Fairly neutral settings with a slight boost in Gain and Treble. Clip begins with volume rolled off on the guitar. Voice switch 'up'.
Boosted Gain and Treble with the guitar's volume rolled off at the beginning and end of the clip. Voice switch in 'up' position.
TC Electronic has been around since ’76—the brainchild of Danish brothers Kim and John Rishøj. These self-described “experts on noise” set out to cleanse the guitar world of unwanted crackle and pop that plagued many guitar effects of the time. And after years of studying signal processing and countless trial and error, the brothers found success with their SCF Chorus pedal, which found favor with guitarists and keyboardists for its noiseless operation. 35 years later, TC Electronic still aims high on the noiseless front. And with the new MojoMojo and Darker Matter they’ve ventured into the traditionally noise-plagued realms of distortion and overdrive.
The Twins
The MojoMojo and Dark Matter Distortion are built around identical controls sets— Drive, Level, Bass, and Treble. At a full counterclockwise rotation, the Drive parameter leaves the signal completely unmodified while a clockwise rotation increases the amount of gain. The Level knob controls the volume output—a full counterclockwise rotation will turn the signal completely off, while the 12 o’clock position is amp level and a full clockwise yields a significant boost. The Bass and Treble knobs work through a range from bass heavy signals to piercing trebles if desired. In addition, both controls have a Voice switch placed between the Drive and Level controls. In the ‘up’ position the output signal takes on a brighter tone, best used to cut through a dense soundscape, while the ‘down’ position yields a heavier voicing for rhythm guitar work and blended textures.
Each effect is encased in a rugged metal case that looks ready for everything from the snow to the arid desert. TC Electronic started using a fantastic single-screw system recently that keeps the back panel in place. To change the 9V (can also be powered on a 9V barrel adaptor), just use a coin or heavy gauge pick to get the screw started and it pops right open to reveal the battery compartment and circuit board.
Both of these effects are true bypass, which ensures an unhindered input signal while unengaged. However, as with most true bypass systems they do suffer from a slight pop when engaging the effect, an issue that can be significant with higher gain amplifiers and exacerbated if you’re using a delay at the end of the line. These pedals could also use better grips on their undercarriage—the glue on the small plastic feet can heat up and fall off, leading to a pretty spectacular tap dance instead of a rock show.
Mojo Workin’
I tested these pedals using a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul with a Vox Pathfinder and a ’68 Fender Bassman running into a 4x12 with Celestion V30s. With the Stratocaster and Bassman in the line, I set all the dials on the MojoMojo at 12 o’clock. With the amp on the verge of breaking up, the MojoMojo easily kicked it over the top, giving me a very warm punch. Turning up the Drive lent a light, vintage distortion. Boosting the Treble to the 2-3 o’clock position gave a biting crunch with a hint of cranked Vox AC30. In general, though, the MojoMojo is a very transparent pedal, almost like a second stage of gain for your rig. The Bassman’s natural voice came through quite clearly, with an added fullness from tubes throttled with gain. The MojoMojo is also very responsive to guitar volume-knob adjustments. Rolling off your volume keeps the tone full-bodied without the gain saturation. Blues dogs will love this aspect of the pedal’s range—and being able to creep between haunted chime or a guttural wail that even Muddy Waters would be proud of. I found both Voice switch positions very useable for either rhythm or lead playing.
Done Darkly
The Dark Matter Distortion can be a bit deceptive. With a name like that, I was expecting some unwieldy doomsayer in a box. What I got was essentially a hot-rodded MojoMojo—a throaty, muscular Pontiac Firebird to the MojoMojo’s Cadillac, if you will. With the Bassman already set for natural break-up and the Les Paul driving the whole rig, the Dark Matter was crystalline and singeing. The ‘up’ position on the Voice switch is perfect for putting leads across in the heaviest bands, though its basic voice resides more in vintage high gain territory—harkening back to early AC/DC crunch. The Dark Matter also interacts well with the guitar’s volume knob—which will open up a range of tones from full-bodied overdrive, ready to flip back to maximum gain. I found the ‘down’ position of Voice less effective in high gain applications, where it could get a little muddy and lost.
The Verdict
The Dark Matter is fantastic for huge power chords with the Les Paul into a cranked head. Response was tight and the clarity remarkable, even though I was left wanting for a little more dirt at times. The MojoMojo absolutely loved the Stratocaster’s single-coils, and gives Fenders that classic Texas blues punch but also the ability to produce jazzier flurries and stinging leads with a spin of the guitar’s volume knob.
You’ll have to pony up about $130 for either the MojoMojo or Dark Matter Distortion. But they are both very well-constructed pedals with excellent clarity for the vintage-oriented. If you can put up with true-bypass pop, definitely give these two a swing for your OD and distortion needs.
MojoMojo Overdrive:Buy if... | Dark Matter Distortion:Buy if... |
Street $129.99 (each) - TC Electronic - tcelectronic.com |
Hotone Wong Press
Cory Wong Signature Volume/Wah/Expression Pedal
Renowned international funk guitar maestro and 63rd Grammy nominee Cory Wong is celebrated for his unique playing style and unmistakable crisp tone. Known for his expressive technique, he’s been acclaimed across the globe by all audiences for his unique blend of energy and soul. In 2022, Cory discovered the multi-functional Soul Press II pedal from Hotone and instantly fell in love. Since then, it has become his go-to pedal for live performances.
Now, two years later, the Hotone team has meticulously crafted the Wong Press, a pedal tailored specifically for Cory Wong. Building on the multi-functional design philosophy of the Soul Press series, this new pedal includes Cory’s custom requests: a signature blue and white color scheme, a customized volume pedal curve, an adjustable wah Q value range, and travel lights that indicate both pedal position and working mode.
Cory’s near-perfect pursuit of tone and pedal feel presented a significant challenge for our development team. After countless adjustments to the Q value range, Hotone engineers achieved the precise WAH tone Cory desired while minimizing the risk of accidental Q value changes affecting the sound. Additionally, based on Cory’s feedback, the volume control was fine-tuned for a smoother, more musical transition, enhancing the overall feel of volume swells. The team also upgraded the iconic travel lights of the Soul Press II to dual-color travel lights—blue for Wah mode and green for Volume mode—making live performances more intuitive and visually striking!
In line with the Hotone Design Inspiration philosophy, the Wong Press represents the perfect blend of design and inspiration. Now, musicians can channel their inner Cory Wong and enjoy the freedom and joy of playing with the Wong Press!
Reverend Vernon Reid Totem Series Electric Guitar - Shaman
Silos features six presets, tap tempo, one full second of delay time, and three voices—two of which are styled after bucket-brigade and tape-delay sounds. In the $150 price category, it’s not unusual for a digital delay to leave some number of those functions out. And spending the same money on a true-analog alternative usually means warm, enveloping sounds but limited functionality and delay time. Silos, improbably perhaps, offers a very elegant solution to this can’t-have-it-all dilemma in a U.S.-made effect.
A More Complete Cobbling Together
Silos’ utility is bolstered by a very unintimidating control set, which is streamlined and approachable. Three of those controls are dedicated to the same mix, time, and repeats controls you see on any delay. But saving a preset to one of the six spots on the rotary preset dial is as easy as holding the green/red illuminated button just below the mix and preset knobs. And you certainly won’t get lost in the weeds if you move to the 3-position toggle, which switches between a clear “digital” voice, darker “analog” voice, and a “tape” voice which is darker still.
“The three voices offer discernibly different response to gain devices.”
One might suspect that a tone control for the repeats offers similar functionality as the voice toggle switch. But while it’s true that the most obvious audible differences between digital, BBD, and tape delays are apparent in the relative fidelity and darkness of their echoes, the Silos’ three voices behave differently in ways that are more complex than lighter or duskier tonality. For instance, the digital voice will never exhibit runaway oscillation, even at maximum mix and repeat settings. Instead, repeats fade out after about six seconds (at the fastest time settings) or create sleepy layers of slow-decaying repeats that enhance detail in complex, sprawling, loop-like melodic phrases. The analog voice and tape voice, on the other hand, will happily feed back to psychotic extremes. Both also offer satisfying sensitivity to real-time, on-the-fly adjustments. For example, I was tickled with how I could generate Apocalypse Now helicopter-chop effects and fade them in and out of prominence as if they were approaching or receding in proximity—an effect made easier still if you assign an expression pedal to the mix control. This kind of interactivity is what makes analog machines like the Echoplex, Space Echo, and Memory Man transcend mere delay status, and the sensitivity and just-right resistance make the process of manipulating repeats endlessly engaging.
Doesn't Flinch at Filth
EarthQuaker makes a point of highlighting the Silos’ affinity for dirty and distorted sounds. I did not notice that it behaved light-years better than other delays in this regard. But the three voices most definitely offer discernibly different responses to gain devices. The super-clear first repeat in the digital mode lends clarity and melodic focus, even to hectic, unpredictable, fractured fuzzes. The analog voice, which EQD says is inspired by the tone makeup of a 1980s-vintage, Japan-made KMD bucket brigade echo, handles fuzz forgivingly inasmuch as its repeats fade warmly and evenly, but the strong midrange also keeps many overtones present as the echoes fade. The tape voice, which uses aMaestro Echoplex as its sonic inspiration, is distinctly dirtier and creates more nebulous undercurrents in the repeats. If you want to retain clarity in more melodic settings, it will create a warm glow around repeats at conservative levels. Push it, and it will summon thick, sometimes droning haze that makes a great backdrop for slower, simpler, and hooky psychedelic riffs.
In clean applications, this decay and tone profile lend the tape setting a spooky, foggy aura that suggests the cold vastness of outer space. The analog voice often displays an authentic BBD clickiness in clean repeats that’s sweet for underscoring rhythmic patterns, while the digital voice’s pronounced regularity adds a clockwork quality that supports more up-tempo, driving, electronic rhythms.
The Verdict
Silos’ combination of features seems like a very obvious and appealing one. But bringing it all together at just less than 150 bucks represents a smart, adept threading of the cost/feature needle.
EarthQuaker Devices Silos Multi-generational Time Reflection Delay Pedal
