Experience a sprawling collection of fuzz, delay, and modulation pedals that fuel massive walls of Pscyh-Rock sound. From vintage fuzz faces to boutique builds and custom creations, look back at classic Rig Rundowns from The Flaming Lips, All Them Witches, Elder, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and more.
The newly launched company BzzzzKill has introduced its debut product: a specially designed coil that drastically reduces hum in Stratocaster-style guitars.
BzzzzKill solves a problem that has plagued Strat players for more than 70 years: single-coil pickup noise. The new BzzzzKill hum reduction device virtually eliminates Stratocaster 60 cycle hum without noticeable tone loss or permanent modifications to your guitar and its pickups.
Unlike other solutions that require pickup replacements, permanent alterations, or external power sources, BzzzzKill employs a meticulously engineered passive dummy coil that installs inside your guitar’s control cavity without drilling.
On most Strat-style guitars, the installation process is straightforward and easily reversible, with no need for batteries, routing, or new pickups. Simply remove your pickguard, place the BzzzzKill coil next to the pickup selector switch, solder its wires to a few existing solder connections, and you'll immediately hear a dramatic Improvement. Single-coil 60 Hz hum is virtually gone and your tone is retained.
BzzzzKill’s design finds the optimum balance between hum reduction and tone preservation. It’s currently available in two models. A Dual Layer model is specifically optimized for Stratocasters with reverse-wound/reverse-polarity (RWRP) middle coils. A Single Layer model is designed for vintage-style SSS (single-single-single) pickup configurations.
The innovative solution operates as a passive device requiring no batteries or maintenance, working in all pickup switch positions and remaining compatible with effects chains. The device maintains the guitar’s original dynamic range and low-end response while virtually eliminating hum at all gain levels except maximum gain settings, where only minimal hum remains.
BzzzzKill is the culmination of decades of research and development by inventor Richard Moreton of RSM Custom Guitar Works. “I created over 200 prototypes in perfecting the BzzzzKill, mostly to solve my own quest for great tone and the ideal combination of hum reduction, and tone preservation,” says Moreton. “What started as a personal mission to get rid of the buzz in my own Strats became an obsession to create something that didn’t exist — one-and-done noise reduction without the compromises other solutions demand.”
Current BzzzzKill models sell for $199 USD for both the Single Layer and Dual Layer configurations. The company plans to expand to Telecaster and other single-coil models in the future. For more information visit www.bzzzzkill.com.
Ours is a frantically paced world. So, I quite like instruments and effects that slow my roll. Delays, reverb, and tremolo all do the trick nicely. But rotary-speaker-type effects can be every bit as good at slowing frantic, frenzied picking to a molasses pace.
Whether a rotary-style pedal “spins” at a slow rate or a fast one … it’s all a lullaby to me. To truly distort time and have a decelerative influence, though, a rotary effect must create a real sense of depth. Boss’ RT-2 Rotary Ensemble possesses this kind of dimensionality in abundance. It’s syrupy and complex. And while it lacks some of the features that distinguish more embellished, contemporary rotary, vibrato, or Uni-Vibe-style pedals, the Boss’ smartly streamlined controls deliver subdued or in-your-face modulations in many shades, with functionality that doesn’t distract.
Ode to Rotation
Though the RT-2 is, in many respects, a more compact riff on the Boss’ RT-20, which was discontinued in 2019, it isn’t as simple as it looks from five paces. The two knobs on the pedal’s face are actually four controls made up of two concentrically stacked dials. Two of the knobs set the speeds you move between when you press and hold the soft-latch pedal. The other two set the effect output level (which is handy for backgrounding or foregrounding the effect) and a drive circuit that approximates tube amp drive in a real rotary speaker. The drive control, though, can also be repurposed as a balance between virtual bass and treble “horns” when you slide a switch on the pedal’s crown. A second switch on the crown selects fast and slow ramp times between two rotary speeds.
A third “mode” switch moves between three distinct effect voicings. The first, in Boss’s description, approximates the frequency response of a Leslie 122. To my ear it is the most open and neutral of the three. Mode II is described as having a wider tonal range more suited to drive and distortion. It’s much more focused in the midrange and slices like a machete when paired with a gain device or overdriven amp. Mode III is flat-out dirty, and while it sounds cool with distortion, it’s useful for achieving radical tone shifts in rigs with fewer effects. A lot of Hendrix and Gilmour fans will spend time here. The footswitch, in addition to functioning as the bypass, and the ramp switch can be reconfigured in different ways. Most notably, it can be used to activate the slowest rate of rotation first, or vice versa.
Sundae Swirl
Though some expensive, dedicated rotary speaker simulators may be better at achieving the mechanically derived, microtonal nuances of a real Leslie or Fender Vibratone, the RT-2 nails the mood and basic richness of the genuine article. The modulation pulses are distinctly hazy around the edges in a way a Uni-Vibe pedal or standard vibrato is not. At the slowest rates, these modulations can serve as a simple thickening agent in a fashion that almost mimics light boost or compression, particularly when the effect level is set to conservative zones. Faster modulations are more overtly rotary-like. Pitch shifts are less binary and bouncy and instead seem to melt into one another. And in a recorded mix with an appropriate sense of room ambience, you’d probably be hard-pressed to discern the RT-2 from a real Leslie.
Though the drive control is effective for adding attitude and color to modulations, I derived a lot more utility and fun from using the control in its balance capacity. The ability to mix the virtual high and bass horns—effectively mimicking the microphone placement and mix emphasis when recording the treble and bass horns on a real Leslie—enables surgical placement of the effect in a mix. But it also helps summon the RT-2’s most natural and realistic rotary tones, and it’s the control I tinkered with most when exploring the pedal’s range.
Accurately simulating a real rotary speaker remains one of the trickier feats in pedal design. Not coincidentally, the best simulators are pretty pricey. And while the RT-2’s $239 price tag can give pause, the pedal’s combination of no-fuss functionality, compact size, and often very delicious, convincing, and ecstatically elastic and animated approximations of a mechanical Leslie make crossing the $200 threshold a much more palatable proposition. And I’d venture that once you are fully immersed in the RT-2’s textures, and the surprisingly numerous, even unconventional, ways they can be applied, this well-executed pedal will pay back the investment many times over.
IK Multimedia introduces ENGL Ampthology Vol 1, the first Signature Collection powered by the new TONEX Modeler. ENGL has earned a place among the most revered names in high-gain amplification, with a tone that has shaped the performance of metal, prog, and hard rock around the world.
For the first time, that signature ENGL aggression and clarity have been captured directly from ENGL's private vault of hand‑selected amps, meticulously curated for the official TONEX collection.
"For decades, ENGL has defined the sound of high-gain excellence. With IK Multimedia's TONEX technology, our iconic amps have been captured for you to unleash in the studio, on stage, or anywhere your music takes you." - Edmund Engl, founder of ENGL AMPS
ENGL Collection Overview
72 Tone Models based on six legendary amps from ENGL's private collection, dialed in for this exclusive release.
Created by ENGL tone masters using TONEX Modeler for enhanced high‑gain precision.
Includes Amp, Amp + Cab, and Complex Rig Tone Models for ultimate flexibility in studio and live setups.
Compatible across the entire TONEX ecosystem: Mac/PC, iOS, TONEX Pedal, and TONEX ONE.
Compatible with all TONEX software versions, including the free TONEX CS.
The Ultimate ENGL Experience ENGL Ampthology Vol 1 offers instant access to six legendary ENGL amplifiers: the Fireball 60, Powerball MK1, Invader 100, Savage 120 MK1, Savage 60 MK1, and the pure tube tone of the ENGL Straight. Each amplifier offers a selection of exclusive Tone Models, including amp-only captures for maximum versatility.
From crystal-clear cleans to crushing high-gain tones, with or without cab, these Tone Models capture authentic ENGL character in a mix-ready, studio-quality format that's phase-perfect, ultra-responsive, and optimized for both studio and live use.
Experience the full ENGL sound - without the volume, weight, or tube maintenance.
Pricing and Availability The ENGL Ampthology Vol 1 is now available via ToneNET and within any version of TONEX for Mac/PC at a limited-time introductory price of $/€79.99* (reg. $/€99.99).
*Pricing excluding taxes.
For complete details and information about the ENGL Ampthology Vol 1 Signature Collection and to hear the tones, please visit:
FREE for all TONEX users, the standalone modeler adds batch processing, improves accuracy, increases reliability, and offers dramatically faster training times.
IK Multimedia is proud to announce the launch of the new TONEX Modeler, a FREE update for all paid versions of TONEX, available today through the IK Product Manager as TONEX 1.10.0.
Smarter. Faster. Perfect Tone. Developed by IK's dedicated TONEX team, TONEX Modeler offers a variety of requested improvements and works seamlessly with TONEX software, ToneNET, and TONEX hardware, whether for capturing and creating Tone Models or performing live with more accurate and expressive Tone Models.
TONEX Modeler Overview
Faster Training: Up to 87% quicker on modern GPUs and Apple Silicon Macs, with training times as short as 2 minutes.
Extreme Tone Accuracy: Ultra-dynamic with harmonic clarity for high-gain amps.
Batch Processing: Capture multiple rigs in a single session, then train later, even on another machine.
Time-Saving Workflow: TONEX Modeler automatically stops training once the ideal results are achieved.
Phase-Perfect Captures: Stereo rigs and DI blends remain perfectly aligned, essential for live performance.
Ultra-Low Latency: Play with a natural, responsive feel both in the studio and on stage.
Portable & Organized: Archive, export, and transfer captures easily across devices.
Seamless TONEX Integration: Instantly load new models into TONEX and TONEX Editor.
Professional, Unmatched Results Every Tone Model produced by TONEX Modeler is phase-perfect and features ultra-low latency, ensuring that stereo rigs and bass DI blends sound flawless without requiring additional tweaks. The new capture engine also excels with high-gain tones, delivering tighter lows, richer harmonics, and crystal-clear definition-perfect for modern guitarists and producers who demand mix-ready sound straight from the capture.
Batch Processing for Power Users TONEX Modeler's batch processing removes guesswork, saves time, and lets users capture once and process anytime, with the heavy lifting done automatically. Designed for today's creators, it works smoothly with NVIDIA GPUs and Apple Silicon Macs, providing faster and more reliable performance. Its smart workflow even stops training early once peak quality is reached, so there's less waiting and more creating.
Tone Partners Onboard TONEX Tone Partners are experts whose feedback was crucial in developing the new TONEX Modeler. They received early access, and today IK is excited to share the results of this collaboration. Fifty-six new Tone Partner collections and bundles are now available on ToneNET for demo and purchase, showcasing the sonic enhancements of the new TONEX Modeler and providing over 1,140 new Premium Tone Models of sought-after rigs to explore.
Pricing and Availability The TONEX Modeler is now available through the IK Product Manager as a FREE update for all paid versions of TONEX, including TONEX SE.
TONEX Tone Partner Collections, created with the new TONEX Modeler, are now available for demo and purchase through ToneNET and in any version of TONEX for Mac/PC, starting at just $/€9.99* with Tone Partner bundles beginning at $/€39.99.
