id say on the buffer section. the sunday driver is a really good one also. plus have you heard of 29 pedals? they make a one for input called the EUNA and one for the output called the OAMP. highly reccomend checking either out. they put all other buffers to shame IMO. cheers. great video.
@@Merick365 The Sunday Driver is fine, just a single buffer however, so you'd need two of them to buffer a rig properly as a dual buffered system. Of the others you mentioned - they are only input buffers or output buffers, not dual buffers. They're separated components, so they only solve the issue of buffering in half the board. Secondly, the EUNA, in my opinion, is more of a EQ than a buffer. A well made pedal, no doubt, and well designed - but a buffer should have no sound, no EQ, no nothing but what comes in comes out. The output buffer OAMP is disaggregated from the input buffer so you'd have to buy both to have a dual buffered system. At that point it's about $500 for a buffer pair as I recall to buy both. Ultimately, anything that's shifting or altering the sound of the instrument isn't an ideal buffer. A buffer should be totally neutral, no color, no EQ. You might like the color, and that's fine, but if you're going for neutral it's not what I'd pick for a buffer.
We need one of these episodes for bass players, we use pedals too. I know many of these will transfer well to bass, but it would be nice to see your picks. Awesome content!!
Great points about pedals working well with others. In the studio you can work around a finicky pedal that has to have everything around it just right, but those things are a nightmare when you try to use them live. 👏
For me it is a tie between the ocd and riverside, I have both and they are both fantastic but perhaps I give a slight edge to the riverside because it has a noise gate
The budwah is my wah of choice for more than 17 years now. Is exactly what you said. Absolutely no fancy stuff there, just like an original Memory Man, just tone and what a tone.
Still using mine in my rig. Bought it in 1981 and it's never let me down. Other distortions come and go in my pedalboard, but the DS-1 is the mainstay. 🙂
I’ve been watching a few of your videos, and I came across the volume pedal video and it changed my whole sound. I can’t thank you enough I just audition for band and I have 40 songs ahead of me to learn I’ve already got 10 of them down and only 30 days to learn the rest. I just want to tell you how valuable the information you gave me was thank you.
Mason! Thanks you SO much for your video on pedals. That was pure bliss! I took copious notes. You cleared up my understanding of how these pedals are organized on the market. We’re so lucky to have have knowledgeable folks like you willing to share the how these lil’ beasts f*’#@ing howl and move!!!! You got a ton of X-TRA CREDIT for your awesomenessbest pedal report!!! Pretty much a permanent recess for the rest of your life!!! Your high school music teacher. :-)
I love the MXR classic fuzz. I have one, and you are right, people sleep on it. One thing you didn't mention is that, when you turn your guitar volume down, the sound cleans up, and you get the best clean tone on the planet.
Never get why you keep putting down Boss Buffers. The TU3W buffer sounds great. It’s so subjective. You talk in absolutes in regards to it and I don’t agree at all. I think it’s a bit misleading.
I'm a bass player and anytime I've ever tried a regular boss pedal, the bypass tone is horrible. The main thing I hear is the "plastic-y" top end it leaves. Maybe some bassist wouldn't be affected but I like a bright open sounding tone, slightly overdriven for some hair and boss pedals just kill that high end sparkle. I hate them but they generally sound great when they are on. I do fine with pedals with good quality buffers and true bypass pedals but definitely believe a really good buffer last in the chain before going to the amp is key for a good tone. My pedals before that are a mix of true bypass and pedals with known good quality buffers
Its great to see guitarists using plant life to alter their overdrive sounds. Ive found indoor fernery is perfect for blues screamers and strangely enough the MESA BOOGIE amp chugs significantly better. Good choice dude. Please do a video on studio plants, this will be well received
Love my: OCD, Clyde Deluxe, DD-500, DC-2W & Polytune 3. I also have some lesser-known pedals, that are equally Fantastic. Always interesting-stuff Mason. Really-enjoyed this one. Happy Holidays my brother. oNe LovE from NYC
Very informative, thank you! I cannot imagine life without my Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. My fave pedal of all time. Helps me get Holy Grail clean tone on my Player Plus Strat plugged into a Fender Superchamp x2 head and Mesa cab with Jensen Blackbird 1 x 12 speaker, and it does beautiful full bodied crunch, as well.
A Marshall old school original big box UK built Guv'nor with the 3 band EQ set at a lower gain with more Volume was my secret sound weapon for 15+ years. I miss it 😥
Yes! I owned one of these (original Marshall Gov) and it was a great sounding pedal. I ended up using it in a trade for some studio monitors. I also miss it. I should have been more patient. I’ve been looking for one for years. Super regret trading it.
I absolutely love my Tumnus Deluxe, Fulltone OCD and Plumes pedals for my live gigs. I primarily play single coils and feel the overdrives are a big part of my stage voice. Also you cannot go wrong with the ego compressor from Wampler. Brian rocks!
$500 HX Stomp.... all of these pedals in one and you can run it with whatever pedals you already like. - Add an expression knob/pedal and another footswitch and your options become overwhelming. $1000 Helix LT......Need more DSP for more pedals? Not to mention you can USB connect them to your computer to edit using software or use it as an audio interface for your system. Still can load IRs as well. So many of these options are already digital and these modelers are absolutely fantastic. IF they sound barely different than the real deal, they certain never sound worse. Pedals sound a little different from pedal to pedal anyways.
Yes... but also no. I'm a big fan of digital but even I readily admit that it isn't all equal and some of the more unique pedals out there have still not been replicated properly.
Well, one of mine made the list! Arion SCH-1. Bought it new in the early '80s. I put it away for years when chorus became a bit dated. Then my only pedal was a Barber LTD for lo-gain. I've collected a few Keeley pedals, especially the dual effects to save space. Aria (comp / drive), Hydra (trem/reverb), Monterey (fuzz/wah/univibe) and a MesMer Astral Delay. Added a Digitech Freqout too. Still playing with the order. Great channel, I've subscribed.
Choice job Mason, quite a list :0). So pleased there was an EQ segment and the EQ2 by S.A. made the list. If you are looking for a graphic or parametric EQ this does both and could easily be in the filter, wah and noise gate segments as well. Super buzzed about it’s functionality and it’s wide array of user group support and audio educational opportunities through them. I cannot find enough time for this pedal. Kia kaha from Aotearoa/NZ and Kia Ora again Mason.
A very comprehensive and well done video on this topic. Tone, pedals and amps are so subjective and in some way would be like discussing religion. Where everyone thinks what they believe is the right or only way to think. Pedals are similar in that one person's favorite may be another's lackluster stomp box. I really enjoyed your selections and appreciate the effort you put into this.
I never knew much about RATs and bought a cheap one used. OK. Then I bought the Rat Pack. Oh, god yes! EXCELLENT pedal. A no brainer bargain for everything it does. I've been a long time JHS fan just because he does such a great job educating the public FOR FREE and his pedals are all extremely sound, but this one blew me away for sure. I've never heard one bad comment about that pedal. MISSION REWAH is my favorite wah. I also own Clyde Deluxe, Dunlop 535Q, vintage Thomas and Dunlop wahs and have tried others. I just like the simplicity of the package and all the switches are internal. Spend an hour setting up the DIP switches where you want them, close it up and use it. EXCELLENT sounding, streamlined, beautiful looking wah. That VRTX Ultraphonix sounds cool. I may have to try that, and maybe a couple others. Thank you for your time making this video. It was so much of an info dump I had to take some breaks, to buy a pedal or two! LOL
Some days ya just get lucky. A Black Friday deal came along and the MXR 108 Fuzz twisted my arm, lol. Another thing...the Peterson Strobostomp tuner. Really big display, but the real winner is it doesn't 'bounce' when you get close to being in tune. Use it once and all other tuners seem like junk.
I totally agree with the tuner, I have a couple of them. I wonder how the buffer compares to his criteria? I'll have to go review the manual about that one.
Great episode. I’ll add a few: Xotic BB for low distortion/OD, it’s my fave for this type at the front of chain. One of the Strymon delays! I like the El Capistan on the board with my Deluxe Memory Man and TC Nova. Also MXR Carbon Copy for smaller, lower priced bucket brigade delay.
Great video Mason. My picks would be Fuzz - Kasleder Voodoo Chile Overdrive - Ryra Klone, Cornerstone Gladio double, Hudson Dual Broadcast, Neo Drive In Boost - Vertex (thanks Mason!) Filter - Source Audio Spectrum Phaser - MXR 90 script logo Chorus - Boss CE2 Flanger - Dreadbox Komo Rebi Vibe - Effectrode Tube Vibe Rotary - Neo micro vent Delay - Electro Harmonix Deluxe MM Reverb - Meris Mercury 7 That's the shortest I could get the list down to.
very glad you gave the dyna comp a shout out. i still think its probably the best compressor. I got a janglebox and its great but i cant escape the dyna comp when i want that sound
I adore the way it colors your sound, but it's a little bit noisy. And it took a while to notice, but I realized that it really kills the top end. If those shortcomings were overcome I'd tell that Cali 76 where to f'n stick it.
This was great thanks Mason! Another sleeper pedal I've been using for distortion pedals that give you some amp and cab adjustments is the old 90's Tech 21 GT2. Works great on many amps if you're playing casinos or clubs where you have to use whatever amp is there and only bring a pedal board.
In my humble opinion, the best sounding and most durable wah ever made is the Roger Mayer "Vision Wah." Just, good luck finding one! It is also the most pricey wah I've encountered.
I see most of these pedals on popular pedalboard setups. I'm just wondering where have all BOSS pedals gone?? They were the most popular common staple of all pedalboard setup of the 80s & 90s. They seem to have been overated then vanished. Seems incomplete to discuss overdrive and distortion pedals without mentions of BOSS's classic SD-1 and DS-1.
They're doing fine. Their share in pedal market itself _has_ shrunk to half of what it was 30-40 yrs ago, but the total size of the market has more than doubled. In the '80s/'90s maybe 20 brands were active at any moment and there weren't much more than a half dozen companies releasing new pedals with any regularity from year to year. Now there are 100+ manufacturers with a range of dozens of pedals each, and at least 300 different brands of pedals on just Reverb or Ebay alone.
The Digitech Polara truly is one of the best reverb pedals ever made - it's a pity that they decided to discontinue it. However, since the second hand prices went through the roof, I have no regrets of selling mine. (The reverb algorithms in the HX Stomp are amazing too.) Two more worthy considerations: - Boost/Light-Overdrive: Kingsley Page (Tube Boost) - Overdrive: Nordland ODR-C (best ODR-1 style pedal ever made)
Really helpful video Mason! I am getting a Dunlop 535Q Mini Auto-Return Wah. Should I place that before my Empress Buffer+, as it's not True Bypass but True Hardwire?
Playing through the archer for the first time was like experiencing great guitar sound for the first time. My absolute favorite pedal or anything guitar related for me in the last 20 plus years.
I was sort of shocked to not see one strymon pedal here, just picked up a bigSky (call me basic all you want) and it is 1,000,000x better than the blueSky that I used prior
Here’s what I’m running with at the moment-> Wah: Budda BudWah V1 Envelope Filter: 3Leaf Audio Chromatron Overdrive: Sarno Earth Drive Phaser: Maxon PH-350 Flanger: Foxrox TZF-2 Analog Delay: Diamond Memory Lane 2 Tremolo: Guyatone Flip Tube Tremolo I’m saving up for a Providence DLY-4 and a Neo Mini Vent II as well as probably a KOT V4. It’s a constant quest for sure!
Old Rocktron Hush rack mounts from the 80s are the greatest noise gates of all time if you're a super high gain guy. They even have 2 channel units with separate controls.
Very nice episode. I believe that Palmer should be included especially with their PDI09 and PDI03. I use them all the time with my amps and get great tones on stage with reasonable volumes.
Thanks. I have pedals that do most of these things, but now have a list of possible replacements instead of repairs since my DOD collection gets crankier as I near my 50th year playing!
Hey Mason! Congrats for this video! What about the Lehle Sunday Driver buffer?? The new one works at 30v. internally so they promise great headroom and dynamics. Have you tried it? Thanks!
Most quality buffers run at higher headroom, ours run at 15V rail to rail or about 30VDC overall. Equally the DIY buffers we recommend are able to do about 36VDC. The issue is that you need two buffers if you go this route as it's just a single buffer, not a dual buffer so it's a little less practical to fully buffer your rig.
But Bonafide or Truetone buffer that you always recommend are single buffers too. I was asking if it is so uncolored and transparent as Lehle says because the output impedance is a little high...
@@rgr4929 yes, but I indicate you need two and the price point is quite low. To get 2x Lehle you'd need $500 or so, the Mesa Boogie is a better choice with this in mind and is already a dual buffer.
I am so glad you recognized David Tarnowski's ADA Flanger. The shout out to his genius is not lost on me. Ive been using an original for years. THANK YOU. Credit where credit is due.
If you have the tuner's buffer on, then definitely. If it's a true-bypass tuner, it's hit or miss. That applies to *most* fuzzes. Big Muffs / 4 transistor+ fuzzes are generally ok behind buffers.
Great vid Mason. You're a real master at your craft. We are privileged to get such great content. I own a few of the pedals you've mentioned, one being the crunch box pedal V2 I think. I pulled it out the other day after years stored away. Wow! it blew me away how good it sounds and better than some other equivalent pedals I have costing twice as much. I also own a mint v1 ego compressor in brand new condition which I now know not to sell. Thanks again.
Sorry Mason for the juvenile comments here and there. I guess people can't appreciate a well informed master of musical equipment. Maybe when they grow up that they will see.
I'm glad to see the love for the JRocket Silver Archer pedal, I love this pedal as a standalone or put before a drive pedal this pedal is a must have, if you don't have and you get one you'll love it.
@@franciscastro8756 I've always known Boss to make really good products. They have their "oopsies" like any company, but their auto equipment had always been highly thought of ever since I worked in a music store in the 90s.
Great video! I’m about 2 years in when it comes to buying pedals; started out with absolutely no idea what I was doing. I’m glad to see I’ve arrived at a lot of your more affordable choices. I’ll definitely check out your shameless plugs-I agree with everything you said about pedals I’ve tried.
Not all tuners have buffers, and just because yours does, it doesn't mean it's any good? If I have just any old overdrive, does it mean I don't need a Klon because all overdrives are the same? It's the same thing as it relates to buffers. There's not one buffer circuit. The quality and efficiency of a buffer varies greatly brand to brand. 99% of them suck.
Fulltone supatrem ? Great episode Mason. Rhett deserves more digs over the TS . He is to hipster to understand. You dont need to play cliche SRV stuff with one Rhett. Everything from jazz to metal works great. Current fav for me is the Phase 95 on the script 45 setting with rate high its "Badge " Leslie .
A modern classic you missed is the Tumnus, but it's covered with the Archer here as both are the same classic circuit. I have a few of those. The Fulltone Clyde deluxe is built like a tank and I've used mine for years - however the pot became scratchy almost instantly. I put a dunlop pot in there and now it's bullet proof. I love the Fulltone '69 fuzz face type pedal. I have a box full of fuzz pedals and this is the one keeps the rest in the box and off the board. It's not super fuzz, but it's very usable and dynamic with the volume in the Hendrix style. I have the simplifier thing as well for a few weeks now as a way to record guitar late at night - during the day I use tube amps. the simp doesn't come close to the sound, but it's really pretty good if you get most of your sound from your pedals. It has different dynamics than a tube amp that you can't escape - mostly on the attack of the note. Still a neat toy that gets the job done without a computer.
Sometimes with pots, it's a the luck fo the draw...the latest Fulltone stuff is fully sealed so seems to last longer. Generally, I've found it to be the opposite, my Hot Potz don't outlast my Fulltone pot.
They are such an underrated and ignored pedal. Since I found one I can't do without it, especially on clean tones. It's the secret weapon on a lot of pedal boards.
Speaking of Analog Boss delays - old DM3s are still available for less than DM2s and sound just as great. I recently got a DM3 and it’s the sweetest sounding delay I’ve owned…and it was $100 less than most DM2s I’ve seen.
Every pedal sounds different with a different amp and a different guitar to me. What do I know, I own at least $4,000 in pedals and I am still searching for the next best sounding pedal on RU-vid videos. It is a maddening crazy non ending search that will keep you awake when you should be sleeping. LOL 😂
Are you scared to try and fall in love with a helix because you would feel the heartbreak of all the tough-earned cash you've wasted? Because I'm scared..i dont think I'll get a helix because of that 😂 HONESTLY
I mean, im at the point where im wishing i had programmable functions, and to do that with a real pedalboard is more than half the cost of a helix *just* for the device to handle switching and programming...ahhh lol pulling my hair out I keep thinking oh pedalboard better for gigging because if one thing goes down you still have the rest of the board to improvise with ..vs a helix going down and the performance is cancelled...but assuming the helix wont go down ever, everything else looks so much more convenient 🤤
@@Psyfonify What I have found when I use a all in one pedal, the volume jump verses switching back to just the amp is too loud. Not boasting but I have a very famous friend that used the Line 6 and along with some other pedals and when he engaged the Line 6 it came across the sound system like it was a AM radio, it sounded awful and nobody had the nerve to tell him because he is one of the top players in the U.S. and tours all over the world. He has played years on the biggest stages with the biggest names in blues and rock. He also owns the most expensive desired amp of all time along with 1950 and 1960’s model guitars. Numerous Nashville studio musicians own them, some demo them on RU-vid but rarely do they record with them when the pressure is on. Everybody hears things differently, some swear by Helix, Line 6, Fractal, etc. To each his or her own. Good luck with your tone quest.
@@VonBluesman yeah that's a classic case of expecting the pedal to do everything without dialling it in. Those digital all in one pedals can be especially tricky
Great list! A few that I think belong on this list: Xotic XW-1 Wah, Nuenaber Wet reverb, and JHS Kodiak (most underrated tremolo imo). Also, Strymon delays are hard not to include :)
Their wah to me was very modern, not bad, but just not vintage enough for my taste. Neunaber WET is great as is the Immerse. Strymon is great, but their not as close to a lot of the vintage rack processors and digital delays of the 80's as what I mentioned. For tape the Dunlop is closer to an EP-3 than any other pedal out there.
I like the content and the way you explain everything. Especially regarding the Source Audio Ventris. I loved the effects on my Kurzweil K2000 so I need to look at it. I'm looking at a few pedals to run synths through and the effects send on my mixer, so not a guitarist but still find this really useful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Agree 100%. = thick, soupy optical, analog tremolo ( even better then my vintage Fender ) and I don't say-that-lightly. ( sadly ) I heard Diamond is no-longer in business. Glad I've got one. Their Memory Lane Jr and Compressor are also incredible.
@@stevenbatke4167 Yeah, great pedal. ( always sounds killer, & sits-so-well in the mix ) They were: nice folks to do business with. They are from Canada. oNe LovE from NYC
Really great list mason! I’d go one step further and say for Volume pedals the Xotic Passive VP(gold one) is phenomenal and has the same feel to the boss but is more pedalboard friendly. Also would note not to forget about BJFE sweet honey and Model G for OD/Distortion
I find the Xotic to be built like a wah...with those inherent problems with the rack and pinion - that mechanical design isn't long for this world unfortunately.
Fav fuzz- Unprofessional Mk ll /mk l.5 twin bender Wah -Morely Bad Horsey. great sound, doesn.t turn on till you step on it My only distortion is love pedals- silver Kalamazoo great sustaining drive with klon over tone Amp sim- Strymon Iridium so good I cant stand it. I run into two HeadRush speakers for me. wish they would make a premium one with an effects loop and dual inputs instead of the stupid trs 1/4 inch input, had to make my own cables to support stereo through it. I've set this next to my JCM 900 and you cant tell the difference I swear Tremolo- hands down Strymon Flint sounds like a 65 deluxe To name a few
I own a few of these pedals and very much agree with your comments. Good shout on the MXR 108 fuzz - under appreciated for sure and maybe just not "boutique" enough for some of the fuzz crowd? Sounds great though. One thing you could have included is ABY pedals. A lot of misconceptions out there. I am a big fan of the Radial pedals for this.
I have both of these Tuners (boss and TC) on both of my boards. I had to get the Tu3-W because I love the feel of the boss TU tuners, love the black color with green/blue leds as well. It feels like home, but the TC is also a great pedal. Great choices all-around.
hi there from the Republic of Ireland. I love the video!....but I have a question (half joking & half serious)...Are you a long lost brother to Jack Black...the actor?...In my view...You're the head off him!! I mean that in a good way. LOL
Glad you like the video...it seems that several comparisons are recurring...Emil Hirsch, Ricki Lake, Geraldo Rivera, Jeff Tweedy, and there were others I don't remember.
With tremolos I think that the volume drop many report hearing is perceived. But, my boss tremolo is modded for a volume pot and I do use the boost. With the volume boosted the perceived volume drop can be compensated for. You can also use the pedal as a pure booster with the tremolo off.
Awesome video Mason! As far as pitch shifters have you looked at the TRex Quint? It has high and low octave and you’re able to add a fifth to it. I love it!
The RMC 6 Wheels of Fire wah is such a beast: highly recommend trying it out if you've only played Italian/vox wahs. It's a colorsound which means it has a ton of bass. I picked up the Budda for $100 (Canadian 😍) and it's great but the huge low-end push from the RMC works so well with OD and fuzz
Got my ultra phonix II today, can’t wait to put it in front of my Blues Jr. and push it with a J Rockett Archer. Side note, had a BC 108 mini and sold it. Immediately regretted it later that day 😂
Thanks for the informative video bro.You helped me decide if I want to get the ¨Source audio ventris¨, since I have been checking on reverbs recently. I was surprised you didn't consider the Timeline or Timefactor among your favorite delays, but everyone has different choices. Keep it up!!
I don’t think they sound as close to what the model as what I mentioned. DD500 is closest multi effects delay to the classic analog, digital, and tape delays.
Hi Mason, thanks for a terrific overview - appreciate the time and effort! I will be googling several brands (including Vertex!) mentioned here by you and others who have added comments, what a treasure trove of info. I still have my MXR Dyna Comp, Distortion + & Phase 100 from the 80's and later grabbed the Analog Chorus, which is subtle but great (I still have the Roland Dimension D rack mount and considered the Dimension C pedal but opted for the Analog). I'll throw a few into the ring that I would recommend the intensely curious to check out. 1. Effectrode Blackbird Vacuum Tube Pre-Amp (UK). My 'if the house is burning down and you can only grab one' pedal. Fender / Dumblish - magic! 2. Neo Ventilator II - exceptional Leslie in a box. You can even arrange how far you want the mics from the speakers :). 3. Crowther Audio Double Hotcake. Made in NZ by an old buddy of mine from my band days. Most guitarists had a hotcake on the floor in the 70's and a few years ago I saw Paul had taken the 'what's better than 1 hotcake' idea to the next logical conclusion. Great OD / Distortion options. 4. TC Electronic Alter Ego x 4. In the 70's I used a WEM Copicat & Roland Space Echo a lot so this was a no brainer. I can switch from Copicat Slapback to Space Echo 1/4 notes to Echoplex dotted 1/8ths with just a touch. No brainer for me. 5. Redwitch Empress Chorus (another Kiwi). Just bought it - stereo and still getting acquainted but enjoying it a lot! 6. Victory V4 The Copper Preamp Pedal (UK). Like the Blackbird, another one with real valves - this one is geared towards the Vox Brit Pop jingle jangle sound. Add a Casino and you're in business! Thanks again, hope this rave proves useful for someone out there! Cheers.
17:56 I spent a decent amount of time testing several low gain/ klon clones once and The J Rocket Archer is the one that came on top to my ears. I LOVE than pedal! (Silver is the way to go)👌
Completely agree on the Proco RAT. Sounds great through a Vox AC15. Favourite affordable fuzz is the EHX Green Russian Muff. Same with the MXR Timmy, I find it works really well at low-gain as a boost to slight crunch to fatten up the sound of an AC15 at lower volume and give some crunch when you really dig in. Klon style, like the Tumnus, or the Mosky for dirt cheap. At a bit more tube driven gain levels, I switch over to the EHX Hot Tubes. Well, I use the Hot Wax, and then (rarely) kick on the Crayon circuit for higher gain sounds. For cheap compressors I like the Mooer Yellow Comp for the Diamond type sound, and above that I think the Keeley Comp sounded great on your recent comparison with Dynacomp, LA-2A and 1176. For modulation, delay and reverb and I like stereo pedals. For not much money, love the TC Electronic SCF+. Then delay and reverb, really love the tape and DMM, and especially the Spring reverb on UA FX Del-Verb. Though for mono BBD delays I like the DOD Rubberneck because of the effects loop. And for real spring, the Surfy Bear sounds lovely. And similarly the Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water is unique; would love them to build a stereo one, for under $500. For modern pdeals, for digital delays, love the Meris Polymoon. For looper the Soma Labs Cosmos, and for micro-looper/granular the Chase Bliss Mood mk.II. The EHX Tri-mixer is nice and cheap for flexible mixing.
I am big on gates. You name it I've tried it, bought and then sold it, lol. BIG BUT. The new REVV G8 beats them all. Big bonus it does not mess with your tone at all.
