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Effects

An encyclopedic collection of analog chorus tones that range from the sublime to the stuttering.

So much more than a chorus. Deep analog sounds. A wealth of usable options.

The 18-volt requirement might be a concern for underpowered boards. Some learning curve.

$299

Jackson Audio New Wave
jackson.audio

4.5
4
3.5
4

In my modulation universe, I think of chorus as the North Star—the effect around every other modulation effect turns. Within it, you hear traces of delay, phase, and reverb all mixed together to create waves of sound that evoke powerful and often very specific feelings and musical settings. Sometimes that feeling is the lush sound of ’80s pop. Other times it can be aggressive and unnerving. Jackson Audio’s New Wave, a chorus/vibrato collaboration with Snarky Puppy’s Mark Lettieri, aims to cover both of those extremes and nearly everything in between.

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A band of brothers: Van Halen during the OU812/Monsters of Rock era.

How I’ll always remember Edward.

One memory often triggers another, so, while writing about my experiences with Metallica over a crucial decade in their career for this issue, I kept flashing back on my sole encounter with Van Halen—the man and the band. It was during 1988’s Monsters of Rock, and I was on assignment for the tour’s two-day stand in Akron’s Rubber Bowl, a decrepit concrete pit turned convection oven by the summer heat, to interview all the guitarists on the tour: Kingdom Come’s Danny Stag, Dokken’s George Lynch, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield of Metallica, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs of Scorpions, and, of course, Edward.

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A well-tuned granular delay box built for soundscapists.

Intuitive controls make it surprisingly easy to interact with complex effects. Great for players who want to get into vast, textural sounds but don’t like complicated pedals.

Less nuance in the pedal’s controls will probably keep advanced knob-tweakers away. Expensive.

$299

Walrus Audio Fable
walrusaudio.com

4.5
4
4.5
4

The realm of modern glitch-leaning, time-based effects is probably home to more knobs-per-box than any other pedal category. That gives players inclined toward these units more control than ever. Thanks to the constant advance of digital signal processing, we’ll probably keep heading in this direction for a while.

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The Sensation Fuzzdrive from Heather Brown Electronicals blends the best of both worlds from its titular pedal classes.

Broad range of vintage and modern sounds, from classic rock to metal to punk to parts unknown. High-gain sounds are full and gooey and versatile. Nice art.

Can get a bit boxy when used as an overdrive. The tone color won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

$249

Heather Brown Electronicals Sensation Fuzzdrive
godsmom.com

4
4.5
4.5
4

The Heather Brown Electronicals Sensation Fuzzdrive sure does live up to its name. It fuzzes, it drives, it will give you varying sensations.

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This tribute to the golden era of fuzz raises hairs with its classic tones, articulation, and sheer punch.

Great sounding and highly controllable up-octave fuzz, with the ability to cut through a live mix, at a nice price.

No lower octave voice. Shadow side of the balance dial can get too murky. Side-mounted jacks might be a liability on some pedalboards.

$99

Electro-Harmonix Lizard Queen
ehx.com

3.5
5
5
5


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