Federico Kemp: A Need for Three

My name is Federico Iván Kemp Briano and I’m from Mexico. Some people ask me why I have three delay pedals. The thing is, I like to have all three types of delay: the Malekko Ekko 616 is analog, the Boss RE-20 Space Echo is tape, and the Boss DD-6 is digital. I’ve tried a couple of multi-delay pedals, but they don’t sound as good as these three together. Here’s the list of my pedals and how I use them.

• Korg Pitchblack tuner: I’ve had it for 10 years and am still rocking it.
• Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone Micro: It’s such an amazing compressor, it makes everything tight and clear.
• MXR Phase 95: I like to use it on the 90 script, which takes me back to ’60s psychedelia.
• Lovepedal Amp Eleven: It’s the best-sounding overdrive I’ve ever played—a total Tube Screamer killer.
• Rocket Drive: This is a pedal I made myself based on a Crowther Hotcake circuit.
• Boss PS-5: I like the glitch sound it makes with complex chords, I use it mostly as an octaver and the whammy function to play “Lonely Boy” by the Black Keys.
• Boss DD-6: This pedal is my fun machine. I like the hold setting for making samples and playing over it. Also, the reverse delay is fantastic! I’ve seen people arguing about how to tap tempo, but I like it.
• Boss RE-20: If I could only take one pedal to a desert island, definitely this is the one. I’ve had it for seven years and I’m still finding new sounds to it. This is part of my main sound.
• Malekko Ekko 616: One of my secret weapons. I like how it adds ambience to the tone, and the modulation is fantastic. Also, if I take it to more extreme settings it becomes a total beast.
• Electro-Harmonix Stereo Pulsar: Tremolo is one of my favorite sounds, so I had to get one, and this pedal does the job nicely.
• Chase Tone Secret Preamp: Another of my secret weapons. I can’t believe how a pedal with one knob can make everything sound better! It’s like it brings everything to life. This one and the comp are always on.

I fuel everything with the Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS7.