death by audio

Pretty sounds live alongside freakish modulations in a phaser, flanger, and filter combo with super-impressive range.

Fantastic range of phase, flange, and filter tones that span conventional and radical sounds. Cool, practical, and functional trip switch. Beautiful design.

Some tones tend toward metallic, which might put off classicists.

$250

Death By Audio Disturbance
deathbyaudio.com

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4.5
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4.5

Somehow I sense that the Death By Audio team would appreciate that I wrote the review for their new Disturbance on the day I got a root canal. Dental drills whirring, bright lights, and flying spittle—this is the stuff of many DBA products. Yet the ominously named Disturbance—which manages to be a phaser, flanger, auto wah, and a sort of cocked-wah filter all in one—is actually capable of sounds that fall squarely in the category of beautiful. And like almost all DBA effects, it’s also capable of radical and jarring tones. Its ability to span these extremes is the Disturbance’s strength.

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These days, there’s more time to spend in the pedal vortex. Behold the boards of fellow guitarists from around the world.

It’s that time of year, when Premier Guitar readers get the chance to show off their pedalboards and share how they approach these tools to unlock their sound. There’s no wrong way to wire up your effects—as we know, the options are virtually endless. But that’s the fun of it! Read on to see a completely blacked-out pedalboard created by a pro guitar tech, a repurposed Target dish-drying rack, a family tree of 12 (!!!) pedalboards, and much more. Some boards are painstakingly planned and arranged, and some are visually appealing. Whatever you like, stomp on!

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Oliver Ackermann of A Place to Bury Strangers joins us in discussing the players we'd pick to portray if we got our chance on the big screen. Plus: musical obsessions!

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