Delicious Audio #2, The Best Synth Pedals, Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit & Synth Expo

delicious 

audio 

Issue #2 Vol. #1 

Spring 2019 

delicious-audio.com 

the stompbox blog/video aggregator 

SYNTH PEDALS 

SPECIAL! 

bk Pedal & Synth Expo ’19 issue

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 10-13. 

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.

delicious 

audio 

Issue #2 Vol. #1 

Spring 2019 

delicious-audio.com 

the stompbox blog/video aggregator 

EDITOR IN CHIEF / PUBLISHER 

PAOLO DE GREGORIO 

EDITOR / PEDAL GURU 

NICHOLAS KULA 

ART DIRECTOR 

KAZ YABE 

( WWW.KAZYABE.SQUARESPACE.COM) 

ASSISTANT EDITOR / COPY EDITOR 

ERIN BETHUNE D’SOUZA 

COVER ILLUSTRATION 

CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS 

( WWW.PLASTICFLAME.COM) 

WEB DEVELOPER 

BINOD LAMSAL 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

BRANDON STONER 

SHIPPING COORDINATORS 

MAIA AND HANA DE GREGORIO 

INTERN 

RENE COBAR BUSTOS 

With our events for musicians approaching their 10th anniversary, 

we thought it was time to introduce an educational 

component consisting in a number of presentations and 

workshops. Since there’s a lot more to be said and learned 

about synths than pedals, we decided to team up with popular 

synth blog Synthopia to curate a program of panels and 

presentations that we thought local synth and pedal lovers 

might find interesting. A last minute, unexpected change of 

venue - and the scrambling of our lives that ensued - didn’t 

allow us to finalize the schedule of the presentations in time 

for it to be included in this issue. But even without that, we 

are still able to publish the list of all the panels and workshop 

here on the right. Thanks to the magic of the internet those 

interested in knowing the times will be able to find the updated 

schedule at this link: bit.ly/bk-xpo-schedule. 

See you at the show! 

Paolo De Gregorio 

Advertising Inquiries: 

paolo.dg@thedelimag.com 

Synth & Pedal Expo 2019 

PROGRAMMED EVENTS 

(For times go to: bit.ly/bk-xpo-schedule) 

Saturday 6/8 

6:30pm LISA BELLA DONNA LIVE 

sponsored by Moog & EarthQuaker Devices 

Weekend Presentations and Seminars 

(co-curated with Synthtopia.com) 

• Basic and intermediate Eurorack classes (by STEM Modular) 

• Classes about synthesis (by 343Lab.com) 

• MPE and the new frontiers of musical expressions (by ROLI) 

• Understanding FM synthesis, (by Yamaha) 

• Performing with Synths and Pedals (by Lisa Bella Donna) 

• Making killer bass patches (by Omnisphere) 

• Eurorack Patch Show-Off! 

• New synth presentations by several manufacturers 

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE 

BUT REQUIRE RSVP 

DIRECTLY AT THE SHOW

OSCILLATOR 

Every sound is a wave. 

An oscillator is a device 

that generates a constant 

electric wave, or a note. 

WAVE SELECTOR 

Different waves sound different, 

this is the switch that selects 

the wave’s shape, creating 

smoother or buzzier sounds. 

FILTER 

A heavy handed EQ that 

lets you cut the wave’s 

frequencies. 

RESONANCE 

A boost in EQ applied just 

before the frequency cut. 

Oscillator 

Wave 

Selector 

Filter 

Resonance 

LFO 

LFO 

Another name for modulation, 

appied through a slower 

oscillator. 

OCTAVER 

A device that transposes 

the original’s note picth 

one or two octaves higher 

or lower. 

OCTAVE SELECTOR 

It lets you choose what octave 

is played by the octaver. 

SUB 

Another name for the lower 

octave generator. 

Octaver 

Octave 

Selector 

SYNTH 1 

Sub 

SYNTH 2 

Envelope 

FOOT SYNTH 

A TYPICAL SYNTH PEDAL 

Mix 

ENVELOPE 

It controls the way the wavenote 

is shaped when and after 

you trigger it, giving it percussive 

or droney qualities. 

MIX 

Blends clean and synthesised 

signal. 

10 delicious audio Spring 2019

STOMP ON THAT 

SYNTH! 

UNDERSTANDING SYNTH PEDALS 

BY CHRISTOPHER SCAPELLITI, PAOLO DE GREGORIO AND NICHOLAS KULA 

In September 1963, as the Beatles convened in Abbey Road Studios to record “Don’t Bother Me” for their 

second album, With the Beatles, George Harrison was curious to know if it was possible to make his guitar 

sound like another instrument. “Can we have a compressor on this guitar?” he asked audio engineer Norman 

Smith. “We might try to get a sort of organ sound.” 

Poor George was born a few decades too early. Had 

he made such a request today, he’d have a wealth of 

effect pedals from which to choose, several of which 

are designed explicitly to make a guitar sound like 

an organ. Advances in digital signal processing have made it 

possible for effect makers to package this sophisticated circuitry 

into stompboxes, allowing guitarists to emulate everything 

from a Hammond B-3 to a Moog modular synthesizer. 

If adding some strange sonic brew to your guitar tone sounds 

enticing, the pedals we’ve gathered here should spark your 

interest. The range is pretty vast, containing everything from 

pedals designed to emulate specific vintage synths to octave 

dividers and full-blown experimental devices. 

WHAT DOES A SYNTH PEDAL DO? 

Those of you who have already ventured into synth-pedalresearch-mode 

may have realized that things can get a little 

confusing. Stompbox manufacturers like to attach the word 

“synth” to pedals that do very different things, so we thought 

it would be useful to start with a little recap of the most common 

subcategories: 

ANALOG-STYLE SYNTH PEDALS THAT TRACK 

YOUR SIGNAL AND FEED IT INTO AN OSCILLATOR 

There is no analog synthesizer—at least the real thing—without 

an oscillator, i.e. a device that generates an electric wave 

whose pitch can be changed depending on how quickly it 

oscillates. The stompboxes that come closer to being true 

analog synths are the ones that track your signal and convert 

them into a similar sound generated by an oscillator. These 

devices will then process that resulting tone through other 

circuits typically found in traditional analog synths, such as 

resonating low and high-pass filters and an LFO (modulation). 

A filter that cuts some of the signal’s frequencies (like a wah 

pedal) is the foundation of “subtractive synthesis,” upon 

which an overwhelming majority of analog synths are based. 

SYNTH PEDALS THAT USE PITCH MULTIPLIERS 

Many digital stompboxes billed as “synth pedals” don’t actually 

have any oscillators under their hoods, but simply use 

octaving or multi-note pitch shifting to create a resulting tone 

that sounds “synthetic.” This is more or less the basis of additive 

synthesis, in which new timbres are created by adding 

one or more harmonics to the fundamental pitch. If you’ve ever 

looked at a drawbar organ, such as a Hammond, and wondered 

what all those sliders are for, they’re for adding harmonic 

partials—such as 2nds, 3rds and 5ths—to the fundamental 

tone to create new, complex sounds. Often these pitch shifted 

notes are fed through subtractive synthesis circuits (filters), 

creating pedals using what we could call hybrid synthesis. 

EXPERIMENTAL, SAMPLE BASED, GRANULAR 

SYNTH PEDALS 

Digital technology has allowed the development of a new kind 

delicious audio Spring 2019 11

of synthesis whose sound sources aren’t based on oscillators 

but samples, i.e. recorded bits of sound. Some of the most 

edgy-sounding and experimental pedals out there belong to 

this category: They take your sound and mangle it in ways 

that were inimaginable until a few years ago. In this field, granular 

synthesis is the name of the game. 

FUZZ BASED “SYNTH PEDALS” 

The grating sounding square wave is one of the most common 

waves an oscillator can create. Since a fuzz pedal converts 

your signal into something very close to a square wave, 

many stompboxes that present themselves as “synth pedals” 

use this simple trick to achieve a basic synthy tone, subsequently 

combining it with the usual filter-based subtractive 

synthesis effects. 

PEDALS THAT JUST REPLICATE THE EFFECT 

SECTIONS OF ANALOG SYNTHS 

(This category won’t be covered in this article). Many devices 

billed as “synth pedals” don’t track-and-replace, pitch shift 

or “square up” the signal at all, but simply feature effects like 

resonant filters and modulation that give a regular guitar tone 

one or more flavors from the synthy to the downright crazy— 

when more radical effects like ring modulation and bit reduction 

are employed. Others do include oscillators but as simple 

drones whose pitch can be changed with knobs (they don’t 

track your guitar’s notes). 

MONOPHONIC VS. POLYPHONIC 

VS… POLY-PITCH! 

As if the info in the previous paragraph wasn’t enough, there’s 

another source of confusion in the synth pedal realm: the 

monophonic vs. polyphonic dilemma! This is something you 

want to get right before you buy a synth pedal. 

For the uninitiated, a monophonic instrument is one that can 

only play one note at a time (many analog synths operate this 

way, and are mostly used for solo parts or basslines). A polyphonic 

synth is an instrument that can reproduce chords; but 

in the pedal world, things in this department aren’t as straightforward 

as one might expect. 

TRULY POLYPHONIC PEDALS 

These are the stompboxes that can track more than a note 

at a time—play a chord with the guitar and get a reproduced 

chord that sounds like a synth. Needless to say, polyphonic 

pedals are also monophonic if you want them to be, since 

they do an equally good job on tracking single notes. 

PITCH-BASED POLYPHONIC PEDALS 

These pedals produce chords (i.e. polyphony) out of a single 

note played on your instrument by splitting the signal into several 

notes with different pitches. But if you try to feed them a chord, 

you’ll get something that very closely approximates horror. 

MONOPHONIC PEDALS 

These are unassuming pedals that can only track and play 

one note at a time—how refreshing! 

OUR SYNTH PEDAL CATEGORIES 

Keeping these differences in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best guitar 

synth pedals and divided the market’s current offering into a few categories. 

POLYPHONIC, ANALOG-STYLE SYNTH PEDALS 

If you’re looking for deep, analog-style synthesis 

options with support for chord tracking (true 

polyphony), there actually aren’t many choices. 

Late in 2018, the Meris Enzo stole the show 

with its new technology, offering multi-voice 

capability, tight tracking, and a full synth palette 

of multimode analog-style filters, modulation, 

pitch shifting, and filter envelopes (among 

other things). Also, its sound is as good as the 

12 delicious audio Spring 2019 

real thing. The BOSS SY-300, about thrice as 

big, is also truly polyphonic and features three 

tunable oscillators, giving control over similar 

parameters as the Enzo plus more, while also 

offering a multi-effect section, step sequencing, 

comprehensive routing, and four footswitches to 

adjust the parameters on the fly. It features 99 

user patches, 70 factory presets and a big display 

to navigate it all. Electro-Harmonix, one of 

Meris Enzo 

* 

BOSS SY-300 *

the manufacturers most invested in pedal synth 

technology, released the Synth9 in 2017. This 

is a truly polyphonic synth pedal that emulates 

the sound of classic vintage analog synths, but 

features limited effect tweakability with just two 

variable “Ctrl” knobs. 

The BOSS GP-10 and the Roland GR-55 Gui- 

tar Synthesizer are also polyphonic, but based 

on an older technology. They require the proprietary 

GK-3 pickup, which mounts to virtually 

any guitar and requires no modification to your 

instrument, but at about $220, it is an additional 

investment. On the bright side though, these boxes 

allow greater sonic manipulation. 

Electro-Harmonix Synth9 * 

MONOPHONIC, ANALOG-STYLE SYNTH PEDALS 

But do you really need real polyphony in your 

synth pedal? If you don’t, your options widen 

considerably, and if you’re looking for deep 

sound mangling for lead-only or bass parts 

(monophonic tracking), these devices could be 

just the thing. Unlike many other synth pedals, 

these devices feature an onboard oscillator 

triggered by the guitar, which then feeds any 

number of extras such as octave circuits, filters, 

LFOs and more. 

The Pigtronix Mothership 2 and the Electro-Harmonix 

Microsynth both feature multiple 

synth voices created via octave dividers, and 

also add on extra features for flexible sound synthesis. 

Each pedal starts with the same core, but 

the differences are in the details: the Microsynth 

gives you extensive filter options while the Mothership 

serves up more traditional synth controls 

like Timbre and glissando (“Glide”). 

The DigiTech Dirty Robot offers similar features 

in a stereo synthesizer emulation pedal, 

offering a fair amount of control over the various 

parameters to create filter sweeps, talk box effects 

and much more. Two different synth types 

await prospective users, one of which is a formant 

style—unique to this list. 

The TWA Great Divide 2.0 seems like an octave 

pedal on steroids, but what it does is wholly 

unique: It provides five independent voices, including 

a Syn[th] voice with four waveforms and 

a Sub[octave] voice, plus 12 internal controls to 

adjust various voice parameters. It achieves its 

tones by reading an onboard clock signal, splitting 

the signal, processing it and recombining 

it for a powerful multi-voice synth experience. 

Some of the Sub voices also allow harmonic 

intervals—that is, intervals other than octaves— 

for more complex tones. 

For a different type of analog synth pedal experience, 

the Electro-Harmonix Mono Synth 

does just the trick. Featuring a sample-based architecture, 

the Mono Synth serves up extremely 

convincing models of several classic analog 

synth boxes, along with mode-specific control 

knobs to recreate all the idiosyncrasies of these 

legacy machines. 

Subdecay’s Octasynth gives players every 

single parameter of an analog synth—because it 

is one! Your guitar signal triggers an internal oscillator, 

which gets fed through a filter and sent 

right to a VCA. It sounds extremely synthlike... 

because it is. For those that crave the real experience, 

accept no substitutes. 

The Red Witch Synthotron is a simple but 

very original pedal with two switchable synth 

channels, modulation, envelope filter and a 

unique sample-and-hold filter. Its oscillators 

can be finely tuned, then fed into an amplitude 

modulator and a sample-and-hold filter—two 

features rarely found in synth units. 

For lack of a better classification, we would be 

remiss not to mention the Zoia, from Empress 

Effects. Essentially comprising a guitar effect 

computer, the Zoia is what amounts to a modular 

synthesizer, letting you build a whole pedalboard 

on one device. The Zoia serves up oscillators, filters, 

LFOs and about 80 other things which can 

be mixed and matched to your liking. 

Empress Zoia 

* 

DigiTech Dirty Robot 

TWA Great Divide 2.0 


PEDALS USING ADDITIVE SYNTHESIS 

(PITCH AND HARMONIC GENERATORS) 

If you want a different kind synth pedal based 

on additive synthesis that can generate chords 

and layers of sounds from a single note, check 

out these two very different offerings from Electro-Harmonix. 

The HOG2 Harmonic Octave 

Generator lets players create new tones by adding 

harmonic partials to their fundamental tones. 

The HOG2 provides 10 polyphonic voices ranging 

from two octaves below to four above the original 

guitar pitch, as well as two envelopes to control 

the attack and decay of the upper and lower notes 

and a filter with frequency and resonance controls. 

Octave pedals have been around for a while, and 

they’ve been a good way to add a synthetic harmonic 

richness to any tone by taking the original signal 

and passing it through an octave divider to create 

pitches that are an octave above it, below it, or both. 

Two other pedals here go beyond traditional octave 

pedals, allowing players to add pitches up 

to two octaves above and below their guitar’s 

original signal. The Electro-Harmonix POG2 

adds a low-pass filter with variable attack as 

well as detune, while the Bit Commander from 

EarthQuaker Devices provides a tone control 

in addition to its multitude of mixable voices. 

Then there’s the Data Corrupter from Earth- 

Quaker Devices, a PLL-style circuit. It brutally 

amplifies your input signal into a crushing square 

wave fuzz tone that’s then multiplied, divided 

and modulated to create a wild, yet repeatable, 

three-voice guitar synthesizer. Its feature set is 

extremely streamlined and easy to digest—a rarity 

in a sometimes-complex category. 

The FTElettronica PLL takes the idea of the PLLbased 

synth pedal as popularized by Schumann 

Electronics and expands it to its fullest capabilities, 

featuring all the original Schumann attachments 

integrated right into the pedal. 

While the PLL-type circuit isn’t cutting-edge 

pedal tech, several companies have found its 

features a welcome addition to their lines. The 

Swarm from Beetronics adds mixable voices 

and improved tracking so chordwork is now 

possible when the settings are tweaked properly. 

The newest entry in this category is the SolidGold- 

FX Lysis, one of the biggest hits at Winter NAMM 

2019. The Lysis combines a waveshaping fuzz with 

two voices of DSP-based polyphonic octave-down 

pitch tracking, before finishing up with a generous 

filter section and an onboard vibrato circuit. 

PITCH MODULATING SEQUENCERS AND ARPEGGIATORS 

Additional synth flavors can be found under the 

smaller umbrella of sequencing and arpeggiating, 

at which additive synthesis pedals happen to excel. 

They work similarly to their big brothers but add regenerative 

octaving or stepped pitch modulation. 

Two entrants in this category that work slightly 

differently come from EarthQuaker Devices and 

do things almost no other pedal does. The Rainbow 

Machine is a polyphonic pitch-warping 

engine that creates real-time pitch shifting using 

digital oscillators. The pedal lets you select harmonies 

ranging from a fourth below your original 

signal to a third above it and at every atonal pitch 

in-between. The pedal’s Magic control is the key 

to its wild synthetic tones, allowing the creation 

of ambient drones, pitch-shifting delays, chorus, 

metallic digi-flanging, ascending (or descending) 

“pixie” trails, whale noises and much more. 

Also in a class by itself is EarthQuaker’s Arpanoid, 

an intelligent polyphonic arpeggiator 

that creates arpeggios from notes and chords. 

It takes whatever you play and transforms it into 

an adjustable ascending or descending scale. Its 

eight modes work on complex chords as well as 

single notes in any key. 

Bananana’s Tararira works in a different way 

but achieves a result that combines a sequencer 

and an arpeggiator. It gives you eight steps, each 

programmable with a different scale. The sequencer 

works with as many steps as you want 

from two up to eight, and offers up tap tempo, 

major and minor scales and a random mode. 

Go to Delicious-Audio.com 

and search 

“Best Synth Pedals” 

EarthQuaker Devices 

Bit Commander 

* 

Electro-Harmonix HOG2 

Bananana Tararira 


Rainbow Machine 

* 


GRANULAR SYNTH PEDALS 

The Electro-Harmonix Superego takes a different 

route by using granular synthesis to create 

its tones. The pedal samples a tiny segment of 

the signal—hence “granular”—and then uses 

this sample to create a range of synthesizer-like 

effects, including fluid glissandos, infinite sustain 

and more. 

Detroit’s Red Panda has been at the forefront 

of granular synthesis. Its Particle is a full-featured 

glitch and granular synthesis machine that 

masquerades as a delay. While pristine digital 

echoes are easy to extract from its control set, 

the meat of the effect lies within the Chop knob, 

as well as the dual-function Delay/Pitch control, 

which changes parameters in each mode, and 

which parameter depends on the type of mode 

in which the pedal is placed. Their recent Tensor 

delay applies granular synthesis to sound 

reverse/stretch experiments. 

For the ultimate in granular synthesis, Pladask 

Elektrisk’s Fabrikat delivers the goods. Featuring 

a rather astounding 16 different algorithms, 

the Fabrikat serves up all kinds of sample 

manipulating madness, allowing you to set a 

buffer length, sample the signal in and then mangle 

that stored phrase to your heart’s content. 

Red Panda Particle 

* 

Electro-Harmonix Superego 

* 

FUZZ SYNTHS 

We all know the backbone of many synthesizers 

is the humble oscillator, and sometimes 

instead of creating one to intermingle with 

pickup output, it’s far more tonally conscious 

to amplify a signal’s gain enough until it approximates 

a square wave. Then, it’s subjected 

to all manner of synth controls including filters, 

octaves and more. 

One such unit is Keeley’s Synth-1, a fuzzbased 

approach to the analog synthesizer. The 

interface is simple enough: An Attack control 

sets the amount of envelope-controlled swell 

while the Blend knob cleverly provides a second 

voice. The Filter control features a massive knob 

with a massive sound, and you can use an expression 

device to control it as well. 

The Seymour Duncan Fooz takes the kitchen-sink 

approach to fuzz-based synthery, 

achieving the waveform in the same way but 

serving up a generously full-featured LFO section 

featuring an unprecedented four knobs of 

control. A plethora of filter options and an envelope-generated 

Attack control follow, and a tap 

tempo control puts the cherry on top. 

France’s Glou-Glou burst onto the scene with 

the Rendez-vous, but it’s the Pralines that 

marks its entry into synthesis. A gated fuzz circuit 

compliments four parallel band-pass filters 

with assignable modulation effects to each one, 

including a bevy of envelope filters, LFOs and 

expression pedal options. 

On the opposite side of the coin, the Emma Okto-Nøjs 

offers two independently footswitchable 

channels: one richly featured fuzz that 

slams into a gnarly octave unit with earth-shaking 

subsonic potential. The Nøjs side gives players 

a touch-sensitive octaving fuzz while the 

Okto side tracks that and outputs synthy madness 

that’s smooth as silk. 

One somewhat popular classification of fuzzbased 

synths are ones in which a fuzzed-up signal 

fights for spectrum space with an oscillator, 

often blending the two into a soup of fuzz and 

synthesis. One such unit is the Industrialectric 

Incinerator, a device that features two separate 

oscillators and a highly transistorized signal 

path. Featuring two separate channels that 

can be used simultaneously, this one isn’t for the 

faint of heart. d 

Industrialectric Incinerator 

Keeley Synth-1 

* 

* 

*You’ll be able to play these pedals at the 2019 Brooklyn Pedal & Synth Expo! 

Emma Okto-Nøjs 


A BOUQUET 

OF SOUNDS 

A BOUQUET 

Rose is a modulated delay 

OF SOUND 

unlike any other. Learn more 

at eventideaudio.com/rose 

“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.

GUITAR 

VOYAGER 

TAKE THE PLUNGE 

INTO EURORACK 

BY NICHOLAS KULA 

Guitarists and synthesizer aficionados often 

stand at opposite ends of the party, eyeing 

one another from across the room and sizing 

each other up. Both are so similar, yet so different, but 

there is one arena that both types can agree upon, 

it’s little gadgets that can be connected in series to 

manipulate an audio signal. For you, the reader, it’s 

effects pedals. But for... them, it’s Eurorack modules. 

Now, there’s a good chance that many readers have heard of 

Eurorack modules—essentially, these are pedals for synth heads, 

but instead of mounting them on a board, they’re mounted in— 

you guessed it—a rack, and are connected through front-facing 

eighth-inch jacks and accompanying cables. Unlike guitar effects, 

these modules feature stunning arrays of connectors that 

go far beyond input and output, giving nearly every parameter 

what’s called “CV control” (see elsewhere in this mag), giving way 

to a morass of wires that is a point of pride among some circles. 

Because these two ideas are so topologically similar, one might 

think that interfacing the two is as easy as shoving an adapter-equipped 

cable into a Eurorack module and shredding away. 

Not so fast, bucko. Synth signals are much, much hotter than 

guitar signals, and so plugging directly in will yield awful tone. 

Using a pedal to boost the signal to synth levels might overload 

the unit, but will more than likely fall short. And what do you 

plan on doing once you need to run that mess to an amp? 

Mistakes can and will be made. 

I’ve touched on the idea of assembling a pedalboard featuring 

stompboxes with CV outs, and you can use those to control Eurorack 

modules, but what if you want to do more than assemble 

a costly Eurorack case just for one or two (or 40) effects? Luckily, 

there are many ways to go about it, and here’s how to do it. 

EURORACK GUITAR MODULES 

The simplest way to plug straight in is to buy a module that accepts 

quarter-inch inputs for this exact purpose. If you’d like to throw 

all your eggs into this basket, you need a module that accepts 

your guitar and offers an envelope follower circuit to essentially 

transform the signal into a type that’s usable for further processing. 

Many modules have this option built in, saving space in your rack. 


trol voltage so you can use your instrument to control parameters 

of other gear. As of the time of writing, only the Analogue 

Systems RS-35 offers such a feature. 

The Doepfer A-119 is one such module and is an excellent entry 

point, offering a simple lightly-crunchy overdrive in addition 

to an envelope follower circuit. Another such device is the Befaco 

Instrument Interface, offering a little more control over how 

you plan on serving the signal to auxiliary modules. 

Perhaps the best option is the Bastl Instrument Hendrickson, 

which essentially offers up a guitar input and output in the 

same module. While plenty of devices will happily accept your 

input signal, getting it into your guitar amp is a whole different 

task. Normally, this involves sending the synth signal to a separate 

module called a VCA, and then to an external mixer where 

you can tamp down the hot signal to be used with a guitar amplifier. 

The Hendrickson eliminates the need for such outboard 

nonsense in a single stroke. 

EURORACK PEDALBOARDS 

If you’d rather explore the world of modular synthesis at your 

feet instead of a nearby table, several options are available. The 

absolute simplest way to integrate the worlds of pedalboard 

and synth rack is the Pittsburgh Modular Patch Box, offering 

up actual footswitches in addition to attenuated inputs and 

outputs. The biggest obstacle facing you is that they were discontinued 

a few years ago, but finding one used (or even new, if 

you know where to look), isn’t an insurmountable task. 

If the idea of chasing discontinued gear doesn’t please you, 

there is always the option of maintaining an actual Eurorack 

case on your pedalboard. If you thought that shopping for a 

pedalboard was tough, shopping for a Eurorack case is tantamount 

to overload. What’s more, potential buyers must be 

mindful of unused space, because holes in a Eurorack case’s 

facade mean exposed circuit boards, and so one must buy either 

blank panels, or all the modules at once. This results in poor 

cable management or a decidedly un-rock-‘n’-roll assembly. 

Here, the Eurorack setup is a little more flexible, and it opens 

up dramatically when you either build or purchase true bypass 

loopers with eighth-inch outs. Simply Google a wiring diagram 

for these simple utility boxes or have your pedal-building buddy 

take care of it. Connect the module input and output to the box, 

and each one will allow you to switch one module in and out 

of your chain just like a pedal. Build an entire switchbox—one 

channel per module—for an all-in-one solution. 

The Hendrickson module is a must in this situation by letting 

you interface your guitar and amp, but there are several more 

modules at play here. One such device is the Addac Pedal Integrator, 

offering up two sets of send and return jacks to run 

your existing gear in between synth modules. Other devices 

include the Strymon (yes, that Strymon) AA.1, or perhaps the 

best option of all: The ALM S.B.G., which gives you a wet-dry 

blend over the send and return. 

With just a little ingenuity and perhaps a little elbow grease, the 

world of Eurorack synth modules is yours for the taking. On a 

side note, if you haven’t looked at the cost of these modules 

before reading this, you might be a little shocked. However, 

many of these units are capable of effects far beyond the capabilities 

of many pedals—beware the rabbit hole! d 

If you’re feeling especially fancy, find a pitch tracker module, 

which converts your amplified signal into corresponding condelicious 

audio Spring 2019 19

EL EC TR IC 

FEEL 

CONTROL VOLTAGE, 

GUITAR PEDALS AND YOU 

Right around the same time in the late 

’60s, two men, each thousands of 

miles apart from one another, reinvented 

the way that folks pluck electric 

guitars. Bradley Plunkett of Thomas Organ 

Company in California and Fumio Mieda of Japan 

developed ways to manipulate a guitar effect 

in real time without the use of one’s hands. 

Plunkett’s invention—the wah—was originally 

intended for trumpet players and controls the 

center point of a bandpass filter, while Mieda’s 

one was the Psychedelic Machine, which was 

inspired by modulated short-wave radio circuits 

and eventually became the Uni-Vibe. 

Source Audio Reflex 

BY NICHOLAS KULA 

CV Controllers 

CV = Control Voltage 

Though the use of a large foot-controlled pedal was a novel idea 

in the ’60s, a sparse number of manufacturers implemented them. 

However, the first stone was cast: Expression pedals, as they came 

to be called, offered a dynamic performance arc that standard pedals 

just couldn’t match. 

Meanwhile in the world of synthesizers, CV, or “Control Voltage,” was all 

the rage. Bob Moog implemented it in all of his synth designs as a way 

to automate certain synth functions. While it differs from expression 

control in terms of extremital usage, its goal is nearly the same: control 

a parameter remotely without having to manually fiddle with the thing. 

For years, CV and expression control advanced in parallel, with the 

two paths never crossing. They glanced in 1977 when Roland developed 

the GR-550 guitar synth, but it wasn’t until far later that synth 

players and guitarists broke bread at the auxiliary control roundtable 

and began offering one discipline’s mechanics on the other’s devices. 

While expression and CV units are nearly identical, they differ in a key 

way. Expression pedals operate passively and require CV to be fed 

into them, so that they may manipulate a parameter via an onboard 

potentiometer, then plug the CV back into the original box. The expression 

pedal does so with a stereo cable, carrying the information 

on the tip or ring, and back to the box it’s controlling via the other. A 

CV pedal is always powered and will deliver the voltage straight into 

an auxiliary unit, and thus it is controlled with a standard mono cable. 

It stands to reason then that any powered unit is capable of generating 

control voltage, and so that’s where we find ourselves—rigging 

our pedalboards up with CV devices and seamlessly controlling one 

another the old-school way: volts and volts alone. 

CV Controllers 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one CV distribution powerhouse, the 

Source Audio Reflex is the king of all expression devices. Featuring 

three assignable CV outputs, it’s the only guitar-centric three-CV unit 

on the market. Beyond the Reflex, you’re out of luck, as the next 

best on the market is the discontinued Moog MP-201 and now sells 

for around $700. Fret not, however, as many pedals output a single 

stream of CV, and distributing them among your thirsty inputs yields 

impressive results. 

The Mission Engineering CV-5 outputs two foot-controlled CV 

streams at once, letting you shift dynamic waves of change with just 

one foot motion. Spicy! 

Some of today’s expression pedals and control devices give you 

the option of plugging in a standard mono cable to output CV, and 

it is here that beginners should start their quests. Items such as the

CV Out 

Electro-Harmonix Expression Pedal and Selah Quartz Timer output 

CV in two totally different ways, via foot operation or BPM pulses. 

However, the smart money is on the Electro-Harmonix 8-Step 

Program, which allows you to sequence bursts of control voltage 

and deliver them unto your CV-equipped board. If you’re going to 

pick one CV-centric control box, this is probably the one. 

Dreadbox Komorebi [Left] 

Dwarfcraft Happiness [Right] 

Pigtronix Philosopher King [Bottom] 

WMD Geiger Counter Pro [Left] 

Malekko Charlie Foxtrot [Right] 

Endpoint of 

CV Line 

Stompboxes with Integrated CV Outs 

Besides a foot controller, many pedals are capable of seamlessly providing 

a steady source of CV despite operating within the signal path. 

Many of these types of pedals feature a CV output that is tied directly 

to the pedal’s low frequency oscillator (LFO) or, in layman’s terms, 

any pedal with a “speed” or “rate” control. 

Pedals like Dwarfcraft’s Happiness filter and Dreadbox’s Komorebi 

feature an LFO out, and adjusting the rate of the filter similarly adjusts 

the CV emitting from the unit. You can then plug this CV into a different 

pedal that accepts it and sync up the units with a single cable. Others 

such as the WMD Protostar offer up an even greater degree of CV 

outputs, with outputs for both the envelope and the LFO dot the unit’s 

top panel. Pigtronix’s Philosopher King is an envelope generating 

machine that similarly has a CV out—use it to let your picking dynamics 

do the talking as they control the action of the King and its adjacent 

CV-equipped pedal. Of course, many pedals with this feature also support 

CV in, so you can use them to chain multiple CV devices together. 

The End of The CV Line 

When assembling a CV-centric board, it’s nice to have an endpoint in 

mind, as throughput at the end of the chain simply squanders sonic 

potential. With that said, Malekko has all but mastered the art of 

guitar pedal control voltage. Its newest pedal platform that includes 

the Scrutator, Charlie Foxtrot, Downer and more offers user-assignable 

CV control over as many as five knobs simultaneously, and 

in any direction. Similarly, WMD’s Geiger Counter Pro offers two 

CV inputs for some serious sonic corruption. Red Panda’s pedals 

accept CV, and the company even sells a custom expression-to-CV 

adapter, or gives you plans on how to make your own. The myriad 

devices crafted by Chase Bliss make a great choice as well, all of the 

brand’s DIP switch insanity works with CV. Don’t forget—CV originated 

in synthesizers and is still immensely popular in that world, and so 

manufacturers that handle both guitar and synth products are more 

likely to implement CV to interface with their synth products. 

With just a modicum of planning, CV is easy to integrate into any setup 

and doesn’t require any special cables. It’s truly one of the more expansive 

control platforms, and it’s only becoming easier to operate. d 


The pedals of the 

bklyn stompbox exhibit 2019 

June 8: 12pm – 7pm / June 9: 11am – 6pm 

Lytehouse Studio (356 Devoe St., Brooklyn) 

FREE! 

NEW 

PEDALS! 

Meris 

Hedra Rhythmical Pitch-Shifter 

A 3-Voice Rhythmical Pitch-Shifter with tap 

tempo and impressively deep functionality.The 

top left knob lets you choose the key, which 

can be micro-tuned through the center-top 

knob, while the three bottom knobs harmonize 

the fundamental with pitch-shifted notes going 

from minus two octaves all the way up to 

plus two octaves. Each voice can be delayed 

and fed back in 4 intricate matrices, through a 

smooth or hard step sweep through intervals, 

with the option to slides between pitches at 

the speed you choose in Glide Mode. 

Old Blood Noise Endeaver 

Whitecap Asynchronous Dual Tremolo 

A three-control analog tremolo and a multishape 

digital tap tremolo interact to create 

new, unheard trembling textures. Holding the 

footswitch enables ramp mode to gradually 

change between the two speeds. Each tremolo 

features a volume boost, and a series/ 

parallel toggle lets you run analog into digital 

or both side by side. It is possible to control 

the tap via the expression pedal input. 

Walrus Audio 

Slö Reverb 

A new, affordable take on the creative atmospheric 

reverb circuit, that creates lush, 

modulated, sleepy and ambient soundscapes 

through three dreamy algorithms: Dark adds a 

lower octave to the reverb’s trail – X controls 

the octave’s volume; Rise is an auto-swell 

reverb – X controls the length of the rise after 

a note is played; Dream is the lushest of 

the three and features a latching pad function 

through the Sustain footswitch – a second 

press will make it fade with length related to 

the Decay knob setting. The X knob here adds 

a vibrato to the effect, controlling its depth. 

Birmingham Sounds FX 

Twentyseventeen 

Flower Pedals 

Dandelion Tremolo V2 

Mod DIY Kits 

Thunderdrive Deluxe LTD 

One Control 

Silver Bee 

Designed to be a wide range 

overdrive and distortion, the 

2017 is a “Swiss Army Knife” 

kind of pedal, offering a variety 

of tones, from a slight hint of 

crunch all the way up to a huge 

distortion. A two band Baxandall 

EQ allows for tone shaping and 

fine tuning to any amp or sonic 

environment. Inside the box 

you’ll only find high quality components 

used throughout as well 

as a soft-touch relay bypass. 

A tremolo offering both standard 

and harmonic tremolo, along 

with 3 voicings for the harmonic 

mode (triangle, sine, and square). 

Controls are available for Boost, 

Depth, Speed, and Shape. Extra 

footswitch acts as tap tempo as 

well as ramping device. A set of 

secondary controls are accessible 

by holding the footswitch. 

Expression jack allows speed 

control or external tap. 

A build-it-yourself kit that - once 

built - will give you a flexible overdrive 

that will work as a boost at 

lower setting or deliver a smooth 

distortion when cranked all the 

way up. It can overdrive the preamp 

section of your guitar amp 

or add its own layer of distortion 

at lower volume. This LTD version 

is equipped with a three-position 

diode selector switch for even 

more settings and tones. 

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. 




overdrive 

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. 

Jam Pedals 

Double Dreamer 

A dual overdrive housing the 

company’s Lucy Dreamer and 

the Tube Dreamer, but also incorporating 

an extra high gain 

circuit that can be triggered 

through the central footswitch 

and assigned to either overdrive 

or both. 

Mooer 

Micro Preamp 016 Phoenix 

Part of a line of pedals recreating 

the preamp sections of popular 

tube amps, this is a digital, 

two-channel overdrive inspired 

to modern, German-designed 

metal amps. The clean channel 

goes from crystal clear to crispy 

crunch. The gain channel provides 

everything from fat rock 

rhythms and heavy metal riffs to 

searing lead lines. 

distortion 

MXR 

Dookie Drive 

A pedal celebrating the 25th anniversary 

of Greenday’s album 

Dookie, and the band’s “dirty 

and punchy guitar sound with 

the perfect amount of articulation 

to express the musicality of 

their fast, melodic riffs. 

Nobels 

ODR-mini 

SoundBrut 

DRVA MKII 

Neunaber 

Neuron 

REVV Amplification 

G4 Distortion 

The ODR-1 was one of the first 

pedals to start the “transparent” 

overdrive craze. The Mini version 

packs all of the overdrive tone of 

its older sibling into a miniature 

enclosure. You can increase 

the headroom by running it at 

18v, and it features true bypass 

switching. Glow in the dark 

buttons help you find your tone 

even on the darkest stage. 


The DRVA shines in delivering 

tones that are full of character, 

thanks to a hard clipping circuit 

fueled by a NE5534 opamp 

(the “Dr”) and a MOSFET clean 

boost seasoned with a modern 

interpretation of the Varitone 

tone circuit (the “Va”). MkII adds 

a Treble-cut pot to DRfor high 

gain settings and simplified EQ 

controls for the boost. 

It can dial in a variety of amplike 

sounds ranging from chimey 

cleans to the dirtiest dirt. It is essentially 

a preamp that includes 

a number of additional features 

like a speaker simulator, noise 

gate, compressor, presets, and 

MIDI functionality – all in one 

standard pedal size. 

The G4 is the latest pedal by 

Manitoba-based amp builder 

REVV. It’s a distortion featuring 

the same exact controls as their 

previous (and celebrated) G3, 

but a slightly different palette of 

sounds. It’s the pedal version of 

the red channel of the company’s 

120 Generator tube amp, 

which has more gain and saturation 

than the purple channel 

offered by the G3.



FREE! 

delay 

Eventide 

Rose 

Floating Forest 

Drift Echo/Tremolo 

Strymon 

Volante 

Teisco 

Delay 

A delay that marries digital precision 

with the lush sound of analog. 

With six knobs and delay 

multiplier, phase invert/reverse 

playback and shape buttons offering 

five modulation sources, 

Rose inspires petals of creativity 

to bloom. Five presets, MIDI 

control and a fully assignable 

aux switch/expression pedal input 

offer flexible versatility. 

reverb 

A delay with an embedded photocell-controlled 

tremolo. The 

bottom right switch gets the 

tremolo controlled by the photocell 

(rather than the regular LFO). 

It comes with a USB light that can 

be plugged into the USB plug 

on the side of the pedal, which 

features a rate control. When the 

mix knob is around 75% you can 

engage the momentary switch 

(center footswitch). 

A delay/looper that aims at giving 

the modern guitarist three of 

the most sought-after vintage 

delay sounds: tape echo, drum, 

and reel-to-reel. Controls allow 

you to fine tune the character, 

fidelity, brightness and age of 

the delay, for more or less vintage-sounding 

results. 

Lo-Fi/Glitch 

With its warm and dark repeats, 

this pedal belongs to the “colored,” 

vintage sounding analog 

delay category, but it’s also capable 

of wild and noisy self-oscillation 

at extreme Feedback 

settings. A fully featured Modulation 

section can add that 

pleasant liquid vintage character 

to the repeats. 

Chase Bliss Audio 

Dark World 

A feature-rich reverb with a 

“World” channel created by Keeley 

that houses Hall, Plate, and 

Spring algorithms, and an edgier 

“Dark” channel designed by 

Cooper FX. The channels can 

be routed in 33 ways, creating a 

varied palette of reverb ranging 

from subtle, tasteful, and lush all 

the way to broken video cassette, 

glitch shimmer, and infinite freeze. 

Old Blood Noise 

Rêver 

This circuit hosts two “signal 

blocks” whose order can be 

changed using the toggle switch. 

Block 1 allows for a momentary 

reverse of the signal. Block 2 is a 

modulated reverb that is fed into 

a delay. With the reverse at the 

start and reverb and delay after, 

the sound tends to feel washier 

and the reverse is smoother. The 

other way around you have a 

more pronounced and glitch-like 

reverse effect. 

RPS Effects 

Bit Reactor 

A bit crusher and downsampler 

that takes whatever signal you 

give it and crunches it up into 

digital atoms. The central Crush 

knob selects the number of bits 

for the crunching, from 1 to 8, 

while the Sample one deals with 

reducing the sample rate. 

The King of Gear 

Mini Glitch 

Inspired by Jonny Greenwood’s 

random Max/MSP “stutter” effect. 

It does more than that, 

through three “glitch triggering 

mechanisms”: Random, 

Switched and Threshold. The 

glitching sample can be set to a 

fixed length or randomized, while 

the Dry-Path switch can remove 

altogether the original dry signal 

when glitching is active. 






FREE! 

Fuzz 

Dusky Electronics 

Hypatia 

Outlaw FX 

The General 

Rabbit Hole FX 

‘Merkin 

Wampler 

Fuzztration 

A versatile fuzz/overdrive/distortion 

pedal with a wide gain range, 

an adjustable low end, a specially 

designed input buffer, and a 

MOSFET-based output buffer. 

It spans from ragged crunch to 

bludgeoning fuzz—all while remaining 

musical. The low end 

can be tailored for any instrument 

across a range of musical styles. 

A germanium fuzz that delivers 

’60s-era tones in a compact 

format. It uses only 2 simple 

controls (Fuzz and Level) and 

like all the best germanium fuzz 

pedals, it works well with your 

guitar’s volume. 

An original fuzz circuit that offers 

sustain for miles and precise 

fine-tuning to your gear through 

3 knobs and 2 switches. Clean 

knob adds clean tone for extra 

definition/low end. Wave switch 

adds octave effect. 

A flexible fuzz that packs a series 

of controls that allow you to 

get a lot of different tones out 

of it, including an Octave circuit 

with its own separate footswitch 

that can be applied pre- or postfuzz. 

The “Tone Voice” switch 

lets you choose between a more 

tight/compressed and a more 

open/dynamic sound. 

filter 

modulation 

Adventure Audio 

Dream Reaper 

A “Fuzzy Feedback Modulation 

Machine” loaded with weird features 

and guaranteed to turn your 

tone into something unexpected. 

From high-gain saturated overdrive 

to glitchy. 

All-in-one 

Fairfield Circuitry 

Shallow Water 

Matthews Effects 

The Chemist V2 

Tech 21 

Fly Rig 5 V2 

This slim bar condenses all you need from a basic 

pedalboard in a superlight, portable format with 

Tech 21 trusted circuitry. It includes boost, tap-tempoed 

delay, reverb, 3 band EQ, and a choice of two 

overdrive flavors (Cali and Plexi-style). On top of 

that you get tuner and effect loop, for easy integration 

with your signature stompboxes. 

K-field (Simulation mathematics), 

is an undefined, two-dimensional, 

non-linear field where past 

and future forces interact at irregular 

intervals. Shallow Water 

generates this k-field by randomly 

modulating a short time delay 

to create unexpected shifts in 

pitch. The result is this non-cyclical 

vibrato/chorus/flanger-type 

thing favoring old tape flavours. 

A pedal featuring two channels of 

modulation that can be alternated 

at the touch of a footswitch (the 

right one). Two side switches on 

the side panel let you select the 

effect for each channel from Chorus/Vibrato, 

Octave and Phaser. 

The Reaction knob controls the 

dry signal, and the Catalyst and 

Formula knobs change depending 

on the algorithm you select.



multi-effects 

routing 



FREE! 

JHS Pedals 

Space Commander 

Tomkat Pedals 

Cloudy 

Analog Alien 

EPI Effects Pedal Interface 


Swiss Things 

This is the repackaged VCR after 

Ryan Adams’ fall from grace, 

featuring clean boost, chorus and 

reverb, plus a secret lo-fi switch. 

The Chorus is based around classic 

1980s analog chorus pedals, 

while the Reverb is a hall one 

with fixed size and decay and the 

knob controlling effect Level. 

A stompbox adaptation of the 

Eurorack Module “Clouds” by 

Mutable Instruments. It’s based 

on the “Parasites” alternative 

firmware which has 6 different 

digital programs including granular 

synthesis, pitch shifting, delay, 

reverb, filters, and resonators. 

Facilitates matching instrument-level 

effects boxes with 

line-level signals coming from 

and going into your studio, allowing 

you to use your guitar 

pedals as studio-quality effects 

processors. 

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 Sponsors 

of the 

BK SBE 2019 

A HUGE “Thank You” to 

these companies for letting us 

borrow their gear for the 

Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit! 

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. 

Voodoo Lab 

(sponsor of the Mixed Board Area) 

Voodoo Lab has designed and manufactured 

professional electronics for recording and touring 

musicians (guitarists in particular) since 

1986. The North California company offers a 

wide array of rugged and reliable pedals, pedalboards 

and switching systems, but has become 

an industry standard with its Pedal Power series 

of power suppliers. Their latest product in this 

line, the X4, can drive up to four battery-operated 

or high-current DSP effects and features 

multi-pole filtering to eliminate any unwanted 

noise. Its slim profile makes it ideal for mounting 

it under even the flattest of pedalboards. 


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. The company just announced that small, medium, 

and large boards now come with our accessory case at no charge!

Two notes 

(sponsor of the Mixed Board Area) 

Specializing in digital amp and cabinet emulations, French company 

Two notes came to the forefront of the guitar gear world in 2010, when 

their Torpedo VB-101 earned them a Best of NAMM award. The company 

has been applying its research to both hardware and software 

products, receiving high praise for the quality of its emulation from 

musicians, producers and gear critics alike. At the Brooklyn Stompbox 

Exhibit 2019 they will showcase their latest Torpedo Cab M by 

sponsoring the Mixed Board section of the event. “The C.A.B. M, a 

small box that features power amp modelling and uses convolution to 

achieve realistic cab and micing emulations, can be placed at the end 

of the pedalboard to have a lightweight rig to carry around, between 

the amp and the speaker as an amp DI. Thanks to its headphones out, 

it’s also ideal for home use with any pedals for quick and easy practice. 

Love My Switches 

(sponsor of the DIY Builders’ Corner) 

Born out of the desire of a Brooklyn based DIY pedal 

manufacturer’s to pay less for the components he 

needed to build its quirky devices, Love My Switches 

has slowly taken a life of its own, after founder 

Lawrence Scaduto started sourcing parts for pedal 

builders large and small, amp builders, synth geeks, 

luthiers, and just about every other type of maker in 

the DIY universe. How appropriate it is, then, for Love 

My Switches to be the sponsor of our DIY pedal builders 

corner, which we are launching this year! Currently 

based in Portland, Oregon, the family company has 

grown to include Lawrence’s wife Rebecca. Love My 

Switches offers same-day shipping and personalized 

customer service. 

343Labs.com 

Educational Partner 

Named after the speed of sound (343 meters per second) 343 

Lab has the goal to accelerate your music knowledge using the 

best music technology education in a beautiful, intimate space 

in Soho featuring production classrooms, a large performance 

space and a rooftop overlooking downtown Manhattan. All classrooms 

are equipped with the latest music technology and students 

are given access to the multitude of events, such as masterclasses, 

open mic nights and student performances. 


Scratch & Sniff 

Go Ahead, Try It Out! 

Scratch & Sniff 

What does it smell like? 

Let us know at 

www.deadbeatsound.com

FROM 

ANAHEIM 

TO BERLIN 

Superbooth 18 photos by Angela Kröll & von Bendeg. 

THE 

LATEST 

SYNTHS! 

TO BROOKLYN 

It’s impossible, for any synth expo, not to feel some kind of inferiority 

complex towards Superbooth. Even though chances are Brooklyn is 

way “cooler” than Treptow-Köpenick (the Berlin borough hosting the 

German event), it is very hard to compete with the Funkhaus, the gigantic 

and awkwardly stylish building Superbooth has been calling home 

since its 2016 launch. Those large rooms, vaguely reminiscent of the hotel 

from Kubrick’s The Shining, also have a fascinating history: they used to 

be the operational facility of GDR, East Germany’s Soviet controlled state 

radio. Heck, that place is so charmingly intimidating you may want to visit 

it even on a synthless day! 

Superbooth was an instant hit, and It didn’t take long for it to become the 

European hot spot for everything synth. Since, like it happens with NAMM 

earlier in the year, manufacturers are now timing their mid-year synth releases 

to coincide with it, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to cover the 

most exciting new releases, with the help of our friends at Synthtopia.com. 

You’ll be able to try most of these machines in person at our event!

The synths of the 

bklyn synth expo 2019 



FREE! 

Ableton CV Tool Free Add-On for Live 10 

With Euroracks making their way into more and more synthesists’ 

rigs, the most popular DAW for electronic musicians was under 

pressure to provide a way to integrate modular synth gear with its 

Live platform. CV Tools, a free add-on for Live 10 Suite presented in 

Berlin, lets you do exactly that! CV Tools offers ten tools that allow 

tight communication between Live and your Modular or other Control 

Voltage based gear. You can send and receive Pitch, Control, 

Clock and Trigger CV with this set of creative Max for Live devices. 

You need to make sure your audio interface is compatible, though. 

Arturia MicroFreak 

Presented at NAMM 2019 and 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. 

Elektron Digitone Keys 

A new eight-voice polyphonic digital synthesizer keyboard, the 

Digitone Keys is - as its name suggests - a “keyed” version of 

this 8 voice, multi-timbral digital synth featuring both FM and subtractive 

synthesis. The keyboard is a 37-key velocity and pressure 

sensitive keyboard with aftertouch. It features hundreds of new 

presets and a series of new features, including 5 controllers for 

hold/arpeggio/portamento/mapping/chord mode functions. On 

top of that, eight encoders placed on top of the keyboard can be 

assigned to any parameters. 

Gamechanger Motor Synth 

Gamechanger takes its name seriously. Never happy with the technological 

status quo, this Latvian company seems to exists with the 

precise goal of trying the untried in the pedal and - now for the first 

time - synth realms. The builder’s latest creature is a synth running 

on little engines (“electromotors”), rather than oscillators. The Motor 

Synth produces sounds by accelerating and decelerating eight electromotors 

to precise rpm (revolutions per minute) that correspond to 

specific musical notes. This configuration allows for four-note polyphony, 

with two voices per key played. This sound source is then 

sculpted through familiar analog envelopes and filters alongside 

arpeggiation, cross and LFO modulation, sequencing, and multiple 

polyphonic mode facilities, as well as a looping system that allows 

users to layer rhythm and melodies. 






FREE! 

IK Multimedia UNO Drum 

Rather new to the world of hardware synths (but a veteran in the 

soft synth one), in Berlin IK Multimedia launched the UNO Drum, a 

drum machine that offers a sonic palette combining analog sounds 

with digital flexibility and convenience. Its wide range of programming 

and live performance features and controls make it easy for 

musicians, producers and DJs to add drum grooves to their music. 

Six warm, rich, true analog drum sounds – two different kick drums 

plus snares, claps, and hi-hats – form the essential core kit for 

creating analog beats. Additional PCM elements (with 54 samples 

to choose from) provide deeper sonic possibilities for more realistic 

sounds like cymbals and toms. 

Korg Volca Nubass 

Korg’s Volca series of tiny synths celebrated the birth of a new member 

of the family with nubass, a bassline synthesizer implemented 

with Korg’s NuTube, an updated vacuum tube design roughly one 

tenth the size of its original counterpart. The NuTube technology 

is implemented into the oscillator, sub oscillator and drive circuits; 

creating ‘incredibly warm tones and rich distortions’ that only a 

tube can provide. nubass also calls upon NuTube to create classic 

stompbox-style analog overdrives. The tone knob controls either the 

distortion of the sound or its crispness. This new synth also features 

a 16-step sequencer that offers motion sequencing of the knobs, 

transpose, accent, slide and randomize. 

Moog Matriarch 

The Matriarch is a patchable 4-note paraphonic analog synthesizer 

that builds on the semi-modular design of last year’s Grandmother 

synthesizer. It features a built-in sequencer, arpeggiator, stereo ladder 

filters, and stereo analog delay. The company describes the new 

synth as ‘the pinnacle of Moog’s semi-modular family of analog synthesizers.” 

Thanks to its default signal path, it can also be played 

without any patching. The analog circuitry is based on classic Moog 

synthesizer modules and the default signal routing can be customized 

using the synth’s 90 modular patch points. 

Novation Summit 

The Novation Summit is the British company’s new flagship synthesizer 

that essentially combines two of their Peak rack synths into a 

knob-filled keyboard. It offers deep synthesis capabilities, a 16-voice 

two-part multitimbral engine and a hands-on workflow. The twin 

Peaks can be either split or layered across the keyboard. The Summit’s 

digital sound engines can emulate analog sounds, as well as FM 

and wavetable synthesis (there are 60 wavetables loaded). An analog 

multi-mode filter section does the rest. The 16-slot matrix allows users 

to change parameters on the fly for anything, including the four LFOs 

and envelopes. The keyboard features aftertouch, an arpeggiator, and 

chords with over 30 patterns, and each key can be split and layered. 






FREE! 

Pioneer DJ Toraiz SQUID 16 Track Sequencer 

DJ giant Pioneer DJ entered the synth world recently with the Toraiz 

line and at SuperBooth 2019 introduced its first sequencer, called 

SQUID. Optimized for on-the-fly production, this device controls up 

to 16 instruments via multiple in and outs (USB, Midi, CV and various 

synch formats), and - among other things - can produce polyrhythmic-looping 

options and instantly change the playback direction and 

speeds. The proprietary Groove Bend feature improves your groove 

while you generate patterns in real time. 

Sequential Prophet XL 

Remember Dave Smith Instruments? Of course you do! The company 

founded by the creator of the Prophet line didn’t launch any new synths 

in Berlin, but it did show up with something new nonetheless: its name. 

New and old at once, actually, since Sequential Circuits was the company’s 

name at founding, back in 1974. Sequential hasn’t given up the 

Prophet saga, though, with the X and XL taking the line to the next level 

with their powerful fusion of samples and synthesis, newly developed 

sound engine and two high-resolution digital oscillators - all processed 

through the manufacturer’s celebrated analog filters. Its internal 150Gb 

samples can be integrated with extra downloadable sound libraries - 

the latest one dedicated to the sounds of the Oberheim OB-X. 

Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2.6 w/Hardware Synth Control 

A true force in the world of virtual synths, Omnisphere is Spectrasonics’ 

flagship product that brings many different types of synthesis 

together into an instrument that will spark a lifetime of exploration. 

In Berlin the developer showcased their NAMM news to the European 

audience: a new version 2.6 that allows Omnisphere to be controlled 

by over 65 hardware synths through “personalized” patches 

(meaning that the controls do to the software what they do on the 

hardware). The new version also features improved arpeggiators 

with inversions, pattern modes, step modifiers and chord voicings, 

among other new features. Omnisphere 2.6 also features a newly 

expanded “Hardware Library” with 600 new patches. The latest one 

is dedicated to the sounds of the Oberheim OB-X. 

Yamaha CP73 and CP88 

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. 




other synths 



FREE! 

6 

3 

1 

5 

2 

4 

1 1010music Blackbox Sampling Workstation 

Blackbox is a portable sampler and groovebox that lets you record, 

save/load, apply effects and edit one-shot samples and beat-sliced 

loops. You can create sequences with samples by tapping on pads, 

playing a virtual keyboard, using external MIDI controllers or by 

drawing-in notes using a standard Piano Roll editor on a touchscreen 

interface. Sequences can be played back to create song sections 

and entire compositions. You can finish your song by mixing it, 

adding stereo effects. You can record hours of song ideas, jam sessions, 

and performances thanks to a microSD slot that enables you 

to expand internal memory. Blackbox comes with gigabytes of premium 

samples and loops by SoundTrack Loops and Loopmasters. 

2 Deep Space Devices Antikythera Mini Synth 

A debut in the synth field for this edgy pedal builder, the Antikythera 

is a noise making box with a single octave keyboard that can produce 

an extensive range of tones with its “Pitch” control, along with 

a 4-step sequencer controlled by 4 aligned knobs, each affecting 

the pitch of each step. The “Chaos” button on the side takes things 

down a noisy and experimental route, triggering an oscillator at a 

certain pitch depending where the “Chaos” knob is set. 

3 Landscape Stereo Field 

The Stereo Field is an instrument that lets you manipulate and patch 

two analog stereo circuits directly via touch plates, using skin conductivity 

as new paths for the circuit to follow, creating new circuits 

and new sounds in relation to where your fingers are patching. 


4 ROLAND Cloud 

As usual, Roland will be at the Brooklyn Synth Expo with a lot of 

hardware synths, but the Japanese company, as of late, has been 

focusing a lot on Roland Cloud, an evolving cloud-based suite of 

software synthesizers, drum machines, and sampled instruments offered 

through an affordable monthly subscription. Its catalog includes 

recreations of legendary vintage Roland synths and newer products 

(like the Aria series), but also sample-based virtual instruments of 

non-electronic instruments like piano and guitar, and some genre-targeted 

sound apps. Roland Cloud also provides a DAW called R-Mix 

to make all the instruments come together in a final song. 

5 ROLI Seaboard Block and Songmaker Kit 

ROLI’s BLOCKS system walks the line between cutting edge synthesis 

and super-fun, intuitive expression by offering separate, wireless 

controllers that can be connected to each other through a simple 

magnetic snap, to create larger and more powerful work stations. 

These MIDI controllers can interface with desktop applications as well 

as mobil apps (wirelessly over Bluetooth), allowing new possibilities 

for both simple on the go recording and deeply expressive polyphonic 

sound editing. The Songmaker Kit features ROLI’s two-octave version 

of the company’s signature Seaboard, a Lightpad-M illuminated playing 

surface, and the Loop Block for production control. 

6 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.



Eurorack 



FREE! 

1010music Music Toolbox 

Toolbox is a touchscreen based sequencer 

and function generator for eurorack. It 

is designed to drive signal patterns to your 

other modules via Midi or CV. Its 3.5″ touch 

screen gives immediate access to sequences, 

parameters, and events, providing 

a full overview of all the active notes and 

events and offering touch based scrolling 

and zooming, just like a smartphone, The 

builder offers similar Eurorack units dealing 

with synthesis, sampling and effects. 

Eventide Euro DDL Delay 

10 seconds of pristine delay at a sample 

rate up to 192 kHz. Soft saturation clipping, 

low pass filter, feedback, insert loop, relay 

bypass, and +20 dB boost are all analog. 

Can do looping, and has reverse and tap 

tempo functions. 

Maffenzeef Møffenzeef Modular Stargazer 

A drone machine featuring a dual wavetable 

oscillator with ninety arbitrary waveforms, 

two resonant low-pass filters, three 

wavetable LFOs, sample rate reduction, bit 

rate reduction, amplitude modulation, and 

CMOS distortion. an expression pedal input 

allows control of the speed of all three 

LFOs at the same time, which frees up your 

hands to control other aspects of the drone. 

Mystic Circuits Spectra Mirror 

A resonant down-sampler tailored for use 

as a low pass gate. Incoming audio can be 

completely attenuated or passed through 

unaffected by modulating the sampling frequency, 

width of the sampling clock or the 

on board through-zero VCA. Each control 

voltage input can be attenuverted, allowing 

the user to sculpt response to CV. The 

Spectra Mirror is also capable of an effect 

called “high-pass sampling,” which attenuates 

signals below the sampling frequency. 


Stem Modular ADSR Envelope 

Playing with the length of Attack, Decay, 

Sustain, and Release - the four phases 

of this control voltage generator - allows 

synthesists to mimic a lot of different musical 

instruments, or make changes to the 

envelope of their own sounds. The ADSR 

lets you apply the resulting voltage to the 

cv input of a voltage controlled amplifier or 

voltage controlled filter. 

Strymon Magneto 

A stereo multi-head tape delay that can 

do a lot of other things. Can function as a 

looper, phrase sampler, vintage spring reverb 

unit, phase-aligned clock multiplier, 

chaotic oscillator, zero latency sub-oscillator 

and more. Adds vintage character to the 

signal through Tape Age, Crinkle and Wow 

& Flutter Knobs.



Eurorack 



FREE! 

Tall Dog Electronics µBraids SE 

A voltage-controlled digital oscillator/sound source with a wide 

range of creative and useful sound generation algorithms (aka models), 

based on the classic Mutable Instruments Braids design Fully 

compatible with upstream Braids firmware. Updates and simplifies 

the original design with a custom brilliant orange LED display module 

protected by a clear acrylic lens, a low-profile rotary encoder, and 

a new added attenuverter for the Color control. 

Vinicius Elektric Lizard 

A powerful hybrid VCO with a 1MHz sample rate comprised of two 

independent modules but in total synchronism: the LIZARD and the 

analog wave switcher, each featuring an independent output. The first 

can operate as VCO (with 24 generation modes), Sequencer or External 

clock (with 12 different modes). It also features 8 parameter control 

potentiometers whose function varies with the selected Mode. Other 

functions include Frequency controls (FREQ & FINE) and FM Width, 

whose FM input functions as Clock input in External Clock mode. 

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF THE PROPHET 

150 GB SAMPLES · FULL SYNTHESIS ENGINE · STEREO ANALOG FILTERS 

CHECK OUT THE PROPHET X, PROPHET-6, REV2 AND OTHER 

SEQUENTIAL SYNTHS AT THE BROOKLYN SYNTH EXPO! 

W W W . S E Q U E N T I A L . C O M 

Deli - Prophet X - 2019.indd 1 

5/10/19 2:26 PM

S 

Empress Zoia 

One Control Silver Bee 

Strymon Volante 

Eventide H9 

PRS Standard SE 

Roland SH-01A 

Morph 

Music Maker Bundle 

ALL THE GIVEAWAYS OF THE 

BK SYNTH & PEDAL EXPO! 

See: bit.ly/GIMMEGEAR 

Arturia MicroFreak 

Animals Pedal 

Vintage Van Driving is 

Very Fun 

Novation 

Circuit Mono Station 

Outlaw FX 

General 

Gamechanger Audio 

Plasma Distortion 

Two notes 

Torpedo C.A.B. 

ROLI Seaboard Block 

Pioneer DJ Toraiz SQUID 

Chase Biss 

Dark World

Y15194 Deli Magazine Yamaha Synth.indd 1 

2/20/19 12:19 P

Delicious Audio #2, The Best Synth Pedals, Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit & Synth Expo

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