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Related tags, the 13 best effect pedals for all styles and budgets.

Looking for your first stompbox or to complete the last piece of your stereo spaceship? We’ve got you covered.

Guitar pedals are great. Not a shocking opinion coming from Guitar.com , no, but there is something undeniably magical about these little colourful boxes. From the subtle overdrives to the freak-out modulations to the huge ambient reverbs, there’s a pedal out there for everyone.

• READ MORE: The 10 best electric guitars for all styles and budgets

But this also means that buying a pedal can be an intimidating affair – the stompbox market is positively huge, however, to get you navigating it a little easier, we’ve compiled this list of our favourite effects in different categories, including overdrive, fuzz, flanger, reverb, delay and more.  Let’s dive in.

At a glance:

Our pick: walrus audio fundamentals, best overdrive: mxr duke of tone, best distortion : earthquaker devices life pedal v3, best fuzz: walrus audio eons, best analogue delay: boss dm-101, best digital delay: line 6 dl4 mkii, best reverb: strymon cloudburst.

• Best chorus: Mythos The Fates

Best phaser: Catalinbread Many Worlds

Best flanger: earthquaker pyramids, best multi-effects: neural dsp quad cortex, best amp pedal: boss ir-2, best beginner effects: fender hammertone.

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Walrus Audio Fundamental Chorus Pedal

Walrus Audio Fundamental Distortion Pedal

Walrus Audio Fundamental Drive Pedal

Walrus Audio ’s Fundamentals are, well, just that: a good fundamental start to their chosen categories. For around a hundred bucks apiece, they give you three different voicings of their respective effect, with a sonic fidelity that punches well above their price-point. These aren’t just good for entry-level pedals: these are just good, full-stop. So whether you’re curious about the possibilities of fuzz, or just want an affordable but high-quality delay that doesn’t mess about, you can’t go wrong with a Fundamental pedal.

Need more? Read our Walrus Audio Fundamentals review.

MXR Duke of Tone Overdrive Pedal

The King Of Tone is undeniably one of the most desired pedals out there. But due to this – and the fact that it’s still built one at a time to AnalogMan’s exacting standards, the waitlist for one is now at about four years . Surely there’s a better way? Well, yes, and it’s this: an official collaboration with MXR that shrinks one side of the pedal down into this mini stompbox format, and without the near half-decade wait. The pedal is an undeniable triumph, capturing much of the sonic magic of the full-bore King Of Tone in its compact enclosure, and even offering a bit more midrange grit in some of the modes.

Need more? Read our MXR Duke Of Tone review.

EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3 Distortion Pedal

Distortion is a wonderful thing, and the Earthquaker Life Pedal might be the last distorting device you ever need – at its core is a RAT-based circuit with switchable clipping options, so we’re already off to a good start as the RAT circuit is famously versatile. But it also features the addition of a blendable analogue octave-up for some fuzzier texture, and a clean boost to really make sure the front of your amp is also invited to the distortion party.

The result is an unsurprisingly massive sound, but it’s not just for tuning low and playing slow – due to the nature of the circuit, lower-gain and high-volume settings can give you a very tight distortion, perfect for metal rhythm playing. Plus, that seperate clean boost and octave fuzz switch make it great for standing out during a solo. Conversely, if you do want to tune low and play slow, well, there are few better options.

Need more? Read our Earthquaker Devices Life Pedal V3 review.

Walrus Audio Eons Fuzz Pedal

There are many stripes to the world of fuzz pedals, and so it’s very cool to see so many of them represented here, in just one pedal. The Walrus Eons is a five-mode fuzz that actually offers a drastically different sound in each voice, not just a variation on a theme: there’s a traditional silicon fuzz, a silicon fuzz with a big bass boost, a ‘crunchy and dynamic’ germanium fuzz, and a darker-voiced fuzz with LED clipping and finally an all-out bananas mode with hard-clipping silicon transistors and soft-clipping LEDs and silicon diodes. That’s a lot of fuzz, and they all do their particular thing really well – what’s more, the powerful EQ and voltage starve control lets you dial in a really different sound on each mode. Lovely stuff.

Need more? Read our Walrus Audio Eons review.

BOSS DM-101 Delay Pedal

In 2024, analogue delay is maybe excessive – proper bucket-brigade chips are pricey, and digital recreations have gotten really, really good. But, if it’s going to be excessive, it might as well be really excessive. The Boss DM-101 is packed with eight Bucket Brigade Device chips, 12 delay modes with modulation options for each, onboard presets, tap tempo, stereo output for six of the modes and MIDI – that’s a featureset to rival the most bells-and-whistles digital unit you could think of, only with a completely analogue signal path and all of the warm sonic loveliness that entails. This does mean a big price tag, but given the many, many modes on offer you probably won’t need another delay, ever.

Need more? Read our Boss DM-101 review.

Line 6 DL4 MkII Delay Pedal

The Line 6 DL4 MkII is an unapologetically digital delay. The original gradually became a classic as guitarists fell in love with its weird, glitchy and imperfect sounds – entire classic albums revolve around clever use of a DL4. So for MkII, released in 2022, Line 6 kept all of those sounds in the legacy mode, but also added a huge suite of new algorithms. Everything from weird pitch-shifting wig-out modes to more subtle fare is present, and the latest comes in a slightly sturdier case. But maybe most importantly: it’s still big and green. Would it really be a DL4 if it wasn’t?

Need more? Read our Line 6 DL4 MkII review.

Strymon Cloudburst Ambient Reverb Pedal

Strymon has, deservedly so, a reputation for making incredibly pretty-but-massive sounding ambient reverbs. But also, these are often packaged within huge inscrutable boxes with displays – but not here. The Cloudburst is a more focused approach than, say, the BigSky, but it’s definitely still capable of the same size of ambience. Sonic variety comes from its new Ensemble mode – this is like a shimmer on steroids, using a shifted version of your wet signal to add a synth-like accompaniment to your playing. Connectivity is, for such a compact pedal, very extensive, with mono, mono to stereo and full stereo modes available alongside MIDI support, so it’s ready to be the reverberant heart of a giant digitally-controlled stereo board.

Need more? Read our Strymon Cloudburst review.

Best chorus: Mythos Pedals The Fates

Mythos The Fates Chorus Pedal

Mythos Pedals’ The Fates is the brand’s first modulation pedal, and it’s starting with the big guns. It’s a modified take on an old-school Boss CE-2, offering the simple depth/rate controls of the original, alongside a vibrato mode, which kills your dry signal to make it purely a pitch-wobble machine. The result is a lovely and smooth sound at all ends of the chorus/vibrato spectrum – the original is a classic for a reason, and Mythos’ mods – including a high-quality input buffer – make it an even more appealing prospect.

Need more? Read our Mythos The Fates review.

Catalinbread Many Worlds Phaser Pedal

Have you dipped a toe into the world of phase with, say, a single-knob two-stage phaser? The Catalinbread Many Worlds is, in comparison, diving into the deep end, perhaps while wearing a concrete hat. There’s eight stages of phasing going on here, which in practical terms means a very complex and chewy character to the modulation, especially at higher depth and feedback settings. Adding more complexity is the waveform selector switch, which allows for everything from simple sine to envelope-followers to two sine waves fighting for dominance in battle mode. It’s a one-stop phasing shop!

Need more? Read our Catalinbread Many Worlds review.

EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids Stereo Flanging Device Pedal

The Pyramids offers eight different flanging effects in one box: four of them more or less ‘standard’ in type, two triggered by playing dynamics, and two offering sample-and-hold stepped filter sounds. True to Earthquaker’s reputation, it lets you get truly wild and shoegazey, but more traditional sounds are still accessible. But given its many modes and stereo capabilities, it’s a perfect flanger for those looking to go beyond the traditional – and some might say divisive – origins of the sound.

Need more? Read our Earthquaker Pyramids review.

Neural DSP Quad Cortex Pedal

The Neural DSP Quad Cortex is an utter powerhouse, and as such sits in a strange place between categories. You can use it to completely replace your entire rig, or you can use it as the multi-effects heart of a pedalboard along with a real amplifier. Thanks to its absurd processing power and general flexibility, it’s a very, very useful tool for the live player – you won’t be short on effects power if you have one of these anywhere in your rig. Also appealing to pedal fans is its profiling ability – want to leave that original Klon at home rather than risk it on tour? Create a digital clone of it, and you’re away.

Need more? Read our Neural DSP Quad Cortex review.

BOSS IR-2 Amp & IR Cabinet Pedal

The IR-2 is a great tool to turn basically any pedalboard into a direct rig. Its ability to load custom IRs makes its core sound infinitely tweakable, the many amp models on offer cover clean to full-bore metal, and it has a stereo effects loop for use on even the most complex ‘boards. Also importantly, it’s compact, and takes standard pedal power, and has its own headphone jack for home use and two quarter-inch line-outs for easy live use. Its general user-friendliness cannot be overstated.

Need more? Read our Boss IR-2 review.

Fender Hammertone Reverb Pedal

Fender Hammertone Space Delay Pedal

Fender Hammertone Overdrive Pedal

Fender’s range of budget effects stompboxes is a great place to start with effects. Not only are the pedals all very affordable, they all also offer a good overview of their chosen effect, often with multiple operating modes. For example the fuzz offers both standard speaker-ripping fun as well as an octave-up mode. The reverb and delay also offer unique operating modes, and the flanger is a particularly versatile standout. In short, these are pedals that will absolutely get you started on the right foot with their respective sounds, and will be more than happy to stay in your rig as you grow as a player.

Need more? Read our Fender Hammertone review.

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That means that when you click on a  Guitar.com  buyer’s guide you’re getting the benefit of all that experience to help you make the best buying decision for you.What’s more, every guide written on  Guitar.com  was put together by a guitar obsessive just like you. You can trust that every product recommended to you in those guides is something that we’d be happy to have in our own rigs.

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2022 Best New Time-Based Effects Pedals of the Year

So this is the first selection here where I only own a handful of the candidates - it’s easier to say what is in the reference collection than out :

• Boss RE-2 Space Echo Compact - $249
• Boss RE-202 Space Echo Deluxe - $399
• Chase Bliss Generation Loss MKII Stereo Magnetiser - $399
• Chase Bliss Habit The Echo Collector - $399
• Meris LVX True Stereo Modular Delay System - $599
• Old Blood Noise Endeavors Screen Violence Stereo Saturated Modulated Reverb Pedal - $279

Of those the Gen Loss II has yet to land - I had hoped it would arrive before Christmas, but looks like a January arrival now. The other 5 were all very significant for me, of course including the stellar Boss duo.

The Meris LVX is undeniably brilliant - but it’s not as easy to deploy as you would imagine - the nature of the pedal means it’s much better suited as a table-top device than a floor-based Stompbox. From a standing position it’s actually really difficult to see what’s going on - the screen is too small really, and legends are illegible from a normal standing perspective - it’s output is fantastic - while the tweaking is best done within a table-top setup!

I’m certainly not done with this selection yet and there are a fair few I’m still considering adding to the collection at some stage - including :

• Alexander Pedals Rewind Programmable Echo - 10 Engines - $230
• Alexander Pedals Space Force Reverberator Workstation - 8 Engines - $230
• Keeley Electronics Andy Timmons Halo Dual Echo - $299
• Kinotone Ribbons Multi-FX Lo-Fi Tape Style Modulator, Reverb, Looper, Synth - $400
• Polarbear Effects Petrichor PT2399 Lo-Fi Delay Sequencer - $220
• Wampler Pedals Metaverse Delay Workstation - $349

There’s much that I like about the Line 6 DL4 MKII - but it’s really too large to be accommodated within my setup. Line 6 could have made it more pedalboard friendly and modern - while they were obviously pandering to the existing fanbase for the original - so the new one is pretty much identical in footprint - and it has 15 secret Reverb Modes onboard and random Tweak and Tweaze settings across its 45 Algortihms + Looper - meaning that it really could have done with a format update and including a screen!

Apart from Lo-Fi and glitchy effects I really need my Time-Based Effects to be fully stereo - to give that proper spatial dimension - the last 1/3rd of my rig is stereo - so Mono Delays and Reverbs just aren’t suitable!

This is the smallest category selection - with just 29 pedals - do let me know if I overlooked any other worthy ones!

Here follow the individual pedal details :

Controls - Param 1, Param 2, Param 3, Param 4 / Click for Next Page / Hold for Menu, Tap / CTRL / Ramp Footswitch, Bypass / Presets Footswitch.

The second of Alexander's new Screen-enhanced Leap Series - this further expands on the format - delivering a full 10 algorithm stereo workstation pedal with really clever onscreen parameter controls and cool expression ramping.

The first of Alexander's Leap Series really set the mould for where pedal makers should be heading - that and the recent Screen display pedals from Free the Tone. This is fast becoming one of my favourite pedal designs. Both the Space Force Reverb and Rewind Echo pedals are top of the tree of compact pedal design building on the kind of interface design inspired by pedals like the Cooper FX Arcades. I will probably own both at some stage.

Controls -  MODE knob (11), REPEAT RATE knob, WOW & FLUTTER knob, INTENSITY knob, TONE knob, ECHO knob, REVERB knob, CARRYOVER switch (on rear), Main Pedal Footswitch.

Boss did a wonderful job of revamping its RE-20 Space Echo - where near enough all the features from the larger pedal are encompassed in this diminutive compact format - and improved DSP programming renders an even more vibrant and analog-sounding output.

Controls : ON/OFF switch (Hold for Warp effects), MEMORY switch (Hold for Reverb Deactivate / Reactivate), TAP switch (Hold for Twist effect), SATURATION knob, WOW & FLUTTER knob, MODE SELECTOR knob, BASS knob, TREBLE knob, REVERB VOL knob, REPEAT RATE knob, INTENSITY knob, ECHO VOL knob MEMORY.

And the larger Deluxe RE-202 significantly enhances and adds to where the RE-20 was at - now with a 4th Tape Record / Playback head - and a choice of 5 different Reverbs. This is so much about the saturating preamp with adds a wonderful dimension to the delay. The Strymon Volante might have the advantage in the variability of the delay intervals, while that never gets near how juicy and alive the RE-202 sounds. My single favourite delay voicing is Tape Echo, and in particular the Roland / Boss Space Echo variety of that.

Controls - Symph (Upper Octave Mix), Mod (Chorusing Rate), Verb (Reverb Decay Time), Mix (Dry>Wet), Volume (Output/Gain).

This is a perfect shimmery chorusey Shoegaze style Reverb - derived from the effortlessly cool Yamaha FX500 rack unit - shame it isn't stereo - while is certainly sounds the business with that elegant combination of 3 effects.

Controls - Wow, Volume (Ramp), Model x 12 (LP), Flutter, Saturate (Gen), Failure (HP), Aux : Stop / Filter / Fail, Dry : None / Small / Unity, Noise : None / Mild / Heavy, Aux Footswitch, Bypass Footswitch, 16 x Dip-Switches.

I'm so proud of my friend Tom Majeski - who's taken his Generation Loss format to such amazing heights. You have a choice of both MKII and Classic mode - where you now get 12 Tape types to play with - ranging from toys and dictaphones to the Classic VHS variety. And you have so many more artefacts in the mix with numerous new controls - including the Failure parameter. Chase Bliss describe it as unpredictability, which is another side to randmonized behaviour. The Generation Loss now cover near enough every Tape FX type there is - including some you weren't even aware of! Joel reported these were running ahead of production schedule - but that seems to be for American customers only - while we Europeans need to wait in line apparently!

Controls : Level (Wet Volume), Repeats Number, Size / Interval, Modify Degree, Spread (2nd Delay), Scan (Memory Position), Modifiers : 1 | 2 | 3, Modifier Bank : A | Off | B, Output Mode : In | Out | Feedback, Presets : 1 | Manual | 2, Left Footswitch : Tap Tempo / Interval / Hold for Max Scan Value, Right Footswitch : Engage Output / Hold to Loop. 16 x Dipswtiches.

A really cool Experimental Delay which is largely about the Spread and Scan controls - where you manipulate segments of the sampled signal - so a sort of combination of looper and delay in many regards. You can make this as simple and complicated as you want - and there is of course a certain amount of serendipity in its operation - as to finding musically usable snippets. In many ways this is more for the table-top brigade as you need proper hands-on here to get the most out of this pedal!

Controls - Delay Time, Mode : 0 (Latching) / + (Momentary), Mix, Regen / Feedback for Stock Mode, Regen+ / Feedback+ for Momentary Mode, Splash (Regenerative Feedback) Footswitch, Bypass Footswitch.

A really interesting PT2399 style Lo-Fi Delay with cool Momentary and Latching Functions with separate Regen controls for each. For the Latching Mode the Splash is a Regenerative Feedback, while for Momentary Mode - you simply punch it in occasionally.

Controls - Blend, Decay, Tone.

The enduring Brian Neunaber Belton Brick style Spring Reverb - made even more fabulous by AD Hauser via his extraordinary etched and enamel-filled enclosures. This and the Parasite Overdrive seem to be the most popular of Colortone pedals these days 

Controls - 3 x Time, F-back, Blend. (3 Heads).

In commemoration of A Place to Bury Strangers 2009 Album of the same name - the Exploding Head delay gives you exactly that kind of feedback saturated delay which is such a memorable sound on the album. This was released as a limited bundle with reissued gateway vinyl album and some other merchandise - and of course these sold out pretty quickly. Cool and effective - while I tend to shy away from Time-Based effects which are not full stereo.

Controls - Delay (Rate), Repeats, Tone, Mix, Mod Depth, Mod Rate, Volume.

An extended and enhanced compact revival of one of Dr Scientist's first effects pedal - the PT2399 based Modulated Delays - with the brightest and sparkliest repeats around. If any delay could claim to have sweet repeats - then this is surely it - for that matter why has no one brought out a delay called 'Sweet Repeats!!!'

Controls - Mix, Feedback, Tone, Save Button, Home Button, Page Left Button, Page Right Button, Delay Time / PARAM / Global Settings, On/Off Footswitch, Tap-Tempo Footswitch / Hold for 0.5s to toggle between Preset O1 and O2.

Sharing the same sort of compact format as the previous Motion Loop Sample-Repeater-Shifter - this actually significantly improves the display's function - bringing that more into line with how Alexander Pedals do things. This is a pretty unique and distinct kind of delay - very much does its own thing - while Alexander's recent Rewind Echo is overall somewhat more capable - and comes with no less than 10 Algorithms onboard.

Controls - Level, Delay Time, Repeats, Divisions : Eighths / Quarters / Dotted Eighths, Bypass Footswitch, Tap Tempo / Hold (Oscillation) Footswitch. Upper central Internal Trimmer (Square) set the trails’ fade out time, Lower central Internal Trimmer (Vertical Rectangle) sets Max number of repeats.

The Compact Delay Llama gets 2nd Tap Tempo Footswitch and 3-way sub-divisons toggle-switch - Eighth, Quarter, and Dotted Eighth. Just a great and simple proper analog delay machine - without modulation.

Controls - Time / HPF, Level / Saturate, Feedback / Press for Alt, Rate / Tone, Depth / Rhythm : Halo Effect, Dotted Eighth, Analog Rack Delay, Quarter, Multi-Head Tape Delay, Settings : A / B / Status, Presets : 1 - 4 (A + B), A Footswitch, B Footswitch, Hold for Tap Tempo per side, Hold on Opposite Side for Infinite / Freeze Effect.

Andy Timmons is a rare noise-maker and uses his pedals in the most precise fashion. One of the things he was accustomed to doing was using 2 EHX Memory Man Delay in combination with a Reverb and a few extras - where each Memory Man is set to a different value - so you get very organic Tape Echo style repeats. Andy has replicated this setup in various ways over the years - and it was suggested that Robert Keeley take the best of those combinations and make a single pedal capable of producing that fantastic Andy Timmons Halo Echo Sound - hence the Halo signature pedal - which also has a few more modes for further versatility - for most though it is all about that beautiful organic analog tape-like Halo echo algorithm,

Controls - CTRL1 (LP•WD•DD•RM), CTRL 2 (HP•WF•DF•RD), CTRL 3 (MX•FD•CR•T1), CTRL 4 (CP•FF•NO•T2), Modes / Page : 1 Mix / Utility, 2 Wow and Flutter, 3 Degradation, 4 Reverb & Touch, Touch Footswitch (Magnetic Dance / Tape Stop / Broken Machine / Repeater), Bypass / Engage, Press Both Footswitches to scroll through 8 presets.

The Kinotone Ribbons is a bonafide oddity - kind of masquerading as a Lo-Fi Tape FX unit crossed with Multi-FX - which also delivers a Reverb, Looper Mode, and Synth Voicing. The controls look fairly simple - but you soon get lost across different pages and different effects. It's a really cool Multi-FX Unit - while over all it is still somewhat specialised in that it delivers - and relies on quite a few hidden options and modes.

Controls - Colour (Modulation), Mix, Tone, Repeats / Feedback, Edit / Rotary Encoder, Menu Button, Mode Button, On / Bank Down Footswitch, Tap / Freeze (Hold) / Bank Up Footswitch. Press and hold both Footswitches to switch between Live Mode (On + Tap / Freeze), or Preset Mode (Bank Down + Bank Up).

The first proper Laney Delay Workstation is a really decent step - with cool intuitive screen and some smart functions. I fear though it will be overly overshadowed by its more illustrious competitors - including of course the Line 6 DL4 MKII which delivers a whole lot more for around the same price. It's an interesting and distinct take for sure - but it really has its work cut out for it in the face of overhelming odds!

Controls - Mode : 15 Core Delays / 15 Extra Delays / 15 Extra Reverbs / Looper, Alt / Legacy Button, Time / Subdivision, Repeats, Tweak, Tweeze, Mix, A Footswitch / Record / Dub, B Footswitch / Play / Stop, C Footswitch / Play Once, D Footswitch / Tap / 1/2 Speed / Reverse.

If it weren't quite so large I would surely consider it for my own rig - but its elongated proportions makes it a very difficult fit for most rigs. They've obviously catered for the loyal fans of this device's predecessor - as the new one is just a slightly sleeker version of that with more features and flavours onboard - but still essentially the same challenging footprint. You also have a real difficulty with the Tweak and Tweeze across 2 x 15 delays and a further 15 reverbs - very few brains can retain 45 different parameter values at one time!

Controls - Time, Feedback, Mix, Mod, C1, C2, C3 : Preset / Pages + Hold for Save, Footswitches 1-3 + Tap, Hold Tap for Looper - which has Rec / Overdub, Play / Stop, Loop FX 1, and Loop FX 2, combine pairs of footswitches for Bank Down / Up, and Tuner.

The most impressive of all Delay Workstations this year - this is more of a Multi-FX Sound Designer as you can do so much with it. What looked good in early overviews doesn't necessarily match user experience - as the screen really is to small to read from a standing vantage point, and the pedal is not quite as intuitive as it would like you to think it is. I think table-top experimentalists will get the most out of it - you really need it at arms length at all times to be fully usable. Presets are great - and this is capable of some amazing tones - it's just not all that practical from a hands-on floor-based perspective. I still really like it, but there are delay machines that are far easier to handle and are capable of some equally extraordinary outputs. This is still a hugely impressive and capable machine - but I find it almost as hard to get along with as the Zoia. My point being that to get the most of the unit with all the know-twiddling refinements that are possible - you can't really do all that on the floor - on your knees - just not that practical in the context! I will of course keep the unit, while I feel I won't get as much use our of it as one of those table-top based knob twiddlers.

Controls - Rate, Mix, Octave : Up / Down, Feedback.

This is the simplest of delays to operate - a Reverse Delay - with a choice of upper or lower octave. Incredibly efficient and easy to deploy and delivers a really cool simple effect. Of course would be better in stereo!

SCREEN Modulation Side - Mix : Dry>Wet [mono] / Stereo Width [stereo], Screen : Variable knob taking you from Slow Chorus / Pitch Vibrato [max Mix] > Doubler > Slapback Delay > Multi-Tap Reverb > Almost ∞ Tails / Smear, Screen Engage Footswitch.

VIOLENCE Saturation Side - Voice [Tone], Volume, Gain : High / Low, Violence : Saturation > Overdrive > Distortion control, Violence Engage Footswitch, Press Screen + Violence Footswitches together to Engage Stacked Distortion Mode (mono only).

UNIVERSAL - Mode : 1] Sum > Stereo / 2] True Through Stereo, First : Violence > Screen / Screen > Violence.

I tend to use this most as a sort of Smearing Shoegazer Style Reverb / Modulation with or without the Saturation half of the pedals. This very cleverly combines different Reverb paths of different lengths - for an incredible sustaining textured reverb. The main Screen knob in conjunction with the Mix knob takes you through some amazing blends of chorus, pitch-vibrato, slap-delay, multi-tap and smearing reverb. The only downside really is how large this pedal is - I feel it would be much better served in a vertical BB enclosure - this one was a real challenge to accommodate in the rig - but once it was in I found myself returning to it again and again - the fact that all this is Stereo too makes it just a wonderful pedal - whose features and functions are exactly what I look for - while the larger than necessary enclosure does loose a point or two in the final judgment.

Controls - Sub Divisions : 1 / 3/4 / Golden, Mod Type : Speed / Depth / Tone, Time, Mix, Repeats, Mod Degree, Special FX : Tap / Reverse / Jump / Pong, Preset Select 1-4, Tap Tempo Footswitch, Engage Footswitch.

I'm very familiar with the Echolution 2 - and I really like its display - where everything is really strongly accentuated. The follow-up 3 version is more stealthy and streamlined - and not quite as visually appealing - while it is more pedalboard-friendly and actually has some really smart controls. It just doesn't come across as instantly arresting as its predecessor - while it's a lot more compact nowadays and obviously significantly evolved. I'm not sure the Echolution 3 will be as strong a candidate as its predecessor was - and in the meantime the competition has gotten to be a lot tougher!

Controls - Mix, Repeats, Delay, Switches 1-4 : Delay Time Division / Sequencer Step, Switch 5 : Number of Steps - 3 / 4 / Shuffle/Random, Switch 6 : Quarter Note Duration - 2 / 1 / 4, Bypass Footswitch, Tap Tempo Footswitch.

I have Darko's superb Young Hearts Lo-Fi Delay - while have not got around to acquiring his follow-up Petrichor variety - which I believe uses the same chip, but takes thinks in a slightly different direction - with a whole different set of controls. All of Dark's output is typically very forward-thinking and fairly unique and unusual - so for sure I will look to explore the Petrichor more once more batches are made available.

Controls - Decay, Level (Wet Signal), Tank : Small / Surf Rock / Flappier Springs, Dwell (Liveliness) / Modulation Speed, Body (Fatness) / Modulation Depth. Engage Footswitch - Hold for Flutter / Modulation. Internal dip-switches to set Momentary to Latching function of Footswitch, and True Bypass or Buffered Bypass with Trails.

The Drippiest of Reverbs gets 3 different Tank Types, and a cool Flutter effect by holding down the main footswitch. Just a really smart and simple surfy reverb. Simple but elegantly textured.

Controls - Saturation, Voice : Classic / Casette, Type : Sum / Invert Ø / Bounce, Lag Time, Volume, Tone, Blend, Wobble, Tape Saturation Fooswitch, Doubletracker Footswitch.

6 of Strymon's best mid-size boxes got recently update with additional controls - and all benefit from JFET Input, a Mono/Stereo Switch, TRS Midi Jacks, and USB-C Port. The Deco gets a new Voice switch, and added Tone knob - giving you even great granularity and versatility in output.

Controls - Time, Mod : Off / Light / Deep, Type : 24/96 / ADM / 12 Bit, Mix, Time 2 / Tap Divisions, Tone, Repeats, Mix 2, Tap Tempo Footswitch, On Footswitch.

Strymon's Pristine Digital Delay so beloved by many as the digital delay of choice with the sweetest of repeats gets a new Tone knob to make those repeats sound even sweeter.

Controls - Time, Tape Head : Fixed / Multi / Single, Mode : A / B / C, Mix, Wow & Flutter, Tape Age, Repeats, Spring, Tap Tempo Footswitch, On Footswitch.

And the El Capistan gets a new Spring (Reverb) knob - so it's even closer to the Volante. While many prefer the output of the El Capistan which is a little juicier than on the Volante. Obviously the Volante has more fearues and more about it overall - while the El Capistan is still incredibly capable and many a player's first choice over the Volante.

Controls - Feedback, Regen, Modulation Depth / Rate, Mix, X Variable per I-V Program, Time, Tone, Program / Mode : I / II / III / IV / V, Bypass / Hold for Mod Rate Footswitch, Tap Tempo / Hold for Clock Rise / Dive Footswitch.

I love everything about this pedal - apart for the fact that it is mono only output. For me all time-based effects need stereo output to render a proper spatial effect. Mono varieties are really rather more texturises and simulators. You cannot 3-dimensionally echolocate without having some sort of stereo signal to gauge distance. A mono delay or reverb - much like a mono Movie can never match the immersive experience of a full surround stereo signal! Other than that everything about this is great. The last 1/3rd of my own pedal chain is in stereo - including modulations, multi-modulators, delays, reverbs and a looper - so to fit anything logically into that part of the rig - it has to be stereo for me. OBNE got is spot on with their Screen Violent - but this one's unfortunately a miss for me.

Controls - Mode : 1 > 11, Delay, Mod, Feedback, Mix, Tone, Bypass Footswitch, Preset / Save : 1-8, Tap Tempo Footswitch.

Brian's Metaverse Delay Workstation is built on the same platform has his Terraform Multi-Modulator, and has a similarly well selected collection of algorithms. Again what looks good in a picture - doesn't necessarily translate to usability, and I find the pedal legends are just too small to be gleaned from a standing perspective. I actually really like this pedal - and may well get one as my experience with the Terraform has been so positive. I have several more capable delay units - but this one is undeniably neat!

Controls - Decay, Ctrl 1, Ctrl 2, Tone, Level, Mix, Program 1-8, Tap Tempo / Max Decay Footswitch, Kill Dry Footswitch, Preset 1-5 Footswitch, Engage / Bypass Type Footswitch. Indicators for Kill Dry, and Short / Medium / Long Reverbs.

Zander's workstation pedals are at a slight disadvantage as they look bigger than they actually are. Obviously the chip Alex uses is limited to 8 algorithms where most competitors have 11 or 12 - so all that needs to be weighed up into the mix. Alex's algorithms always sound great and distinct - while you could get more variety and versatility elsewhere. I actually quite like the Zander workstations, while there are still some perception challenges involved - real and imagined.

Many have hailed 2022 as the Year of the Delay - and there were for sure numerous killer delay units released this year - including of course the 20 listed here (out of 29). Several pedals of various stripes impressed - also that really strong trio of Tape-FX pedals.

Technically and Innovation-wise the Meris LVX wins out - while there are so many other smartly engineered delays here - including the Alexander Rewind, the RE-2 / RE-202 Boss Echo Space duo, chase Bliss Habit and Line 6 DL4 MKII. In fact there's much to recommend here - while what you go for does really depend on your own usage scenario and rig - mono vs stereo etc.. 

As I mentioned - I know a few of my readers did not get along particularly well with the LVX - and some of those have moved theirs on already. With high learning-curve pedals I always give them an extended session to ascertain how well the device works for my situation and preferences. There's quite a few pedals in this selection that benefit from table-top manipulation - in fact several properly require it!

There are numerous examples here that did not make it into the collection - and each has a priority on where my thoughts are at for that pedal. I really like the look of the Alexander Rewind, Keeley / Andy Timmons Halo Echo, Kinotone Ribbons and Polarbear Petrichor in particular - oh - also the Wampler Metaverse.

I'm still massively impressed by the DL4 MKII - wile I'm still trying to come to terms with its extended dimensions - that pedal is a real pain in the ass to 'park' as such. It's a little like trying to squeeze a Hummer into a standard parking space!

In any case I'm really proud of this selection - let me know what tickles your fancy here and which if any of these made it into your collection and onto your board!

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Alexander Pedals' Second Leap Series Pedal is the really cool 10-Mode Rewind Programmable Stereo Echo

Alexander Pedals' Space Race Reverberator gets a Brand New Space Force Leap Series Transformation

Boss Re-Tools its Space Echo - with two brand new Improved Stereo Compact and Large Higher Fidelity Units - the RE-2 and RE-202

Brian Wampler Unleashes Smart Metaverse Stereo Delay Workstation Pedal in the same format as the Terraform

Catalinbread channels the Yamaha FX500 for its Soft Focus Reverb Instant Shoegaze effect pedal

Chase Bliss announces Pre-orders for its Ultimate Generation Loss MKII 2-in-1 Stereo Magnetizer

Chase Bliss completes its Experimental Looper / Delay Trilogy with Habit The Echo Collector

Colortone Pedals' RoundHouse is a Gorgeous Sounding, Versatile Tremolo / LFO Modulator with some really smart extras

Colortone shrinks its fantastic Parasite JFET Overdrive down to compact enclosure, and retains all the magic that made the original so special

Colortone's massively evolved Spring Reverb II delivers 3 Pristine Reverberation Modes, 2 styles of Modulation, and serious hidden smarts

Colortone's recently updated Lo-Fi Delay is a lush sounding Dynamic Dual-Action, Multi-type Echo Machine

Current Andy Timmons Signature Compact Pedal Trifecta - Super AT Mod Overdrive, @+ Distortion, and Halo Dual Echo

Death By Audio helps celebrate reissue of A Place to Bury Strangers' 2009 Exploding Head album with limited run delay pedal of the same name

Dr Scientist Revives and Improves its Sweet Repeats - Sunny Day Delay - as inspired in part by this very site!

EarthQuaker Devices releases Legacy Reissue of the Disaster Transport Delay Modulation Machine in a new format with a 3,500 unit Limited Run

Electro-Harmonix Reboots its BBD Slap-Back Echo as prompted by Josh Scott

Free The Tone releases Cosmic Wave Multiple Filtering Stereo Delay in same format as its Motion Loop

Gurus Pedals celebrate Steve Lukather's many years use of their Echosex Delay with a Signature 10th Anniversary Echosex 3° Edition

JAM Pedals Adds Tap Tempo and Divisions to its new MK3 Analog BBD Delay Llama

Kinotone follows up its innovative Ribbons Magnetic Tape Multi-FX with the equally smart Sparks Stereo Analog Harmonic Processor

Kinotone's Ribbons Pedal is a cool Multi-FX Mix of Lo-Fi Tape-style Modulation, Reverb, Touch Manipulation, 4-track Looper, 4-voice Synth, and with 8 Presets onboard

Laney Amplifiers delivers twin smart 60W Solid State Loudpedal Floor Amps one each for its Artists Tom Quayle and Martin Miller

Laney's first foray into Delay is the superb 3-Mode 100 Presets Black Country Customs The Difference Engine

Line 6 Revamps and Extends the DL4 Multi-Delay + Looper with New Updated and Enhanced MKII Model

Mojo Hand FX's Octaverse is a really cool and elegant Reverse Octave Up / Down Delay

OBNE collaborates with CHVRCHES to create the Screen Violence Stereo Saturated Modulated Reverb Pedal - inspired by the album of the same name

Old Blood Noise Endeavors' BL-82 is a cool hybrid of Shimmering Chorusing and Flanging, and Chaotic Modulated Delay

Robert Keeley collaborates with Andy Timmons to reproduce his Legendary Halo Dual Echo Effect

SolidGoldFX Unleashes the Drippiest of Modulated Reverbs - the Surf Rider IV

Spectacular Dazzling Colortone Pedals - meticulously hand-crafted by AD Hauser in the heart of Sydney's Cool Newtown District

Strymon Updates 6 of its most popular Medium Square Boxes

The Keeley Electronics Parallax Spatial Generator is a new spin on the Caverns EchoVerb format featuring the Realizer Reverb on the Left Channel

The Meris LVX True Stereo Modular Delay System issues major challenge to all Delay Workstations!

Walrus Audio's Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator doubles down on Reverse Delay and Reverb, and adds Pitch Shifting into the mix

Zander Circuitry Unleashes the Templo Stereo Reverberation Engine with 8 Superior Sounding 3D-like Algorithms - with Both Classic and Otherworldly varieties onboard

Supported by.

Guitar Pedal X

55 Bathurst Mews London, UK W2 2SB © Guitar Pedal X 2023

15 effects pedals that will change the way you play guitar

The best exotic, weird and inspirational stompboxes in the world today

Introduction

From fuzzes to bitcrushers, choruses to delays, the boutique pedal world isn't all distortions, fuzzes and transparent overdrives. Fancy the sound of a CD skipping, or a wash of pitch-shifted delays? We've got you covered.

The effects we've chosen here are ones that are highly regarded in the guitar effects community, do something we've not heard before, or simply excite us as creative tools.

Hopefully you will find them inspiring, too.

22 of the best delay effects pedals in the world today

16 of the best reverb effects pedals in the world today

16 of the best multi-effects pedals for guitarists

Montreal Assembly Count To Five

This unassuming blue box is without doubt the most consistently popular niche guitar effect, and its presence on a 'board is a pretty reliable indicator that a player has spent some time poring over online forums. 

At its core it's a delay pedal, but expands its sonic horizons by rethinking how to use the digital buffer - the 'copy' of your signal that is delayed - to make the effect. Examples of extra control on offer are how fast a buffer is played back, and which direction it is played.

With some additional setup, intervals can also be quantized, and it has an expression input that can be used to control pedal parameters.

If that weren't enough, there's two other modes - a looper that allows playback of a loop in slices, and a second loop mode that allows a clip to be played back with three virtual tape heads over which there are various controllable parameters.

Red Panda Particle

The Red Panda Particle granular delay is another that's frequently seen on experimental guitar players' pedal wishlists.  

Inspired by granular synthesis, it packs in not only bitcrushed, granular-style chopped delay sounds but also a number of pitch and lfo delay options, as well as a forward-reverse mode where the playback direction can be controlled via expression pedal.

A particularly interesting mode is the random mode, which takes on an almost reverb-like character, like a shimmer reverb but with a bitcrusher instead of an octave effect.

Finally, for the glitch and ambient enthusiasts, there's the ability to drive the size of the grains or buffer into infinite repeat mode. This freeze mode is an amazingly expressive tool for the studio, with picking dynamics governing buffer overwrites.

      BUY: Red Panda Particle currently available from:     UK: Thomann    

Hexe Revolver DX

Guitarists into glitch and electronic music have long sought ways of manipulating their signal in unorthodox ways. Perhaps the most common of these is the so-called 'stutter', that is, using a short sample to repeat a snippet of guitar in an unnatural way, almost like a computerised tremolo-picking of rapid, machine-gun repeats.

The Revolver takes this concept and weds a short record buffer and a stop-start momentary switch onto eight playback modes, and combines this with expression control.

The result is a startlingly intuitive but utterly unique effect that can be used for elaborate sample manipulation, forward and reverse playback and speed manipulation. The footswitch layout and looper-like 'capture' and 'play' operation also make using it live a breeze, even while playing more technical passages.

Z.Vex Super Seekers

Having experimented with guitar sequencers before with the Super Seek Trem and associated lines, Z.Vex's Super Seekers take the concept and refine it.

A 16-step sequencer plus expression options, glissando and a smorgasbord of features and toggle switches make this an incredibly flexible way of working with guitar sequencing. 

The Seek Wah functions as a stepped auto-wah, while the Seek Trem is the equivalent for tremolo, effectively a stepped volume sequencer. The Super Ringtone meanwhile is a ring modulator applied to the same basic concept.

Depending on your playing style, one of these will probably suit you more than the others.

Walrus Audio Janus

Question: what do you get when you try and control a fuzz pedal with a joystick?

Answer: The Walrus Audio Janus. It's not going to win any awards for being revolutionary in terms of its electronics, but it's definitely one of the more interesting pedals in terms of controls.

The fuzz side is based on their Jupiter fuzz, which has a Muff-like character combined with extra clipping and bass options, while the tremolo side is a full-bodied sine wave tremolo that's a huge amount of fun to change on the fly with the joystick.

      BUY:    Walrus Audio Janus currently available from:      UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music    

WMD Geiger Counter

The Geiger counter is the gold standard when it comes to bit reduction. Billed as a distortion, it can do a regular overdrive, but there probably aren't many users using it for that.

At its core there are a two parts. The first is a high gain preamp, the second is a sample rate and bit depth reducer. These combine to crush and distort the original waveform, from gentle mangling to total obliteration.

Some people no doubt would think this sounds awful, but from industrial to chiptune, there are a multitude of applications for this eccentric effect.

EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche Run

EarthQuaker's Avalanche Run is a new avenue of innovation for the Akron company. Previously, they've probably been best known for their comprehensive line of boutique fuzzes. 

It's a stereo delay and reverb engine with a swell mode that responds to your picking, a reverse delay, tap-tempo, sound-on-sound looping and delay times of up to two seconds.

As you might imagine, it's been most wholeheartedly embraced by ambient, post-rock and shoegaze players, but more subtle effects are possible, and should you need the more out-there sounds, they're at your fingertips without having to worry about techniques like pedal stacking.

     BUY:   Earthquaker Devices currently available from:     UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music      US: Sweetwater  

Dr. Scientist BitQuest!

A multi-effect of sorts, the Dr. Scientist BitQuest! offers eight individual effects that can be stacked into a digital fuzz.

There's a high-pass/low-pass filter, bit crusher, infinite reverb, notch filter, ring modulator, pitch shifter and glitch delay on offer, as well as the aforementioned fuzz, which can be used with any effect.

There are no presets, meaning that this is possibly more of a studio-use pedal if you're planning on using more than one sound. Of course, you could tape on your settings, but that would cover up the awesome retro-themed artwork.

Z.Vex Fuzz Probe

Another Z.Vex entry, this pedal is an evolution of their hugely popular and game-changing Fuzz Factory. That pedal's infamous 'stab' knob worked by changing the bias voltage to its components, and this pedal takes advantage of that.

Using a theremin-like antenna, this parameter can be controlled and thus the wild oscillations of the original tamed or unleashed, according to the whims of the user.

      BUY:   Z.Vex Fuzz Probe currently available from:      UK: Gear4Music

Chase Bliss Audio Tonal Recall

The ability to control so many parameters makes this pedal a tweaker's paradise, offering something new in the well-trodden field of analogue, bucket-brigade delays.

Although the key elements will be familiar to any delay user, the Tonal Recall offers fine-grained control over every aspect of the delay your heart could desire, making it a workhorse for the gigging musician as well as the bedroom experimenter.

      BUY:   Chase Bliss Audio Tonal Recall currently available from:      UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music    

Hologram Dream Sequence

A sequencer, pitch-shifter, sampler and more besides, the Dream Sequence is as deep as an ocean in terms of options and definitely requires some time spent with the manual to decipher.

The usual issue with sequencers applies - that they have the most impact when used in music where the sequence has the time and space in the composition to run its course, and thus in up-tempo music or more intricate passages the effect might be somewhat lost.

There's no denying however that for textured and more ambient work it's a creative tool not to be underestimated.

Catalinbread Csidman

For those not interested in the sheer level of control the Hexe Revolver has to offer, but are still in search of glitch heaven, the Catalinbread Csidman - pronounced 'Discman' - might be the answer.

Designed to mimic the skipping of a certain ubiquitous portable CD player, the Csidman is capable of normal digital delay sounds, but using two extra controls, 'cuts' and 'latch', a cyclical buffer of variable length can be skipped.

If that sounds complex, then don't worry, it's an intuitively designed way of adding an element of randomness and chaos to your playing.

      BUY:   Catalinbread Csidman currently available from:      UK: Andertons Music | Thomann

Chase Bliss Audio Warped Vinyl

Before the Tonal Recall appeared on the scene, the Chase Bliss buzz was all about the Warped Vinyl. Managing to be ahead of the curve on the current chorus revival, this dip-switch packed beast was designed to replicate its namesake. 

Ranging from small amounts of detuning to more pronounced manipulation of the signal, it's the perfect choice for a player that wants the kind of fine control over dynamics that a delay can forfeit, while bringing extra timbral variation to the table.

      BUY:    Chase Bliss Audio Warped Vinyl currently available from:      UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music  

Cooper FX Generation Loss

Using a pair of digital processing units, the Generation Loss attempts to recreate the sound of a worn out VHS tape, to the delight of lo-fi noiseniks everywhere.

The resulting pedal can be used for vibrato and chorus effects, but can also add in ring modulation, noise and bit reduction, and low and high-pass filters.

It's similar to the Warped Vinyl in that it's probably best thought of as a chorus or vibrato with extra options, and like a chorus pedal can be used to bring subtle colour to verse chords or arpeggiated picking.

Caroline Guitar Company Météore

Finally, the Caroline Météore deserves a look-in. Not one of the most lavish or feature-packed of the boxes here, it's positively meat-and-potatoes by comparison to some, but it does one thing and does it extremely well.

It's inspired by the reverb found in the Paris Metro line of the same name, and its unique character can be found in the way that a user's settings interact with the 'havoc' momentary footswitch.

This second footswitch triggers auto-oscillation, but careful tweaking of the pedal settings can reveal many different sounds, from more subtle infinite reverbs to expressive, howling storms of sound.

Alex Lynham is a gear obsessive who's been collecting and building modern and vintage equipment since he got his first Saturday job. Besides reviewing countless pedals for Total Guitar, he's written guides on how to build your first pedal, how to build a tube amp from a kit, and briefly went viral when he released a glitch delay pedal, the Atom Smasher.

“I made this pedal because I wanted it in my own rig, but I'm betting you'll love its range and usability too”: Wampler Pedals unveils Catacombs, a programmable pedal packing 11 delay/reverb sounds to “redefine your relationship with time-based effects”

“The beauty of Anti is that it is way more than just a 5150 emulation”: Universal Audio Anti 1992 High Gain Amp pedal

“He wanted his version of the song to be a stark, heavy solo-piano thing, but they convinced him to turn it into a grand, crashing, theatrical monster-ballad, complete with orchestra”: The story of Nilsson's Without You

Most Popular

Crazy, Cool and Weird Delay Pedals in 2024: the Best Psychedelic Echo Stompboxes

For more classic psychedelic delays check out our Best Tape Delay Pedals article. For a more comprehensive article about delays organized by type, see our Best Delay Pedals article.

Delay is one of the most loved effects for guitar and can serve a range of purposes from subtle slapback to wild self-oscillation swells. If you’re looking for a cool delay pedal that can take your sound into another dimension, chances are you’ll find what you want among the machines listed in this article. Most of the boxes here can do straight delay, but nearly all of them excel at creating unexpected sounds and textures or washes of echo

Types of Unusual and Weird Delay Pedals

• Best Multi-Mode Experimental Delays • Best Granular Delays (Sample Based) • Best Experimental Pitch Shifting Delays • Veritable Sci-Fi Machines • Creative Lo-Fi Delay Pedals • Other Creative Single Function Delay Pedals • Advanced Delays with Unusual Features • Best Delays with Reverb

As usual for our lists, mouseover or first tap will open a description of the pedal, while a click or second tap will open a video

Best Multi-Mode Experimental Delays

Let’s start with a few digital devices that give you a LOT of options through a series of delay modes that are far from traditional (for effects of this kind that also cover more traditional delays, don’t miss our other list of the Best Multi-Mode Delay Pedals ). Thanks to the variety of functions they offer, these devices can be true mines of new sounds and textures for players interested in sound design, ranging from granular synthesis to pitch-shifted or reversed repeats, etc.

GO BACK TO LIST OF CONTENT

Best Granular Delays (Sample Based)

If regular delays simply repeat a sound over and over, while advanced ones also apply filtering and modulation to the repeats, digitally sampling the guitar signal and then reorganizing its parts temporarily seems like the next logical step in the evolution of this effect. The latter process is also called Granular Synthesis , and it’s what the stompboxes in this list focus on (although they can do a lot more than just that). You’ll find here some of the most “out-there” effects ever created. This list shares a lot of pedals with our Best Glitch and Stutter Pedals one, so if you are into this kind of device, make sure to check that article too.

Best Experimental Pitch Shifting Delays

Experimental, creative pitch-shifting delays are all the rage these days. Many players find these pedals inspiring because they facilitate the creation of complex sonic textures and can easily transform a simple part in something that sounds almost magical. These effects are evolutions of harmonizer and pitch shifter pedals, but instead of just adding pitch-shifted notes to the ones you are playing, they add delay to them as well (and sometimes other effects), with the newest models going deep into the myriad of controls offered by the advanced modern delay pedals.

Veritable Sci-Fi Machines

The creative use of delay became prominent during the Psychedelic ’60s, a musical era that reveled in mind-blending sci-fi atmospheres and that has been extremely influential in the following decades. If you play psychedelia-influenced music you owe it to yourself to check out these truly “out-there,” spacey delay effects.

Creative Lo-Fi Delay Pedals

Delay and Lo-Fi are effects tied together from birth: early delay devices used magnetic recording tapes that would progressively degrade, therefore acquiring lo-fi traits like hiss, flutter, and high-frequency loss. With the advent of the digital era, the palette of Lo-Fi sounds expanded to include digital sonic artifacts like dithering, aliasing and bit and sample rate reduction. The pedals in this list offer the whole spectrum of lo-fi artifacts combined – of course – with a delay circuit.

Other Creative Single Function Delay Pedals

The pedals in this list are simpler than the ones you’ll find in the other categories but offer an interesting if not unique take on delay.

Advanced Delays with Unusual Features

While in this list we don’t include do-it-all multi-mode delay workstations (many of which can replicate a lot of the effects tackled in this article), there are some advanced delays that deserve to be mentioned for their unusual features that open up some creative and spacey tone possibilities.

That’s it as far as our lists are concerned. Here are a couple of interesting videos related to this article’s content!

• What is Granular Synthesis?
• Delay Golden Ratio, Explained
• Get creative with a Pitch Shifting Delay

Related Delicious Audio Posts:

• The Best Crazy, Weird, and Unusual Fuzz Pedals in 2024
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• Best Tape Delay Pedals in 2024, Organized by Feature…
• Weird Noise Pedals Fuzz It
• RAT Pedals and Best RAT Clones in 2024 | A Buyer's Guide
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Best modulation pedals: our pick of the best mod effects from subtle to spectacular

Get into the captivating world of modulation pedals with these top choices from Strymon, Boss, EHX, Universal Audio, and more

• Our top picks
• Product guide & reviews
• Buying advice

From flanger to phaser and ring mod to rotary speaker, there are countless mod effects and variants available at the moment. So much so that it can be difficult to decide what you want. Many of the best modulation pedals put a whole host of sounds at your feet, allowing you to imbibe your tone with an extra dimension no matter what your style or taste.

From the swoosh and swirl of a phaser to the viscosity of a uni-vibe, modulation effects have been an integral part of guitar music ever since the DeArmond Tremolo Control arrived in 1946. The great thing about modulation is that it can be used subtly to enhance your base tone with a touch of seasoning, or you can add a healthy dollop of otherworldly resonances and totally blow your tonal tastebuds.

With so many modulation effects available, we’ve decided to round up the best of the best to make things easier for you. For those who are new to modulation, have a look at our buying advice section to learn more. If you already know your flanger from your phaser, keep scrolling to see our top picks.

Best modulation pedals: Our top picks

For pure variability and flexibility, it’s hard to look past the Strymon Mobius as the top choice. With its encyclopedic selection of sounds and incredible DSP-based emulations, the Mobius is a brilliant pedal that can replace a large portion of your pedalboard. It’s easy to use with some great presets, yet still offers a huge amount of depth for those who like to dive deep and tweak their sounds.

If you don’t have quite as much to spend, then have a look at the Electro-Harmonix Mod 11 to feed your modulation pedal needs. With its eleven core effects plus secondary functions, you’re getting a boatload of sounds for relatively little money when compared to some of the more expensive options here. Add in the compact form factor and you’ve got a great way to expand your existing arsenal.

Best modulation pedals: Product guide

1. Strymon Mobius

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Despite being relatively old, the Strymon Mobius is still the standard when it comes to do-it-all modulation pedals. As good on your pedalboard as it is at home in the studio, the professional-grade effects of the Mobius range from vintage chorus pedal right through to modern bit-crush and everything in between.

There are a total of 12 sounds (or ‘engines’ as Strymon likes to call them) with your standards like chorus, flanger, and tremolo all present and accounted for. We really love the more esoteric sounds of the Mobius though, like the Destroyer which uses sample rate reduction and bit crushing to create some properly weird and disconcerting sounds.

There are 200 presets and we love the post/pre option which solves the age-old problem of sometimes wanting your modulation effects before or after your drive stage. It’s a rich and dynamic-sounding pedal with some glorious tones and so many options for sculpting that you’re never likely to need another mod pedal once you get this.

Read the full Strymon Mobius review  

2. Electro-Harmonix Mod 11

With the sheer amount of effects packed into the Electro-Harmonix Mod 11, it’s a wonder they’ve kept the form factor so small. It’s a clever little pedal that’s also exceptional value for money, so if the Strymons and Empresses of the guitar world are out of touch for you, this brilliant mod pedal won’t leave you out of pocket.

There are 11 total modulation effects here, but there’s a secret weapon in the form of the mode switch which essentially doubles and even triples some effects. This means you get that classic Uni-Vibe sound with both the chorus and vibrato modes that the original had. The LED turns red or orange depending on which mode you’re in, but it’s easy to get option paralysis with this much choice.

It’s weighted more towards classic modulation effects but that’s no bad thing. When matched with the dedicated depth and rate controls, the multiple modes mean you can get pretty much any sound your desire out of the EHX Mod 11. It won’t do some of the more modern esoteric sounds, but for those who want a classic mod, you can’t go wrong here.

Read the full Electro-Harmonix Mod 11 review  

3. Empress Effects Zoia

4. Boss MD-500

Like a greatest hits collection of all the brilliant Boss mod effects from years gone by, the Boss MD-500 brings together some of the guitar’s most iconic sounds in one handy unit. Best of all, it allows you to run two effects simultaneously, giving it a powerful edge over many of the competing multi-modulation stompboxes out there.

Household names like the CE-1 chorus, Roland dimension chorus, slicer, tremolo pedals , and Vibrato effects are all here with multiple modes. You also get some more esoteric sounds courtesy of some ring mod, detune, and bit-crusher too. In terms of pure numbers, there aren’t many pedals that can compete here, and the quality is insanely good too.

The ability to run two effects simultaneously makes the MD-500 a seriously powerful option, and it offers some great signal routing options too, so you can put your phaser before your overdrive pedals and your chorus afterward if that’s the way you like it. With a whopping 297 memory banks, you’re not likely to run out of storage space either. 

5. Universal Audio UAFX Astra Modulation Machine

Not content with dominating the studio hardware and plugin game, UA has taken to inhabiting our pedalboards with their latest line of stompbox-sized effects. The Universal Audio UAFX Astra Modulation Machine gives you three studio-quality effects from the annals of audio and plenty of scope to tweak.

Encapsulating three iconic modulation effects, the Astra gives you a bucket brigade chorus based on the legendary CE-1, a bucket brigade flanger/phaser based on MXR’s iconic rackmount unit, and a vibrato based upon the classic vintage 60s amps of Fender fame. As well as these you also get variations upon each sound, giving you plenty to play with.

The quality of the effects, as you’d expect from UA, is simply stunning and we especially loved the chorus mode which is extremely versatile. There’s a lot to tweak thanks to the additional shade and shape modes which make it easy to mold the sound into your already existing rig.

Read the full Universal Audio UAFX Astra Modulation Machine review  

6. Strymon Zelzah

In a list dominated by multi-modulation effects, it’s a testament to just how brilliant the Strymon Zelzah really is that it makes the cut here. Providing two classic phaser sounds, it also provides a way to create a more modern sound and even move beyond phase itself thanks to its powerful control set.

With one four-stage and one six-stage phaser, you’ve got your core needs covered, and you can run them simultaneously which is a nice option. The speed option is wide enough that you can get a rotary-type effect out of it, and the envelope phaser mod gives you the option to get an effect that reacts to your playing dynamics.

Side two can get you almost into chorus territory with the voice knob, and things get seriously interesting when you use both effects together. You can split them to separate stereo outs or have them in series which offers up some incredible combinations with serious stereo width.

Read the full Strymon Zelzah review  

7. Walrus Audio Mako M1

Despite the compact size of the Walrus Audio Mako M1, there are plenty of effects and loads of options to tweak within its tiny enclosure making it one of the most versatile modulation effects here. The optional lo-fi knob adds bags of character too, helping it stand out from others in the same category.

As well as regular chorus and phaser-type effects, there are some more interesting options like adding a vinyl or tape-style wobble to your vibrato, lopsided sounding tremolos thanks to the ability to adjust the symmetry, and even a skip effect, that gives you the sound of a needle skipping on a vinyl.

You can save presets onboard, accessible via pressing the two footswitches, giving you nine onboard preset options. The fact that the Mako offers your standard modulation fare alongside the lo-fi options makes it stand out in the field. It won’t please everyone, but for those looking for something a little different, it’s a top choice.

Read the full Walrus Audio Mako M1 review  

8. Zoom MS-70CDR Multistomp

Featuring a lineup of pedal clones that will make any guitarist's mouth water, the Zoom MS-70CDR Multistomp gives you bags of modulation, reverb, and delay effects in one handy unit. With the ability to chain six effects in a row this fantastic multi-effects unit is a great addition to any guitar player’s rig.

There are countless chorus effects on offer here, with everything from the classic CE-1 right through to the Small Clone, flangers, phaser pedals , and more esoteric effects like ring modulation, detune effects, and bit crush all making the cut. Whilst the quality of the analog chorus emulation isn’t quite as on point as some here, the sheer volume of choice more than makes up for it.

Once you’ve chained up to six effects together, you can then save them in a total of 50 banks, allowing for an entire rig's worth of effect patches in one tiny pedal. Considering the cost, you get a truly incredible amount of bang for your buck with this brilliant little pedal.

Best modulation pedals: Buying advice

What pedals are considered modulation?

Modulation pedals tend to be ones that change the pitch or volume of your guitar tone. The term modulation means to ‘move’, so any effect that moves your tone in some way is typically considered to be a modulation effect. For this reason, there are a lot of effects that are considered to be modulation, of which we’ve listed the main variants below. 

What are the different types of modulation pedal?

Tremolo – the original modulation effect first seen in the DeArmond Tremolo Control in 1946, a tremolo effect moves the volume of your guitar up and down. This can give either a subtle pulsing effect or a harsh chop depending upon the setting and was often built into amplifiers in the 60s.

Rotary speaker – following soon after tremolo, we got the rotary speaker effect, which was originally designed for Hammond organs but was swindled by greedy guitarists. The Leslie speaker, as it’s often known, featured two rotating speakers which create Doppler effect to add movement.

Uni-vibe – made massive by Jimi Hendrix, the Uni-vibe is a unique effect despite often being confused with chorus and vibrato thanks to the original pedal’s labels it’s actually more of a phaser-type effect. It’s quite a hard one to describe, but if we look at the origin, Japanese engineer Fumio Mieda was trying to recreate the sound of radio signals bouncing off the atmosphere, which created a ‘washing’ sound. It’s like a throbbing pulse that’s part tremolo and part phaser, a truly unique guitar effect.

Phaser – one of the most iconic and recognizable modulation effects, the phaser came to fame in the 70s thanks to the MXR Phase 90, the company’s first product. A phaser works by splitting your signal in two and passing part of it through an all-pass filter. As the signal moves through the all-pass filter, it becomes phase shifted before being mixed back into the output signal. This is what gives a phaser that swooshing sound made famous by Eddie Van Halen.

Flanger – often confused with a phaser, the flanger does have a similar timbre to a phaser but they generate their sound in slightly different ways. A flanger pedal also mixes two signals together but one will be slightly delayed, which creates an internal feedback loop. These layers of sound can then be manipulated by control knobs to create a metallic, chorus-type effect with lots of movement.

Chorus – probably the most symbolic of all the modulation effects, chorus is usually what people think of when you talk about modulation pedals. Chorus is a pitch modulation effect that takes your signal, splits it, applies pitch shifting to the second effect, pushing it ever so slightly out of tune, then mixes them back together. It creates a thicker guitar sound that can warble on higher settings.

Vibrato – similar in character to chorus, vibrato does the same pitch-shifting effect except it totally removes the dry signal. Like the incorrectly named tremolo arm of your guitar, or the vibrato technique itself, vibrato gives the sound of pitch moving up and down rapidly or slowly depending on the setting.

Ring modulation – one of the weirder effects you’ll come across, ring modulation takes your signal and multiplies it at certain frequencies, adding a ringing, dissonant, metallic sound to your guitar playing. Ring mod pedals can get pretty strange, but they offer a sound that’s quite unlike anything else out there.

That covers the vast majority of modulation effects but there are many more out there, that often get lumped in with modulation, like filters which are their own category of effect, and bit crush which is actually a form of distortion.

What order should modulation pedals go in?

If we’re looking at it from a traditional point of view, then modulation pedals should go after your drive stage and before your time-based delay and reverb pedals . However, rules are made to be broken, and many guitar players prefer their phasers or tremolos before the drive stage. There’s also an argument for having your tremolo at the end of the chain, as this is where it would be on a classic Fender amp . Like with any pedal order, experimentation here can yield some interesting results, so it’s always worth trying a pedal in a different order to see what sounds you can make! 

How we choose the best modulation pedals 

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

At Guitar World, we have a team of dedicated guitarists who are passionate about the sonic exploration offered by effects pedals. With our love for the diverse palette of sounds that modulation pedals provide, we have tirelessly tested and analyzed numerous pedals to identify the best options available for you.

To compile our list of top modulation pedals, we combined our extensive experience, meticulous research, and spirited discussions with our editorial team. We consider factors such as sound quality, versatility, build quality, user interface, and value for money, ensuring that we showcase the finest pedals on the market.

As dedicated musicians ourselves, we understand the desire to push sonic boundaries and add depth, movement, and character to your guitar tone. Whether you're seeking lush choruses, swirling phasers, mind-bending flangers, or unique and experimental ring modulation effects, our goal is to provide reliable and knowledgeable recommendations to help you discover the perfect modulation pedal that will unlock new dimensions of creativity.

Find out more about how we make our recommendations and  how we test  each of the products in our buyer's guides.

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Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the country in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.

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