You've got another SIX chances to win in this week's giveaway. Enter below for your shot at pedals(or gear) from Aguilar, AmpMojo, Electro-Harmonix, Gator Cases, Truetone, or Zashabuti!
Aguilar AG Preamp/Direct Box
Aguilar’s AG Preamp Pedal is a must-have for any bassist looking for a clean and transparent preamp to sculpt their sound. Revered for tight, fast response and tonal flexibility, the AG Preamp Pedal features a 4-band EQ, footswitchable "deep" and "bright " controls, headphone out, aux in, and balanced DI.
AmpMojo Sol Drive Responsive Tube Overdrive
The Sol Drive is a low-to-medium gain, responsive tube overdrive pedal. It uses a Tung-Sol 12AX7 pre-amp tube to bring a rich harmonic texture to your tone that only a real tube can. Real tube tone. Real tube feel.
Features:
• Genuine Tung-Sol 12ax7 vacuum tube
• Premium no-click foot switch
• True bypass relay circuit
• Top mounted input, output, dc jacks
• Tour-grade durability
• Built in U.S.A.
Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Octave Fuzz Effects Pedal Green
Make way for the new heir to the octave fuzz throne, the Lizard King from Electro-Harmonix. Directly inspired by the EHX x JHS collaboration released in 2023, the Lizard King takes the gnarly and responsive octave fuzz circuit from the Lizard Queen and optimizes it for bass and beyond. With updated tone controls and a new Blend knob, the bass’s fundamental tone and low-end is preserved while the top-end of the fuzz tone is shaped to fit or dominate any mix!
The EHX Lizard King is a fixed-gain fuzz that is dynamically responsive. Adjustments to your instruments volume affects the amount of fuzz. Lower instrument volumes create a clear, fuzzy overdrive, while full instrument volume sends the gain over the top for ripping riff and searing solo tones. The familiar VOLUME and OCTAVE knobs control overall output and octave blend volume respectively. New to the Lizard King, the BLEND knob sets the mix between your clean and fuzz tones to create the perfect balance of fuzz while retaining your bass’s attack and low-end. The TONE knob is a low pass filter that rolls off the highs, while the SUN/SHADOW switch further enhances the tone of the octave fuzz and clean tones. SUN boosts the octave fuzz with a more driving midrange, and the clean tone accessed by the BLEND knob has more treble and bass frequencies. When the switch is set to SHADOW, the clean tone is unchanged, and fuzz tone is tighter.
Gator Extra Large Pedalboard with Bag - 32"x17" Orange
TrueTone 1 SPOT Pro CS11
Our most powerful 1 SPOT Pro yet! The 1 Spot Pro CS11 is the same size as the CS12, but with all new outputs and options. It doesn’t replace the CS12, but gives users more power and more available 9Vdc outputs. It also has “one more” output on the back, which allows users to connect the CS11 to Truetone’s new expansion boxes like the XP5 and XP8. It goes to 11… and so much more.
Zashabuti ZAMP
Vintage Tweed Tube Amp Reimagined in Gold Analog Stompbox
Zashabuti has announced the launch of the ZAMP, a groundbreaking amp-in-the-box pedal that delivers the cherished sound of 1950s Fender Tweed amplifiers.
For musicians seeking to capture the magic of rock’s golden era, the ZAMP brings legendary tones right to your pedalboard, offering an authentic playing experience that pays homage to the greats. With its innovative true analog tube emulator, the ZAMP meticulously recreates the entire tube chain and tone stack of these classic amplifiers with Jensen speaker emulation, offering musicians the best of both worlds – vintage tone with modern reliability.
Imagine dialing in the iconic sounds of The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton, and Neil Young—all without the high cost and maintenance of vintage gear. Designed as an all-in-one DI amp-in-a-box solution, the ZAMP eliminates the need to lug around a traditional amplifier. You’ll get the sounds of rock legends – everything from sweet cleans to exploding overdrive – for the same cost as a set of tubes.
The ZAMP’s versatility makes it an ideal tool for a variety of uses…
• As your main amp: Plug directly into a PA or DAW for full-bodied sound with Jensen speaker emulation.
• In front of your existing amp: Use it as an overdrive/distortion pedal to impart tweed grit and grind.
• Straight into your recording setup: Achieve studio-quality sound with ease—no need to mic an amp.
• 12dB clean boost: Enhance your tone with a powerful clean boost.
• Versatile instrument compatibility: Works beautifully with harmonica, violin, mandolin, keyboards, and even vocals.
• Tube preamp for recording: Use it as an insert or on your bus for added warmth.
• Clean DI box functionality: Can be used as a reliable direct input box for live or recording applications.
See the ZAMP demo video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJp0jE6zzS8
Key ZAMP features include:
• True analog circuitry: Faithfully emulates two 12AX7 preamp tubes, one 12AX7 driver tube, and two 6V6 output tubes.
• Simple gain and output controls make it easy to dial in the perfect tone.
• At home, on stage, or in the studio, the ZAMP delivers cranked tube amp tones at any volume.
• No need to mic your cab: Just plug in and play into a PA or your DAW.
• Operates on a standard external 9-volt power supply or up to 40 hours with a single 9-volt battery.
The ZAMP pedal is available for a street price of $199 USD and can be purchased at zashabuti.com.
About Zashabuti:
With a team of experienced engineers and innovators from leading companies in the music industry, Zashabuti is dedicated to designing products with a deep respect for the classic sounds of the past, combined with the best of today’s technology. We strive to create products that inspire and elevate your musical journey.
Big time processing power in a reverb that you can explore for a lifetime.
An astoundingly lush and versatile reverb of incredible depth and flexibility. New and older BigSky algorithms included. More elegant control layout and better screen.
It’s pricey and getting the full use out of it takes some time and effort.
$679
Strymon BigSky MX
strymon.net
Strymon calls the BigSky MX pedal “one reverb to rule them all.” Yep, that’s a riff on something we’ve heard before, but in this case it might be hard to argue. In updating what was already one of the market’s most comprehensive and versatile reverbs, Strymon has created a reverb pedal that will take some players a lifetime to fully explore. That process is likely to be tons of fun, too.
Grinding out impressive DSP power via an 800 MHz tri-core ARM processor with 32-bit floating-point processing, the BigSky MX introduces seven brand-new reverb algorithms, allows users to load any compatible convolution reverb (or impulse response) as well as to use two reverbs simultaneously—in series, parallel, and split—plus it delivers several other mind-bending features. Given this wealth of goodies, it’s impossible to test and discuss every sound and function, but what we heard is exciting.
Infinite Space
The updated MX will look very familiar to those who know the original BigSky. The form factor is nearly identical, though the MX is a bit larger. Its control interface is similar too, albeit rearranged into a single row of knobs that looks more balanced. Rotary controls include decay, pre-delay, tone, mod, parameter 1, parameter 2, and mix. A value knob enables effect-level manipulation on the larger, clearer OLED screen. It also allows you to select between the older or “classic” algorithms from the original BigSky and the seven new ones. Three footswitches allow for preset selection, bank up or down (two switches pressed together), and an infinite hold/sustain switch that’s always available. The rotary “type” knob in the upper-left corner spins between 12 basic reverb voices. As with most things Strymon, many of these controls are multi-function.
Also very Strymon-like are the top-mounted, 5-pin DIN MIDI I/O connections, which come in handy if you want to maximize the pedal’s potential in a MIDI-controlled rig. But you can access more than enough right from the pedal itself to satisfy the needs of most standard pedalboard-based setups. A USB-C port enables computer connection for MIDI control via that route, use of the Nixie 2 editing app, or firmware updates.
There are stereo jacks for both input and output, plus a multi-function 1/4" TRS/MIDI expression jack for use with a further range of external controllers. The standard center-negative power jack requires a DC supply offering at least 500 mA of current draw.
It is utterly hypnotic and addictive once you settle in and work a little more intuitively.
Sky’s the Limit
The BigSky MX was, initially, a bit mind-boggling on account of the seemingly endless possibilities. But it is utterly hypnotic and addictive once you settle in and work a little more intuitively. Suffice it to say, the core quality of the reverb sounds themselves are excellent, and the sheer variety is astounding. Beyond the standard emulations, I really dug several permutations of the cloud reverb, the chorale mode (which adds tenor and baritone harmonizing tones), and bloom mode (which generates deep synthesizer-style pads), and I could have gotten lost in any of these for hours if there wasn’t so much more to explore. Among the highlights: There is now an option to pan reverbs across the stereo field. The MX also uses audio design concepts borrowed from tape delays to create rhythmic pattern-based reverbs, which is an excellent compositional tool.
The Verdict
This latest evolution of the already impressive and super-capable BigSky is the kind of pedal that could cause you to disappear into your basement studio, never to return. The sounds are addictive and varied and can be configured in endless creative ways. The programmability and connectivity are also superb. Additionally, the new algorithms weren’t added at expense of the old BigSky algos. There’s no doubt that it will be flat-out too much horsepower for the guitarist that needs a few traditional sounds and, perhaps, a few more spacious options. And it would be interesting to know what percentage of the pedal’s customers end up being synth artists, engineers, or sound designers of one kind or another. If you’re the kind of guitar player that enjoys stretching the sound and capabilities of your instrument as far as they will go, the BlueSky MX will gladly ride along to the bounds of your imagination. It may test the bounds of your budget, too. But in many ways, the BigSky MX is as much a piece of outboard studio gear as a stompbox, and if you’re willing to invest the time, the BigSky MX has the goods to pay you back.
Win the complete Electro-Harmonix Pico Pedal Collection and transform your sound with pitch-shifting, reverb, delay, and more. Enter now for your chance to level up your pedalboard with these compact, tone-shaping powerhouses! Ends September 26, 2024
NYC DSP Pico Series
The Electro-Harmonix Pico pedal series offers a range of compact, powerful effects suitable for various musical styles. The Pico Pitch Fork provides pitch shifting, while the Pico Oceans 3-Verb delivers three versatile reverb modes. The Pico Canyon Echo offers lush delay effects, and the Pico Deep Freeze gives dynamic freeze and shimmer sounds. The Pico Attack Decay allows for vintage envelope control, and the Pico Triboro Bridge produces rich, harmonic tremolo. The Pico Rerun emulates the warm, nostalgic sound of lo-fi tape echo, while the Pico Platform is a compressor/limiter with precise control. Lastly, the Pico POG offers polyphonic octave generation, all in small, pedalboard-friendly sizes.
EHX Pico Attack Decay - Tape Reverse Simulator
Create volume swells and decays, both in Mono mode—one volume envelope for all notes you play—or in Poly mode where each note to has its own volume envelope creating cascading swell effects and leads with agile attack smoothing.
EHX Pico Canyon Echo – Digital Delay
Pristine digital delay featuring up to 3 seconds of delay, Filter control, and tap tempo with 3 tap division modes.
EHX Pico Deep Freeze – Sound Retainer
Classic EHX Freeze effect with added auto mode, glissando, individual DRY and EFFECT level controls, and adaptive layering.
EHX Pico Oceans 3 Verb – Multi-mode Reverb
Packed with 30 polyphonic pitch modes, latching/momentary functionality, and adjustable pitch bend sweep for whammy-style effects.
EHX Pico Platform – Studio-style Compressor
Studio-style compressor / limiter to precisely tune dynamics with adjustable attack and sustain, hard/soft knee compression curves, and blend knob for parallel compression magic.
EHX Pico POG – Polyphonic Octave Generator
World famous octave effect in a pico package featuring octave up and down plus new Tone knob with tilt-shift EQ, Low Pass, and High Pass filtering options.
EHX Pico Rerun - Tape Delay
Vintage-style tape delay sounds with adjustable saturation and flutter to achieve a variety of warm, crunchy, warbly delay tones.
EHX Pico Tribobo Bridge – OD/Dist/Fuzz
Bridging the worlds of overdrive, distortion, and fuzz in a sub-compact pico chassis with selectable input contouring eq, active EQ on OD and DIST, and LPF and Gate on Fuzz.
EHX Pico Pitch Fork – Polyphonic Pitch Shifter
Packed with 30 polyphonic pitch modes, latching/momentary functionality, and adjustable pitch bend sweep for whammy-style effects.