Mixdown Magazine July 2015 Ultimate Pedal Effects Special.

ULTIM ATE

SPECIAL

INTRODUCTION

DISTRIBUTOR DETAILS

Welcome to yet another foot stomping Mixdown pedal effects special feature! This month we’ve assembled one almighty range from some of the most innovative, classic and drool worthy pedal creators imaginable. Whether you’re looking to loop, boost, distort, phase or modulate it’s simply a jungle of choice out there and that’s why our expert team of top-notch guitar boffins have shredded through the wilderness to make your choice as easy as possible. So make some notes, tick some boxes and then head down to your local retailer to plug in, get stomping and hear exactly what we’re talking about.

ULTIMATE PEDALBOARD GIVEAWAY!

9 pedals, pedalboard, power supply and leads!

SEE PG. 8 FOR DETAILS!

EDEN WORLD TOUR PREAMP PEDAL EFFECT: PREAMP/DI | RRP: $209 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

DISTRIBUTOR AMBER TECHNOLOGY AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA EGM DISTRIBUTION ELECTRIC FACTORY GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY GLOBAL VINTAGE JADE AUSTRALIA JANDS MUSIC LINK AUSTRALIA NOISE TOYS IMPORTS PEDAL EMPIRE YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PHONE 1800 251 367 (03) 9549 1500

WEBSITE www.ambertech.com.au www.austmusic.com.au

(02) 9905 2511 (03) 9817 7222 (03) 9474 1000 (02) 9817 2173 (02) 9569 7009 1800 144 120 (02) 9582 0909 (03) 8696 4600 0458 336 521 (07) 3892 3292 (03) 9693 5111

www.cmcmusic.com.au www.egm.net.au www.elfa.com.au www.guitarfactory.net www.globalvintage.com.au www.musocity.com.au www.jands.com.au www.musiclink.com.au www.noisetoysimports.com.au www.pedalempire.com.au www.yamahabackstage.com.au

MOOER PURE BOOST EFFECT: BOOST | RRP: RRP: $109.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Clean and quiet, the Pure Boost keeps a handle on your fundamental tone and adds some dB in its simplest form. You can then push the Gain and EQ if you want colouration – handy for targeting frequencies to stand out in the mix for solo passages or emphasising pickups.

Can also tame a hot signal or crazy amp if needed.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Recording or performing bass players of any style. Basically, if you play bass, this pedal is for you!

Enhance control - and great gain and compression capabilities. If you can’t find your sound in here you need your hearing checked.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With more controls than most amps, there’s nothing this pedal can’t do, it can manage everything from smooth cleans to aggressive overdrives, to snappy and punchy slap-and-pop tones to squelchy fuzz tones. It’s very responsive to your individual bass’ signal.

CONSTRUCTION: Despite its small size, you can still access every control and they all feel seriously stage-ready. The bypass button feels very chunky and stompable, but you’ll probably never use it because there’s no reason to turn this pedal off.

USEABILITY: There are so many controls on this pedal that it could be easy to feel overwhelmed, but the layout is very logical and easily accessible. There are five different toneshaping features - six if you count the

OVERALL: Whether for recording or performing live, this tiny little box takes the place of a preamp, EQ, compressor and overdrive pedal all at once. It’s essentially an entire rig that you can stash in a gig bag or the pocket of your jacket.

PG.38 // MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015

USABILITY: Clearly marked and easy to operate. I possibly might have gone for the Volume control as the big knob rather than Gain but that’s just personal preference.

CONSTRUCTION: A tough little tank of a pedal (like the rest of the Mooer line) it’s got plenty of stomping in it for sure. No batteries for these mini pedals however so make sure you’ve got a power supply handy.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, country and good with acoustic and electric guitars.

OVERALL: Great as a straight ahead boost the EQ controls then opens up some extra tweakbility if needed (and often things can change from gig to gig/room to room). Again, small and simple so another good pedal to slot into a crowded board or for keeping in your guitar case to call on when needed.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

MXR CUSTOM SHOP Il TONINO OVERDRIVE EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: $239 | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

WAY HUGE SAUCY BOX OVERDRIVE EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: $249 | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

inclusion of three bands of EQ and the use of a boost/OD mode select function.

Boost mode gives you a cleaner, more compressed sound while OD mode gives you an amp-style response. Either way, this pedal’s greatest strength is its clear, smooth, sonorous and warm tone.

snap alongside your growl, howl and roar.

It’s very responsive to different phrasing techniques and picking strengths (and especially pickup type and selection), and the overall sound has a bit of a ‘boutique amp’ feel.

USEABILITY: The balance of clean and dirty sounds is very intuitively implemented and it allows you to use this pedal for everything from a clean boost right on up to an amp-like overdrive for rhythms and solos. The passive tone control is thoughtfully voiced to be usable across its range.

USEABILITY: The sheer range of sonic sculptability means you can endlessly tweak the controls to find your tone. It also means you can sometimes get a little lost amongst all the options, but hey, variety is never a bad thing as long as you remember to stop tweaking and start playing.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who wants more control from their overdrive and is more into smooth, organic sounds other than processed or saturated ones.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Designed in partnership with Carlo Sorasio, Italy’s premier boutique amp and pedal builder, this is a very boutique-feeling pedal which stands above most other overdrives with the

CONSTRUCTION: A nice chunky pedal that’s in it for the long haul, although the Boost/OD switch would feel more sturdy as a toggle and the controls are pretty close together which makes it feel like you could bump one while changing its neighbour.

OVERALL: A great all-rounder for different musical situations, but with an emphasis on smooth, singing tones rather than filthy hairy dirt. The three band EQ really expands the pedal’s flexibility for matching the musical mood.

BOGNER ECSTASY BLUE EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: CONTACT FOR PRICING | DISTRIBUTOR: EGM DISTRIBUTION

CONSTRUCTION: A typically solid-feeling pedal, as is Way Huge’s style. The stomp switch has a satisfying chunkiness and the knobs are easy to grip. The position of the Tone control is a little hard to see though.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone seeking an amp-like feel from an overdrive, be it for blues, rock, alternative, country, or even for metal players to drive an already raging amplifier.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The key to this pedal’s particular brand of magic is the discrete clean and overdrive signal paths, which are blended via the Gain control, so you can get clarity and

OVERALL: A great overdrive for players who really wring as much as they can from the guitar itself instead of relying on several dirt pedals for different textures. The clean and drive blendability means it can do different things in different kinds of rigs.

WALRUS AUDIO MAYFLOWER EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: $229 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

through for a bit more crunch with humbuckers. The Mayflower has a great clean transparency running through it that feels like it’s retaining a little bit of your clean tone at all times.

USABILITY: It’s easy to get cracking and pump out the tones. A little bit of dialling and you’ll find some sounds that work for you. It can also be stacked if you want to add some grit to your other favourite pedals.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, pop, funk and players wanting more of a classic type OD tone.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Coming from Bogner’s highly revered Ecstasy amp, this is the pedal summation of the ‘Blue’ channel. On the edge of slightly hairy tones through to bigger and more mental ones, the Blue can do classic rock in a pinch. A wide range of gain sounds are possible with the Blue making it a versatile unit indeed, and whilst Rock might be its main calling, I could see it sitting on plenty of different pedalboards.

USABILITY: Rock solid and featuring the Ecstasy

www.mixdownmag.com.au

CONSTRUCTION: Hip and trendy in looks, the Walrus line of pedals keep up in the style stakes as well as feeling tough enough to take a heap of stomping.

amp chicken head knobs, the Blue pedal definitely takes its kicks from its amp based brother. Easy to stomp and fiddle as a start, there is then a heap of options with switches for Variac, Mode, Pre Eq and Structure as well as your normal EQ and levels. The added Boost function is super handy too.

CONSTRUCTION: Love the looks, size and shape of the Ecstasy pedals. Anyone who’s seen or played an Ecstasy amp will instantly recognise the look.

OVERALL: Killer pedal, great tones on board and useful features. Boom!

RECOMMENDED FOR: This pedal is mainly aimed at indie, country, rock and pop players.

OVERALL: This is a solid offering from the Walrus Audio team. The Mayflower can sit in a few camps for edgy and broken through to gainy. It works with a range of guitars and has enough scope to cover most of your OD needs.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: From light OD to mid gain, the Mayflower sits somewhere in the middle of the gain tree. It sounds nice with single coils for broken chords and riffs, or pushing

MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015 // PG.39

PEDAL SPECIAL

MOOER THE JUICER EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: $199.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA

CATALINBREAD DIRTY LITTLE SECRET EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: $239.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: PEDAL EMPIRE

is great with chords and single notes.

It could be a go to for rock and pop but would also suit other genres needing a natural, vintage type OD pedal.

leads, even high gain settings remain smooth and harmonically rich. This is a very responsive pedal that reacts well to dynamic playing. Just like a vintage Marshall, this pedal cleans up nicely when rolling down the guitar’s volume knob and an internal switch offers both Super Lead and Super Bass emulations.

USABILITY: Easy to navigate with EQ controls of Low and High, an overall Level control and most importantly a big yellow Juice knob right in the middle.

USABILITY: Designed to react like an amp, the controls include a master and preamp dial to get cranked tones at a manageable volume. Treble, middle and bass controls make it easy to find the sweet spot where that iconic throaty mid-range begins to shine.

CONSTRUCTION: This is a tough little tank of a pedal just like the rest of the Mooer line. It’s got plenty of stomping in it for sure. No batteries for these mini pedals however so make sure you’ve got a power supply handy.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, pop and blues.

OVERALL: Mooer’s hark back to the DOD FX51 Juice Box, The Juicer is also the signature offering for rock shredder Neil Zaza. A cool pedal that has a nice vintage feel with some sheen on it. Great for power chord chugging or single note lines and a mini pedal size means it will easily squeeze onto a already overloaded pedal board or stash in our guitar case/gig bag.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those who want the classic Marshall sound in a flexible package. Nails the Plexi tones of the 60s, from Pete Townsend to Eric Clapton.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Useful nearly all around the dial, the Juicer gives you what the name suggests - juicy and slightly broken tones through to rock type more saturated sounds. This

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The Dirty Little Secret does a mighty fine job of recreating Marshall tones, and can be used to effectively turn the amp of your choice into a towering stack. Capable of moving from light crunch to saturated

BOGNER BURNLEY

RED WITCH IVY

EFFECT: DISTORTION | RRP: CONTACT FOR PRICING | DISTRIBUTOR: EGM DISTRIBUTION

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: A higher gain pedal the Burnley has plenty of headroom and level on tap.

Fat and chunky it’ll do rock open chords, solo shred and hi gain squeal. Great for heavier styles of music, it still has a nice

OVERALL: This is the next best thing to actually owning a vintage Marshall. It gives you the all the vibe of a genuine Plexi, without the chiropractic appointments that will inevitably come from lugging it to gigs. Highly recommended.

EFFECT: DISTORTION | RRP: $180.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: MUSIC LINK AUSTRALIA

EQ that projects through a mix rather than fizzing out into mush. Humbuckers and single coils work and you can back the Gain off for a tough and more vintage vibe if needed.

a big fat grind. It’s especially suitable for really aggressive, biting, gargantuan heavy metal tones rather than smoother, more vocal voices. It thrives on highoutput humbuckers and actives.

USABILITY: As a high gain type effect it’s easy to get around with controls for Level, Gain and Tone. There’s also the Fat/Tight (F/T) switch which toggles between tighter, more aggressive tones or fat and slightly warmer sounds. With plenty of usable sounds that are easy to find, it’s more of a twiddle and experiment situation.

USEABILITY: With no tone control, you’re somewhat limited in the scope of your tones.

The controls are pretty close together which is to be expected on a pedal of this size. The convenience of the handy rechargeable Lithium Ion cell battery makes up for it though.

CONSTRUCTION: Very tiny and compact, but pretty easy to see on stage considering how small it is. It can quite literally fit in your pocket, and some players might even consider duct-taping one to their guitar for something a bit different.

CONSTRUCTION: Reinhold is quite the fashionista, and the Burnley looks the part. It comes in a purple, almost stone-ish looking top, or a wooden Burbinga top, and a cool steel/silver casing designed to conjure up the look and feel of a 60s vintage mixing console. Looks great and feels tough.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, metal, indie and higher gain users.

CONSTRUCTION: The Dirty Little Secret not only sounds great, it looks fantastic too. Top quality assembly is featured throughout and dials are accented with glow in the dark markers to ensure they remain visible on even the darkest stage.

OVERALL: These Neve equipped pedals run the gamut from clean and pristine through to lots of gain, with the Burnley sitting at the latter end of the spectrum. Usable settings and lots of level mean you can really work the Burnley with your own rig to find a setting that suits. An awesome collaboration between Rupert Neve and Reinhold Bogner.

PG.40 // MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anybody looking for mountains of distortion in a compact package. Also for those who don’t want to deal with batteries and power supplies.

OVERALL: A great metal distortion, not terribly flexible in terms of tonal range but does what you expect it to do.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This pedal is capable of a huge range of gain levels, from subtle edge and bite to

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

JIM DUNLOP JIMI HENDRIX BAND OF GYPSIES FUZZ FACE

MC SYSTEMS BWI DYNAMIC FUZZ EFFECT: FUZZ | RRP: $215 | DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA

EFFECT: FUZZ | RRP: $219 | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

USEABILITY: This pedal allows you to call up different fuzz levels depending on how hard you stomp on the switch, which makes for a very dynamic experience for the player and audience alike. There are also two separate boost levels which let you hit your amp harder or softer for different saturation textures, or they allow you to select different volume levels for rhythm and lead.

USEABILITY: The interactivity and responsiveness of the circuit makes this pedal much more versatile than the simple control layout might imply. As with any Fuzz Face, you won’t miss the absence of a tone control.

Despite its small size, the controls are far enough apart that there’s no risk of nudging one when you’re turning the other.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Vintage tone freaks and Jimi Hendrix fans primarily, Anybody who craves filthy, fat-toned fuzz with authentic traditional responsiveness. There’s a special emphasis on players who prefer smaller pedals for more compact boards.

SOUND AND vERSATILITY: At the furthest reaches of the Fuzz dial you can expect a huge, gelatinous, squelchy fuzz tone right out of the 60s.

It’s an extremely dynamic pedal, the entire sound changes in response to even slight turns of the guitar’s volume knob, and even more so to tone knob.

CONSTRUCTION: The tiny, tuna-can-sized enclosure feels pretty beefy despite its lightness. You’ll definitely want to secure it to something because it’s so light it can be dragged around easily by the cable. The battery door on the bottom is easily accessible.

OvERALL: This pedal offers an easy ticket to Jimi Hendrix-style fat fuzz tones but you don’t need to be a Hendrix fan to appreciate or use it in your own music.

It’s ready for indie, alternative and stoner styles as well as classic rock and blues.

EARTHQUAKER DEVICES FUZZ MASTER GENERAL

CONSTRUCTION: A very solidy-built pedal which is created in the knowledge that the feature set encourages you to stomp on it pretty hard in the course of regular use.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Fuzz fans looking for something that keeps up with their performance.

Whether you play vintage rock, modern rock, industrial or stoner rock, and especially if you require more than one flavour of fuzz.

OvERALL: This pedal achieves something pretty rare by being utterly unique in a crowded fuzz market. It does all sorts of things that other pedals simply can’t do, by becoming a part of your performance and by encouraging you to play with it rather than through it. Plus it sounds great.

SOUND AND vERSATILITY: A very versatile fuzz with a wide range of fat and edgy tones which respond with sensitivity and dynamics to your picking strength or your pickup selection. It’s especially friendly to vintage-output single coil pickups and P90s.

VOX TRIKE FUZZ EFFECT: OCTAvE FUZZ | RRP: $249.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

EFFECT: FUZZ/OCTAvE FUZZ | RRP: $255 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLOBAL vINTAGE

behaviour. The Trike recreates this well.

Around the 12th fret upper octaves and overtones begin to cascade into a blistering lead tone. The fuzz itself ranges from a compressed buzzsaw to a thunderous roar, with loads of gain on tap. Either one or both octaves can be dialed in, while the tone is controllable too. The fuzz can’t be activated separately to the octaves, but the Trike does a great job of bringing these effects together.

compressed, the standard fuzz settings are super cool. You can get vintage raw tones or more scooped and industrial and there’s a lot of volume on tap. In the octave fuzz setting you can pull out the lasergun-esque, psychedelic vibes that work great with single notes in the higher registers and then freak out (in a cool way) when played with multiple notes.

USABILITY: There’s a big range of fuzz available with the germanium and silicon ‘voice’ options. These react differently to dynamics, guitars, pick/fingers, rig and pedal order so it will take some experimenting, but the control layout is easy to navigate.

CONSTRUCTION: Solid and built for gigging. Also, they have to get bonus points for the top mounted jacks which are great for saving space on a tight pedalboard.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, indie, experimental and punk players mostly, but really anyone who’s a fan of classic fuzz sounds.

SOUND AND vERSATILITY: Loose and raspy or tighter and

www.mixdownmag.com.au

OvERALL: Germanium fuzz, silicon fuzz or octave fuzz in one package – all with a range of usable tones that’ll expand your palette and ideas. Fuzz can be an interesting effect to get your head around and to fit into your rig. The Fuzz Master General does a damn good job.

USABILITY: Due to its extreme character, you won’t be able to break this pedal out in all situations. However, as a unique pedal that can add something special to a solo or riff, the Trike will have you covered.

RECOMMENDED FOR: People gunning for huge riffs and ear splitting solos. Those who are looking for a middle ground between Jimi Hendrix and Jack White.

SOUND AND vERSATILLITY: The Trike offers a ripping fuzz made more potent through an octave up and down effect which can be blended in to taste. The charm of vintage octave effects is their unpredictable and glitchy

CONSTRUCTION: Like the rest of Vox’s Tone Garage series, the Trike is sturdy in all the right places.

Aesthetically, the chicken head knobs and visible circuitry are a nice touch.

OvERALL: This is a dynamic pedal with a lot of attitude. The octave function and its unruly nature adds up to a whole lot of fun, while providing something different than a standard fuzz pedal.

MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015 // PG.41

PEDAL SPECIAL

RED WITCH FACTOTUM EFFECT: BASS OCTAVE AND OVERDRIVE | RRP: $452.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: MUSIC LINK AUSTRALIA

EBS OCTABASS EFFECT: OCTAVE DIVIDER | RRP: $229.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: PEDAL EMPIRE

octave effect is cranked. The controls allow the octave to be mixed in with the original note, from subtle fattening to a full synth-bass tone. A range switch controls the octave’s voicing, with high, mid and low on offer. The OctaBass also does a solid job with electric guitars too.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Bassists who need dirty tones, be they sub-octave growl, edgy distortion or both at the same time. Especially suitable for those who need something stage-worthy and functional.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The dirty sounds can be very hairy and aggressive if you want something utterly antisocial, but you can also dial in subtle warmth in that Geddy Lee kind of way.

The octave sounds are very clear with great tracking and a full tonality that works great with or without distortion.

USEABILITY: Everything is laid out very logically and ergonomically, and the ability to engage

USABILITY: Simply designed, this is an extremely intuitive pedal to use. The OctaBass tracks notes particularly well and fast, instantaneously matching notes across the fretboard. As opposed to other octave pedals, the OctaBass can recognise two or three note chords, pick out and double the root note.

each of the two effects separately is very handy.

CONSTRUCTION: The construction is great and it just looks cool on a purely superficial level too. The foot switches are far enough apart that you won’t hit both by accident, but can angle your food to do so when you need to hit both at once on purpose.

OVERALL: This is the ultimate octave/grit box for those who dwell on the heavier fringes of music. It’s also a great tool for generating subtle increases in the depth and power from your bass tone for more friendly genres too.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This is a great pedal for jazz players who want to hold down the low end while they solo up the neck, or rock players looking to add some girth to a bass line.

It’s an industry standard effect used by legendary bassists including Tony Levin, Roger Glover, Marcus Miller and Tal Wilkenfeld.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This is a clean sounding pedal with a very low noise level, even when the

CONSTRUCTION: Comprised of quality analog circuitry, this is a true bypass pedal that will colour your tone without detracting from the original sound. A weighty pedal that is sturdy without taking up too much pedalboard real estate.

OVERALL: While it may not offer the most options, the OctaBass is a sleek effect with some of the best tracking in its category. Its clear and rounded voice make it one of the better octave pedals out there.

MC SYSTEMS LAX GLASS CHORUS

EDEN I90 CHORUS

EFFECT: CHORUS | RRP: $245 | DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA

EFFECT: CHORUS | RRP: $199 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

songs in a way that other chorus pedals simply can’t do. It can sound like two very different choruses with the stomp of a switch.

USEABILITY: The V-Switch lets you access two totally different levels of chorus depth. One subtle and one extreme, while the alternate switch lets you vary between two different modulation rates, which is equally useful.

CONSTRUCTION: A very chunky and solid pedal which, like the rest of the line. It has a distinctive visual design as well as carefullyimplemented practical features.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Any guitarist looking for a high-quality chorus, but especially those who want something they can experiment with and interact with from song to song, or section to section.

OVERALL: A unique new take on the way we control chorus effects, taking it from a generally passive ‘turn it on and play’ type of effect into an active, real-timecontrollable one that can become a part of your composition almost in a similar way to a wah-wah or envelope filter.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This pedal is equally at home with Andy Summers-style clean tones, Alex Lifesonesque overdriven hi-fi chorus voices or Steve Vai-style ‘shiny glossy solo sound’ leads. The switchable settings make it very versatile and adaptable to specific

PG.42 // MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who wants some extra shimmer and atmosphere in their bass sound, but especially those in bands where a lot of space is given for the bass to roam free.

throwing your amplifier and speakers into hysterics, which can be a risk when chorus is applied to bass. Then the Mix Level lets you dial in just how much actual effect to add in.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Whether you want a light doubling effect, (which is really great for arpeggios) or a more bold chorus effect, (which really shines with fretless bass) or you just need some extra dimension and shimmer in a jazz, pop or ambient context, this pedal is very well voiced. It can even cop Hammond organ sounds.

CONSTRUCTION: A very solid, high-quality pedal with robust controls and a case that feels so ‘military spec’ that you’ll probably get stopped by the TSA.

USEABILITY: The Low Cut control is the key to getting the most out of this pedal. It lets you get the shimmer and liquidity without

OVERALL: The ultimate bass chorus, with enough regular and ‘bonus’ features to really let you dial in your own custom sound, plus enough roadworthiness to put up with whatever the touring life can throw at it.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

RED WITCH MEDUSA EFFECT: CHORUS/TREMOLO | RRP: $452.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: MUSIC LINK AUSTRALIA

BLACK CAT MINI TREM EFFECT: TREMOLO | RRP: $235 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

controls are especially handy, designed with a wide sweep to give you everything from a dull rolling wobble to a shimmery, bright flicker.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who requires a wide variety of swirly, wobbly, wiggly, liquidy tones, especially those who use a stereo rig. It’s strongly recommended for ambient players, it’s a great all-rounder.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: One of the most versatile chorus/trem pedals out there with plenty of controls that let you really fine-tune just how subtle or extreme you want the effect to be. The ability to dial in really, really long delay times lets you get some truly seasick undulous chorus tones or some beautiful pans that swim around the stereo spectrum for up to 45 seconds.

USEABILITY: Some of the controls have funny names like Magnitude, Bathos and Iridescence, which makes it a bit of a ‘read the manual’ or

USEABILITY The pedal is responsive and pretty intuitive. The added controls and the greater assortment of sounds means dialling in what your after might take a little more time than usual, but once you’ve got the hand of it you’ll be off and running. The pedal also comes fitted with a speed switch which enables you to select between half speed and double speed.

‘spend a few hours tweaking stuff before you figure out what does what’ kind of pedal.

The ability to hook up an expression pedal to control the speed also greatly enhances the Medusa’s useability. There’s also a switch on the circuit board to tailor the pedal’s response to suit high-output pickups.

CONSTRUCTION: We’re long past the days of plastic pedals.

This is a very solid device like all Red Witch pedals, and it’ll keep up with whatever you can dish out. The controls are spaced far enough apart so as to not cause fat-finger problems.

OVERALL: This is a great all-round chorus/tremolo pedal for anyone who wants to add shimmer to their sound, and an essential one for those who like to explore the more ambient, ethereal corners of the music world.

RECOMMENDED FOR: The guitarist looking to really refine their tone with the use of added controls and unique tweaks.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With speed, depth, tone and boost controls at the ready, the Black Cat tremolo affords the player the opportunity to find exactly what they’re looking for amongst the array of sounds available.

The addition of the tone and boost

CONSTRUCTION A hand-wired pedal that can be powered by a 9 volt battery or from a jack mounted at the top of the pedal. With four knobs and two switches it has a little more happening on the top than your average tremolo pedal. The yellow LED also flashes in time with your sound to give you a visual reference.

OVERALL This isn’t the most feature-packed tremolo pedal on the market, and yet it stands apart because the extra features it does have are relatively unique, giving you more tone-sculpting and output-shaping capabilities than most. The tremolo feels smooth and natural but the Tone control really kicks it up to the next level.

EARTHQUAKER DEVICES HUMMINGBIRD

RED WITCH EVE TREMOLO

EFFECT: TREMOLO | RRP: $210 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLOBAL VINTAGE

EFFECT: TREMOLO | RRP: $180.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: MUSIC LINK AUSTRALIA

for whacked out deliberate stutter effects or moody washes, but it’s also cool to blend with other effects for individual tones and distinctive patches.

might miss the depth of features of some of the more specc’d out tremolos out there but if you just want basic tremolo sounds there are lots of reasons to love this little stomper.

USABILITY: This trem can be a beautiful subtle throb that just glides in the background, great for arpeggiated chords or sparse single note lines. Then again, if you ramp up the depth and let the oscillation kick in it’s something else entirely. So from a user point of view, you can dial in the relaxed vibes or get whacky with ease, it’s just a matter of finding the sound you’re looking for in that particular situation.

USEABILITY: The rechargeable Lithium Ion battery gives you 120 hours of playing time from four hours of charge. The controls give you plenty of range for fast and slow, shallow and deep tremolo sounds.

If you’re an absolute tremolo hound you might want something more.

CONSTRUCTION: A very tiny, portable, light little pedal.

Even more so than the Ivy Distortion, the Eve Tremolo is probably a good candidate for mounting on a guitar or strap for real time control if you’re that kind of adventurous player.

CONSTRUCTION: Tough and well built, it’s more than just the looks and construction here – it’s the circuit idea and design that adds something extra.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Indie, pop, electro, experimental, noisemakers and lovers of special effects.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Based on old Valco and Vox tremolo sounds, the Hummingbird can slowly shimmer and glow for vintage uses but then gets funky when you push the amplitude modulation side of things. Great

www.mixdownmag.com.au

OVERALL: It’s a tremolo, but not your average trem. It can do wobbly and throb, but really excels with the ‘repeat percussion’ type sounds like choppy, filtered, raspy, sawtooth that almost splurts out of your speaker.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Players who want a tremolo pedal for occasional feature moments or subtle shimmers, but aren’t terribly fussed about having a hugely tailored, custom tremolo sound.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With only Speed and Depth controls, this isn’t exactly the most feature-packed or distinctive tremolo pedal out there, but it does what it does quite well. You

OVERALL: It sounds good, the controls give you plenty of range and it’s handy in terms of economics and ergonomics. It’s not the be-all-and-end-all of tremolo pedals, but if you want something simple to do the job in broad strokes, and you like the convenience of the rechargeable aspect, then you might just be all about Eve.

MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015 // PG.43

PEDAL SPECIAL

STRYMON BIG SKY

STRYMON FLINT EFFECT: TREMOLO AND REVERB | RRP: $499 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, pop, roots and folks after vintagey, warm trem and verb.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: As either a reverb or a tremolo, the Flint sounds warm and natural with 3 different types of each. Then blend in both and you’ve got some old valve amp goodness that could sit in a heap of musical settings.

USABILITY: Setup as on/off for both effects, it’s easy to dial in a trem and verb and then hit it. The beauty is then in some of the deeper ‘secondary’ functions that let you set the order of the effects and tweak subdivisions.

CONSTRUCTION: Tough and built to last, the pedal size is just right with enough space between the two footswitches to click just one by itself easily. You can also do the two at once with a bit of side foot action if you need to.

OVERALL: Looking back to the 60s and 70s, the Flint gets its direction from those historic vintage amps that ran trem and verb as a tasty combination. The Flint definitely delivers organic and lush tones that you can set and forget, or ramp up for something a little more in your face.

MC SYSTEMS LYN DYNAMIC PHASER EFFECT: PHASER | RRP: $215 | DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA

EFFECT: REVERB | RRP: $679 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, experimental, indie and pop players.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Whilst it’s a reverb pedal, it isn’t just a reverb pedal, if you know what I mean.

Sure you can get tasty spring type sounds and cosy room settings right through to big hall verbs, but then get into the shimmer, chorale, cloud and bloom area and you’ll have modulation, space, decay, depths and a host of other palettes to explore.

USABILITY: Whilst some of the reverb types here might take some figuring out, this pedal is generally super easy to twist and play

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Everything from gentle, barelyperceptable phaser warbles to truly alien “No Quarter” style phaser wobbles. It sounds just as good no matter which extreme you’re going for, and the fact that you can vary the effect depth in

mental rock/vibey/blues and the ‘Detune’ setting allows for cool 80s chorus type tones too. Plenty of options here!

USABILITY: Tiny and easy to stomp on, you’ll realistically want to set and forget when using it on a gig. The control layout and dials are surprisingly easy to manipulate however even considering the pedal’s mini size.

CONSTRUCTION: Tough and well thought out, it’s easy to set and forget with the little cross bar part stopping you from bumping controls when stepping on it. The large knob on the front also packs every bit of room to work and still lets you adjust the controls easily.

CONSTRUCTION: A nice strong pedal which takes up the perfect amount of space on your board: big enough to deal with the interactive nature of the stomping it requires you to perform, and small enough that you can fit a bunch of other MC Systems pedals on your board too.

PG.44 // MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015

OVERALL: Want a great sounding straight up reverb? Check. Want to tweak a multitude of reverbs til you can’t differentiate your delayed puffs and lift trails from dark caverns or velvet drapes? Check. Plenty of verby goodness from those clever peeps at Strymon.

EFFECT: PITCH SHIFT | RRP: $179 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

USEABILITY: The V-Switch allows you to vary the level of phaser depth according to how hard you stomp on the pedal, while the Alternate switch gives you different modulation rates. It takes a little bit of getting used to but it soon feels natural.

You can even create rhythms with careful use of the Alternate switch and rate controls.

OVERALL: Phaser is the perfect effect to apply this kind of technology to because it allows you to access the more Leslie-like elements of the phaser sound as well as more out-there textures in a truly interactive you.

CONSTRUCTION: In the uniform Strymon big box size, the Big Sky looks great, feels tough and has plenty of power packed under the hood.

HOTONE HARMONY

realtime while still playing means you can create some dynamic, rhythmically forceful effects that no other phaser can match.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone looking for controllable phaser textures, from vintage fans who want to get some of that ‘different Leslie speeds’ vibe to modern anarchist texturalist players who are seeking new tones.

and then edit from there on the fly. To be honest I quite like flicking through the presets as a start and then tweaking when an idea comes to mind.

RECOMMENDED FOR: A pretty broad pedal that could be used for funk, metal, experimental and rock.

OVERALL: This is a cool and compact harmoniser pedal that has some great features.

Great as your go to pitch shift pedal or handy as a secret weapon to keep in your gigbag when that something extra is needed!

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: A two octave range with blend controls for the dry and effected signal. You can do subtle through to chipmunk crazy.

Great for doubling or fattening single note lines, getting Jack White experi-

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

EDEN CALIFORNIWAH EFFECT: AUTO WAH/ENVELOPE FILTER | RRP: $199 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: Bass players who want funky autowah sounds that they can control with playing dynamics, and sculpt to suit the situation.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Between the Low Point, Resonance and Sensitivity controls you can dial in anything from a subtle trebly bite to a big deep swoop and a Level control means you can dial in extreme sounds but then blend them back for subtle enhancement instead of sonic overkill.

USEABILITY: The main controls in themselves are very useful but the Voice and Effect Level controls really raise this one above the vast majority of auto-wah pedals on the market. Everything’s well laid out

and easy to see too, despite the fancy graphic.

CONSTRUCTION: The knobs feel as thought they are of a very high quality and difficult to turn accidentally. Even the little push-push Voice button feels a lot higher in quality than the buttons typically found in pedals of this ilk. A very stage-friendly pedal.

OVERALL: Between the dynamic range (which is vast) and the sonic sculptability (which is near infinite) and the Voice control (which effectively turns this into two whole pedals at once) this is one of the most adaptable envelope filter/autowah pedals on the market, and a great addition to any player’s rig.

CRYBABY MINI WAH EFFECT: WAH | RRP: CALL FOR PRICING | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who requires wah effects but has limited space on their pedalboard, or who wants a wah they can chuck in a guitar case or gig bag. The voicings are versatile enough to make it an ‘every genre’ wah.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With three modes there are plenty of sounds. Select between Low, Vintage and GCB95 modes for everything from old-school subtlety to a more modern gutwrenching wah wah sound.

USEABILITY: The pedal’s small size makes it a little tricky to reach the lower ranges of the pedal’s throw, and the mode switching is handled inside the unit so you need to take the bottom off to change sounds.

Neither is worth making anybody pass on owning one but it would be a better pedal if both issues were addressed.

CONSTRUCTION: The high-quality Fasel inductor ensures great tones, and the unit itself feels quite sturdy and roadworthy considering its small size. It feels more or less as bulletproof as a full-sized Crybaby.

OVERALL: Unbeatable for sheer sonic versatility and quality in a small and confined space, but the small usability issues keep it from scoring full marks. However on pure tone and reliability there’s every reason in the world to check this pedal out and add it to your pedalboard, whether you need the smaller footprint or not.

HOTONE SOULPRESS

VOX DOUBLE DECA DELAY

EFFECT: WAH/VOLUME/EXPRESSION | RRP: $179 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

EFFECT: ANALOGUE DELAY | RRP: $249.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

effect, adding dimension to your tone.

At higher settings it can create a swirling, rotary-like effect. A switch chooses between long and short delays, which offer everything from an old school slap back to tripped out self-oscillation.

Alternatively, both long and short delays can be blended together to create a lush delay that is rich with atmosphere.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Though the volume and expression elements mean this pedal is versatile enough for use in a number of different genres, as a wah it’s better used in funk, rock, pop and psych.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This pedal is made to be versatile. It is equal parts volume, wah and expression.

All three are super usable with the wah sounding quacky and vibrant with a smooth top end (no harsh overbright highs) and an even sweep. In volume mode you can roll cleanly through your range and then as an expression you can slot it into whatever you like.

USABILITY: With a smooth treadle, the Soulpress feels nice for any of the three functions, and

www.mixdownmag.com.au

in terms of use, it’s as easy as flicking the selector switch to the mode you want to use, and then adjusting the bottom value if needed. Mini is cool in terms of size and feel without compromising tone. Some bigger feet may need time to get used to the size however.

CONSTRUCTION: Stronger in build and feel than I expected, you can wah away with plenty of gusto without fear.

OVERALL: Mini is very trendy at the moment and the choice of incorporating all three functions ticks a few boxes for a lot of players. A cool concept that sounds and feels good, and could save you some valuable pedalboard real estate or even sit in you gigbag for that time when you just may need it.

RECOMMENDED FOR Anything from rockabilly to ambient, especially for fans of vintage sounds. This is suitable for someone wanting a delay with character and retro charm.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The three bucket brigade chips used in the Double Deca give the repeats a sought after analogue warmth. This is a very musical delay, with a dark and washed out character. The built in modulation control can add a subtle chorus

USABILITY: The controls are simple and intuitive enough to get a great sound going right out of the box. The pedal has to be manually turned on via a standby switch, which might be easy to forget in a live situation. Inclusion of tap tempo would take this to the next level, but ultimately the Double Deca will cover most delay needs with minimal fuss.

CONSTRUCTION: A heavy pedal with a die-cast aluminium shell which could certainly put up with gigging hardships and overenthusiastic stomps.

OVERALL: The Double Deca is a warm, versatile delay with a colourful sound. Perfect as an easy to use delay that will bring character to your tone without breaking the bank.

MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015 // PG.45

PEDAL SPECIAL

HOTONE TAPE EKO EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $179 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

MC SYSTEMS CGN DYNAMIC DELAY EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $245 | DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA

the Mode 2 setting, great for vintage sounds and rounded puffs of delay. Mode 1 is slightly brighter and more responsive which could handle the longer rhythmic things or crack out a nice country snappy slap. Reverse is then a bonus if you want to get a little whacky.

standard, straight-forward but nicesounding delay. The magic is in how you interact with it, which means you can get some contrasting effects in ways that other delays just can’t do.

USEABILITY: There are two selectable delay time/level settings, but the best usability feature here is the ability to alter the feedback by how hard you stomp. It takes some getting used to (and don’t try it barefoot - ouch) but once you’ve figured it out it’s quite an intuitive system.

USABILITY: Mix, feedback, delay and a three way mode switch for Mode 1, 2 or Reverse.

Simple.

CONSTRUCTION: You’ve seen these tiny Hotone pedals no doubt, and they more than do the job.

Small, tough and seemingly well built, they’re definitely more than just a small gimmicky build – they’re made for plenty of gigging and jamming.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Ultimately this pedal is best served in the pop, rock, experimental and country arena.

OVERALL: Surprisingly vintagey in sound, the Tape Eko is a handy little standalone Eko pedal that could be your dedicated Slap back/solo tone/ambient/reverse moody crazy sound pedal as it won’t take up much room, sounds cool and keeps on keeping on…and on….and on!

CONSTRUCTION: A very well-built pedal, and it’d wanna be given that it invites you to stomp the hell out of it with its interactive, ‘hey, stomp on me!’ control system.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Any guitarist who’s after a versatile delay with a simple feature set and yet is not afraid to get a little bit out-there, especially in terms of end-of-song delaymeltdown sound collages.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Delay is often a favourite amongst guitarists, be it for subtle depth or body or bigger swelly repeats. The aptly named ‘Tape Eko’ does a warmish tape tone in

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The name might be a bit misleading in that it’s not a ducking delay (ie: dynamically sensitive). The name alludes to the V-Switch which lets you summon different feedback levels for the effect depending on how hard you stomp on the pedal. Otherwise it’s a pretty

STRYMON DIG

STRYMON TIMELINE

EFFECT: DUAL DIGITAL DELAY | RRP: $499 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists that play rock, pop, electro, experimental, and enthusiasts of 80s tones.

easy to do from looking at the control knobs. You can DIG further if you like too, if you want to change delay types, run in sync or add an expression pedal.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Two simultaneous delays that integrate to produce 80s inspired rack sounds.

Big repeats, spaced out and a range of resolutions allow for some truly flange, modulated, synthy, chorus type tones.

Then there are pseudo E-Bow sounds, rhythmic delays and big echoes. Tweak and you’ll find plenty more in this little pink number too.

CONSTRUCTION: Typical Strymon looks and design in a compact package that seems built to be stomped on.

USABILITY: Blend the two delays as you see fit, add modulation and set repeats. All this is

OVERALL: Getting its fix from those 80s rack delay tones, the DIG is a different beast to Strymon’s other delay offerings. Perhaps not enough for some players, but plenty of us out there will love pushing the DIG’s boundaries and dialling sounds from the era of big guitar racks and processed guitar tones.

PG.46 // MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015

OVERALL: The Dynamic Delay is a radical new take on how we interact with a delay pedal, turning the simple act of switching on the effect into a part of your performance. Simply, or should i say, intuitively awesome!

EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $649 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

RECOMMENDED FOR: Indie, rock, pop and ambient players. It’s also handy for those needing to cover a lot of bases in one unit.

as gentle or as steep as you like. That said it’s pretty easy to get your head around even some of the most advanced functionality.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Vintage, warm sounding repeats with grit, big lush ambient textural sounds, slap back, swelling modulation and the list goes on. It’s great for drastic effects but also a nice sounding unit for simple delays and adding some body to your tones. I’m a big fan of the Digital, dTape, Lo-Fi and Swell settings.

CONSTRUCTION: Tough, easy to stomp on, solid under foot, logical control layout and a comfortable angle. The form factor and materials are spot on.

USABILITY: From actions as simple as two presets and a tap tempo through to serious processing, switching and deep editing, the Timeline caters to a wide audience and means the learning curve can be

OVERALL: This has become one of the staple delay pedals for pros and bedroom bashers alike with presets, a heap of tweaking options and good sounds for a range of styles. It can also be as straightforward as you like if you prefer just a couple of presets. It’s not surprising that you see the Timeline on boards everywhere.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

HOTONE WALLY LOOPER

VOX STOMPLAB IB

EFFECT: LOOP STATION | RRP: $169 | DISTRIBUTOR: NOISE TOYS IMPORTS

EFFECT: MODELLING BASS GUITAR EFFECT PROCESSOR RRP: $119.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

speed it up to double speed (one octave up) when engaged. When kept in its original position this pedal won’t colour your tone or disfigure it and the volume control knob will help you boost the overall loop volume to keep your overall sound where you want it.

USEABILITY: The input recording volume function is great when adjusting the volume of each loop you record and as you go or switch between instruments. Really dig the 15mins of recording time you can play with and infinite looping function which is down right crazy fun when you get the hand of it. Easy memory wipes and re-record functionality make it fun simple to loop.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Any player, be that guitar, bass, keys or percussion that wants a singular mono channel of sound looped. It’s ideal for the guitarist or bass player who wants to record live licks on stage solo, with their band or writing in their studio. The Wally Looper is a great tool for creating dense adjustable layers of sound or just working out other parts to a new song.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: It doesn’t create a sound or tone as such, but the tempo variation function is adjustable to slow down your loop by a half speed (one octave down) or

CONSTRUCTION: Built strong with a silent switcher, it will have you looping and stomping a lot with ease and peace of mind that it won’t break after heavy use. The LED is helpful to monitor the pedals operating status and loop functions.

OVERALL: An awesome compact looper that will save you space on your pedal board in comparison to other larger more involved loop pedals on the market. It’s simple, functional and user friendly, so without further ado, introducing Wally – your new

TC HELICON DITTO MIC LOOPER EFFECT: VOCAL LOOPER | RRP: $329 | DISTRIBUTOR: AMBER TECHNOLOGY

array of high quality effects for almost any situation.

USABILITY: With so many effects on offer, the interface can be daunting at first. Thankfully, effects are divided up into selectable categories including funk, jazz, rock, dance and pop to make it easy to find the right sound. The StompLab offers 100 diverse presets, all easily accessible via the footswitch. Presets are also customisable and can be saved.

The addition of a floor tuner is a practical touch.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Bass guitarists looking for a single pedal to cover most of their needs. A headphone out also makes this good choice for facilitating silent practice.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This is an incredibly versatile pedal, offering a range of quality effects and amp modeling. Effects range from subtle and useful, such as a clean sounding compressor and EQ, to a colourful autowah, octave generator, fuzz, chorus, acoustic emulator and more. Within these categories, parameters can be further tweaked to your liking. The amp and cab emulations do a decent job of replicating their namesakes and are especially useful for quickly dialling in a fresh sound.

Ultimately, the StompLab offers a huge

CONSTRUCTION: The StompLab is remarkably small considering the amount of effects squeezed into it. The dials are conveniently big enough to move with a foot if needed, while the outer shell is durable.

OVERALL: An excellent, jack of all trades pedal that offers a massive range of sounds.

CIOKS ADAM LINK PRODUCT TYPE: MULTIPLE PEDAL POWER SUPPLY | RRP: $209 | DISTRIBUTOR: AMBER TECHNOLOGY

pedals, this unit has been designed to work with microphone inputs and allow the voice to be looped and played back.

It is a bit of a one trick pony, but it is what you can achieve with that trick that makes it so worthwhile.

USEABILITY: The two button operation couldn’t be any simpler to use. It is really just a matter of getting your head around the combination of button presses so that you can do it without thinking. Then you can focus on your performance and just let the pedal do its job without it being an inhibitor.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This is perfect for the singer and front man who wants to gain control over their sound just like the guitarist has always done. For anyone who sings with or without using a guitar as well, this pedal gives your performance a new power.

SOUND AND VERSATILITY: What goes in is just what comes out, over and over again. Like guitar looper

www.mixdownmag.com.au

CONSTRUCTION: Both buttons are really nice silent switches that respond well to a delicate touch, but can also take a heavy pounding when properly trodden on. The one potentiometer located on the top is housed under a large outer knob and feels pretty tough too.

OVERALL: This is without a doubt the pedal that many vocalists have been waiting for.

It’s compact, easy to set up in just about any environment and it’s super easy to use. Plus it sounds great!

RECOMMENDED FOR: This power supply is designed for guitarists running a compact and minimal pedal board with limited power needs. It may be a second pedal board for a smaller rig or even for use with a different setup, like an acoustic rig.

VERSATILITY: With four isolated outputs, you have a combination of 9 and 12 volt power sources between 100 and 250 mA current draws. This is suitable for most smaller pedals that don’t require separate, larger AC power supplies and it will meet the needs of most compact pedal boards.

USEABILITY: The compact size of the unit allows it to fit into most pedal boards, it will even

slide into the underside of a Pedal Train Nano board, so it isn’t going to take up much needed space on top of the board when a pedal could be resting there.

CONSTRUCTION: This is a tough little box with very little that can get damaged on the outside of it. The power cable is not hardwired, which is a plus as it can be removed when not in use to protect it from getting damaged.

OVERALL: With only four outputs, this might not meet everyone’s needs. Still, for a compact setup, or linked from another CIOKS power supply for added juice on a larger rig, this is a handy little tool to have.

MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015 // PG.47

PEDAL SPECIAL

GATOR CASES - THE BONE PRODUCT TYPE: PEDALBOARD | RRP: $169 | DISTRIBUTOR: JANDS AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: As a compact and streamlined choice for laying out your pedals, The Bone is no brainer. An obvious option for guitarists who want to keep it neat and simple with a limited number of pedals needed to get the job done right.

VERSATILITY: A mostly elongated design allows for four or five typical pedals to run along the board with the extended section on the right allowing for a wah or volume pedal to start the signal path off.

USEABILITY: The design of this unit does not really allow for any wild and over the top pedal setups. In fact it does quite the opposite, bringing a certain refinement to the layout and keeping all the pedals

in a neat row as the space dictates. A simple and clean signal path is forced from this board.

CONSTRUCTION: Made up of a lightweight plastic, this isn’t too much trouble to cart around, but it still has plenty of strength. With rubber feet not only on the corners, but under the centre of the board for added support, this is ready to take a beating.

OVERALL: This may not be everyone’s choice, but when you are running a simple pedal rig and want a lightweight pedalboard solution, this is a very neat option. There is even space to land a compact power supply on one side without taking up valuable real estate too.

PG.48 // MIXDOWN #255 // JULY 2015

CHARLIE’S PEDALBOARDS C3 PRODUCT TYPE: PEDALBOARD | RRP: $199 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the sort of pedalboard plenty of guitarists will find is the perfect middle ground between compact and over the top. It will suit most players’ needs with space for up to a dozen pedals and has a variety of options in how it can be set up.

VERSATILITY: The two-tiered design of this pedalboard is what makes the C3 a standout against many other pedal boards of this size. It really makes good use of the available space, allowing for a wide range of pedals to be used while being able to house various power supplies underneath.

USEABILITY: With the two-tiered design, you still get

the full depth of the pedalboard on the right hand side to allow for wah and volume pedals, while the left hand side allows for the rear row of pedals to be raised for easier access.

CONSTRUCTION: Made out of lightweight aluminium, this is easy to carry around even when fully loaded. Support bars underneath the chassis take the weight when you stomp upon it and rubber feet the whole way across the bottom keep it stable under a load.

OVERALL: These pedalboards are underrated and really deserve a bigger spotlight. The entire range has something to offer just about every setup, but the C3 is by far the pick of them as the great all-rounder.

www.mixdownmag.com.au