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IK Multimedia debuts guitar effects pedals based on its AmpliTube software
IK Multimedia has created a set of digital guitar effects pedals based on its AmpliTube modeling software.
Hologram Electronics Microcosm: A cheat code for making ambient music
The Microcosm can be a rhythmic glitch machine, a top-notch loop pedal or a straightforward delay. It’s more than just a one-trick pony, which is important given the $449 price.
Cooper FX Arcades review: Plumbing the depths of lo-fi guitar effects
Cooper FX Arcades takes what could be a mere gimmick -- game cartridge-like swappable sound cards -- and uses them to plumb the depths of lo-fi guitar effects.
Finally: A guitar pedal you’re supposed to spill beer on
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the history of guitar pedals. But, I'm fairly confident in saying there has never been a pedal quite like Rainger FX's Minibar. It's an overdrive pedal, but one that requires a little something extra to work -- a liquid. There's a small container on the top that says "pour liquid here" and, until you put something in there it simply wont make a sound.
The best multi-effects pedal for new guitarists
When I first started playing guitar way back in 1995 (or maybe it was 1994?) the idea of a digital multi-effects pedal was still pretty new. The Zoom 505 was the biggest game in town, if you wanted a pile of effects in a compact package for a reasonable price. It was also the first pedal I ever bought. But, if I'm being honest, a lot of the sounds you got out of it were not great. And it could be a little confusing to operate at times. Thankfully things have come a long way since the mid '90s.
Line 6 Mobile In app turns your iPad or iPhone into a multi-effect amp -- party on, Wayne
No word yet on if the volume peaks at 11, but what Line 6's new Mobile In offerings will do is turn your iPad or iPhone into a pro modeling amp, with a sick range of amplifiers, guitar cabinets, stompboxes, tones and rack effects. The setup comes in two separate parts: the free mobile Pod app and the Mobile In adaptor, which lets aspiring metalheads (or Fleeting Foxes) connect their guitars to an iOS device using the 30-pin connector. Line 6 says this connection blows similar jack-based apps out of the water, and it's throwing in 24-bit/48kHz digital sound for good measure. Although you'll get a killer 110dB of dynamic range for guitar, you can still achieve 98dBs when you plug in another mono or stereo-line level -- that old keytar, perhaps? With that kind of combo you'll be thankful to know that it records and works with other CoreAudio apps like GarageBand -- perfect for jamming out with your keyboard toutin' buddies without the back-breaking work of carrying a heavy amp. Have your lighters ready for when the $79.99 adaptor ships this fall, but until then, check out the video and full PR after the break.
Griffin's StompBox available to order, virtual guitar shredding now a go
Remember that Griffin-made StompBox we showed you back in January? Well, it's finally hit the market, so you can free up those virtuoso hands and get to pedal-pounding wicked sound effects. The four button foot controller works with Frontier Design's iShred LIVE app for iOS, connecting your instrument via an included GuitarConnect cable to a 1/4-inch jack. The device is "designed to work with... a guitar, bass guitar, electric violin and keyboard," so your virtual jam band session is all but guaranteed. This musical f/x dongle is available to order now for $99.99 online, or you can just head to one of Apple's boutiques to snag it. Sadly, the effects switcher doesn't come bundled with a copycat of Slash's hat, but that shouldn't stop your credit card from indulging in this latest bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
Griffin StompBox multi-function foot controller for iOS devices
Griffin has announced a new 4-button foot controller that works with iOS devices. The Griffin StompBox (US$99.99) was developed to work with the Frontier Design iShred LIVE iOS app (Free), making it easy for musicians to switch effects with the StompBox with a tap of a foot. The StompBox is packaged with Griffin's GuitarConnect cable so that the StompBox can be connected to instruments, headphones, and an iOS device. Any instrument that uses a 1/4-inch jack, like a guitar, bass, electric violin or keyboard, can be connected to the StompBox. Foot switches on the StompBox can be assigned to different functions, such as volume, expression, or wah-wah pedals. Griffin also notes that StompBox works with the Qscript teleprompter app ($7.99), scrolling your speech or notes with a simple toe tap. The StompBox will be available through Apple Stores or GriffinTechnology.com.
Video demo of the Griffin StompBox
TUAW music blogger Matt Tinsley covered the details of Griffin Technology's StompBox product earlier today, but here's a video we shot at CES to show you how it works when playing guitar. Griffin made the cable especially for the StompBox, designed by a guitarist and called the GuitarConnectCable. It comes with the StompBox. Also, the iShred Live app is thus far the only one set up to work with the StompBox. While that may limit some early adopters, there should be nothing preventing other developers from supporting the StompBox in the future. Also seen in the video holding the iPad is the Mic Stand Mount, which Matt also wrote about earlier.
Griffin StompBox pedal board brings authenticity to iPad rocking
Users of the iShred Live iOS app (no relation to this thing) now have a pedal board to do the job of, well, a pedal board. Up until recently, the app allowed players to connect their electric guitars to an iPhone or iPad, and use said device as an amplifier, with a near endless array of pedal effects at their fingertips. Looking for a way to make the experience more authentic, Griffin teamed with the folks at Frontier Design Group to create the StompBox, which, according to Griffin's website, "effectively recreates the experience of an actual pedal board." It features four separate foot switches, which can be assigned particular effects by the user, and connects to the iPad or iPhone with a 1-meter-long dock connector cable -- guitar connection cables are sold separately. Now the future Peter Framptons of the world can scale back on setup time and concentrate on making their guitars talk.
TC Electronic PolyTune tunes all your strings at once
We haven't seen much reason to trade up from our ancient Boss tuner in all the years we've been playing guitar, but the new TC Electronic PolyTune might finally persuade us. Billed as the "world's first polyphonic tuner," the PolyTune supposedly lets you tune all your strings at once -- you simply strum away and the display tells you which strings need a tweak. There's also a standard needle mode, two chromatic modes, a real-time stream mode that shows you pitch changes as they happen, and built-in memory so you can lock in your favorite settings. No word on price or availability, but we should find out more at NAMM this week. Check out a video of the prototype in action after the break. Update: Tipster Lane sends in a screenshot from our webOS Engadget app showing the PolyTune with a $150 MSRP and a $99 street price. Check it after the break. Thanks, Lane!
OpenStomp Coyote-1 open-source guitar pedal now shipping
It's only been a couple months since we first noticed that the OpenStomp Coyote-1 guitar pedal project had started development, but it looks like it's ready to go -- the web store is up and taking orders for US and Canadian customers. Your $350 gets you an 80MHz eight-core Propeller processor, a 16x2 line LCD screen, two footswitches, four knobs, an additional input / output jack, video out, an RJ11 expansion port, and a microUSB interface, all in a purple steel chassis. Not bad for the money, especially since the available source and fully-documented hardware means this thing should be taken in all sorts of interesting directions -- anyone going to throw down for this bad boy?
Rock Band guitar hack enables stompbox to activate Overdrive
Not even 24 hours after catching a whiff of those sick Mushroom-headed Rock Band drum pads comes yet another mod that oozes awesomeness. The Rock Band Stompbox tackles an issue any digital rocker has faced -- accidental (and often unwanted) activation of Overdrive / Star Power. Put simply, this engineering fellow ripped his axe apart, ganked a spare effects pedal and put his superb wiring skills to good use. Hit up the read link for a pictorial step-by-step, or jump on past the break for a video demonstration.[Thanks, Brad]
IK's StompIO: the software amp without all the software dependency
USB-based musicality is great and all, but sometimes you want to cut the cord and play live. IK's StompIO USB stomp box is apparently the ticket to such a life of freedom, since it packs in a good amount of software amps and software controllable switches and the like, but it also does all its own amp modeling when away from the computer. The bad news is that freedom comes at quite the price: StompIO is available now for $1,050.
