Source Audio

source audio
135
JULY 2016 GUITARIST
VERDICT The perfect buy if you want a tremolo pedal
but don’t want to be stuck with one sound
VERDICT Several shades of phasing nicely covered,
with many more sounds waiting in the wings
VERDICT With comprehensive implementation
delivered, chorus can have a life beyond Police covers!
VERDICT A great sounding flanger, but – to be fair –
the Gemini, Lunar and Mercury are interchangeable
Just as Strymon’s Flint combined
tremolo and reverb in a pedal, there are
three types of tremolo available here.
The Normal setting is an optical-style
tremolo that’s based on a 1967 Fender
Vibrolux. The Harmonic setting has
a phase-y sound as found in Fender’s
early 1960s ‘brownface’ amps. The Bias
tremolo offers more of a dirty pulsing
sound, if you’re looking for the sort of
trem heard from a Vox AC30.
All three sound excellent and offer
variation via the Speed and Depth knobs,
but if you want to move away from ‘amp
tremolo’ sounds, the Shape knob offers
waveform shaping with a typical sine
wave at its central position, running to
square wave and sawtooth at the two
extremes of its travel. The Neuro app
can take things more ‘out there’ with
alternative algorithms, including filtered
tremolo, tremolo mixed with chorus, or
flanger and odd sequenced effects.
[TC]
While the Lunar’s toggle-switch offers
three variations on the phaser theme,
along with Speed and Depth controls,
we also get a Shape knob that affects
the LFO, morphing the sine wave into a
harder-edged square wave. There’s also
a Resonance knob, for dialling in a more
metallic sound. Vibe is modelled after
a Uni-Vibe and reproduces throb and
warble well, while an expression pedal
gives you the foot-controlled speed
variations of the original.
Classic is a simple four-stage phaser
like the MXR Phase 90 – which it can
emulate nicely when dialled in correctly
– but it goes beyond what the single knob
on a 90 could conjure up, particularly
with the Resonance knob emphasising
the ‘wow’ of the sweep. Multi delivers
an eight-stage phaser effect that’s more
complex and is a great freak-out tool for
end-of-set knob manipulators, especially
after distortion.
[TC]
Aiming to give you all the chorus
sounds you’ll ever need, the Gemini
starts off with Classic, which does a
really good emulation of the early Boss
sounds that started the whole chorus
thing off and set the standard. If you
like your effects richer and lusher, it
also offers a dual-voiced chorus and
the sort of complex quad chorus with
four voices that came to prominence in
the late 80s. A mix knob runs from 100
per cent dry to 100 per cent wet, which
allows you to blend in as little or as much
of the effect as you like, while the tone
knob will gently shade the effect to add
a bit of extra sparkle or keep things more
subdued in the mix.
With those, plus any parameters
you wish to call up with the Neuro
app, there’s a spectrum of chorus to be
explored, including some cool rotary
speaker-style tones and a choice of
phaser and flanger sounds, too.
[TC]
The Mercury’s Classic setting conjures
up the sort of vintage flanging that’s
relatively mild and not unlike a chorus
effect. The difference between flanging
and chorus lies in the delay time, and the
Mercury has a Delay knob that delivers
in the appropriate range. Set it right and
there are familiar flanger sounds here,
reminiscent of an Electric Mistress,
especially with the resonance knob
turned up to add a metallic edge.
Utilising two delay lines, the Thru-Zero
setting is designed to emulate the sort of
flanging originally created in the studio
using two tape machines, and sounds
good with fuzz or distortion in front of
it where it can offer a similar flavour to
Queen’s Keep Yourself Alive. The Shadow
setting dials in a more animated and
intense flanging experience. Again, it’s
a perfect partner for dirty sounds and
the place to be if spaceship and ray-gun
sounds are on your agenda.
[TC]
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Tremolo pedal
FEATURES: Selectable
bypass (analogue buffered
or relay-based true
bypass), Neuro app editing
CONTROLS: Depth,
Speed, Shape, Level,
Normal/Harmonic/Bias
switch, bypass footswitch
CONNECTIONS: Standard
inputs 1 and 2, standard
outputs 1 and 2, mini-jack
control input, USB
POWER: 9V DC adaptor
(supplied)
DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x
114 (d) x 51mm (h)
First Line Distribution
01626 853019
www.sourceaudio.net
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Phaser pedal
FEATURES: Selectable
bypass (analogue buffered
or relay-based true
bypass), Neuro app editing
CONTROLS: Depth,
Speed, Resonance, Shape,
Vibe/Classic/Multi switch,
bypass footswitch
CONNECTIONS: Standard
inputs 1 and 2, standard
outputs 1 and 2, mini-jack
control input, USB
POWER: 9V DC adaptor
(supplied)
DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x
114 (d) x 51mm (h)
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Chorus pedal
FEATURES: Selectable
bypass (analogue buffered
or relay-based true
bypass), Neuro app editing
CONTROLS: Depth,
Speed, Mix, Tone, Dual/
Classic/Quad switch,
bypass footswitch
CONNECTIONS: Standard
inputs 1 and 2, standard
outputs 1 and 2, mini-jack
control input, USB
POWER: 9V DC adaptor
(supplied)
DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x
114 (d) x 51mm (h)
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Stereo flanger pedal
FEATURES: Selectable
bypass (analogue buffered
or relay-based true
bypass), Neuro app editing
CONTROLS: Depth,
Speed, Resonance, Delay,
Classic/Thru-Zero/
Shadow switch, bypass
footswitch
CONNECTIONS: Standard
inputs 1 and 2, standard
outputs 1 and 2, mini-jack
control input, USB
POWER: 9V DC adaptor
(supplied)
DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x
114 (d) x 51mm (h)
SOURCE AUDIO
VerTiGo TreMolo £129
SOURCE AUDIO
lunar pHaser £129
SOURCE AUDIO
GeMini cHorus £129
SOURCE AUDIO
MercurY FlanGer £129
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VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT408.peds_source.indd 135 12/05/2016 14:34