Our guide to the biggest drops in the gear world this week.
With so many brands to keep up to date with, it can be easy to lose track of all the latest equipment launched into the gear-sphere each week.
Today, we’re taking a look at some of the best releases that might’ve flown under the radar, with this week’s wrap-up featuring four new pedals and a nifty little mic for all your content creating needs.
This week’s top picks:
- Gamechanger Audio Light Optical Reverb Pedal
- Wampler Pedals Ratsbane
- Way Huge Penny Saver Royale Overdrive / Chorus
- MXR Eric Gales Raw Dawg Overdrive
- Røde Microphones Wireless Go II
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Gamechanger Audio Light Optical Reverb Pedal
After being debuted back at NAMM 2020, Latvian pedal experts Gamechanger Audio have finally unleashed the Light Pedal; a sophisticated reverb pedal that makes use of an optical spring reverb tank developed over several years. It marks the first stompbox to use infrared optical sensors to detect subtle movements and harvest the extended timbral and harmonic range of a spring reverb tank to open up a plethora of mind-blowing reverb sounds.
Capable of producing optical reverb modulation, jittering feedback, harmonic shimmers and beyond, the Light Pedal features an extended signal mix section to blend in dry and wet signals, while the ability to stack various tones on top of each other make this one a no-brainer for any devout ambient instrumentalist. Hear the pedal in action below – and be prepared to have your mind blown.
Wampler Pedals Ratsbane
Another day, another rodent-themed overdrive! US boutique builders Wampler Pedals have debuted the Ratsbane, a pint-sized take on the classic ProCro RAT circuit.
Mainly sticking true to the design of the original, the Ratsbane features three knobs for Distortion, Volume and Filter controls, with Wampler adding in two mini toggle switches to switch things up: there’s a three-stage gain control to juice up the gain stages, while the Voice control lets you flip between two different modes that alter the compression and clipping of the signal.
The pedal will also run on either 9V or 18V power to make it flexible with different pedalboard set-ups, while the compact footprint of the unit makes it an easy fit onto any gigging or studio board.
Way Huge Penny Saver Royale Overdrive / Chorus
Combining two of Way Huge’s best effects circuits – the Blue Hippo Chorus and the Joe Bonamassa Signature Overrated Special Overdrive – the Penny Saver Royale acts as yet another signature pedal for the divisive blues guitarist.
The overdrive section of the pedal, based on a hot-rodded Green Rhino circuit with more midrange growl, features two large knobs to control Volume and Drive, while two smaller controls let you tweak Filter and Tone.
Meanwhile, the Blue Hippo-themed chorus section offers two Speed and Depth knobs to let you tap into an array of warbling tones, with the effect’s delay time being customised to Bonamassa’s own preferences. Hear how it sounds in action below.
MXR Eric Gales Raw Dawg Overdrive
Another signature overdrive for another bluesy shredder! MXR have debuted the Raw Dawg Overdrive pedal for blues soloist Eric Gales, with the pedal sharing a namesake with the guitarist’s DV Mark signature combo amp.
This unit boasts a classic combo of Output, Tone and Drive controls, and is housed in MXR’s compact mini-pedal format. As of yet, there’s no videos or tonal demonstrations to gauge how the pedal sounds, but it seems likely that it’ll be a pretty conventional blues overdrive pedal – albeit with a canine-inspired twist.
Røde Microphones Wireless Go II
The latest from Australia’s pro-audio titans, the Wireless Go II sees Røde Microphones give their popular content creating microphone a second life to continue its market dominance.
The Wireless Go II combines a transmitter, recorder, audio interface and a built-in microphone to make for a foolproof solution to recording audio on the go. The unit operates on a 2.4Ghz band to make sure you don’t require a license to use it, while a 200 metre range lets you roam around and capture audio without worrying about drop outs.
Røde have also added a secondary safety channel at -20dB in the off-chance your primary audio signal begins to clip, and there’s even a bunch of USB-C and Lightning connectivity options – all-in-all, it’s a mobile recording solution that’ll never let you down.
Don’t stop now – revisit all our favourite gear launches from last week here.
