There are so many companies out there making amazing effects so to receive #1 Gear of the Year from you, is HUGE for us. Your opinion matters the most. Your music is magical and your tonal artistry is unmatched. Thank you Stefan 🙏❤ Happy Holidays to you, your family, and everyone appreciating this incredible channel.
As a new dad to twins who also launched an online store this year, I sympathise with your business! Please keep the quality of your content, no matter the upload pace. Finding content like yours is rare. Keep it up!
First: Congrats on the twins, man. It's such a unique experience. It requires a lot of resources, but it's also extremely rewarding. Secondly: Thanks for your understanding and for your support. It means a lot to me ❤
Congratulations on the twins. As the parent of an 18 and 16-year old, I’ll leave you with this: with kids, the years go by quickly, but some of the days are really, really long. Enjoy the ride!
Thank you very much! And that is so spot-on. The days can feel absolutely brutally endless at times, while the weeks, months and years just disappear into thin air.
Being a dad sure agrees with you Stefan. This is the most expressive and intense playing I witnessed from you in all the years I've been following your channel. Keep up the inspiration in 2024!
Thank you so much! 8 years sounds so surreal to me right now. I have a 3 year old daughter as well (soon to be 4) and I feel like I've known her my entire life and still she's only 3. At the same time it feels like yesterday that she was just a baby, and now she's a walking, talking and highly opinionated little lady. Time is a weird construct :D
My Biggest inspiration this year was a Guitar. I bought my first offset, and it was a first guitar with single coil pickups as well. It was the Squier 40th anniversary jazzmaster in desert sand colour. then there was the Keeley Halo. It really does so much and is so easy to use. I discovered alot about what i need to sound like me, and it turns out, it really isn't so much the gear. It's finding the place where you feel at home with the music you play and enjoying the notes you are able to express, and not look at what everyone else does all the time. The Archetype series of plugins from Neural DSP has changed so much for me as well. Being able to just plug into my interface and just play without thinking of what time it is and not disturbing my house or neighbours is a godsend. I've discovered i might not be that Fuzz guy, part of me wish i was at times, but it's okay to not be that guy too. I'm a flanger guy. The EQD Pyramids has influenced me alot this year. MErry christmas and a happy new year everyone, Hope to see you back here with more content and lots of nice things in the comment sections from the community.
Another great year of The Pedal Zone Stefan and I thank you. My top pedal purchases for the year were the Eventide H90, Keeley Parallax, Meris MercuryX and Walrus Audio Fable.
As a dad of twins, I sympathize. Hope you are doing well Stefan and the store is a huge success! Happy Holidays and thanks for all the awesome work you do here. Always love your videos.
I look forward to these half the year!! I can’t wait for you to do a video on the OBNE dark light,this year flew right by have a blessed holiday with the family Stefan, it goes by quickly so capture all you can on camera and film, you’ll thank yourself in the future 🙏😊
I'm at a point now where the actual 2-3 first sips are warm, and then all of a sudden the rest is cold. So I guess that's progress :D And thanks for the kindness and support. Really appreciate it!
My pedal of the year was one I thought I would never be able to find at a reasonable price: the now-discontinued Adventure Audio Dream Reaper. I was lucky enough to find one that was relatively close to the original asking price (instead of marked up to double), and it is everything I had hoped for in a fuzz. It has everything from gentle dirt to screaming feedback and rage. It's so damn good, and I am immensely grateful for finally pulling the trigger on a pedal I've been lusting after for almost 6 years.
As a busy dad, I feel you. Somehow you still crank out top quality videos and I applaud you for it. I've made the concession of buying an hx stomp because it does everything I need. I hope one day you snag one so I can steal your tones.
gotta go Mercury X as well. Been a long time since playing just ONE pedal brought tears to my eyes...it's just so beautiful sounding. LVX >> MercX = GOAT Ambient Duo.
For me it was LVX, which was new to me this year. Amazing pedal and truly inspiring.. I'd love to see you re-visit it and walk thru some patch building!!
LVX is incredible. Was at the top of my list last year. I did do a revisit video on it this year that showcased my presets that come shipped with the pedal, alongside some new presets I’m working on as well as a rundown of my favorite factory presets on it. Worth a watch and listen 😊
2023: Sound of Justice fx (reverb store) modded an ehx cock fight for me. The pedal sounds A-MAZING! I hated that you were stuck at only one bias level but it has killer fuzz tones at so many bial levels. Its the most practical fully fed, so i asked him if he could add a footswitch that taggled between full vulltage and whatever the bias pot was at. He wasn't sure, but he tried it and NAILED IT! I have had so much fun on stage and off with that thing! I agree with you about the ir200 for sure! Its eq boost for my lead gigs, a field of beautiful simple reverbs for my acoustic gigs, a killer bass amp/ bass fuzz for my bass gigs, and when my amps are in the shop, it murderous in a pinch! Love what you do! Happy for growing family! Would love vids on your approach to sound design! Im a newish sub, so ill go digging in your old vids for that as well! -cheers!
The Screen Violence was my favorite pedal I got this year. I have had it going into my Deluxe Reverb all by itself and getting taken away to some really cool places. Thanks for all the demos you Stefan! Cannot wait to see what they come up with next year!
Amazing sounds, always look forward to your end of the year picks! I grabbed a Chase Bliss Habit this year and have had a lot of fun just noodling clean guitar tones into it and having it randomly play back moments that I forgot I played!
Thanks, buddy! Your support always means a lot to me ❤ Habit is crazy. Probably the pedal that has scared me the most in recent years, but the more I play it, and the more I just lean into its unpredictabilities, the more I love it. It's a really fun pedal, and I can only imagine all the cool things an über creative mind like yours can do with it :)
Yoooo! Great to see the IR-200 getting love. I got it the first day it came out, I was waiting for it since it was announced. It's such an amazing recording solution, it can do so much. USB stereo interface, expression, dual cabs, noise gate, extra eq, reverb, and more stuff I've forgotten about. But most important it just sounds good and works well. More people need to give it a shot.
Congratulations on becoming a father in 2023 and on your Pedal Zone shop success! Asger Lundsgaard Hansen designed the best sounding delay I've ever heard coming from a pedal this year - the tc electronic 2290P.
I’m finally making the jump to a Sansamp Paradriver DI so I can stop fiddling around and focus on recording in 2024. Best wishes for the new year man!!
Dad power! World needs kind fathers such as yourself, cheers! Favorite pedals? Haven't played a lot of new stuff this year; did Swamp Witch Season Of The Witch come out this year? I really like that one, does mind bending sweeps. I also really like DBA Space Bender (this year?) the most fun I've ever had with a pedal.
Oh happy day it's best of the year season, and The Pedal Zone is first out of the gate. Congrats on the Twins (I'm one too ; ) This was a stellar pedal year for me. I finally finished a huge Schmidt-Array build, my first board with a switcher. So fun. Love your channel, I wear my Pedal Zone shirt with pride. Wishing you all the best in the new year.
Your channel is the best, and you have totally helped me build my pedal board. And this has been a great year for your channel, and for all pedal gear. But the best for me this year are the Earthquaker Aurelius and the Jackson New Wave. Those are pedals that I NEED for my board. You also demo'ed some amazing combo pedals from people like OBN that I would love to have, but will never have space on my board for them. And of course, since I already have the SA Ventris, I need to get the Nemesis too. This was a really great year for pedals, which is amazing because the last two years have been incredible for pedals, and it just seems be getting even better.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a sweet comment. Can't express how much that means to me. Totally understand your love for Aurelius and New Wave. Just phenomenal modulation pedals! And definitely check out the Nemesis if you get the chance. It's probably my favorite multi-mode delay pedal at the moment.
I freakin love the beam splitter. Once i heard it i was sold! It was the only pedal i bought this year. Now i absolutely have to have the new meris reverb. Sounds so epic! Also i have twin boys that are 5 years old now. Enjoy the ride brotha! And congratulations
My choice is also the Mercury X! I hope the best for you and your family. Especially the twins. Haha! Health and happiness for all of you Stefan. Be fine dear viking! ❤️❤️❤️
Don't think I would ever have time to write an actual soundtrack, but who knows what life has in store :) I'm definitely a fan of cinematic music, and always pay heavy attention to the score when watching movies.
It does get better, but not for a little while yet 😁 It is amazing though seeing the bond they will have. Take care my friend and have fun and enjoy the ride.
Amazing sounds as always Stefan! What a great year of pedals. You turned me on to KMA with the Logan, Cirrus, and Horizant, but I finally picked up the KMA Chief Disruptor this year and it has blown me away. It's the fuzz I've been searching for, but I'll give a nod to Dreadbox Disorder and Solidgoldfx Lysis MKII which have been incredible discoveries as well. OBNE BL-44 has been wildly fun for creating chaos the whole line is such a versatile and inspiring pedal format. Hologram Chroma Console was an instant preorder for me and it just oozes flavor, can't wait to see you get your hands on one. Last but not least, Meris LVX just keeps unfolding the mysteries of the universe. I'm almost scared to get the Mercury X and be completely overwhelmed with reverb wormhole choice paralysis, but I know the time is coming soon. Cheers to you and yours!
If you get the MercuryX, you'll be delving into deep caves of audio bliss. I'm not sure when you will emerge from the caves, but when you do, it will be with a feeling of eminent tonal gratification. Glad to know that I've let you on to the wonderful world of KMA, and Chief Disruptor is definitely a wild one.
This year, I finally got my hands on an OBNE Sunlight to pull double duty as an end-of-chain modulated reverb and drone creator. It's such a breath of fresh air for this type of pedal and I'm excited to incorporate it into [upcoming untitled heavy shoegaze project]. Also while not a pedal, my other big gear purchase this year was a Mojotone Greyhound 12" speaker for my Vox AC30S1, and it's absolutely blown me away. To me it sounds like a Jensen C12N and a Creamback fused, and the high-end clarity it's brought to this amp has finally made it compact gig-ready.
Wow! Wonderful effect pedals! The Mandrake is my next pedal on the list. This video is really great, it's full of creativity and impressions, soundscapes and it's inspiring. 😊🤘
As always, an excellent video! I first discovered your channel when looking for information on the Earthquaker Devices Afterneath and immediately subscribed. The thing I particularly like about this video is that you don't restrict your list to just pedals that were released this year, makes sense to me. Keep up the good work! I too added a Boss IR200, absolutely a wonderful addition! My other pedal that I added this year didn't come out this year, but I just heard about it. That's the Universal Audio Golden Reverberator. If you've never tried this pedal, you absolutely MUST try one as soon as possible! It does the basic reverbs as well as getting into beautiful ambient territory. The emulation of the classic vintage reverbs is unparalleled, IMO, it's the best sounding reverb pedal of its type that I have ever heard.
Thanks for all the kinds words, man. Means a lot. Yeah, when I started doing these lists I kept it to pedals released in the actual year, but as the years passed, that just didn't make sense to me anymore. So many pedals get released each year, and nobody has the time to play all of them. So of course I will get to some pedals "late", but if they impress me and inspire me, then they deserve to be on the list, no matter how old or new they are. Happy you're enjoying the IR-200. Just a stellar piece of kit. And yeah, the Golden Reverberator seems to be a really nice reverb pedal. It sounds great in the demos I've heard.
Always love your work. I enjoyed your inclusion of older offerings-I feel like the boutique pedal industry moves so fast I can’t keep up sometimes, and I like hearing what folks like yourself are doing with things like collider.
It seems like new pedals are coming out almost every other day, so it's hard to keep up. I get that. Good to know, that you enjoyed me bringing some older boxes to the table :)
EQD disaster transport legacy reissue and the Chase Bliss reverse mode C. The disaster transport is one of the most usable delays I've tried. Even with the mix high it never seems to get in the way and they always hit it out of the park with the modulation. It hasn't left my board since getting it. And I pre-ordered the Reverse Mode C on the last day possible and I'm so glad I did. It is really inspiring. I've literally spent hours getting lost and never feeling like I've hit the bottom. If you can get your hands on one I'd recommend it
For me, Chase Bliss Mood mk.II was my top pedal. A strong second for Meris Mercury X - I just got it so am still learning it's capabilities. Third was Walrus Sloer. Runner up in fourth was KMA Queequeg 2 - simple, not expensive, sounds beautiful. Then fifth UA FX Del-Verb - great all round tool, and I especially love it's stereo spring. Sixth is MXR Poly Blue Octave - another great general tool. Seventh would be DOD Rubberneck, the send / return and rubberneck make it unique. Eight would be TC Electronic SCF+ - a lovely stereoizer. Ninth would be Earthquaker Devices Plumes - I'm late to that party. Tenth would be TC Electronic Bucket Brigade - simple, cheap, great sounding. Would love an LVX, I'm sure it would figure high in my list, but for now I'm happy with my Polymoon until next year. That KMA fuzz looks very cool too - definitely interested in getting one, and moving my EHX Green Russian over to bass pedal rig, to sit with Darkglass Hyperluminal compressor, Darkglass Alpha Omega and KMA Queeqeeg 2.
I've been a huge fan of the Diamond Memory Lane Jr for years and had no clue they revamped it in a smaller enclosure! Definitely gonna have to check that one out!
Two of my favorite pedals this year are the Slow Loris by Non Human Audio which is one of the most unique pedals I have ever heard and it became so essential Tommy rig that it will stay there maybe forever. The second and third pedal I realized nowis the Holy Island Audio Glass Palace and Owlwood. They are both on my board with my benson preamp and the sounds that I stack with these are just my favorite crushing tones that I achieved so far. The Glass Palace has a boost that you can use independently and it became essential as well to my sound. Have a nice Christmas time with your family and a happy new year 😘
Always look forward to your yearly picks! This was a fantastic group. I 1000% agree with you on Screen Violence, always on, always incredible. Others that really changed my music game this year was the Hologram Microcosm and Meris LVX. Just mind blowing pedals!
Boss GT1000 Core is for me an enourmously useful device now that I relocated and that I don't have the entire gear with me at the moment. It has got beautiful amps and effects simulations: some of them, such as the master delay, some reverbs, the modulations are really amazing. Walrus Audio Slötvå is a never ending source of inspiration. Those reverb modes are almost anything I can ask from a reverb pedal: dreamy, cuddling, lush, dense, long-decay, with modulation and octave. Earthquaker Devices Afterneath is for me between 2022 and 2023. However this reverb is hypnotic and epic, with those magical cavern-like reflections, that don't let you escape so easily.
Great video Stefan. I’ve always loved the year end wrap up videos you put out. That Boss IR has been on my radar for a little while now. On a side note..just pure curiosity, why have we never seen any Strymon demos on your channel before?? Anyway all the best Stefan. Cheers!
Better late than never to the Collider-Party. Dual Delay, Dual Reverb or Delay and Reverb. In Stereo. Midi-controlled. The thing is an absolute steal considering what it offers.
I'm so happy to finally have arrived at the Collider Party. It's a blast here. The pedal is absolutely a steal. Sound quality and sound options are off the charts
If you like the beam splitter then check out the old paia quadrafuzz rack kit. It splits your signal into 4 bands with outs for each (or combined) and it's less than 200 bucks. The circuit has been reformated to pedals by some but no one has given the seperate outs on one.
@@thepedalzone No worries, you seem like a thoroughly nice guy and mega talented. Love your screen violence video, just wish I could get hold of one in the UK. Got my first two OBNE pedals coming for Christmas though so that should make up for it a bit.
hey Stefan love the chanel and love your tone! i was wondering if you would consider doing an in-depth review of the boss ir-200 Almost no one talks about this! and if your using one and sound like you do! i want to know how, heheheeh! I hope you can and keep up the awesome work brother!
@thepedalzone I think I got the IR-200 because of you. Beginning of 2022. Then I wanted more and seen what the Ampero II had. The amps actually feel amazing under the fingers. The effects are killer too. Powerful little device.
Great video as always. I learn something new every time I watch. If you like the Boss IR-200, you might give the Two Notes Opus a look. It sounds infinitely better to my ears and has a lot less harmonic distortion and aliasing than the Boss, which makes it much better for the mellow tones of ambient music. Also, you can run it stereo if you use the headphone jack.
Wow Beam Splitter demo song is so awesome!! My kind of music! Do you have a band or some projects that you release music with? Would be very interested to check them out
Thank you so much! I'm also really happy with that composition. Means a lot to hear that it resonates with you as well. Not currently a part of any bands, but you're welcome to check out my old bands "Don't Come Looking For Us", "Sky Architects" and "Cloud Anthems"
I feel like source audio is underrated with their delays and reverbs. I did a lot of research/comparisons before settling on the collider. Even compared to the big strymon pedals. Granted, those are great but the SA is just a tiny bit better.
Stefan I have been watching your channel since 2019. I can’t keep track of all the pedals I bought that have been featured on your channel. I recently hit the Boss IR-200. I love the high gain sounds, and it’s been nothing short of pure joy with the Meris LVX, and Mercury 7 in the effects loop. I’m struggling to dial in a good sound with a EQD Hoof and other big muff clones. Can you give me some tone tips to fix that?
Asking because I have the Strymon Bigsky and timeline. What’s your comparison between Strymon and Source Audio delays and Reverbs? The collider would be great to make a smaller board with
Welcome, you have grown older. That's what happens to all of us. The older we get, the faster time passes, so it seems. :D I guess I will place another comment after watching your video. This first thought just went through my mind before 0:56.
There are so many companies out there making amazing effects so to receive #1 Gear of the Year from you, is HUGE for us. Your opinion matters the most. Your music is magical and your tonal artistry is unmatched. Thank you Stefan 🙏❤ Happy Holidays to you, your family, and everyone appreciating this incredible channel.
I’m sure if you made a big box fully featured/expanded version of the Enzo you could win next year as well! Love my Enzo and mercury 7 btw.
You guys rock ❤❤
@@OrangutanJ4488All of us are waiting for Enzo's big brother! ⭐⭐⭐
@MerisUs --- deserved! I love mine
Merry Christmas Meris ❤ Merry Christmas PedalZone. Thank you for being awesome, always.
As a new dad to twins who also launched an online store this year, I sympathise with your business! Please keep the quality of your content, no matter the upload pace. Finding content like yours is rare. Keep it up!
First: Congrats on the twins, man. It's such a unique experience. It requires a lot of resources, but it's also extremely rewarding. Secondly: Thanks for your understanding and for your support. It means a lot to me ❤
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE PEDAL REVIEW CHANNEL
That statement fills my heart with joy! Thank you so much
@@thepedalzone it’s because you make great use of the pedals musically and I love post rock/Ambient guitar
Congratulations on the twins. As the parent of an 18 and 16-year old, I’ll leave you with this: with kids, the years go by quickly, but some of the days are really, really long. Enjoy the ride!
Thank you very much! And that is so spot-on. The days can feel absolutely brutally endless at times, while the weeks, months and years just disappear into thin air.
Pedal Zone means home for me. Thanks for being such an inspiration🫶
I’m left completely humbled and speechless by your insanely kind comment…. Wow! THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️
Being a dad sure agrees with you Stefan. This is the most expressive and intense playing I witnessed from you in all the years I've been following your channel. Keep up the inspiration in 2024!
The real danish love of acoustics. Kudos dude!
Cheers!
Congrats about the twins, mine are 8 years old now. Love the channel man!
Thank you so much! 8 years sounds so surreal to me right now. I have a 3 year old daughter as well (soon to be 4) and I feel like I've known her my entire life and still she's only 3. At the same time it feels like yesterday that she was just a baby, and now she's a walking, talking and highly opinionated little lady. Time is a weird construct :D
Congratulations!
As a fellow dad who owns a small business if the content you put out slows down maybe I’ll finally able to keep up
Cheers!
Mandrake and TARS my favorites from this list!
They are just SO GOOD 🔥
My Biggest inspiration this year was a Guitar.
I bought my first offset, and it was a first guitar with single coil pickups as well. It was the Squier 40th anniversary jazzmaster in desert sand colour.
then there was the Keeley Halo. It really does so much and is so easy to use.
I discovered alot about what i need to sound like me, and it turns out, it really isn't so much the gear. It's finding the place where you feel at home with the music you play and enjoying the notes you are able to express, and not look at what everyone else does all the time.
The Archetype series of plugins from Neural DSP has changed so much for me as well. Being able to just plug into my interface and just play without thinking of what time it is and not disturbing my house or neighbours is a godsend.
I've discovered i might not be that Fuzz guy, part of me wish i was at times, but it's okay to not be that guy too.
I'm a flanger guy. The EQD Pyramids has influenced me alot this year.
MErry christmas and a happy new year everyone, Hope to see you back here with more content and lots of nice things in the comment sections from the community.
Another great year of The Pedal Zone Stefan and I thank you. My top pedal purchases for the year were the Eventide H90, Keeley Parallax, Meris MercuryX and Walrus Audio Fable.
As a dad of twins, I sympathize. Hope you are doing well Stefan and the store is a huge success! Happy Holidays and thanks for all the awesome work you do here. Always love your videos.
Twin dads unite! ❤
My favorite pedal of 2023 is the Walrus Audio Fable. Very fun pedal.
Definitely looks like a cool one
LOVE your TPZ algos on the MercX!!! LVX >> MercX = GOAT duo
Thank you! Means a ton to me!
I look forward to these half the year!! I can’t wait for you to do a video on the OBNE dark light,this year flew right by have a blessed holiday with the family Stefan, it goes by quickly so capture all you can on camera and film, you’ll thank yourself in the future 🙏😊
Can listen to this the whole day 🙏🏻🔥
Really kind of you. Pumped you enjoy the tunes 😊
congrats on the twins brother! very thankful for your channel! your demos and reviews are the absolute best man!
Thank you so much! Extremely kind of you ❤️
That Beam Splitter demo 🔥
Thanks! Had a lot of fun with that one. Such a special pedal 😊
@@thepedalzoneIs the demo song available somewhere? It is awesome!
Don't give Up! I love your melodies. Bonne année! On vous aime!
Thank you for the support and sweet words ❤
Merry Christmas m8❤. Enjoy your coffee, before it gets cold. You deserve it.
I'm at a point now where the actual 2-3 first sips are warm, and then all of a sudden the rest is cold. So I guess that's progress :D And thanks for the kindness and support. Really appreciate it!
@@thepedalzone the pleasure was all mine. 🌹🥳
Such a great video Stefan. Congrats on the twins.
Thank you very much!!
The playing with the Old Blood Noise Endeavors was epic !
Thank you! Really kind of you. OBNE always inspire me greatly
My pedal of the year was one I thought I would never be able to find at a reasonable price: the now-discontinued Adventure Audio Dream Reaper. I was lucky enough to find one that was relatively close to the original asking price (instead of marked up to double), and it is everything I had hoped for in a fuzz. It has everything from gentle dirt to screaming feedback and rage. It's so damn good, and I am immensely grateful for finally pulling the trigger on a pedal I've been lusting after for almost 6 years.
As a busy dad, I feel you. Somehow you still crank out top quality videos and I applaud you for it. I've made the concession of buying an hx stomp because it does everything I need. I hope one day you snag one so I can steal your tones.
gotta go Mercury X as well. Been a long time since playing just ONE pedal brought tears to my eyes...it's just so beautiful sounding. LVX >> MercX = GOAT Ambient Duo.
For me it was LVX, which was new to me this year. Amazing pedal and truly inspiring.. I'd love to see you re-visit it and walk thru some patch building!!
LVX is incredible. Was at the top of my list last year. I did do a revisit video on it this year that showcased my presets that come shipped with the pedal, alongside some new presets I’m working on as well as a rundown of my favorite factory presets on it. Worth a watch and listen 😊
Congratulations on the twins and the store! I hope you get a bit of relaxation over Christmas!
I hope so too! 😅 - Thank you
2023: Sound of Justice fx (reverb store) modded an ehx cock fight for me. The pedal sounds A-MAZING! I hated that you were stuck at only one bias level but it has killer fuzz tones at so many bial levels. Its the most practical fully fed, so i asked him if he could add a footswitch that taggled between full vulltage and whatever the bias pot was at. He wasn't sure, but he tried it and NAILED IT! I have had so much fun on stage and off with that thing! I agree with you about the ir200 for sure! Its eq boost for my lead gigs, a field of beautiful simple reverbs for my acoustic gigs, a killer bass amp/ bass fuzz for my bass gigs, and when my amps are in the shop, it murderous in a pinch!
Love what you do! Happy for growing family! Would love vids on your approach to sound design! Im a newish sub, so ill go digging in your old vids for that as well!
-cheers!
Congratulations on having twins. Yeah, you've been busy! Well done dude 👏👏 Always enjoy your end of year round up. Thanks👍
Thank you so much!
The Screen Violence was my favorite pedal I got this year. I have had it going into my Deluxe Reverb all by itself and getting taken away to some really cool places. Thanks for all the demos you Stefan! Cannot wait to see what they come up with next year!
Amazing sounds, always look forward to your end of the year picks!
I grabbed a Chase Bliss Habit this year and have had a lot of fun just noodling clean guitar tones into it and having it randomly play back moments that I forgot I played!
Thanks, buddy! Your support always means a lot to me ❤ Habit is crazy. Probably the pedal that has scared me the most in recent years, but the more I play it, and the more I just lean into its unpredictabilities, the more I love it. It's a really fun pedal, and I can only imagine all the cool things an über creative mind like yours can do with it :)
Yoooo! Great to see the IR-200 getting love. I got it the first day it came out, I was waiting for it since it was announced. It's such an amazing recording solution, it can do so much. USB stereo interface, expression, dual cabs, noise gate, extra eq, reverb, and more stuff I've forgotten about. But most important it just sounds good and works well. More people need to give it a shot.
Totally agree. It's one of the most complete amp sim solutions out there. Just a terrific device!
Thanks Stefan! The Tars was one of my faves. Happy New Year! 😎🎸
dude the track you laid down with the beam splitter is so F*CKIN COOL!
Awww, man! THANK YOU ❤️🙏
Thank You!
You're welcome! And thank you for watching. Means a lot to me!
Congratulations on becoming a father in 2023 and on your Pedal Zone shop success!
Asger Lundsgaard Hansen designed the best sounding delay I've ever heard coming from a pedal this year - the tc electronic 2290P.
Your playing and musicality inspires me the most! God-Jul Stefan!
Wonderful demos...thanks !
Thanks! Really kind of you to say :)
Amazing demos and artistry man! Blessings unto you and your's!
Thank you very much, and right back at ya 😊
I’m finally making the jump to a Sansamp Paradriver DI so I can stop fiddling around and focus on recording in 2024. Best wishes for the new year man!!
Wonderful video as always man. My biggest inspiration this year was the Strymon Cloudburst and its unbelievable Ensemble mode!
Thank you! Cloudburst looks really cool. Would love to try it someday. Happy you're enjoying it
Congrats on the expanding family, and thank you sincerely for all the content and insight.
Thank you so much!
Thank you Stefan for your soundscapes during this year of 2023...peace & love to your family!!
Thank you! Your kindness means a lot to me ❤
Congrats on the twins!!!!!
Dad power! World needs kind fathers such as yourself, cheers!
Favorite pedals? Haven't played a lot of new stuff this year; did Swamp Witch Season Of The Witch come out this year? I really like that one, does mind bending sweeps. I also really like DBA Space Bender (this year?) the most fun I've ever had with a pedal.
Oh happy day it's best of the year season, and The Pedal Zone is first out of the gate. Congrats on the Twins (I'm one too ; )
This was a stellar pedal year for me. I finally finished a huge Schmidt-Array build, my first board with a switcher. So fun.
Love your channel, I wear my Pedal Zone shirt with pride. Wishing you all the best in the new year.
Your channel is the best, and you have totally helped me build my pedal board. And this has been a great year for your channel, and for all pedal gear.
But the best for me this year are the Earthquaker Aurelius and the Jackson New Wave. Those are pedals that I NEED for my board.
You also demo'ed some amazing combo pedals from people like OBN that I would love to have, but will never have space on my board for them. And of course, since I already have the SA Ventris, I need to get the Nemesis too.
This was a really great year for pedals, which is amazing because the last two years have been incredible for pedals, and it just seems be getting even better.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a sweet comment. Can't express how much that means to me. Totally understand your love for Aurelius and New Wave. Just phenomenal modulation pedals! And definitely check out the Nemesis if you get the chance. It's probably my favorite multi-mode delay pedal at the moment.
God jul og godt nytår, Stefan! Tak for videoerne!
Mange tak! Og lige over! :)
Loved the video! 👏🏻🤘🏻🤍 My favourite pedal this year was Strymon Cloudburst...keep the good work
I freakin love the beam splitter. Once i heard it i was sold! It was the only pedal i bought this year. Now i absolutely have to have the new meris reverb. Sounds so epic! Also i have twin boys that are 5 years old now. Enjoy the ride brotha! And congratulations
My choice is also the Mercury X! I hope the best for you and your family. Especially the twins. Haha! Health and happiness for all of you Stefan. Be fine dear viking! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much! Cool to hear you're enjoying MercuryX as well. Such a wildly inspiring reverb pedal
The mandrake part was 🔥🔥🔥 great tones
Thank you! It’s just such a rad fuzz
Youre the best, Stefan!
Man, Stefan, have you thought about doing soundtracks? I feel like all your stuff would really work cinematicly.
Don't think I would ever have time to write an actual soundtrack, but who knows what life has in store :) I'm definitely a fan of cinematic music, and always pay heavy attention to the score when watching movies.
Twins……congratulations Stefan and welcome to the club !!! (mine are now 25yrs old) 🥳😍
Thank you, my friend. Why didn't I know you had twins!!? And wow, 25 years. Please tell me they get better at sleeping the whole night through! :D
It does get better, but not for a little while yet 😁 It is amazing though seeing the bond they will have. Take care my friend and have fun and enjoy the ride.
Amazing sounds as always Stefan! What a great year of pedals. You turned me on to KMA with the Logan, Cirrus, and Horizant, but I finally picked up the KMA Chief Disruptor this year and it has blown me away. It's the fuzz I've been searching for, but I'll give a nod to Dreadbox Disorder and Solidgoldfx Lysis MKII which have been incredible discoveries as well. OBNE BL-44 has been wildly fun for creating chaos the whole line is such a versatile and inspiring pedal format. Hologram Chroma Console was an instant preorder for me and it just oozes flavor, can't wait to see you get your hands on one. Last but not least, Meris LVX just keeps unfolding the mysteries of the universe. I'm almost scared to get the Mercury X and be completely overwhelmed with reverb wormhole choice paralysis, but I know the time is coming soon. Cheers to you and yours!
If you get the MercuryX, you'll be delving into deep caves of audio bliss. I'm not sure when you will emerge from the caves, but when you do, it will be with a feeling of eminent tonal gratification.
Glad to know that I've let you on to the wonderful world of KMA, and Chief Disruptor is definitely a wild one.
This year, I finally got my hands on an OBNE Sunlight to pull double duty as an end-of-chain modulated reverb and drone creator. It's such a breath of fresh air for this type of pedal and I'm excited to incorporate it into [upcoming untitled heavy shoegaze project].
Also while not a pedal, my other big gear purchase this year was a Mojotone Greyhound 12" speaker for my Vox AC30S1, and it's absolutely blown me away. To me it sounds like a Jensen C12N and a Creamback fused, and the high-end clarity it's brought to this amp has finally made it compact gig-ready.
Wow! Wonderful effect pedals! The Mandrake is my next pedal on the list. This video is really great, it's full of creativity and impressions, soundscapes and it's inspiring. 😊🤘
As always, an excellent video! I first discovered your channel when looking for information on the Earthquaker Devices Afterneath and immediately subscribed.
The thing I particularly like about this video is that you don't restrict your list to just pedals that were released this year, makes sense to me. Keep up the good work!
I too added a Boss IR200, absolutely a wonderful addition!
My other pedal that I added this year didn't come out this year, but I just heard about it. That's the Universal Audio Golden Reverberator. If you've never tried this pedal, you absolutely MUST try one as soon as possible! It does the basic reverbs as well as getting into beautiful ambient territory. The emulation of the classic vintage reverbs is unparalleled, IMO, it's the best sounding reverb pedal of its type that I have ever heard.
Thanks for all the kinds words, man. Means a lot. Yeah, when I started doing these lists I kept it to pedals released in the actual year, but as the years passed, that just didn't make sense to me anymore. So many pedals get released each year, and nobody has the time to play all of them. So of course I will get to some pedals "late", but if they impress me and inspire me, then they deserve to be on the list, no matter how old or new they are. Happy you're enjoying the IR-200. Just a stellar piece of kit. And yeah, the Golden Reverberator seems to be a really nice reverb pedal. It sounds great in the demos I've heard.
Thank you for the hard work. Your videos are beautiful from sound to aesthetic
Always love your work. I enjoyed your inclusion of older offerings-I feel like the boutique pedal industry moves so fast I can’t keep up sometimes, and I like hearing what folks like yourself are doing with things like collider.
It seems like new pedals are coming out almost every other day, so it's hard to keep up. I get that. Good to know, that you enjoyed me bringing some older boxes to the table :)
EQD disaster transport legacy reissue and the Chase Bliss reverse mode C. The disaster transport is one of the most usable delays I've tried. Even with the mix high it never seems to get in the way and they always hit it out of the park with the modulation. It hasn't left my board since getting it. And I pre-ordered the Reverse Mode C on the last day possible and I'm so glad I did. It is really inspiring. I've literally spent hours getting lost and never feeling like I've hit the bottom. If you can get your hands on one I'd recommend it
Merry Christmas Stefan. You magical musical man! Your tones and compositions are so fascinating - nothing short of wizardry. 🎄🧙♂️
Gosh! How sweet you are ❤
Thank you for another year of the best compositions around! I always appreciate your Halloween and end of year videos.
Thanks, man! Can't express how much that means to me ❤
I love your music Stefan! Amazing sounds and really appreciate your videos and pedal exploration ❤ hope you have a wonderful new year
Thanks for the kind words! I always appreciate an avid listener ❤️
For me, Chase Bliss Mood mk.II was my top pedal. A strong second for Meris Mercury X - I just got it so am still learning it's capabilities. Third was Walrus Sloer. Runner up in fourth was KMA Queequeg 2 - simple, not expensive, sounds beautiful. Then fifth UA FX Del-Verb - great all round tool, and I especially love it's stereo spring. Sixth is MXR Poly Blue Octave - another great general tool. Seventh would be DOD Rubberneck, the send / return and rubberneck make it unique. Eight would be TC Electronic SCF+ - a lovely stereoizer. Ninth would be Earthquaker Devices Plumes - I'm late to that party. Tenth would be TC Electronic Bucket Brigade - simple, cheap, great sounding. Would love an LVX, I'm sure it would figure high in my list, but for now I'm happy with my Polymoon until next year. That KMA fuzz looks very cool too - definitely interested in getting one, and moving my EHX Green Russian over to bass pedal rig, to sit with Darkglass Hyperluminal compressor, Darkglass Alpha Omega and KMA Queeqeeg 2.
Happy Holidays. Happy New Year. Congrats on a great year.
Same to you! Thanks!
I've been a huge fan of the Diamond Memory Lane Jr for years and had no clue they revamped it in a smaller enclosure! Definitely gonna have to check that one out!
Definitely give it a go. Such a great sounding delay pedal
Man that mercury x sounds goooooood. I think my fave this year was the Visceral from Moire.
It's just a surreal sounding pedal. Meris outdid themselves with MercuryX. Visceral looks really cool, by the way.
Two of my favorite pedals this year are the Slow Loris by Non Human Audio which is one of the most unique pedals I have ever heard and it became so essential Tommy rig that it will stay there maybe forever.
The second and third pedal I realized nowis the Holy Island Audio Glass Palace and Owlwood. They are both on my board with my benson preamp and the sounds that I stack with these are just my favorite crushing tones that I achieved so far. The Glass Palace has a boost that you can use independently and it became essential as well to my sound.
Have a nice Christmas time with your family and a happy new year 😘
Always look forward to your yearly picks! This was a fantastic group. I 1000% agree with you on Screen Violence, always on, always incredible. Others that really changed my music game this year was the Hologram Microcosm and Meris LVX. Just mind blowing pedals!
The Microcosm and Chroma Console were my two choices for this year.
Nice! Hologram makes really cool stuff
Great choices. For me it's been the Mood II and the Fernweh.
Cheers! Mood II seems to be super cool
Meris is amazing. I have the LVX, enzo and merc7 on the board. I'm out of real estate, so the X is going to have to wait
That's 3 of my personal faves you have there! So many wild and creative sounds available with that trifecta
Can't thank you enough Stefan 🖤🙏
You all deserve it. TARS is so good 🔥
Korg sdd3000, hudson broadcast, moogerfooger lpf, fairfield circuitry long life 👍🏼
Meris lvx when i can afford it.
Boss GT1000 Core is for me an enourmously useful device now that I relocated and that I don't have the entire gear with me at the moment. It has got beautiful amps and effects simulations: some of them, such as the master delay, some reverbs, the modulations are really amazing.
Walrus Audio Slötvå is a never ending source of inspiration. Those reverb modes are almost anything I can ask from a reverb pedal: dreamy, cuddling, lush, dense, long-decay, with modulation and octave.
Earthquaker Devices Afterneath is for me between 2022 and 2023. However this reverb is hypnotic and epic, with those magical cavern-like reflections, that don't let you escape so easily.
Is it the pedals that sound amazing, or Stefan? (Clue, it's both!) Another fantastic end of year round up!!
Awww! Thank you. You're the sweetest ❤
The collider is so good, I bought a second one. So unnecessary but so worth it! (In part because I paid far below new for each).
You can never have too much high-quality ambience. Happy to hear you're enjoying your Collider(s) :)
My major pedal buys this year were the LVX and MercuryX from Meris and the Mood MkII and Reverse Mode C from Chase Bliss.
Good ones!!
Great video Stefan. I’ve always loved the year end wrap up videos you put out. That Boss IR has been on my radar for a little while now. On a side note..just pure curiosity, why have we never seen any Strymon demos on your channel before?? Anyway all the best Stefan. Cheers!
Better late than never to the Collider-Party. Dual Delay, Dual Reverb or Delay and Reverb. In Stereo. Midi-controlled. The thing is an absolute steal considering what it offers.
I'm so happy to finally have arrived at the Collider Party. It's a blast here. The pedal is absolutely a steal. Sound quality and sound options are off the charts
@@thepedalzone I really enjoyed some of the sounds you got. Have you uploaded them to the neuroapp? Would love to try some of them.
If you like the beam splitter then check out the old paia quadrafuzz rack kit. It splits your signal into 4 bands with outs for each (or combined) and it's less than 200 bucks. The circuit has been reformated to pedals by some but no one has given the seperate outs on one.
OBNE ExCESS v2!! so versatile!!
Such a great pedal. Was on my 2022 list :)
great review, cheers!!!
Thank you so much 🧡 Cheers!
No. 1 RUclips pedal demo dude is…………………You. Love your work keep it up man ❤
Aww. You’re too kind man! Thank you so much ❤️
@@thepedalzone No worries, you seem like a thoroughly nice guy and mega talented. Love your screen violence video, just wish I could get hold of one in the UK. Got my first two OBNE pedals coming for Christmas though so that should make up for it a bit.
hey Stefan love the chanel and love your tone! i was wondering if you would consider doing an in-depth review of the boss ir-200 Almost no one talks about this! and if your using one and sound like you do! i want to know how, heheheeh! I hope you can and keep up the awesome work brother!
Nice! 😊
Thanks! 😄
I wish I was stylistically similar to you so so bad. Truly love your playing and wish you'd link your stuff
Awww, man! THANK YOU so much ❤
@@thepedalzone ok, but where is the link to your music????? Where can I find it?
If you like the Boss IR-200, then you will love the Hotone Ampero II Stomp
Thanks for the recommendation! 🔥
@thepedalzone I think I got the IR-200 because of you. Beginning of 2022. Then I wanted more and seen what the Ampero II had. The amps actually feel amazing under the fingers. The effects are killer too. Powerful little device.
Lookvise my fav pedal is the white light overdrive. God's fist from the clouds is an insane visual idea!!😂
Yup, that design is just so cool. I love the "vintage" EQD designs that Jamie Stillman used to make. The pedal also sounds as rad as it looks
Great video as always. I learn something new every time I watch.
If you like the Boss IR-200, you might give the Two Notes Opus a look. It sounds infinitely better to my ears and has a lot less harmonic distortion and aliasing than the Boss, which makes it much better for the mellow tones of ambient music. Also, you can run it stereo if you use the headphone jack.
Happy you enjoyed the video!
Wow Beam Splitter demo song is so awesome!! My kind of music! Do you have a band or some projects that you release music with? Would be very interested to check them out
Thank you so much! I'm also really happy with that composition. Means a lot to hear that it resonates with you as well. Not currently a part of any bands, but you're welcome to check out my old bands "Don't Come Looking For Us", "Sky Architects" and "Cloud Anthems"
I feel like source audio is underrated with their delays and reverbs. I did a lot of research/comparisons before settling on the collider. Even compared to the big strymon pedals. Granted, those are great but the SA is just a tiny bit better.
Stefan I have been watching your channel since 2019. I can’t keep track of all the pedals I bought that have been featured on your channel. I recently hit the Boss IR-200. I love the high gain sounds, and it’s been nothing short of pure joy with the Meris LVX, and Mercury 7 in the effects loop. I’m struggling to dial in a good sound with a EQD Hoof and other big muff clones. Can you give me some tone tips to fix that?
I haven't gotten many new pedals this year, but I love the Polarbear Effects Drowner v2
I definitely need to try that pedal someday. Looks so cool!
@@thepedalzone It's amazing on its own, but has an effects loop too. I highly recommend this pedal.
Came for the lineup and stayed for the playing oh mah gahd 14:34
Asking because I have the Strymon Bigsky and timeline. What’s your comparison between Strymon and Source Audio delays and Reverbs? The collider would be great to make a smaller board with
Welcome, you have grown older. That's what happens to all of us. The older we get, the faster time passes, so it seems. :D
I guess I will place another comment after watching your video. This first thought just went through my mind before 0:56.
I definitely don’t feel younger, that’s for sure 😂