Sometimes Frugal means downright inexpensive. Digitech’s Hot Head Distortion pedal runs a smooth fifty dollars, budgeted within the means of any guitarist considering buying a first pedal – and I imagine that’s partly the intention, getting the attention of people who aren’t ... [More]

AmpliTube 3 is the newest product in the venerable lineage of developer IK Multimedia's bass and guitar amp and effects modeling software. Every release in the history of the AmpliTube line has brought improvements, and AmpliTube 3 continues that tradition quite substantially, implementing a number ... [More]

I had initially planned on reviewing the Barber Direct Drive as part of our Marshall-in-a-Box Roundup. Sometimes things in the industry can get hectic, and their generally quite affordable pricing relative to the boutique market means that the economic downturn meant even more attention than usual f... [More]

Though not the first compression pedal to feature a blend knob, the Wampler Ego compressor is one of the few, and among good company. Parallel compression, the practice of running a signal into two channels in parallel, one of which has a compressor in the signal path, has been a well-known and well... [More]

Some software packages are a mixed bag. It's not at all unheard of to buy a bundle just because you want half of what it's got, and the rest will sit more or less unused. The economics of bundles as a result isn't always straightforward. Thankfully none of that is the case with Softube's Effects Bun... [More]

What do users expect from amp modeling software? Some are “going virtual,” seeking a one-stop-shop with a warehouse full of amps and effects. Others need a quick fix, a way to get ideas down fast before they're lost sparing the hassle of recording equipment. Then there are those who are ... [More]

What makes a distortion pedal a Marshall-in-a-Box,? Different manufacturers would answer the question differently. Some would insist that it's the sound that counts, and that a pedal is a Marshall-in-a-Box if it can make your amp sound like a Marshall. Some would say it has to be flexible, so that y... [More]