November 2000

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MICRO MONSTERS-FIVE GUYATONE STOMPBOXES
FL-3 FLANGER

A Flanger may not be the highest-priority item in your tone chain, but the FL-3 ($120) packs a lot of sounds in an enticingly tiny package. The simple controls yield everything from rich chorusing and rotating speaker effects (with the Resonance switch in its first position), to jet-like, over-the-horizon swooshes (with the switch in position 3). Compared to the much larger ADA Flanger (arguable the king of pedal flangers), the FL-3 sounds tweezier and less complex. It's also much humpier sounding at higher Depth settings. On the plus side, the FL-3 boosts signals slightly, offers a very wide speed range, and is suprisingly flexible and quiet for its price. Another reason the FL-3 is groovy: It uses the holy (and no longer available) Panasonic MN3005 bucket-brigade chip.

 OD-2 Overdrive

Fans for the Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS9) and Sonic Distortion (SD9) pedals will appreciate the smoother, throatier tones of the OD-2 ($90). Though voiced similarly to the Ibanez boxes, the OD-2's distortion is clearer and better focused. It delivers more low-end than an SD9, and its non-compressed response gives it superior note attack and cutting power. The OD's lack of a tone knob isn't a problem - its treble is roughly equivalent to that of a TS9 or SD9 pedal with the tone knob on zero. The OD-2 delivers a tad less distortion than either of the Ibanez pedals, but it's fatter, louder, and more tube sounding than either of those green classics. A real winner!

ST-2 COMPRESSOR

Despite a compressor's ability to enhance practically anything you play, this is another effect that regularly falls victim to pedalboard space constraints. The compact ST-2 ($100) makes it easy to add this cool effect to your setup, and its high output assures that your parts don't get lost in the mix. Even the Sustain knob increases the volume as you turn it up - a good thing, because the ST-2 delivers bodacious squash when you peg this control. Compared to a vintage MXR Dyna Comp, the ST-2 sounds a little less crisp, but both units fare well in the noise department. Unique to the ST-2, however, is its Direct switch, which blends in a dry signal for a punchier note attack. This function alone makes the ST-2 a particularly cool choice for live playing.

SV-2 SLOW VOLUME

Following in the footsteps of the long-discontinued Boss Slow Gear, the SV-2 ($120) is designed to produce volume swells, bowed-instrument sounds, and reverse-tape simulations. This voltage-controlled pedal kills your attack completely, then progressively increases the volume for a swelling effect. The SV-2's Speed control lets you vary how quickly the volume increase occurs, and the Threshold knob determines how hard you have to pick in order to activate the circuit. It takes a bit to get the controls grooving with your playing style, but once dialed in this box can add mondo vibe and texture to even the simplest lines and arpeggios. In fact, the simpler you play, the cooler it sounds.

 VT-3 VINTAGE TREMOLO

Bummed because your amp doesn't have a built-in tremolo? Plug into the VT-3 ($100) and dig the next best thing. The VT-3 delivers old-style sine-wave tremolo - no helicopter chop here - and its significant volume boost ensures that your parts stand and deliver. The Speed knob can take the modulations from a sloth-like crawl to raygun staccato, and the Intensity knob control yields deep, lush, throb when set to three o'clock or higher (settings below 50 percent are pretty anemic). With its amp-like response, rugged construction, and compact size, the VT-3 is one of the best tremolo bargains around.