EffectsWire

Dwarfcraft Surrender Dorothy

2012-08-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Dwarfcraft's Surrender Dorothy is a more tame version of their Great Destroyer but damn does it still pack a punch. It's thick, it's bassy and still a little noisy and I wouldn't have it any other way. More comprehensive demo to come.

Dwarfcraft Pitch Grinder Prototype!

2012-07-29T22:12:00.001-05:00

Here we have the prototype Pitch Grinder from Dwarfcraft. It's a sequenced pitch shifter with some serious bit-crushing going on and it's amazing. I did a little demo of it's functions and just getting different sounds out of it. This was all recorded and edited on my iPad so the audio quality certainly isn't the best but it gives you a great idea of what this thing can do. Needless to say I can't wait for their Kickstarter to get approved so I can give my money to them! Enjoy the demo, there will be more to come tomorrow (that's right EffectsWire is back and it'll be better than ever)!

Update:
After spending more time with this thing I'm quite impressed by how intuitive it is and how inspiring it can be. It probably won't be an always on type of thing but certainly is an incredibly unique effect that can work for just about any style of musician. The Pitch Grinder is a challenge, a challenge to be creative and push the boundaries of what you're currently doing. I challenge you to take the plunge and pledge to their Kickstarter, I promise you won't regret it. I did a couple recordings on my computer as well using a USB mixer and a Shure SM57. Here's a medley of Pitch Grinder sounds and an improvised noise track I did with it as well.

Guest Post: DIY Feedback Looping with Kevin Ian

2012-01-31T22:20:00.002-06:00

Hello Kind Readers!

I've been experimenting with feedback loops for the better part of the last two years. In my band, The Common Men, I utilize feedback loops within the scope of an electric guitar. This yields some wonderfully noisy and melodically noisy passages that--in my humble opinion--make me stand out in my local scene.

I've been asked about experimenting with such techniques without having to invest in a feedback loop pedal.

Those of you interested in feedback looping can do so with your existing pedal collection and a basic mixer. The requirement is that this mixer has an FX SEND to it.

Before I continue, allow me to make this warning loud and clear:

Turn down the volume of your amplification source! Whether this is a PA or amp, make sure the volume is all the way off. Feedback looping causes sudden spikes in volume that can damage speakers--more on this later.

Let's get started!

After your have assembled a pedal chain made with your existing effects, power up your mixer.

Connect a cable from your FX SEND to the first pedal in your chain.

Connect a cable from the last pedal in your chain to any input on your mixer.

Connect a cable from the main out of your mixer into an amplification source. Slowly turn up the volume until desired volume is achieved.

Have fun!

Here a few things to keep in mind:

Not every pedal will work in the feedback loop. I highly recommend constant experimentation with regards to pedal order and what works/what doesn't. Some pedal act wonderfully in a feedback loop, while others do not. Also, pedal order is very important as how they interact together in order becomes far more drastic and noticeable when feeding back into each other.

Dirt pedals will yield an oscillating tone that can be control via the tone knob. You can also use this pedal LAST in the chain as a volume control to keep a lid on the signal level--very helpful when dealing with guitar rigs.

The nature of said dirt pedals vary. Sputtering/stuttering dirt will give amazing results.

Modulation pedals are a bit more interactive. As you turn the control knobs, the feedback loop slightly lags in its response, giving the sounds vocal qualities when in between settings. Flange can yield the scifi ray gun sounds instantly, and auto wah and synth effects are even more fun!

Delay pedals self-oscillate, even the clean digital ones! Slowly--or quickly--turn the time knob to experience pitch-bending type sounds!

Any combinations of these pedals will only increase the sonic palette. You will find that it quickly gets addicting to see what you can and cannot mix!

I have included a video tutorial as well as a demonstration of the pedals I have and what they manipulate within the loop.

Thanks for reading!

- Kevin Ian

Kevin Ian is a multi-instrumentalist from Norther California. His band, The Common Men, recently got on Pandora. Be sure to make your channel today! Their latest, "Let it Burn," can be found on most online retailers, and their page is www.thecommonmen.tk

Review: DMB Lunar Echo

2012-01-26T12:08:00.000-06:00

The DMB Lunar Echo is an analog delay with a sweet, sweet tone and tons of modulation options from subtle to sounds you've never even heard from a delay before. Keep on reading to find out about this killer analog delay.

Hardware
The options presented by the Lunar Echo can be a little daunting at first but are pretty easy to make sense. Players will find a ton of cool features in this (very tall) box. Control-wise, there are five knobs for the delay volume (or mix), the number of repeats (or feedback), the delay time and speed and depth controls for the modulation section. Also featured are two switches to subtly or drastically change the nature of the delay. The hi-fi/lo-fi switch changes the brightness and fidelity of the repeats, the lo-fi option also will self oscillate quicker and repeat more. The other switch changes the mode of the delay from Normal (no modulation) to Tape (tape echo emulation with some very sweet sounding subtle modulation) and Wrecked which just makes this delay go crazy and is highly interactive with the Speed and Depth controls. The Lunar Echo also features top mounted jacks with an FX loop (A/B/Y cable required) so you could add a ring mod or anything you can think of to the repeats. Also included is an expression jack for controlling the delay time of the Lunar Echo. Build quality is also excellent, I can't see many players complaining about a lack of hardware features here, the Lunar Echo brings just about everything a delay user loves to the table. Oh and I almost forgot, the Take-Off switch adds an exponential amount of feedback and naturally self oscillation to your sound, yeah, it's pretty awesome!

The Sounds
The Lunar Echo has all of these great features but how does it actually sound? It sounds great! My favorite setting was maxing out the Level, Tails, and Feedback controls with the switches set to Tape mode and Lo-fi mode. The Lunar Echo just seemed to repeat forever with a slight, controllable oscillation that just added to the texture but didn't complete destroy the sound or decay of the delay. I found the Hi-fi mode to be a little disappointing though, as it just didn't stand out very well in the mix and made the delay feel kind of weak. Let's face it though, users interested DMB Lunar Echo probably aren't looking for a high fidelity, digital delay, they want that sweet tape emulation and the crazy wrecked noises! Speaking of the wrecked mode, it's absolutely insane what sounds it makes, most probably not usable for playing more traditional styles of music, but if you're a little more experimental, you'll love it. The pitch bending sounds awesome and the speed and depth ranges allow you to dial in just the right amount of chaos. Stomp on the Take-Off switch and things get even more crazy, it's really something you just have to hear for yourself!

Here we have the Lunar Echo in Tape mode with Lo-fi repeats. I also kick on the feedback switch at the very end for some self oscillation. The signal is just guitar--Lunar Echo--Amp

Here we have the Lunar Echo in Wrecked mode for some crazier sounds. The signal is just guitar--Lunar Echo--Amp

Here's a more experimental noise track I improvised using the Lunar Echo at the end of the chain in Wrecked mode, you can find a more detailed description on the track information on the Eel Fist SoundCloud. The volume and feedback swells are me engaging the Take-Off switch.

Final Say
The DMB Lunar Echo is an impressive delay with a plethora of useful features (some that I wasn't able to use*) and it sounds amazing. It's definitely one of the better delays I have played but I do have a few minor gripes. The Hi-fi mode just seems to be really weak (maybe I was doing something wrong though) and although the Take-Off switch is a great feature, it's very loud. I wish there was a control for how much feedback the Take-Off switch added. Aside from these minor problems I had, I still highly recommend the Lunar Echo to anyone looking for a tape-style delay (that controlled oscillation is just perfect) and any experimental artist out there who could make some crazy noises using the Wrecked Mode along with some effects in the FX loop of the pedal. Head over to DMB Pedal's website for more info on how you can get your own Lunar Echo.

*Note- I was not able to use the FX loop or Expression input as I do not have the proper equipment or cables.

For all you noise fans out there!

2012-01-16T23:43:00.002-06:00

Here is another track I made using a few of my favorite pedals. Enjoy!

Winter by EelFistNoise

This track was made using the following pedals:
Dwarfcraft Eau Claire Thunder and Robot Devil
smallsound/bigsound Year4545
Mid-Fi Deluxe Pitch Pirate
Dr. Scientist Reverberator
Frequency Central Atomic Clock Delay

Effects were used in that order. A little bit of noise came from the guitar in the beginning, the rest is all generated by the voltage-starved Robot Devil going in to the Thunder with the feedback engaged and the rest of the noise was created from the Year4545's oscillators. Other sounds are from the Pitch Piate and Atomic Clock self-oscillating. You might also here a very faint rattling noise at the end, that is the wind rattling my blinds.

This was improvised and recorded in one take, no post processing done.

Review of the Mid-Fi Deluxe Pitch Pirate coming soon!

Review: Dwarfcraft Devices Eau Claire Thunder

2012-01-10T19:57:00.000-06:00

The unit I will be reviewing today is a custom Eau Claire Thunder/Robot Devil but this review will be for the Eau Claire Thunder side of the pedal but a Robot Devil review will be coming up as well. The Eau Claire Thunder is high gain, fuzzy monster, the name Eau Claire Thunder could not be more fitting. With plenty tonal flexibility, this fuzz works great on both bass and guitar and even has a built-in feedback loop for more insanity! Read on to find out how this massive fuzz/distortion stacks up to the other high-gain fuzz boxes I've reviewed in the past.

Hardware
My specific Thunder is laid out a little differently than the standard one so to avoid confusion I'll go over the features of the standard one first and then compare them to my custom. Both pedals feature controls for volume, tone, gain, trim (it's like an input volume control, makes stacking other pedals into it much easier) feedback (to control the tuning of it) and a timewarp switch to make the Thunder have a more blunt or a sharper attack. The standard ECT has footswitches for bypass, feedback and a toneblaster (on my model it's just a toggle switch) control for an added volume and midboost while bypassing the tone circuit. Also it should be noted that the feedback switch on the standard Thunder is momentary while the feedback footswitch on my specific model is latched. All of these controls give the user a solid array of tone shaping options for variety of different tones for a variety of different instruments and instrument tunings. Like all Dwarfcraft pedals they are made with great care and are as solid as can be.

The Sounds
I don't even know where to begin, the Eau Claire Thunder has a lot of great tones in it, even if you do want to dial it back for more low gain tones. I think the Thunder excels at high gain fuzz with tons of crushing low end but you can also coax out a more cutting tone with a sharper attack and a slightly scooped edge to it, you may not use all of the options given to you but you're sure to find something you'll like. Also the Eau Claire Thunder seems to have a very distinctive tone that really sets i apart from your typical high gain fuzz. The feedback loop built in to Thunder gives you and even wider array of tones once it is engaged allowing your playing to fight with the feedback and create some seriously glitchy tones. The best way to use the loop is to run other pedals into (I personally like running a voltage starved Robot Devil into for crazy robot sounds and motorboating), it's just a really fun thing to experiment with. I can't really describe what the Eau Claire Thunder does for your tone so just have a listen to the recordings I did and hear for yourself.

Dwarfcraft Thunder low gain+Mid-Fi Deluxe Pitch Pirate by Mike Fetting
Here is a more low-gain sound from the Thunder with a little bit of delay from a Mid-Fi Deluxe Pitch Pirate towards the end.
Dwarfcraft Eau Claire THUNDER! by Mike Fetting
This is probably my favorite tone from the Thunder, lots of bass and lots of gain.
Grey by EelFistNoise
This is a more experimental noise track where you can hear how crazy things can get when run through the Eau Claire Thunder's feedback loop. I used other pedals like a Sparkle Motion treble booster, Phnatom Ring octave pedal and an Atomic Clock delay.

Final Say
The Eau Claire Thunder is my go-to box for high gain fuzz, it is the base of my tone and I don't see that changing any time soon. It offers all the versatility I need for making anything from Rock to Doom to straight up Noise and the included feedback loop makes things even more fun. Check out Dwarfcraft's website for more info on the Thunder and where to get your own!

Review: Dr. Scientist Radical Red Reverberator

2012-01-01T19:25:00.001-06:00

The Dr. Scientist Reverberator is an amazing little contraption considering it fits so much reverb into such a small stompbox. It bestows its user with many different reverb types (hall, room, plate and brighter or darker variations on each as well as a sweet sounding Leslie speaker simulator). With the ability to do anything from adding a bright shimmer to your chords to providing absolutely cavernous reverb, there is a reason the Dr. Scientist Reverberator is a favorite among many guitarists who love reverb.

The Hardware
My specific Reverberator has an eye-cathing blue finish with a bit of sparkle to it, one of my favorite looking pedals that I have on my board. Jacks and power plug are top mounted and this little verb can take 18v power if extra headroom is needed. Like all Dr. Scientist pedals I've tried, seen or heard, it looks and feels amazing and the new RRR even has soft-touch relay based switching for click-less switching. The control layout is fairly simple, offering a mix control a volume control that could easily replace a clean boost on your board, there's a ton of extra volume on tap. The switch is for changing from long or short decay on the reverb or between two different speeds on the Leslie simulator. The reverb selection knob is a rotary switch to change between different reverb types, pretty straight-forward stuff.

The Sounds
There's so much reverb in this compact box! Players can easily just set the rotary selector to the reverb they want, set the mix and decay and you're set. It provides lots of different options but still allows players to get a tone they are looking for with very minimal tweaking. Every reverb type has it's own qualities and it's fun to experiment trying different ones. Not to mention the Leslie sim is a sweet addition especially because it's mixed with a bit of verb as well, it sounds awesome. The mix control is pretty fleixble offering players anything from a very subtle verb to cavernous echoes. Check out some of my clips for just how flexible the Reverberator is.

Dr. Scientist Reverberator by Mike Fetting
In this clip I switch the between the mix at 50% and 75% and cycle the different settings hall, room and plate.

Dr. Scientist Reverberator With Fuzz by Mike Fetting
Here is the Reverberator with fuzz demonstrating the plate setting and later the Leslie simulator.

Cavernous by EelFistNoise
If you've read my Year4545 review you'll have already heard this but I thought I'd share it hear as well. This is an example of how I use the Reverberator in my own music for my project Eel Fist. Also used in this is a Dwarfcraft Eau Claire Thunder and a smallsound/bigsound Year4545. The RRR is on throughout this piece on a dark plate setting.

Final Say
The Dr. Scientist Radical Red Reverberator is the only reverb pedal I see myself owning for quite some time. There might be others out there with more parameters to tweak and more features but the Reverberator simply sounds amazing with just the right amount of parameters to tweak while still retaining the simplicity many players desire. With a wide range of reverb sounds, eye-pleasing aesthetics and an easy to use control layout, the Dr. Scientist Radical Red Reveverberator is a great reverb choice for any guitar player looking for a simple, elegant solution to add some depth to their guitar tone. Check out all the cool finishes on the Dr. Scientist Website.

Review: smallsound/bigsound Year4545

2011-12-31T19:25:00.002-06:00

The smallsound/bigsound Year4545 is a crazy fuzz sent through a pair of oscillators that absolutely destroy your tone in the most beautiful ways. It produce all sorts of noisy fuzz generating different octaves, hisses squeals and insane amounts of noise (the good kind), perfect for the experimentalist in all of us. Keep reading to hear more about this eye-opening fuzz/noisemaker.

The Hardware

For all the tweaking ability the 4545 provides, it comes in a nice compact package, the same size as the ss/bs Fuck Overdrive and Team Awesome Fuzz Machine. Input and output jacks and the 9v power plug are all top mounted, perfect for saving space. The whole pedal feels solid and well put together. The controls are as follows, a texture control, x and y oscillator frequency controls, volume and a clean volume controls as well as switches to switch between frequency ranges on the oscillators and a tracking switch. Also there is a gate switch to engage for even more tonal range.

The Sounds

The Year 4545 generates a absolute cacophonous walls of sound that sound so layered, it's like you're playing with an entire orchestra of noise-thirsty guitarists. You can also thin things down for cool octave generation and to add a cool effect to make your solos stand out. I think its fun to just flip switches and turn knobs to find completely unique tones that can't be found in anything else. It's just so fun to experiment with, especially when utilizing the clean blend (this does not come standard but can be added at a very reasonable price) with other fuzz and octave pedals. The smallsound/bigsound Year4545 is a truly inspiring pedal that transcends any traditional classification. I think this pedal could work for just about any style of guitar player, not just the experiementalist. I can't exactly explain all of the sounds so just have listen to the clips below. Keep in mind these are just a few sounds you can get out of literally thousands (I wish I could show you all of them).

smallsound/bigsound Noisy Doom by Mike Fetting
Here is a dark noisy doom tone perfect for ominous, wall of sound drones.

smallsound/bigsound Year4545 Octave by Mike Fetting
Here is an octave effect produced by the Year4545.

Cavernous by EelFistNoise
This is my own music from my solo noise/doom project. On this track I used the Year4545, a Dwarfcraft Eau Claire Thunder and a Dr. Scientist Reverberator. The Thunder had the feedback loop engaged and the Reverberator was set to the dark plate setting. I figured I'd give you readers an example of how I use these pedals in my own music.

Final Words

The Year4545 is an effect that I think every guitarist and bassist could appreciate. Sure some players may use more sounds than others but it's a great tool to break any player out of a rut and inspire something new with it's unique sounds. It's the most unique fuzz pedal I have ever played and it's instant inspiration for my playing. Now it might take some tweaking and manual reading to figure this beast out at first and if you're looking for a typical silicon or germanium fuzz, you probably won't find the Year4545 too attractive. I still urge everyone to at least check out it, it could open many new doors in your musical journey. For more info on the Year4545 check out it's Product Page on the smallsound/bigsound website.

EffectsWire is Back!

2011-12-19T10:01:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone,

I just want to apologize for my sudden stop in posting. School and a new job got pretty hectic and I had to put this blog on hold for a bit but now I'm off school and work for a month which leaves me plenty of time to write some more reviews and hopefully do an interview or two.

I just want to personally thank everyone who reads this blog for your support and I hope you'll enjoy some new content in the coming days.

Mike Fetting

Review: McSpunckle Effects Gnomeratron VTF Fuzz and And Aardvarks Booster/Overdrive

2011-10-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Gnomeratron is a fuzz tweakers dream and the And Aardvarks is the perfect companion for it. There's a knob or switch for just about any parameter you'd like to tweak on a fuzz and you can dial in some crazy sounds. The And Aardvarks is a boost/overdrive that perfectly compliments the Gnome and sounds amazing as just a standalone overdrive. The VTF and AA are guitar and bass friendly due to the Gnome's (somewhat) clean blend and the versatile tone stack on both of them. Read on to find how crazy versatile (and just crazy in general) this fuzz and overdrive are.

Hardware
For a pedal with six knobs, five switches and four mini-trimmers, the Gnome comes in a very compact enclosure that could fit on just about any pedalboard. The glossy clear coat over the graphics makes the finish indestructible and also looks extremely professional, one of my favorite finishes I've ever seen on a pedal (goes for both the Gnome and the AA). The Gnomeratron has top mounted jacks and a 9V power plug, great for saving space on a board.
Now lets get on to all these knobs and switches shall we? The knobs are for clean blend volume, a tone for the blend, fuzz volume, gain, noise gate and another tone knob for the fuzzy signal. The switches are for engaging the 'Magic' mode and there are also switches for selecting different clipping diodes, shifting the tone stack and engaging an octave-up circuit (which makes things get really crazy) the smaller knobs on the side are gain controls for various clipping stages. The Aardvarks has your basic gain, volume and tone controls as well as a mini switch to switch the AA from being a booster, an overdrive/distortion and a bass overdrive/distortion, pretty neat. Take a look at the pictures for a control layout of each.

Sounds
It would take one a very long time to discover all of the various sounds these two pedals can make together or alone, the tweaking is half the fun. The Gnome on it's own can do anything from crazy octave-up, splatty fuzz to a more brutal fuzz/distortion. With the clean(ish) blend you can dial in some more mellow tones as well. The and Aardvarks has plenty of gain on tap itself but is also a great boost for other fuzz or distortion pedals. Use it as anything from a boost to a light overdrive to a pretty heavy distortion pedal, it's got all those sounds in there. Together the Gnomeratron and And Aardvarks make a fromidable team creating super heavy, over-the-top saturated fuzz sure to make any doom or metal fan grin. Some of the sounds these pedals make, I can't put into words so you'll just have to listen for yourself.

And Aardvarks Overdrive by Mike Fetting
The And Aardvarks is a very sweet sounding guitar overdrive among many other things. Gain is maxed and it's dialed in for a brighter tone.

Gnomeratron VTF Octave sounds by Mike Fetting
This clip demonstrates the octave-up and just overall glitchy madness the Gnomeratron can create.

Gnomeratron VTF Brutz by Mike Fetting
Here's a more standard high gain fuzz tone.
Noise/Experimentation with Gnomeratron VTF and And Aardvarks by Mike Fetting
I turned the AA and Gnome on together with both gains cranked for some noise and this is what came out, probably not useful to most musicians, but fun nonetheless.

Final Word
The Gnomeratron and And Aardvarks can pretty much take care of all of your dirt needs (fuzz, boost, overdrive, distortion) and then some. I've heard the Gnomeratron described as a fuzz workstation and that's a very apt description in my opinion adding the And Aardvarks to the mix only makes things better. Now I have to note, the Gnomeratron's many options can also lead to frustration, with all those knobs and switches, it can take a while to dial in the tone you're looking for and if you hate tweaking pedals, the Gnomeeratron certainly isn't for you (McSpunckle does make mini versions that are much simpler though). The Gnome and AA could replace 5-6 pedals on a lot of boards out there and if you're up for a few days of getting used to all the options and constantly tweaking your sound, you should probably head on over to McSpunckle's Etsy store and take a look at a Gnomeratron VTF and an And Aardvarks boost/overdrive.

So what's been going on with EffectsWire?

2011-10-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Hey I know things seem to look a little weird on the site and I'm not too happy about it either. A lot of my Picasa pictures have been deleted and it seems there's no way to get them back sadly. So that's whats up with all the missing pictures, hopefully the reviews and clips are still helpful!

I haven't been posting much either, lately I've been getting settled into school, doing schoolwork and I recently got a new job which makes me even more busy. I also must say I've been a tiny bit lazy as well and I promise that will all change in October, I've got plenty of cool stuff coming up!

Again, sorry about the missing pictures and the lack of posting, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog and I hope you'll continue to do so!

Mike

Review: smallsound/bigsound Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine

2011-09-22T20:55:00.001-05:00

The smallsound/bigsound Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine is a versatile germanium fuzz that works equally well on bass as it does for guitar thanks to it's clean blend and heaps of low end. Read on to find out more about this absolute monster of a fuzz pedal.

Hardware
The TAFM is a dream come true for those with limited pedalboard space. The power plug and both jacks are top mounted and even though it has 5 knobs and two switches on its surface, it's still pretty small. Everything about the TAFM looks and feels great, Brian did one on hell of a job constructing this fuzz machine. The controls consists of knobs for input gain, fuzz, shape, fuzz volume and clean volume. Most of those controls are pretty self explanatory, the shape knob is like a tone control but actually increases the mids a bit as you turn it clockwise. The shape control paired with the mids and boost switches give you a plethora of tonal options.

Sounds
The Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine can do anything from sharp, cutting fuzz to scooped-mid muff tones to swampy and bass heavy and pretty much everything in between. The clean blend feature also allows not only for bassists to retain their low end but for guitarists to make some noise while still retaining definitions in their chords. Stacking the TAFM with boosts and overdrives only leads to more insanity, this thing gets really thick and heavy. The TAFM is one of the few fuzz pedals I have tried that could easily please doom-bringers and indie guitarists alike and I'll demonstrate this in the sound clips below.

Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine Clean Blend by Mike Fetting
Here I demonstrate how well the TAFM sounds using the clean blend with chords. I recorded this using my telecaster's neck pickup with the fuzz at about half and the fuzz and clean volume each at twelve o'clock. The shape was pushed clockwise almost all the way.

smallsound/bigsound Sparkle Motion+Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine by Mike Fetting
This clip demonstrates the TAFM's excellent ability to stack with other boosts. Recorded using my telecaster's bridge pickup in drop D.

Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine Drop B by Mike Fetting
In this clip I played my Schecter in drop B to show off this pedals dark and heavy tone

Final Word
The smallsound/bigsound Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine recently has become my favorite fuzz pedal. It takes anything I throw at it and makes it sound bigger, better and fuzzier. The tone shaping options along with the clean blend options make this thing a must have for guitarists and bassists alike, no matter what styles they might play, the TAFM will do the job. So head on over to the smallsound/bigsound website and find out how to get one near you, or email Brian to whip you up a custom one! You're either on Team Awesome, or you're not...

Review: Make Sounds Loudly Blood Fuzz

2011-08-24T10:00:00.003-05:00

The MSL Blood Fuzz is a very intriguing fuzz pedal. With the ability to switch between a combination of two individual sets of diodes, players can experiment to find tons of different fuzz tones in one box. Combine that with a built-in feedback loop and you have a very entertaining fuzz pedal to experiment with.

Hardware

The Blood Fuzz is very well built, the knobs, footswitches and toggles feel great. This fuzz has knobs to control the feedback, the volume and the gain of the pedal. It also features a toggle to turn the feedback on and off, a toggle to switch between a yellow LED and Silicon diode and another toggle to switch between a red LED and Germanium diode. There's also a footswitch to change the tone of the pedal from one with more bass or more treble. The tone footswitch may look a tad close to the fuzz knob but I had no problems with it.

The Sounds
I've really enjoyed the versatility the Blood Fuzz provides. The LED diodes provide a healthy dose of gain and aggression, mix some feedback in there and you have one thick, heavy tone. Switch to the Si and Ge diodes and the tone warms up a bit providing you with classic fuzz tones. The wide gain range certainly helps you cop any sound from slightly dirty to over the top fuzz-stortion. The tone footswitch adds some flexibility to this box, making it compatible with both guitar and bass. Have a listen to the soundclips and hear for yourself the variety of sounds that come from the Blood Fuzz.

Blood Fuzz Si/Ge diodes by Mike Fetting
Here the Blood Fuzz has the Silicon and Germanium diode clipping options engaged for a smoother, less gainy tone.
Blood Fuzz LED diodes by Mike Fetting
Here the red and yellow LED diodes are engaged, increasing gain and adding an aggressive top-end bite.
Blood Fuzz Heavy by Mike Fetting
The Blood Fuzz can get extremely thick and heavy, here the LED diodes are engaged again along with the feedback loop. Gain and volume are turned all the way up.
Blood Fuzz Feedback Fun by Mike Fetting
The feedback looper on this pedal is extremely interactive with every knob on the pedal as well as the diode toggles. In this clip I'm just having fun messing around with knobs showing the various noises this thing can make.

Final Verdict
The Make Sounds Loudly Blood Fuzz really is a fuzz worthy of your attention, it's priced extremely competitively, and provides a wealth of different tones. I loved cranking the volume, fuzz and feedback with the LED diodes engaged and just enjoying the thick high gain fuzz tones, great for playing any kind of metal, doom, rock, etc. I do wish instead of having a footswitch for the tone control, it was for feedback. I found I just set the tone to the bass setting and left it, I felt the tone should just be a toggle and the feedback should have a footswitch. Overall it's a quality fuzz with plenty of tonal experimentation to be had. You can find more info about Make Sounds Loudly on their Facebook page.

Review: Full Custom Music Barnacle Fuzz

2011-08-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

The Barnacle Fuzz is an original design fuzz pedal from Full Custom Music. It's a very well rounded fuzz taking influence from a few famous fuzz designs. Keep reading to find out more about this awesome new fuzz box and the tone and simplicity it can bring to your pedal collection.

Hardware

The Barnacle Fuzz has an understated appearance, nothing flashy, but it looks professional inside and out. Everything feels just right. It can be run off of a 9V battery or power supply. It has four controls for volume, fuzz, bass and treble. I felt it offered plenty of control, while still remaining simple enough to avoid excessive tweaking. Another cool feature the Barnacle possesses is it's ability to be switched from true bypass mode to a buffered output mode. The buffer mode is great for those of you out there with long signal chains to prevent signal degradation. Overall it's a very solid pedal, that's very well thought-out and appears very durable. I wish it had top mounted input/output jacks and power plug, but that's far from a deal breaker.

The Sounds
The Barnacle Fuzz definitely has it's own distinctive sound, and I like it a lot. The EQ allows for plenty of tonal options but the pedal always holds on to it's distinct tone and texture. Even with the treble cranked, it's a very thick fuzz, just a great wall of sound. This thing packs plenty of fuzz for all you high-gain whores (myself included) and really retains clarity no matter if you have it cranked or barely turned up. The EQ is very balanced and uninvasive if you want it to be. With the knobs set to 12 o'clock, the tone controls are basically bypassed (which means this fuzz is will work equally well on bass as it does on guitar). My favorite thing to do with this fuzz was crank the gain all the way up and add a healthy dose of bass to my signal for some great doom tones. I also loved rolling back the bass and adding some treble for some cutting rock tones. Listen to the clips and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Barnacle Low Gain by Mike Fetting
Here the Barnacle has the treble boosted with the gain rolled back to 9 o'clock.
Barnacle Rock by Mike Fetting
Here's a great balanced, fuzzy, rock tone with the gain set to 12 o'clock.
Barnacle Stoner Rock by Mike Fetting
A thick stoner rock tone with a slight bass boost and the gain set to 3 o'clock.
BarnacleDoom by Mike Fetting
Here is the Barnacle at it's heaviest. The bass is cranked to 3 o'clock and the gain is maxed out. My personal favorite.

Final Verdict
I think the Barnacle Fuzz is simply awesome, it has it's own distinct tone and I just love the wall of fuzz it is able to produce along with it's intuitive tone controls. The switchable buffer is also a great addition. It's priced very reasonably and most importantly it sounds damn good for whatever kind of music you play from doom and metal to all sorts of different types rock/pop. I had never heard of the Barnacle before it was sent to me to review and it ~~really surprised me~~ blew me away, definitely worthy of any fuzz collection.

To find more info on this awesome fuzz and Full Custom Music, visit their Homepage.

Review: smallsound/bigsound Sparkle Motion

2011-08-03T16:49:00.001-05:00

The Sparkle Motion is a Dallas Rangemaster clone at heart (complete with a germanium transistor for that extra mojo), but just by looking at it you've probably already realized that the Sparkle Motion is more than a simple treble booster. It offers much more control than your standard Rangemaster clone. Keep reading to find out all the incredible things this boost can do for your tone.

Hardware
The Sparkle Motion is built solidly all around, everything feels and looks great. The input and output jacks as well as the 9V plug are all top mounted which is the best setup in my opinion. The four knobs and switch offer an incredible amount of control over your sound. It features input and output volume, an EQ control and a bias pot along with a switch that interacts with the EQ. When the switch is up it allows you to boost bass at the input stage which can create a gainer, darker tone. When the switch is down the EQ only controls bass at the output. Basically up is darker and down is brighter and has less gain. The bias knob gives the user the ability tune the boost in varying temperature conditions (remember germanium transistors are a bit finicky when it comes to temperature). Also you can use it to make your tone more rough or smooth and clean.

The Sounds
With the increased amount of control, the Sparkle Motion is much more versatile than most treble boosters. Over the past few weeks I've discovered many useful applications for it in my rig. I almost always have it on to add some sparkle to my clean tones. Once I heard the sweet shine it added to my clean tone, I couldn't turn it off. Sometimes I crank the input and output volumes and turn back the bias and use it as a rough, low gain overdrive. The Sparkle Motion is very responsive to picking dynamics. It's really easy to dig in and add some dirt and just as easy to lighten your picking attack to clean things up. Also it works really well as a darker boost for my fuzz pedals while still adding some needed presence to my sound. Hell, I even cranked the treble up on it and used it to boost a darker fuzz for a tight, trebly thrash tone. I'd be surprised to find anyone who couldn't find a use for it! Listen to some clips demonstrating some of my favorite uses for this pedal.

SparkleClean by Mike Fetting
This clip showcases the subtle treble boost I use with my clean tone and also how you can use picking dynamics for more or less dirt. The clip starts with just the amp, the Sparkle Motion is then engaged later (as notated in the comments).
SparkleOverdrive by Mike Fetting
This clip showcases the Sparkle Motion being used as a bright, low gain overdrive.
SparkleThrash by Mike Fetting
This clip demonstrates how the Sparkle can tighten up looser amps or fuzz pedals and add some treble and presence (obviously) to your tone. The fuzz used in this clip was a Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan. The clip starts with just the Manx and I later engage the Sparkle Motion.

SparkleDark by Mike Fetting
In this clip the Sparkle is being used as more of a darker boost for the Manx Loaghtan Fuzz. The clip starts with just the Manx and I later engage the Sparkle Motion.

Final Verdict
This is the only boost I can see myself owning, it does everything I need it to do and more. It's my always on boost, it makes my clean tone shine, it's a great low gain overdrive and it's an excellent boost for my fuzz collection. Did I mention it was only $125? Smallsound/bigsound offered a special deal on the first run of 15 of these. They will be going into regular production shortly and I'm guessing at a bit higher price point (I doubt it will be over $150 though). After playing the Sparkle Motion I will never pay $200+ for a boutique Rangemaster when the Sparkle Motion has the same circuit and an impressive amount of control. If you're looking for any kind of boost, you ought to at least give the Sparkle Motion a look, it'll take care of your boosting needs and then some.

If you would like more info on the Sparkle Motion, you can find some on smallsound/bigsound's website and you can find the manual here.

Review: Death by Audio Fuzz War

2011-07-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

The Fuzz War is a monster of fuzz producing tons of gain for a great scooped metal tone. It simply has a volume and tone knob with an internal trimpot for controlling the gain/amount of fuzz. Read on to find out more about this aggressive fuzz box.

Hardware
You'll notice right away the the Fuzz War is housed in a huge enclosure, which seems unnecessary but it still looks good. It has top mounted jacks and 9V power input which is great for saving space. It has a knob to adjust the volume (this thing is loud!!!) and one to adjust the tone from a thin, trebly tone to a muffled, bassy one. Inside there is a trim-pot to control the amount of fuzz. Kind of weird to have it on the inside but I always liked on max best so it wasn't really a big problem. As far as fit and finish go, this thing is all around solid.

The Sounds
After owning this fuzz for almost a year, I've found that it certainly isn't too versatile. I had one setting that I always stuck to. This thing excels at aggressive scooped high gain tones. The top end has plenty of grit while the low end is huge. The one problem is: this thing doesn't really have any mids which certainly makes it harder to cut through a dense mix. While it is a little too scooped I love the sound this thing provides for metal and doom and combined with an octave pedal it absolutely is crushing. If it had a mids control it might have been my favorite fuzz. In the clip you'll hear the great high gain tone it provides and you might also notice the shifting of the tone control towards the end.

Death by Audio Fuzz War by Mike Fetting

Final Verdict
If you're going for a more scooped old-school death metal tone or anything similar this might be a fuzz to look into since it's absolutely brutal. I couldn't quite get a long with how scooped it was and it's lack of versatility but for a relatively affordable fuzz, it doesn't get much more brutal than this.

Note that this review is of the old version with only volume and tone control pots. The new version also has a fuzz control on the exterior.

Review: Frequency Central Atomic Clock Delay

2011-07-11T18:08:00.000-05:00

Most of you have probably already read my interview with Rick, the life force of Frequency Central. If you haven't I suggest you do either before or after reading this, you can find it here. Rick built me a delay pedal that is his own original design and man is this thing impressive. Read on to find out about it's unique features and the wealth of sounds this device can bring you.

Hardware
The Atomic Clock is extremely well built inside and out, I have never seen a Frequency Central pedal that isn't finished impeccably. You'd think Rick has OCD if you looked at the wiring inside this thing, it's a work of art. The pedal has an etched finish that will more than likely last forever and look good doing it. The Atomic Clock runs on standard 9V DC. It's control set might look kind of intimidating but Rick had a great description how the knobs work and interact with each other in the email he sent me:

Time - master delay time

Echo - blends the delayed signal with the dry signal

Regen - how many repeats there are

Filter - this is where it gets 'interactive'. The filter gives a flat response in the middle, but boosts bass at one end and treble at the other. As it's boosting the signal, this will also boost the Regen - so you'll need to turn Regen down to get the same repeats.

Flash - Connected to the Flash footswitch. It's a bit like turning up the Regen for more repeats. The Flash knob and Regen knob are internally connected. I find it best to set the Regen how you want it, then hit the Flash footswitch and set the Flash knob to where you want it.

So, the Regen, Filter and Flash have quite a bit of interaction - obviously it's not the world's simplest delay - hence it's flexibilty. It would be well worth writing down some nice settings you come across rather than leaving it to chance. That'll help you to 'grow into it'.

My fave sounds on the unit are with the filter turned right up to treble, so the repeats get tinnier and tinnier. Then throw in the Flash and you'll get runaway repeats that get progressively more distorted. I like that a lot!

Speed - LFO speed - can get very very slow - but have you tried it yet at like ultra fast speed? That's some great sounds.

Depth - defines how much the LFO affects the delay time. As soon as you add some LFO, you'll find the delay time changes from the 'base value' - that's the effect of the LFO. You'll aslo probabaly suss the insanity of maximum Depth!

As you can see it's a very versatile delay with plenty of control and the fit and finish are incredible inside and out.

The Sounds

The Atomic Clock compared to the Sparkle Motion in a 125B enclosure
(the Clock isn't as tall)

I'll be honest, I don't know where to start with this incredible delay. You have your standard darker or brighter delay settings. There isn't a whole lot of delay time with the Atomic Clock but I found it had more than I would ever need. The LFO section is where this delay really sets itself apart, you can get a slight pulse in your delay tones to crazy, sea sick, pitch bending vibrato or even ring mod-esque repeats. This box packs all the delay tones I could ever need from an ambient wash to clean slapback or even spaceship like swooshes, this thing has it (and in a very conveniently sized enclosure too). The Flash feature is also a great way to push the delay over the edge and get some cool oscillation sounds. Listen to the sound clips and see for yourself.

Atomic Clock Clean by Mike Fetting
This is just a basic clean, ambient delay, you can hear how it gets dirtier when you play harder.
Atomic Clock Delay with Vibrato by Mike Fetting
Here's the same delay tone but I kicked the LFO section in for a nice vibrato on the repeats
Atomic Clock Delay Clean/Dirty Vibe by Mike Fetting
Here the delay time is shorter and mixed more heavily with the dry tone to give it an almost Leslie-like tone. Then I kick on the Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan fuzz to show how well this delay mixes with dirt pedals.
Noisy Atomic Clock by Mike Fetting
Here the repeats are set on max and the LFO is providing a nice pulsing vibrato showing the amazing noise this thing makes when combined with fuzz. At the end I showcase the self-oscillation and how it is affected by tweaking the LFO speed and depth.

Final Word
The Atomic Clock is more than likely the only delay I'll ever need. It's got a wonderful base tone and the added controls for crazier sounds make this thing a must-have for me. I'm not really a delay-fiend but I can't find one thing I would change about this pedal unless you'd want to add on some expression inputs for on-the-fly control (which I don't really have a need for currently). Another huge factor for me is the fact that it works very well with fuzz and distortion, you can keep your tone but the delay sound doesn't get swallowed up either, they mix quite well. I think it's safe to say my delay search has ended. Contact Rick at Frequency Central and have him build you one, you won't regret it!

Review: Make Sounds Loudly Blue Whale Fuzz

2011-07-10T18:23:00.001-05:00

The Blue Whale Fuzz is a gated fuzz with plenty of gain on tap for many over the top fuzz tones. Keep on reading to find out more about this crazy fuzz.

Hardware

I have a prototype unit of this fuzz so I won't comment too much on it since the pedal has changed a bit. I can say for a prototype it is built solidly and has a flexible set of controls. The pictures in this review will be of the current production model, not my unit.

The Sounds
The Blue Whale has a volume, gain and a compression control that affects how gated the fuzz gets. This thing also has plenty of gain on tap. The Blue Whale can do more open walls of fuzz or focused to splatty, almost 8 bit-sounding fuzz. I'll let the sound clip do the rest of the talking as gated fuzz is kind of a love it or hate thing. I've never used gated fuzz for much but it's always a cool affect and a great way to mix things up in your music.

Blue Whale Fuzz by Mike Fetting

Final Verdict
If you're on the lookout for a nice gated fuzz to give you those bit crushed style tones, you definitely want to give the Make Sounds Loudly Blue Whale Fuzz a look. It's very flexible in working with different rigs and with different guitars and you get plenty of control over the sound. It's also sold at a great price that I haven't seen many other manufacturers beat. Check out how to order one on the Make Sounds Loudly Facebook Page.

Interview with Mark from Black Arts Toneworks

2011-07-06T13:27:00.005-05:00

I'm sure most of you have heard of Black Arts Toneworks due to the massively successful Pharaoh fuzz and the newly released LSTR. Read on to find out how all of this got started and get to know Mark, the man behind wall of fuzz.

Tell us a little about yourself
I am your basic average jackoff. White, nearing middle age, lifelong musician who never would do anything to make a buck. I never wanted to sell out or please anyone but myself, which led to a frustrating and uphill battle to make music. I dig solo sports, particularly those involving 2 wheels. My latest addiction is getting out on the track on my superbike , it’s worse than crack…So addictive… I have a wife and 3 great kids. They totally support this new venture of pedal building. I consider myself the luckiest boy in the world.

How did you get your start in building pedals?
Part of my story is probably very similar to many other builders and part is pretty unbelievable. I found a book at the library probably 20 years ago called Electronics Projects for Musicians, by Craig Anderton. A lot of basic projects and learned my basics there. So over the years, I fixed and modded broken pedals, tweeked things to fit my own taste and built a few effects for my own usage. If I came across a buddy with a broken pedal, I’d take it a mess with it… But I will say that I was never a “pedals” guy. Didn’t have a whole lot of interest in them and certainly didn’t spend much getting them. My last band, which broke up in ’09, I started using more modulation and delays but didn’t use any dirt until I built a TS808 clone for a lead boost. That sort of got me interested in pedals again. At that time I was using an ElectricAmp MVU 120, so I didn’t need any more dirt, it sounded pretty rad on its own. Being a typical gear head, nothing is sacred and I got rid of the amp. I had an Orange to replace it and built a Marshall superbass clone for my new amp. It didn’t have a ton of gain until it was deafeningly loud, so I set out to build a pedal to get dirty at lower volumes, and add a little push to go over the edge. I started playing with BMP circuits, bought a few broken Russian and USA muffs, tweeked those to see what I liked and didn’t like. At that point I decided to make my own from scratch using all of the things I learned about the circuit in my experiments. That produced what was the prototype of the Pharaoh pedal. I recorded a few clips and posted them in a thread in which I was frequenting on Harmony Central, called The Doom Room. A few of the regulars loved the sound and asked if I would build them one. I did, and it has all grown out of that. I am nearing 500 Pharaohs out there and about 75 LSTRS so far.. Unbelievable to me, I never set out to be a pedal builder, never tried to sell one. People started coming to me asking for them. A few big dealers asked to start carrying them. It really was that organic.

What inspired the Pharaoh and LSTR (circuits, finishes, naming, etc.)?
Both pedals are inspired by loud amps. I built the Pharaoh to be used with a loud amp, which is why it’s not a really high gain pedal. I spent most of my time with that one developing the lower gain voices and abilities. I wanted it to go from a cleanish boost to a good articulate OD, but also bring some fuzz to a clean amp. So, when I was in the process of building the first batch of them, I needed a name. After a few days of thinking about it, I was listening to The Stern show; he had on a cat that I really dig, Rev. Al Sharpton. I just dig his rabblerousing attitude and always willing to support an underdog, right or wrong. He has a book out at the time called Go and Tell Pharaoh. As soon as he said the title, I knew I had a name. So, I have a bro who is a really good graphic artist, he was doing flyers for a lot of good bands and t shirts, cd covers..That kind of shit. I told him the name and asked if he would do a graphic for it. He responded with the graphic still being used. The original finish was Black with copper or gold lettering, kind of going for an Afro Centric look.

The LSTR is a lot less interesting and is more or less a result of a few requests to have a Pharaoh with scoopable mids. I like mids and I didn’t want to do that to the Pharaoh so the LSTR was developed. I was going for a higher gain and smoother pedal, not worried about low gain usage. I just took the muff circuit and juiced it a bit and added my style of a tonestack to it. I knew I wanted to use the red on red color scheme for it, and my graphic guy , Jason came up with the name, it just seemed fit. Check out his work at http://www.facebook.com/gr8scottgraphics . The reception has been great and the reviews and comments have been very positive. I couldn’t be happier with the LSTR.

The purple and black Pharaoh I reviewed looked bad ass, what is your favorite finish for either of your pedals?
I have a few looks that I like a lot. The new LSTR is a great looking pedal ,my personal Pharaoh is transparent copper with a black graphic, I like that a lot…but I’d have to say that my favorite is the V2 standard Pharaoh scheme of black enclosure with copper graphic and cream knobs. Just a very warm and classic look.

The Pharaoh and LSTR are absolute doom machines, is that what you use them for? What kind of music do you like to play?
I do play that style, but an old school blues based version of doom. I have a Les Paul tuned B standard into a 68 Bassman into 2 Emperor OS 2-12’s. The rig really fits my style. I grew up on classic metal like Maiden ( the first 3 records with Paul Di’Anno fuckin rule), Obviously all of the Sabbath stuff, early Motorhead, Celtic Frost, Venom. These guys probably had the most effect on my style and musical vocabulary. The first 3 Kiss records also had a big effect on me, unlike the latter records; they were dark, mysterious and just fuckin rocked. I later got into Floyd and the Dead as I discovered psychedelics in my early 20’s. SO, I would basically consider my playing a mixture of all of the guys I aped…Hendrix, BB King, Frehley, Iommi, Gilmour, Wino, Mike Schiedt…I have aped a lot of good players..

Have any other pedals in your arsenal? If so what ones?
I have a few, but not many. I’ve been experimenting with wah circuits so I have a few of those; I use my pedals for any dirt or boosting needs. . I really like a Phase 45 clone that I built, sounds really nice. I use a Boss dd6 and a hardwire reverb. That’s it. Various pedals pass through that I may get in trade deals, but nothing ever really sticks as essential enough to add to my board. I keep everything in a switchable loop because a lot of the time, I just like running straight on to my amp to take advantage of the great dynamics of the Bassman.

What does the future hold for Black Arts Toneworks? More fuzz or something completely different? What do you envision for you company a few years down the road?
Ya know, I’m not really sure. I am doing this fulltime right now because enough players are asking for pedals. As I said, I’m not really a pedal geek and never set out to be a pedal builder. It’s all as a result of people asking for the Pharaoh, and now I am getting requests from various people to do other circuits, so who knows where it will lead. I have a few more designs that I have breadboarded and am happy with where they are sonically. All based off of other circuits, just tweeked and tuned to my liking. I have one more muff circuit that I want to put out to complete the muff triumvirate, I have a really cool FuzzFace based circuit that I am pretty excited about getting out….I am interested in wah pedals, but the cost is so high that I am on the fence about that, I have a design that I am building for a well-known musician, he’s going to be testing it on the road and we will tweek it together to arrive at final version. Really excited about that…I have a lot of ideas but little time to pursue them, and even less money for development. I really like the process of taking a circuit and tweeking it and modifying it to get it to sound how I want it to. I think as long as I make good sounding pedals, that look good, good parts and build quality, at a good price; I suppose I’ll have business. I really don’t think of the future much, just concentrate on having the best single day possible, and see what tomorrow brings. The only thing I really look for down the road is to have a healthy family and I’d really like to have my racing license and get into racing superbikes at some regional tracks. Motorcycles are my real passion, and it would be amazing to me if I could support my family and my racing ambitions from building pedals.

What's the coolest band you've seen or heard use one of your products?
Well, I am not really about name dropping, although I will say that there are some great players using my stuff. It’s really amazing to me that some of my favorite bands and musicians are using my stuff. I know there are a lot of smaller lesser known regional bands using my stuff, and for that I am really grateful. I know what it’s like to play original music for the fun and love of it. For a guy who works his 40, has a family and a band, to use my stuff is really the greatest compliment. There has to be a balance of quality, cost and performance to make it usable for the weekend warrior. So for these guys to choose my stuff really means a lot to me. And when the better known bands and national and international musicians are using them, it’s honestly kind of surreal.

Will LeBron ever be better than MJ?

Stanley Cup Finals Pharaohs

No. Obviously he’s a beast, and one of the best in the game. I think he lacks the mental edge that Jordan had. LeBron isn’t really a “winner”. And I will say that there will be NO ONE better than MJ. EVER. BTW, Michael Jordan has a Superbike race team that is doing great this year. Very cool. But I am a big sports fan, Hockey being my favorite team sport. My graphics guy is a big sports fan also, and we developed the run of Pharaohs using team colors from the NBA and NHL finals. That was a lot of fun, and I look forward to more sports edition Pharaohs.

Mavericks Championship Pharaoh

Finally, any tips for those looking to start building and selling their own pedals?
Honestly, no. I’ve only been doing this for about a year, so I am still a newbie. And I really got into the business through the back door. I never set out to be a pedal guy, nor have I tried to break into pedal guy’s world. I just build stuff that I like. I like good natural tones, no noisy effects, or gimmick type features, good price and something that looks good. I did these things and people have wanted to buy them off of me. And in closing, I’d like to say thanks to you, Mike for doing this cool blog and having interest in my fuckin shit. So, Thanks for digging my fuckin shit.

No, thank you Mark for your awesome contributions to the guitar world, and keep spreading the fuzz love.

Review: Mountainking Electronics Megalith

2011-07-01T11:06:00.002-05:00

The Megalith is a destructive beast of a fuzz. It turns your guitar's sound into a hulking behemoth bent on destruction. It provides tons of saturated gain with the boost circuit as well as tons of low end and plenty of tone shaping capabilities. Read on to find out more about this crushing high gain fuzz.

Hardware
The Megalith is very minimalist aesthetically but built like a tank and looks like one in it's fairly large enclosure. It has input and output volume controls, the input control can increase or decrease the saturation of fuzz and the output controls volume. There's also a boost circuit for use as a lead boost or just to keep on all the time for added saturation and low end. The tone controls are a bit different from your typical dirt device. Slope acts kind of like a tone control, when turned clockwise it boosts the highs and boosts the lows when turned counterclockwise. To me it didn't sound like a drastic difference where the knob was which was a good thing, it just provided a very tuning to your sound. the notch controls the mids in your sound and the notch selector changes the cut off point of the notch control. With the mids fully boosted it doesn't make much of a difference but with the mids cut it can take you from a slight scoop to super scooped. The nine volt power input and input and output jacks are top mounted, great for saving space when you have a larger pedal. This thing felt very well built and has plenty of controls for tweaking your tone.

The Sounds
If you love a dark, bassy and saturated doom tone you should probably stop reading and shoot Mountainking an email because this is your kind of fuzz. It has tons of gain and low end on tap but still retains some cut and top end aggression. The Megalith really sets itself apart from other fuzzes, it has a very unique note decay and fuzzy overtones. It has some top end bite but overall it is very round and synth-like, not as natural sounding as more traditional fuzzes. I really can't aptly describe it, but it's something I've never heard from any other fuzz. Now if you'd like to dial back the saturation and tame the beast for something more responsive to your guitars' volume control and pick attack, you just roll back the input volume control and disengage the 'more heavy' switch. This will lower the gain and tighten up the low end. Sometimes the bass the Megalith puts out is massive without being boomy or too woofy. One just needs to find the sweet spot on the input control as well as the notch and slope controls. This thing can dial in almost any thick saturated fuzz/distortion. I prefer a dark saturated fuzz tone for doom sounds and the Megalith definitely fit the bill, have a listen.

MegalithLead by Mike Fetting

MegalithDoom by Mike Fetting

Final Verdict
The Megalith is a high gain beast with plenty of tonal options and it's built like a tank. I have yet to hear a fuzz that sounds quite like it. If you're looking for a high gain monster and price isn't a problem, this is it right here.

Review: Ox Fuzz Dark

2011-06-29T23:04:00.002-05:00

The Ox Fuzz Dark is a modified Fuzz Face based fuzz with tons of low end. It simply has a knob for fuzz and for volume. For being such a simple fuzz, this thing is pretty flexible. Jump on past the break to read more about it's sounds and hear it for yourself!

Hardware

There's not really much to say here, the Ox Fuzz is built with incredible quality. It has a volume control and fuzz control. The fuzz control has a huge range from dark and doom-bringing to a more mild drive. This thing only runs on batteries however, so make sure you unplug the input jack once you're done using it. Also the Ox has a very glossy finish so if you're a perfectionist who likes to keep their pedals mint, keep a microfiber cloth handy to wipe off smudges.

The Sounds

I found the gain range on this fuzz to be surprisingly big, really anything to a slight fuzzy break up to saturated, crunchy and of course dark fuzz. All the way through the gain range the fuzz finds a sweet spot between abrasive and smooth, you'd be hard pressed to get a bad sound out of this thing. For those looking to get into fuzz wanting a darker voicing, this would be at the top of my list. It never gets too crazy, just warm and fuzzy. Even those looking to play stoner and doom metal/rock will find this thing has plenty of gain but may want a boost just to put it over the edge for a little extra saturation. Well enough of my description, I'll let these sound clips do the rest.

Ox Fuzz w/ Chords by Mike Fetting

Here I dialed the fuzz in at 1:00 to show how well this thing can do lower gain chord work. This is also using the neck pickup of my guitar (Dimarzio Tone Zone)

OX Fuzz Fu Manchu by Mike Fetting

Here the fuzz and volume are maxed out. I'm playing a Fu Manchu riff

OX Fuzz High Gain by Mike Fetting

This clip shows how the OX deals with faster playing and how huge it makes power chords sound. Fuzz and volume are maxed

Final Verdict

This OX that I'm playing was loaned to me by an awesome ILF member (MiddleEarthCrisis) but after playing I feel I might need one for myself. It's really easy to get a great fuzz tone out of this thing, whether you're going for something like doom/metal (my kind of style) or maybe something lighter and creamier, this box can definitely handle it. I don't even miss having a tone control when I use it, it's just dialed in perfectly. The lack battery only operation is kind of a bummer but sometimes that's how fuzzes sound best. If you like fuzz at all, I'd highly recommend you at least check out the OX Fuzz Dark (or any of the other OX Fuzz offerings depending on your tonal preference).

Basic Audio Fuzz Demos

2011-06-27T13:48:00.000-05:00

Really great demo by Taylor Barefoot of a range of Basic Audio fuzz boxes. As usual the video, sound and playing are all high quality, watch the video if you're curious about Basic Audio or just love fuzz!

Guest Review: Devi Ever Soda Meiser (By Kevin Ian)

2011-06-15T01:21:00.002-05:00

Hello Kind Readers!

The pedal I wish to talk to you about is the Devi Ever Soda Meiser. I traded some pedals and acquired the DIY kit through mail. Todd of Grumpy Toad FX was kind enough to build it for me.

Devi's single pedals are interesting creatures. They have a volume knob (plenty of volume on tap) and an intensity/texture knob. You will find that you get a variety of sounds from simply turning the intensity knob. Lets examine the sounds you can get from the pedal:

Intensity Knob:

7 - 9 o'clock : What we have here is very muff-like in character. The sound is characteristic of what people think about when you say "fuzz." It's a highly usable sound and perhaps the most "mainstream" sound out of the box.

10 -12 o'clock : This I would compare to a more saturated muff sound. This setting has tons of sustain and is ideal or fuzz leads. Roll back your guitar's tone knob on your bridge pickup to enter the world of Robert Fripp! This is my personal favorite setting for the pedal behind a slightly boosted signal (via OD or Boost).

1 - 3 o'clock : The fuzz becomes overly saturated and slightly scrambled. You hear hints of octavia-like fuzz creeping up into the signal. It adds instant character to your leads, though it does not take to chording well. The harder you dig, the more scramble the fuzz gets! Truly adventurous types would chord with this setting. The disharmonic yumminess is astounding.

4 - 5 o'clock : This is straight-up scrambled octavia-like fuzz. This is the wildest setting of the pedal and the most unique. Use this setting with caution, as the signal compresses slightly, meaning there is a slight drop in volume. A slight boost of the pedal's volume is a quick and easy fix.

Having owned and played a variety of Devi's pedals, I notice one huge thing that makes her pedals stand out from the rest of the crowd: the pedals are very sensitive to input volume. Adding a slight boost changes the character of the pedal slightly, while pushing a boost into a distortion into the fuzz almost instantly puts it into scrambled octavia territory quick!

I tend to stack dirt/fuzz often, so I have found that either putting my fuzz first/second position is the best for me, as I can slightly alter it with a boost or leave it unaltered as the first pedal in my chain. Your tastes may vary!

I highly recommend this pedal for people who want a quality fuzz that not only sounds great but is one of those instant gratification pedals. Randomly turning the kobs yields any number of great and usable sounds. I also highly recommend marking the pedal with your favorite sharpie, as it's character can change drastically between settings. I have logged in a few hours of playing this pedal and I still feel like I'm barely getting the hang of how she works!

Playing through some of my delays, it takes kindly to all delays, though I believe my favorite one to pair with it is my Carbon Copy.
The following is a video of me going through some of the settings of the Soda Meiser, then a demonstration of how it reacts to boosted signals.

Thanks for reading!

- Kevin Ian is a multi-instrumentalist and awesome EffectsWire contributor. He is currently the singer/guitarist of The Common Men. You can find out more information at www.thecommonmen.tk

Review: Make Sounds Loudly Whale's Revenge

2011-06-14T00:50:00.002-05:00

The Make Sounds Loudly Whales Revenge is a simple fuzz/overdrive unit with rhythm and lead channels to switch between crunchy overdrive to a more saturated overdrive fuzz combination. Those of you out there looking for a unit to handle both fuzz, overdrive and the sweet combination of the two should read on.

Hardware
This is an early prototype unit, but everything feels solid and the finish looks great. Like the Dirty Boost, the Whale's Revenge has top mounted jacks which are the best in my opinion. The controls are for volume and gain and the switch changes the Revenge from a crunchy overdrive to a saturated fuzzy overdrive. It has a super bright LED and true bypass switching. Overall, solid construction and simple controls.

Sounds
The Whale's Revenge has a pretty standard bright overdrive on the rhythm mode, tight and crunchy. There is plenty of volume on top and the gain range is quite flexible. The Lead mode is where things get heavy. With the flip of the switch you introduce a lot more saturation and a little fuzz on top of everything. It still retains it's tight and bright character but when the Dirty Boost is introduced you hear some extra bass and fuzz added to the mix. It's a very good platform to build your sound upon if you like playing rock or punk music, might not have quite the gain or tone for metal/stoner/doom stuff but a boost might get you there. Let's listen to it now:

Whale's Revenge Rhythm Overdrive by Mike Fetting

Here the WR is doing a nice crunchy overdrive in the rhythm mode. Yes I like The Hold Steady....

Whale's Revenge (Boosted by Dirty Boost) by Mike Fetting
Here's what the WR sounds like in the lead mode and when boosted towards the end.

Final Verdict
The Whale's Revenge is a great way for overdrive lovers to test out some fuzz due to the fact that it will surely provide satisfying overdrive tones as well a little taste of fuzz, all at an affordable price point. It might be a little bright for heavier stuff but it's a nice cutting overdrive for many variations of rock music. I'd recommend looking into this one.

Be sure to check out all of Make Sounds Loudly's creation at their Facebook Page and look for even more reviews on the gated Blue Whale Fuzz and diode switching tone machine Blood Fuzz coming up.

Review: Make Sounds Loudly Dirty Boost

2011-06-09T13:28:00.001-05:00

This will be my first in a series of Make Sounds Loudly reviews. Make Sounds Loudly is run by Mark Leahey and I believe will become a popular choice for fuzz lovers in the near future. I'm going to first review the MSL Dirty Boost, great for adding some hair to your clean or overdriven tone as well as providing an awesome boost to fuzz and distortion pedals.

Hardware
The Dirty Boost is extremely easy to dial in given the fact that all you need is a volume and gain knob. Both have a great amount of range and the pedal as a whole is built very solidly. Also it has top mounted input and output checks which are great for saving space on your pedalboard. The finish on this pedal is also a very unique orange and blue speckled paint job, it looks great!

How it Sounds
This boost is certainly not a clean boost, and I like it that way, it almost always adds a little flavor to your overdrive or clean tone. I liked what it did to dirty up my clean tone, adding some grit but not covering up my amp's/guitar's tone. My favorite use for the Dirty Boost was boosting my fuzz pedals, especially the Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh, which you will hear further down this post.It just seemed to fill in all the frequencies the Pharaoh lacked and made it thicker and more present. One should note that it reacts a little differently from fuzz to fuzz, so be sure to try it with everything. I also tried it with the Make Sounds Loudly Whale's Revenge fuzz/overdrive and it provided a nice boost in bass as well as pushing the Whale's Revenge from a fuzzy overdrive to a thick blooming fuzz that you will hear in the first clip.

Whale's Revenge (Boosted by Dirty Boost) by Mike Fetting

Pharaoh Heavy by Mike Fetting

Final Say
The Dirty Boost is extremely affordable and very easy to integrate into anyone's sonic arsenal, especially if you love your current fuzz but just want to add a little extra punch and gain. If you want a boost to experiment with on your setup, the Dirty Boost would serve as a great, versatile addition to your pedalboard. If your looking for a very transparent clean boost, the DB could work in a pinch but won't be completely clean.

Look for more Make Sounds Loudly reviews in the coming days, Mark is building some great stuff! Check out the MSL Facebook to marvel at more effects and get more info on Make Sounds Loudly.