shimmer effects, delay, modulation and much more. 

In this article you’ll find these lists: 

1. Ambient/Shoegaze Reverb Pedals 

2. Ambient/Shoegaze Reverb + Delay Pedals 


Best Multi-Mode Reverb Pedals 

bit.ly/Multiverbs 

If a simple spring reverb is a little too spartan for you, we have compiled 

a list of the best multi-function reverb pedals (aka “Multiverbs”) on the 

market organized by depth of features and (perceived) popularity. They 

range from stompboxes with three or four different reverb flavors to fullblown 

workhorses that deliver a dozen ambience algorithms and deep 

levels of control. Some are big, some are small, but all will tickle your 

craving for the wondrously wet world of reverb. 


1. Multi-Algorithm Reverb Workstations 

2. Compact Reverb Pedals with 5 or More Modes 

3. Compact Reverb Stompboxes with 3-4 Modes 

Best Spring Reverb Pedals 

bit.ly/SpringRvb 

This list focuses on pedals dedicated to the spring reverb effect, which 

is based on a design featuring springs in a little tank that vibrate when 

your guitar’s signal goes through them. A pickup mounted inside the 

tank picks up those vibrations and sends them back to your amp. The 

spring reverb is an effect associated with the electric guitar sound of 

the ’60s, brought to fame, in particular, by surf music, and facilitated by 

reverb circuits built inside many vintage amps from that decade. The 

first Fender Reverb Unit was introduced in 1961 and reissued in 2016. 


1. Pedals with Actual Springs 

2. Spring Pedals without Springs 

3. Mini Spring Reverb Pedals 

4. Spring Reverb Pedals with Tremolo 

Best Hybrid Reverbs with 

Modulation and Fuzz/Distortion 

bit.ly/HybridVerbs 

Some of the best reverb stompboxes out there are not “pure” reverb circuits, 

but feature other effects that are often used with it — without necessarily 

being a “do-it-all” reverb workstation. In this article you’ll find reverb 

mixed with tremolo and other forms of low-frequency modulation, and 

with old-school fuzz, distortion and EQ filtering that lets you emphasize 

bass or treble frequencies. While many of the entries in this article feature 

both classic and modern styles of reverb, a few are satisfyingly spartan, 

allowing you to conjure up vintage ambience by turning just a few knobs. 


1. Reverb Pedals with Modulation 

2. Reverb Pedals with Distortion or Fuzz

The New Synths at 


By Paolo De Gregorio 

Elektron 

Samples Groovebox 

Akai 

Pro Force Controller 

Korg 

Volca Modular 

Arturia 

MicroFreak 

Synths had a slightly muted presence at NAMM 

2019 compared with previous years and pedal releases. 

The huge “isle” of Eurorack and boutique 

manufacturers organized by WMD didn’t happen 

this year, resulting in several smaller builders deciding to 

skip the show. On top of that, several major manufacturers 

(Behringer, Moog and Teenage Engineering among 

them) opted to have a “ghost presence,” passing on the 

booth but leaking information about their new releases. 

All in all, a few new and intriguing synths were introduced, 

and we’ve got a nice little recap for you. 

This standalone Force music production and DJ performance device 

is designed for users that want to have a clip-centric workflow, 

but don’t want to be connected to a computer. To facilitate 

this, the Akai Force features an eight-by-eight RGB clip launch 

matrix, a seven-inch full-color touch-capacitive multi-touch display, 

eight touch-sensitive knobs with graphical OLED displays, 

two audio inputs, four audio outputs, MIDI and CV ins and outs. 

Additional features include time stretching and pitch-shifting in 

real time, a comprehensive set of on-board effects by AIR Mu- 

sic Technology, plus the TubeSynth, Bassline and Electric synth 

engines. It also boasts an additional synth called “Hype,” a preset 

and macro-based synth combining several different synth 

engines into a single easy-to-use package. It can also record 

eight stereo tracks, and the recent 3.01 update includes other 

exciting new features. 

Described as “a peculiar instrument that rewards the curious 

musician,” the MicroFreak is a hybrid analog-digital synth built 

around a unique, expressive touch keyboard, and propelled by 

11 oscillators, four Arturia engines, and seven modes designed 

by Mutable Instruments. Offering various approaches to synthesis 

like physical modeling, wavetable synthesis and virtual 

analog, modes like Texturer, KarplusStrong, Harmonic OSC, 

and Superwave offer new takes on sound design that inspire 

musicians in search of new palettes of sonic possibilities. 

This is a decidedly more streamlined—and therefore also more 

affordable—product, compared to the ones Elektron got us 

used to. A six-track, one-function-per-knob, sample-based 

drum machine, the Samples Groovebox feels like a lighter, 

easier-to-use version of the company’s Digitakt, and comes 

with 300 drum sounds and the ability to load your own samples, 

hence the name. Elektron’s useful composition tools combine 


Y15194 Deli Magazine Yamaha Synth.indd 1 

2/20/19 12:19 P

Moog 

Sirin 

Korg 

Minilogue XD 

Yamaha 

CP73 /CP88 

Teenage Engineering 

PO Modular 

Behringer 

Crave 

with supreme portability, making this device an intriguing product 

for producers on the go. 

The Minilogue is one of the most successful new synths of the 

decade, and Korg unveiled an updated “XD” version that will 

likely reinforce its dominance. The new features include a digital 

multi-engine, a multi-effects processor, enhanced input and 

output, an improved sequencer, and microtuning support. 

Korg introduced the Volca Modular—a powerful mini-modular 

synth under $200 featuring eight modules, 50 patch points, a 

step sequencer, microtonal support and more. Korg describes the 

Volca Modular as “a fusion of West Coast-style in a Volca format,” 

and when Korg refers to ”West Coast-style,” it’s talking about FM 

synthesis. The eight modules include an FM source, two envelope 

generators called “Functions,” a random signal generator 

called “Woggle,” two low-pass gate circuits, a reverb effect, and 

a module that allows you to connect the Volca to a sequencer. 

Yamaha’s renewed focus on synths was confirmed at NAMM 

2019 through the release of two stage pianos that also feature 

classic synthesizer sounds inside them: the CP73 and CP88. Neither 

is exactly as affordable or compact as the Reface mini-synth 

series, the CP73 and CP88 are powerhouse keyboards for professional 

musicians and feature weighted keys, incredibly realistic 

piano sounds, and an extensive library of samples. A big effort 

went into creating intuitive controls for on-the-fly sound shaping, 

and these keyboards feature “one-on-one” controls that only have 

one function to avoid confusion. The CP series also features a very 

creative effect section including a looper and several other effects. 

“NAMM Ghosts”: 

Moog, Behringer and Teenage Engineering 

Moog is among those who didn’t participate directly at NAMM 

but released products just before the show, and unveiled a colorful 

tabletop monosynth called Sirin, based on the Taurus Bass 

engine. Unlike its relative, it can also deliver lead sounds. Behringer 

was very active with new releases, but we’ll skip all its 

clones of other synths and focus on the one new original synth— 

Crave, an extremely affordable semi-modular analog device featuring 

a VCO, a ladder filter, 32-step sequencer and 16-voice Poly 

Chain. Finally, Teenage Engineering leaked news and videos of 

its PO Modular systems, a truly intriguing, portable, super-affordable 

and semi-DIY mini-modular system that already features 15 

modules and all the usual flair of the Swedish company’s devices. 


“The combination of onboard controls, 

built-in filter and openness to CV 

modulation makes EuroDDL capable 

of creating quite adventurous sounds.” 

— Ask Audio 

Eventide is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc. © 2019 Eventide Inc. 

UNO_SYNTH_ADV_2018_v1_HALF_pedalexpos_20190221_6.125x2.9375_OL.indd 1 21/02/2019 17:55

Try (and Win) These at the 

AUSTIN 

SYNTH EXPO 



219 E 6th St, Austin TX 

Friday March 15: 12pm - 7pm 

Saturday March 16: 11am - 6pm 

Novation 

Circuit 

• A groove box with two polysynths 

and a four-part drum machine, 

combined with an intuitive gridbased 

sequencer. 

• New firmware unlocks new useful 

functions like Sample Flip, which 

lets you place multiple samples on 

the same drum track, and a more 

streamlined workflow. 

• A new editor also allows you to 

design complex patches from the 

comfort of your computer screen. 

Here’s a selection of the synths you’ll find 

at the Austin Synth Expo – by the way 

WE ARE GIVING AWAY 

ONE OF EACH! (And more.) 

See: bit.ly/ATX19gives 

Toraiz 

AS-1 

• A monophonic analog synthesizer with touchpad-style 

keyboard and slider. 

• Driven by a fully programmable, true analogue synthesis 

engine based on the circuitry in Dave Smith Instruments’ 

Prophet-6. 

• Features 7 on-board effects from the Prophet-6 synth 

and a brand new digital distortion. 


Sensel 

Morph 

• A multi-touch, battery powered, 

programmable surface 

that can become a series of 

different controllers thanks to 

different overlays that can be 

purchased separately. 

• Approx. 20,000 pressure sensors 

and 5g - 5kg sensing 

range per touch (32,000 levels) 

to achieve the highest level of 

touch sensitivity. 

• Connects to your device using 

Wireless Bluetooth LE, USB, 

or Serial. 

IK Multimedia 

UNO 

• IK Multimedia’s entry in the hardware synthesizer world 

is a collaboration with Italian boutique synth-maker 

Soundmachines. 

• Portable, monophonic, true analog synth with 2 VCOs, 

noise generator, resonant multimode VCF and VCA. 

• 2-pole OTA-based analog resonant sweepable multimode 

filter with LPF, HPF and BPF. 

• Custom-designed, dual-stage overdrive and flexible 

LFO section.

Delicious Audio #1 - Best Pedals of NAMM 2019 - Best Pedals of 2018 - Austin Pedal and Synth Expo

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