Category Archives: Hardware Effects

The Metasonix F-1 Distortion Pedal – ” You Can Almost Smell The Smoke Pouring Out.”

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metasonix-f-1

Metasonix has introduced the F-1 distortion pedal.

The F-1 pedal uses a unique vacuum-tube pentode circuit to do something special: it simulates the extreme distortion, parasitic oscillations, and other unique sounds that come from a tube guitar amp that is being ‘overdriven to flaming destruction.’

The ?Complex Distortion? knob varies the plate loading on the two pentodes to give asymmetrical distortion, and it varies the feedback effects?all on one knob. Metasonix founder Eric Barbour describes it as “Typical of the things that happen when the EL34s in a Marshall or similar amplifier are driven to the point of meltdown, and the power and output transformers threaten to go open-circuit. You can almost smell the smoke pouring out.” Continue reading →

The Korg KP3+ Dynamic Effects/Sampler In Depth

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At the 2013 NAMM Show, Korg introduced the latest member of its Kaoss Pad family, the Korg KP3+ Kaoss Pad effects processor.

The KP3+ is a dynamic effects processor and sampler. It offers a total of 150 programs ? 22 more than the KP3. In addition to the 108 effects carried over from the KP3, which include filters, spatial-type effects such as delay and reverb, a grain shifter that freezes tiny pieces of sound and repeats them, and a vocoder, there are 42 new or improved effects, including effects that were developed for the Kaoss Pad Quad, such as the Looper, Vinyl Break, and Ducking Compressor.

The video above offers a looping performance demo of the new KP3+.  Continue reading →