Ninevolt Pedals Bath Time Reverb
EFFECT: REVERB | RRP: $194 | DISTRIBUTOR: HOT APPLE DISTRIBUTION
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Rock, country, funk and blues players.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
Hall offers some big reflection for great ambient and live sounds. Spring does quite a realistic job with some warmth and boing that works nicely for blues comping and big chords, whilst the room setting offers size without getting too washy or over the top. You can tweak the mix and time controls for the reverb size and blend of clean and effect, which lets you create a tone and then balance how much you want on your fundamental tone.
USABILITY:
As easy as picking a setting on the toggle switch and then dialling in the mix and time controls. This would work for non-verb amps that need a little wet in the mix or as an out and out effect for bigger explosions and atmosphere.
CONSTRUCTION:
Ninevolt are running a cool mix of quirk and hip with their pedal names, graphics and looks. Nice!
OVERALL:
With a solid line of pedals as a starting point, Ninevolt seem to be offering some very nice sounding pedals at an even nicer price. Good tones, classic type effects that are giggable with funky looks – what else do you want?
BY NICK BROWN
Outlaw 24K Reverb
EFFECT: REVERB | RRP: $169.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Quick fire reverb changes on the run. It’s a great fit for guitarists who want to add a few distinct reverb sounds to their arsenal, without overcomplicating the process.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
Three modes each provide a unique look at the reverberation of your signal. Room is the standout, simply because it’s the most organic mode of the bunch. The small room character ensures the reflections are smooth and fluid. Plate mode generates a vintage warble, curvy and wet. While spring mode sets off a metallic and watery stream of reverb. Having three distinguished modes is definitely a plus.
USABILITY:
Navigating the decay, reverb and tone controls is stress-free. By using the reverb knob to limit the volume of reverberations the tone knob can be used to great effect. On room mode, push the tone up to 3 o’clock, with the decay dialled in at 12 for a sweet glistening shimmer. The metallic nature of spring mode, on the other hand, responds well to a dark bass-heavy tone. Saved mode allows you to save your favourite setting, which can then be loaded at any stage with a double-tap of the footswitch.
CONSTRUCTION:
Another pocket-sized pedal, with a simple, commonsense design.
OVERALL:
By providing three unique reverb modes and a save mode the functionality of this pedal is impressive, particularly considering its small frame. This is a competent performer that satisfies the need for basic, solid reverb.
BY CHRIS SCOTT
Flux Liquid Ambience Plyphonic
EFFECT: REVERB | RRP: $439 | DISTRIBUTOR: SIGNAL CHAIN
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Texturally inclined guitarists, lovers of layered compositions and rich soundscapes.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
This is an expansive and intricately constructed pedal that will elevate your ambience into another stratosphere. The DSP-based polyphonic voice and reverb effect expands and constricts like a living, breathing entity. In generating spaced out, ethereal hall reverb, fifth and octaves it plays on the constructs of sound; the clarity found in cascading and modulated sequences, extraordinary.
USABILITY:
There’s a lot going on here – an undeniable strength of the pedal – with a fifths mode, octaves mode and the blend mode. In just sticking to the blend, positioned at 12 o’clock, an ethereal shine comes to the fore. Turn both the mix and space knobs to 3 o’clock and chords become saturated in colourful textures. In this mode stepping on the ‘more’ footswitch results in enrapturing oscillation. It all takes a while to get your head around, but it’s time well spent.
CONSTRUCTION:
The Liquid Ambience looks stunning, dressed in a vintage sky blue fonish. There’s a certain sophistication to the pedal’s generous spacing. Yet, this is achieved without sacrificing durability.
OVERALL:
The Rolls Royce of octave and reverb effect pedals – a high-performer inside and out. The Liquid Ambience, while a pedal that won’t always need to be engaged, will always make its presence felt when in use.
BY CHRIS SCOTT
Keeley Seafoam Chorus
EFFECT: CHORUS | RRP: $245 | MADE BY: KEELEY ELECTRONICS
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Pop, rock, indie, and funk players.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
You can get traditional spacious lush chorus tones by juggling the rate and depth controls. Think slightly doubled airy sounds or more warbly and bold. Great for arpeggios and picking the Seafoam also works beautifully with big chord voicings. Keeley have also included a blend knob, which balances the line between chorus and pitch vibrato.
USABILITY:
Setting the rate and depth low as a start it’s easy to dial in some initial width and space. The tone control is handy for keeping things warm or adding some brighter hi shimmer and zing.
CONSTRUCTION:
Tough and well built in a hip seafoam coloured casing with cool machined style silver coloured knobs. Looks cool and is built to last.
OVERALL:
Chorus is often thought of as a product of 80s guitar. And whilst I quite dig a bit of 80s shred or washy goodness chorus can offer so much more. Thickening clean sounds, accenting muted picking and licks or for big warbly wobble. The blend and tone controls add extra capabilities to the Seafoam making it a great tool for the chorus lover.
BY NICK BROWN
Keeley Engineering 30Ms Double Tracker
EFFECT: CHORUS/MODULATION | RRP: $289 | DEALER: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Anyone who has ever longed for old school studio trickery at the ick of a switch.
VERSATILITY:
The age of the power ballad may have damn near ruined chorus effects for all concerned, but the 30ms goes a long way toward rectifying the situation. Everything from ‘Come As You Are’ warble to T-Rex thickness to Beatlesque doubling to rockabilly slap back is laid out before you ready to be dialed in; and that’s only in mono! Send the output signal into two amps via the supplied stereo TRS splitter and you can saturate the entire space in super wide, real-as-it-gets, tape-style headroom.
USABILITY:
If you want to play it simple in mono mode, then you are definitely not losing out, as every colour and shape is ripe for the picking. The job handled by each knob is clearly defined, there’s no second-guessing what ‘breadth’ or ‘girth’ refer to, making it a breeze to find just the right nook for your tone. With the possibilities expanded in pro mode there’s no limit to where you’ll end up. Chorus effects are notorious for getting away from the best of us but the level of control on offer means the 30ms never feels like too much… unless you want it to.
CONSTRUCTION:
Super sturdy die-cast steel housing with enough tension in the knobs so that you won’t accidentally bump yourself out of your favourite hot spot.
OVERALL:
A huge leap forward in simple yet completely innovative sonic possibility.
BY LUKE SHIELDS
Earthquaker Devices Nightwire
EFFECT: HARMONIC TREMOLO | RRP: $295 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLOBAL VINTAGE
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Indie, rock, experimental and roots players.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
A trem with some extra features. The Nightwire has level, depth, rate and frequency controls plus added rate and frequency toggle switches to open up some additional sounds. The attack toggle setting reacts to your pick, meaning you can dig in and the trem will speed up accordingly. Controlling the frequency of the filter section the, assigned toggle also gives you manual, attack and LFO for plenty of variation.
USABILITY:
With a lot of control on board, the Nightwire will serve the serious pedal tweakers well. It does some standard trem things and then some extra phasery, filter, swirly, throbby warble too. Good for rootsy country down home sounds, trippy throbs and pulses, slight modulation or all out insane Roland S. Howard style experimentation.
CONSTRUCTION:
More of the same from Earthquaker. The pedal seems to be reliably tough and built to be gigged with. Hip graphics for the aesthetic conscious muso too.
OVERALL:
Cool simple trem through to more involved tones, the Nightwire offers plenty of scope. The attack mode is a nice touch for really zoning in to your playing and control whilst the rest of the controls add to the sonic palette on offer.
BY NICK BROWN
MXR M76 Studio Compressor
EFFECT: COMPRESSOR | RRP: $379 | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Compression aficionados. The player who wants to emulate their beloved studio compression and tube amp combo in a live setting.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
This is a classically versatile compressor that normalises the dynamic range of your audio input signal with clarity usually reserved to the studio.
USABILITY:
By simply using the sample settings, a studio compression of -6 to -7db can be executed for balanced amplitude and volume. Slowing down the compression and quickening the reaction time alternatively produces a thicker, dampened squash. Once you get your head around the five controls and single LED meter – input, output, ratio, release, attack and gain reduction meter – applying subtle changes becomes second nature.
CONSTRUCTION:
It’s housed in a Phase 90-sized box – which is noticeably smaller than your average stompbox – and will fit snuggly onto any pedalboard. The Gain Reduction meter is an important gauge, fitted with vivid LEDs.
OVERALL:
Compression shouldn’t be limited to the studio or for recording. Normalising lead guitar can be of great importance. So too, balancing a dynamically stronger tube amp. For those familiar with compression this pedal will fix all of those problems and more.
BY CHRIS SCOTT
Bogner Harlow Boost With Bloom
EFFECT: BOOST + COMPRESSOR | RRP: CONTACT FOR PRICING | DISTRIBUTOR: EGM DISTRIBUTION
RECOMMENDED FOR:
All guitarists, working across all genres. Here we have a multi-purpose boost equipped with tonal dexterity.
SOUND AND VERSATILITY:
The bloom and tone knobs work in tandem to create an array of sounds effortlessly. It’s the bloom compression feature and, in turn, greater tonal scope that really sets this apart from other boost pedals.
USABILITY:
With maximum control for minimal effort, getting the most out of this boost is a breeze. Bellowing lows and mellower highs are achieved by lowering the tone. When coupled with extra compression, achieved by increasing the bloom, we get a synth-like, bass-heavy response. Bumping up the tone, on the other hand, elevates the highs and diminishes the lows for bringing forth a shimmering sweetness.
CONSTRUCTION:
As is the case with Bogner’s entire range, this pedal is built to last. It’s your standard-sized metal brick, with a minimal boldness that is all class.
OVERALL:
This is a unique boost, made dynamic by the compression that’s on board. Its ability to shape tonal character is indicative of a quality boost pedal – the benefits are so great that having it on indefinitely is a viable option.
BY CHRIS SCOTT
