EarthQuaker Devices 2012 Press Kit Click here for our feature article in the October 2012 issue of Premier Guitar! Bell Bottom Blues: Five Modern Effect Pedals That Recreate Groovy ‘70s Sounds Poste 0 / 12 2012 at 10 01am b o sh art amian anelli B ell bottoms Check lackli ht osters Check Gloss p hoto of arcia ra y? Check S tra into the ab ack achine herman! T o a w e re hea in back to that lorious eca e kno n as the 1970s to take a look at five great effect pedals that will transport your rig back to a golden age of uitar. From the overdriven sounds of Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi to the out-of-this-world prog tones of David Gilmour and Alex Lifeson, the ‘70s were pivotal in creating some of the guitar sounds that are still bein ri p e off b to a s class of rock uitarists Whether you’re putting together the ultimate Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin tribute band or just trying to add a bit of vintage flare to your modern-rock masterpiece, the pedals on this list are sure to help you recapture some of that groovy ‘70s magic. T his list as com ile b a rou of Guitar orl staffers inclu in Gear d itor Paul iario EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander Although synths would take over the air waves completely in the next decade, they were still an inescapable part of the ever-evolving guitar lan sca e of the 1 7 0s For its simple architecture and versatility, the Earthquaker Devices Bit Comman er is our ick for the uitar sn th o u nee in o ur arsenal Handmade in Akron, Ohio, the Bit Commander proves a grittier alternative to the cleaner, slicker sounds of the Subdecay Octasynth or the POG. In some ways, the Bit Commander is almost cheating in a list limited to five effects, as it doubles as a useful octave fuzz. The six control knobs — Sub, Down 1, Up 1, Filter, Level and Base — ensure a high degree of control an nearl en less otential for custom settin s MSRP: $175 | Check out this pedal at EarthquakerDevices.com. Seismic Activity: EarthQuaker Devices Speaker Cranker Poste 0 / 2 / 2012 at 10 01am b Paul iario EarthQuaker Devices is a small, boutique pedal manufacturer from Akron, Ohio, known for a wide variety of colorful stompboxes that just sound great. If you’re looking for fuzz, delay, pitch modulation and more, EarthQuaker Devices has it all. The Speaker Cranker is an overdrive pedal with one knob for M ore an no other controls to t eak or obsess over. It’s not what you would call a boost pedal; instead, it offers some heft and crunch to an already overdriven amplifier without coloring your tone dramatically. T he M ore knob ials in the amount of irt ith overdrive creeping in around 9 o’clock on an amp set to clean T he p eaker Cranker is true b ass an o erates on 9-volt battery or an optional 9-volt regulated power su p l . I find that the Speaker Cranker is an essential stompbox if you use a single-ended amplifier, such as the Marshall JCM 800, or a two-channel amp with a rhythm and lead channel to deliver much-needed gain for harmonics and solos T he e al oes color o ur soun , but in a oo way, slightly darkening the tone to take out any high-end harshness. The gain isn’t overwhelming and offers just the right amount of bite if your amplifier is already over- driven. If you’re running the amp clean, the “More” control will add some roundness, compression and grit as you move the knob toward noon and finally overdrive past that — just enough to sustain notes. Check back again as I will be certainly covering more of EarthQuaker’s fantastic p e als List Price: $105 EarthQuaker Devices, earthquakerdevices.com Fuzz Face Off: The GP Staff Tests 25 Fuzzboxes September 2011 Issue EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Fuzz MICHAEL MOLENDA KNOBS Tone, Fuzz, Shift, Level SOUNDS EarthQuaker states the Hoof is based on the Russian-made, greenhued Big Muff, and it can defi nitely deliver the buzzy, aggro glory of Big Muff fuzz. But the Hoof ain’t no one-trick satyr. The Shift knob alters the midrange frequency controlled by the Tone knob, and it’s a powerful weapon that can deliver searing, hollow, warm, fizzy, bom- bastic, and klang-glorious varieties of fuzzy bliss. I was able to dial in everything from Ventures’ “2000 Pound Bee” buzz- ing to Muse-like caterwauls of sustain. WHO’S IT FOR? This is yet another versatile fuzzbox that offers a good collection of sounds for very reasonable bucks. I can’t imagine anyone who is into fuzz not wanting this baby on his or her e alboar . CONTACT earthquakerdevices.com Gear Reviews Chorus of Praise The Earthquaker Devices Sea Machine Known primarily for its mon- the Dimension control adds a crazed strous distortion and fuzz units, the sirenesque resonance to the signal. In- folks at Earthquaker Devices have tensity determines how much the LFO decided to tackle what has often been modulates delay time. The Animate lamented as the wimpiest of effects – control allows users to choose how the chorus pedal. Their take on the much the pitch of the chorus signal effect, the Sea Machine, is certainly a moves (from traditional shimmer to challenge to the notion that chorus is wild pitch swings), and Depth acts EARTHQUAKER the Animate meant only for hair-band choruses and much like a blend control, mixing the DEVICES SEA knob is pushed into renditions of “Message In A Bottle.” affected signal with the dry signal. MACHINE more prominent pitch- The Sea Machine comes equipped Starting with its most tame settings, Price: $215 bending territory. What with true bypass and six knobs. Rate the Sea Machine does indeed prove it Contact: you get is eerie, almost droning determines the speed of the LFO in contains classic chorus tones within, earthquakerdevices.com. tones, perfect for sending chills down the unit, while Shape allows the user and it does so exceptionally, impart- people’s spines. to rotate from a soft triangle to hard ing sparkle and shimmer with a nice mate knob and amazing resonance In all, the Earthquaker Devices Sea square-wave shape. The Dimension hi-fi tone. Further investigation reveals from the Dimension knob. Com- Machine is one awesome little box and knob adds a unique control that, at unorthodox chorus tones. Due to the plex, yet subtle sounds are attainable will charm even the most steadfast its minimum position, adds small interaction between the knobs, great as well, adding depth and intrigue to chorus critics. With a wide range of amounts of slap-back echo to the sounds can be found via experimenta- an otherwise ordinary tone. Adding sounds – subtle, extreme, and every- sound. As the knob is turned clockwise, tion, especially with the Animate and the Sea Machine to a distorted or thing in-between, the Sea Machine is a reverb-like character is introduced Dimension knobs. Huge pitch bends fuzzed out signal also yields some a unique pedal that offers something to the signal. At its fullest positions, are available by maximizing the Ani- very cool sounds, particularly when for everyone. – Max Prown VINTAGE GUITAR June 2011 VintageGuitar.com GALLERY: Summer NAMM 2011 - Day 1 Editors’ Picks Premier Guitar taff EarthQuaker Devices Rainbow Machine Pedal Review (2 page feature review September 2012 Issue) By Charles Saufley If you’re a stompbox freak, it’s hard not to be knocked out by the creative explosion at EarthQuaker Devices. In the last half decade, the little Akron, Ohio, company—started b former lack Kes roa man er a mie tillmana n its modest line of killer fuzz and distortion boxes has morphed into a hydra-headed beast that seems to turn out new sound-manipulation tools faster than Planters cranks out eanuts These days, EarthQuaker’s irreverence and sonic adven- turism finds the company as willing to toy with analog cir- cuits for purists as DSP pedals for bold experimentalists. The Rainbow Machine reviewed here falls in the latter category, and it’s a great example of how EarthQuaker’s willingness to be bold and deviant and to explore unde- rutilized tone textures results in stompboxes that stoke musical invention just as much as they fine-tune your tone The Rainbow Machine is a pitch-shifting, modulating, harmonizing, time-warping pedal that not only alters pitch, but also gives you the power to transform those pitch modulations using time-based controls. The effect can be as radical as an analog synth in the hands of a science fiction soundscape artist, but it can also be subtle, tasteful, and highly effective in low-key applications where it can add unexpected and delicious textures to chords and simple leads and hooks. Six Ways over the Rainbow The DSP-driven Rainbow Machine is not the kind of pedal you’re likely to dial-in right out of the box. Some controls get more extreme on either side of high noon, others increase in intensity as you s ee clock ise hile others ork in the o p osite irection T o to it off most of these functions are too deep to conveniently define with a single label. And some are just willfully and beautifully obscure. But what the Rainbow Machine lacks in intuitiveness, it pays back with power and flexibility.