This video should help you understand:

I can’t wait to try it with my Flashback Delay (read my review of this pedal here). I have briefly tried the app and it features lots of toneprint profiles with descriptions and interviews of the artists who have helped developing them, very cool!

• the FB-2 feedbacker/booster puts on a twist to the classical treble booster by facilitating feedback. That reminds me of the now defunct DF-2, a Boss distortion pedal that would feedback by pressing on it.
• the BC-2 combo overdrive seems to be a Vox AC-30 version if the more metal oriented ST-2 released last year. A character knob changes the amount of gain as well as the voicing of the overdrive/distorted tone
• the RC-300 is a looper that fills the gap between the compact RC-3/RC-30 and the flagship RC-50

And now straight out of Japan, here is a video demo of the BC-2 and the FB-2:

Source Audio did it again, this time turning its attention towards envelope filters. The Soundblox Guitar Envelope Filter does all the clean 70s funky tones you would expect from an envelope filter but it is capable of much more. I especially love the way it can fatten a distorted tone, much like a good phaser can. The filter “action” can be controlled “manually” using the Hot Hand ring. If you don’t know what I am talking about, I suggest you watch this video showing the Soundblox Guitar Envelope Filter in action:

Note that there is a bass version of the Soundblox Guitar Envelope Filter.

And here is another demo by Phil X and other L.A. musicians (inclusing bass players):

This September, Boss is adding two new pedals to its arsenal: the ST-2 Power Stack and the PS-6, a long overdue replacement to the PS-5 Pitch Shifter.

The ST-2 is a modeling pedal which emulates the sound of a big amplifier and features a “sound” knob that changes the character of the tone. The PS-6 is a pitch shifter pedal that can do two part harmonies and it seems the tracking is just spot on.

Metal guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman demonstrates these two pedals here. The only other effect I hear is a delay and you have to admit the tones he is getting are killer:

Marty Friedman demonstrating the new Boss ST-2 and PS-6 (Click on the video tab to see Marty Friedman’s performance).

Update: the youtube video I had embedded yesterday has suddenly become private. People at boss, if you have done that, it is not cool.

And here is another video showing the PS-6:

Don has released his first DVD dedicated to beginners (but not only) and I thought it would be nice to review it here, on Guitar Tone Overload.  It is entitled “The Components of Tone” and is the first volume of an upcoming series of “Tone Secrets” DVDs.

DVD cover for "The Components of Tone" by Don Wrixon

Don follows a very logical approach and the DVD consists of the following sections:

• Tone History: gear milestones since the 30s.
• Guitar Body Styles: hollow body archtop, solid body, flattop acoustic, etc. In this day and age of modeling and guitar software, people often forget that the Tone starts with the guitar itself and Don does a very good job at showing the differences between all the classical models (Telecaster, Stratocaster, Gibson ES 175, ES335, Les Paul…). I wish I could have had access to that kind of information when I was a beginner!
• Driving a Tube Amp: Don demonstrates how to achieve many tones by using just a good tube amp and the volume knob of your guitar. Again, this seems to be often forgotten nowadays but as Andy Summers of the Police once said when asked how to get a great tone: “get a good guitar and a good amp”. I would add “learn how to use them” which is what this DVD is all about.
• Distortion Pedals: Don’s approach here is to show how overdrive/distortion pedals are an extension of any guitar/amp combination.
• Pitch Shifting Pedals: a bit of a misleading title for this section, I might have called it “Tone Shifting”. Anyway, this is a great section where Don shows what modulation, delay and reverb can do to your tone.
• Putting It All Together: Don wraps it up with some final and very useful advice.

A lot of top notch gear is shown in the DVD, superb guitars and amps, boutique effects, etc. I must also say that there is just the right amount of information, you will not drown under too much of it.

So I’d say don’t forget to pay a visit to Don’s Tone Secrets Website where you can purchase the DVD for USD 20 + shipping. Considering that you often get less information out of books that are sold for way more than USD20, this is pretty good value!

Source Audio is a little company formed by former Analog Devices VP of of Engineering Jesse Remignanti and Kurzweil Senior Engineer Bob Chidlaw. After spending 5 years scrutinising every distortion pedal on the planet, they have come up with the “Soundblox Pro Classic Distortion” pedal which aims at digitally recreating the tones of well known pedals such as the Electro Harmonix Big Muff, the Fulltone Distortion Pro, the Proco RAT, the Ibanez Tube Screamer, the Fuzz Face, etc. There are 12 models in total.

I know what you are thinking: “this has been done before”. Yes there has been a few attempts but the Soundblox Pro Classic Distortion could very well set a new standard due to its tonal qualities and unique features.

First of all, it sports a 7 band equalizer whose settings can be stored with each of your 6 presets. I think this is a pretty neat idea and frankly, I don’t know why most distortion pedals stop at 3 or 4 bands. Secondly, using an external expression pedal, it is possible to morph between 2 distortion models and get a huge number of variations. I am not just talking about mixing the tones of two pedals here, what happens is more a “fusion” in the digital domain between two models, creating entirely new “hybrids”. So what should a RAT morphing into a Big Muff be called? A Big Ruff? Third, the Soundblox Classic Distortion has a MIDI input allowing it to integrate with complex rigs and be remotely controlled. And last but not least, it looks like a hot rodded space ship from outer space which is always a bonus.

Here is Earl Slick (of David Bowie’s band) trying out the Soundblox Pro Classic Distortion and getting some sweet tones out of it:

The Classic Distortion is not the only pedal in the Soundblox Pro range at Source Audio, you will also find another model aimed at creating more “modern” tones called the Soundblox Pro Multiwave Distortion (which also exists for bass). And let’s not forget the “Hot Hand” series of products such as the Phaser/Flanger where you can control the amount of wobbling by shaking your hand (using a special ring, take a look at the video). And the good news is that the hot hand ring can also be used to control the Soundblox Pro Classic Distortion.

I think it is pretty cool to see some innovation in modeling !

The “Son of Hyde” from Visual Sound seems to win with the Z Vex box of rock a close second. Of course the results should be taken with a grain of salt as we don’t know which amp is used, only one guitar is used, etc. The tone comes as much from the fingers as it does from the gear and there is not one definitive answer as each player will have its preferences. It is interesting nonetheless and there are more shoot out videos on their youtube channel.

The SM-9 Pro+ Super Metal is not an exact reissue of the 80s Ibanez SM-9. I own an original one and it sports 5 knobs as opposed to the new one which has 4. Also, the 2010 version can be powered with a 9V power supply as well as 18V. In the latter case, it apparently increases “the headroom, frequency range, and dynamic response of the SM-9 pedal”. This new arrival in the Maxon line is clearly geared towards all metal genres, even the most modern, as the sound examples suggest. The old Ibanez SM-9 was also a metal pedal at the time but in an eighties way of course. It was interesting though as it did have some “tube screamer” DNA which does not seem to be the case with the new model.

The "new" SM-9

As to the ST-9 Pro +, ST stands for “Super Tube” to emphasize its Tube Screamer ancestry, not the fact that it is tube based because it is not.  As with the SM-9, the ST-9 Pro+ is not an exact reissue of the 80s Ibanez model. Maxon claims it is based on the circuit of the good old TS808 Tube Screamer but with added flexibility and more gain options. On top of the usual LEVEL, DRIVE and TONE knobs there is a 4th knob to choose the frequency of the “mid range hump” as well as a switch to choose between a classic tone and a “low boost” tone which will fatten your sound. The ST-9 Pro+ can be powered with a 9V or 18V power supply, the latter mode increasing the “headroom, frequency range, and dynamic response of the” pedal. Listening to the the sound clips, I must say the ST-9 does seem to sound like a super charged Tube Screamer.

The ST-9 Pro+ Super Tube

As an example, here is the video about the overdrive effect:

MXR is releasing more of these little foot print, easy to operate models. Apart from brand new models such as the Zakk Wylde Black Label ZW38 chorus and the CSP 202 Custom shop compressor, three models are re-released :

First the M148 micro chorus was an 80s one button chorus. The Rate control is apparently enough to give you a wide diversity of tones. This 2010 version features the welcome addition of a true bypass.

Secondly, the M152 Micro Flanger is based on the M117 flanger model (so good that some people actually committed murder to get one, so I am told). It features two controls, Rate and Regeneration, as well as a true bypass.

Last but not least, the Phase 45 is a limited edition reissue. Akin to the much acclaimed Phase 90, it features a single speed control and has a hand wired circuit board.

For more detailed information, the excellent i heart guitar blog has a NAMM report about these babies.

Price wise, I have spotted the micro chorus for 100€, the micro flanger for 110€  and the phase 45 for 120€ on various European websites.

I for one can’t wait to try them!