Mirage is a dual reverb workstation that goes far beyond traditional stomp box boundaries. Built around two fully independent engines - R1 and R2 - Mirage offers studio-grade processing, intuitive controls, and a remarkably flexible layout that appeals equally to sound designers, gigging musicians, and ambient explorers. Whether you're stacking two reverbs for depth, splitting engines across stereo channels, or dynamically morphing textures live, Mirage is built to perform.
Each engine can load one of 16 distinct reverb algorithms, organized into two banks. The Outer Bank focuses on natural, familiar reverbs: Plate, Spring, Cathedral, Room, Gated, and even the mythical Inchindown oil tank impulse (the longest recorded reverb in nature) - ideal for players looking to recreate spaces found in vintage recordings or real-world acoustics. The Inner Bank unleashes modern, ambient-driven effects: shimmer in various configurations (up, down octaves, blended, pitch-shi ed), modulation and echo based reverbs and infinite trails with the twist of a knob.
Each reverb engine has four dedicated knobs: Mix, Volume, Swell, and Excite. Swell typically controls decay or size, but some algorithms use it creatively - like gating time or freeze triggering. Excite is context-sensitive and adapts per algorithm: from shimmer balance to modulation depth, octave volume, or tone shaping. A Shi Push Switch toggles between the two algorithm banks, while a Voice Selector chooses the algorithm for each engine - no menu diving, just hands-on, instant access.
Routing is one of Mirage’s standout features. With series routing, you can stack the two reverb engines for massive atmospheric depth or use each engine independently for 2 mono reverb presets - engaging either footswitch as needed. Want to insert another pedal between the two engines? The SEND/RETURN loop between R1 and R2 is perfect for adding modulation, delay, filters, or even distortion/fuzz pedals for expanded textures.
Choose stereo or separate routing to process L and R channels independently, assigning distinct reverbs to each - or dial in slight differences on the same algorithm to widen the stereo image. You can even run two completely independent mono setups, each with its own activation footswitch. This is especially handy for one acoustic and one electric guitar setups, dual mono synth setups or setups using an external looper or switcher system. There’s also a Mono In/Stereo Out (MISO) mode, ideal for mono guitars, synths, or front-of-house reverb sends.
Internal switches on the back panel offer deep customization without the hassle of so ware editors. Choose between true bypass or buffered trails, activate Kill Dry for parallel rigs - send (aux) effects in the studio, and configure routing via the Assignment Switch (SOS or MISO).
Footswitch behavior is just as smart. In Independent mode, each footswitch toggles its engine on/off. In R1 XF mode, the right footswitch becomes a momentary controller that ramps either R1’s Swell or Excite to full - then returns it smoothly when released. Use it to perform bloom swells, shimmer bursts, gated punches, or on-the-fly freeze. Assign control via the R1 Control Assign Switch. You can also map an external expres
sion pedal to R2’s Excite or Swell using its own switch - the XP input accepts standard TRS expression pedals (up to 100k)
Despite all its power, Mirage is fast and intuitive. There are no menus, no screens - just direct access to deep features with a layout that invites experimentation. Mirage even remembers your power-up state (bypass or active) for seamless integration on stage or in studio.
Full Feature List
Dual independent reverb engines - Dedicated controls per engine for hands-on shaping.
Flexible routing setup: mono in series, stereo, independent dual mono, or mono to stereo configurations - easily adapts to complex gear rigs or in the studio.
SEND/RETURN loop between engines - insert pedals between reverb stages for enhanced routing.
16 total algorithms split into two intuitive banks: vintage/classic and ambient/experimental.
Studio-grade signal path with high headroom, clarity, and detail. Analog-dry signal path.
Previously a limited run, this new signature model will be a constant
PRS Guitars today announced the return of a Mark Holcomb six-string signature guitar to the Core Series, 10 years after the original. Offered in 2015 as a limited release only, this new version will be a regular part of the Maryland lineup. Mark Holcomb, renowned for his groundbreaking work with progressive metal band Periphery, brings his signature style and precision to an updated guitar built for versatility and power.
The Mark Holcomb model features a mango top, a 25.5” scale length maple neck, and an ebony fretboard with a 20” radius—crafted for speed and precision. Equipped with Holcomb’s signature Seymour Duncan Scarlet and Scourge pickups, this guitar delivers focused low-end punch and crystal-clear articulation, ensuring complex chord voicings, coil-splitting, and drop tunings remain defined and dynamic. The 5-way blade switch unlocks a range of tones, from dual humbuckers in position three, to coil-split options in positions two and four.
“This new Core model is a culmination of all of the touring, recording, and writing I've done for the last 11 years with PRS and is a product of all the iterations PRS and I have done over that time. This guitar surpasses all of what we've established and is my new gold standard for tone and playability. Seeing it come to fruition is nothing short of a dream fulfilled. I couldn't be more proud of it, and I'm supremely grateful to PRS for their innovation and dedication to perfection,” said Mark Holcomb.
The model comes set up with PRS Signature 10-52 strings in Drop C tuning. It is appointed with satin black hardware and available in Charcoal Wraparound Burst, Holcomb Wraparound Burst, Holcomb Blue Wraparound Burst, Cobalt Smokeburst, Fire Smokeburst, Gray Black, and Purple Mist Wraparound Burst.
Holcomb’s innovative riffing, a cornerstone of Periphery’s dense triple-guitar sound, comes to life on stages worldwide with his PRS signature models. After the initial collaboration on a limited release of Holcomb signature Core models, Mark worked with PRS to create the SE Holcomb and the seven-string SE Holcomb SVN.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. For all of the latest news, click www.prsguitars.com/40 and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Brazilian pedal company Fuhrmann has introduced the Stellar, a stereo reverb processing unit in a compact pedal.
Fuhrmann Introduces Stellar Reverb
Featuring Fuhrmann's custom DSP and integrated 24-bit AD/DA converters, the Stellar’s reverb algorithm delivers a broad range of high quality reverbs, from short early reflections to long, floating tails.
Whether used for subtle spatial coloring or exploring more complex and dreamlike ambient textures, Stellar elevates performances to a new level while maintaining the “ease to use” characteristic of Fuhrmann pedals.
Like all Fuhrmann pedals, Stellar offers intuitive controls, allowing musicians to quickly get their ideal sound with minimal effort. In addition to the core parameters such as reverb time, effect Mix, Modulated, and Octave (which accumulates octaves to the reverb tail, providing a Shimmer effect), Steller offers variable high and low frequency filters to perfectly balance the reverb for your application. Furthermore, the analog signal is not processed (analog dry through).
Stellar includes memory to store 9 reverb scenes so that your favorite settings are always available. The pedal has two integrated footswitches that offer great convenience for programming your reverb sounds according to your needs. Through them, you will activate and deactivate the effect, navigate through the stored settings, or configure and save them, always practically and intuitively. It is worth noting that the presets are switched without delay.
In addition to stereo inputs and outputs, Stellar has MIDI I/O (TRS connector) to offer expanded control options, integrating it into any advanced setup. It can receive assignable commands from external MIDI controllers and devices, such as effects switchers.
Stellar uses 9-volt DC power from a standard external supply.
Fuhmann’s Stellar carries a $250 street price. For more information visit https://fuhrmann.com.br/
Osbourne performs with Black Sabbath at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, in 2016.
Photo by Tim Bugbee/Tinnitus Photography
Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic solo artist and singer for heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath, has died at age 76. His family confirmed his passing in a statement on Tuesday, July 22.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” the statement began. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Born John Michael Osbourne in Marston Green, England, in 1948, Ozzy was inspired to become a musician after hearing the Beatles’ hit “She Loves You.” He linked up with guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and bassist Geezer Butler around 1968, and by August 1969, they’d renamed their band Black Sabbath, after the 1963 film of the same moniker.
With Osbourne’s mournful, weighted howl at the helm, Black Sabbath released some of heavy metal formative and most influential recordings. Their first two LPs, Black Sabbath and Paranoid, minted monumental rock-canon staples like “N.I.B.,” “The Wizard,” “Paranoid,” “War Pigs,” and “Iron Man.”
For their time, Black Sabbath’s sound and lyrics were disturbingly dark and heavy. Both fans and critics could agree on one thing: their music was “wicked,” each in their own sense of the word. It’s no surprise, then, that soon after Sabbath began releasing records, Osbourne and the band became frequent targets of religious groups accusing them of promoting Satanism and radiating “evil” energy. For their followers, that was exactly the appeal. Long before “horror rock” was a genre, Ozzy and Sabbath made music that shocked and unsettled listeners, confronting the cruelty, madness, and injustice of modern life.
“Throughout his career, Osbourne surrounded himself with celebrated, genre-defining guitarists.”
Throughout his career, Osbourne surrounded himself with celebrated, genre-defining guitarists, starting with Tony Iommi, whose crushing, downtuned Gibson SG-powered riffs not only defined Black Sabbath’s music, but helped to forge the sound of heavy metal itself. After Ozzy was fired from Sabbath, he teamed up with guitarist Randy Rhoads and launched his solo career with 1980’s landmark Blizzard of Ozz. The album catapulted Rhoads to international fame as a bona fide guitar hero. He could deliver towering, electrifying riffs and solos on tracks like “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley,” but he also brought a classical and more emotional sensibility to Ozzy’s music, evident in the acoustic melancholy of “Dee” and the dramatic, environmental-apocalypse themes of “Revelation (Mother Earth).”
Osbourne with Randy Rhoads, circa 1980.
Diary of a Madman, their second album together, further established Osbourne’s solo career and cemented Rhoads, with his Karl Sandoval-built polka dot Flying V and Jackson V-style electrics (as well as the occasional Les Paul), as a guitar icon. Tragically, Rhoads died in a plane crash in 1982, and Osbourne eventually tapped the shredder Jake E. Lee as his permanent replacement. That partnership lasted for two more successful albums, Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, but it was in 1987 that Osbourne found his most longstanding guitar foil—20-year-old Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt, better known as Zakk Wylde, who auditioned to replace the recently departed Lee. Wylde’s shrieking pinch harmonics, scorching wah-pedal leads, and chorus-colored chording defined a new era of Osbourne’s musical life on songs like “No More Tears,” “Miracle Man,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” Osbourne continued to collaborate with Wylde through the 2000s, and Wylde performed at Osbourne’s 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
As he moved through his career, Osbourne was infamous as much for his music as for his wild antics—such as the never-to-be-forgotten bat- and dove-biting incidents. Though he achieved sobriety at various points in his life, his oft-imitated slurred vocal delivery and hell-raiser image remained his calling cards.
Osbourne had been battling a Parkinson’s disease variant, amongst other ailments, since at least 2020, which hindered his ability to perform onstage. At Black Sabbath’s final show, an all-day affair that took place on July 5 in their hometown of Birmingham, England, Osbourne sang from a chair topped with a black bat—an homage to his old foe, perhaps. Osbourne appeared visibly frail; nevertheless, it was a triumphant performance, as he powered through a short set of solo classics before reuniting with his old bandmates for four songs.
Osbourne’s “Prince of Darkness” moniker was often tied to the occult and sinister themes in his music, but he knew real darkness from an early age. He struggled with dyslexia in school, was sexually abused at age 11, and attempted suicide multiple times as a teenager. At 17, he spent six weeks in prison after robbing a clothing store. He did not arrive at darkness by choice; it was thrust upon him.
Over 50 years, Osbourne created music that faced down, rather than ignored, the bleak, lonesome truths of the human experience. Thanks to him, and the fleet of ace guitarists he worked with, generations have learned to embrace and probe the shadows lurking behind the light, and to make sense of them through ferocious guitar riffs and monstrous rock songs. Those are skills we’ll likely always need.
YouTube
Ozzy Osbourne performs “I Don’t Know,” the leadoff track from Blizzard of Ozz, with Randy Rhoads, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge, in 1981.
Frank Bello, best known as the bassist of New York’s legendary thrash metal pioneers Anthrax, has joined forces with Spector Bass to develop an all-new instrument. Dubbed the NC-4 Frank Bello, this bass is inspired by both Spector’s rich history and iconic American bolt-on bass design.
From its refined body contours and radiused top to the uniquely contoured neck heel, the NC-4 is built for speed, comfort, and stage-ready performance. Finished in a head-turning metallic purple affectionately named Tina Rose after Bello’s mother and grandmother and features a matching headstock, purple acrylic block inlays, and Bello’s signature EMG P/J pickup set.
Furthermore, the NC-4 features a solid Alder body, a 1-piece Maple neck, and a Maple fingerboard – a tonewood trio that delivers the perfect blend of warmth, brightness, and clarity. The neck profile, modeled after Bello’s favorite vintage instruments, offers a slim, broken-in feel that’s instantly familiar.
Finished with vintage-style chrome tuners, a modern adjustable bridge, and a brass nut for enhanced sustain, the NC-4 Frank Bello is ready to take on the world’s biggest stages – just like its namesake.
“Spector is known for quality. My signature bass is built for players and offers incredible tone, comfort, and affordability. From the neck profile to the woods, signature EMG pickups, and brass nut, this is my ultimate go-to for any gig, Anthrax or other.” – Frank Bello
The NC-4 Frank Bello is more than a signature model – it’s a statement. Available now at authorized Spector dealers worldwide.
Fuhrmann Introduces Stellar Reverb
