Summer 2023 has had a steady trickle of new guitar gear, though most of it has arrived without too much fanfare. So it’s easy for some of us to have missed some cool new releases, especially from bigger brands with somewhat quieter reputations like Boss. I’ve covered a lot of new pedal releases from smaller builders over on my site, but here on UG let’s talk about some larger-scale pedal announcements.
Boss DM-101
Arguably the biggest talk of the pedal world this summer has been Boss’s DM-101. This pedal claims to be the end-all, be-all of analog delay pedals and I’m sort of convinced it may be. While it’s definitely going to have a learning curve to get the most out of it, it’s got to be up there with the DL4 for the most versatile delay.
The DM-101 features 8 internal bucket brigade devices (BBDs) that are controlled by digital CPU processes. It’s a great mix of modern tech with old-school sounds, not unlike the approach taken by Chase Bliss. There are both stereo and mono options, plus MIDI capabilities alongside tap tempo and tap division abilities. I would love to try this pedal, even though I wouldn’t even be able to scratch the surface of what it can do.
TC Electronic Ampworx Jims 45
A cheap, great-sounding amp sim that gives you Marshall sounds in a box? You can’t even imagine how pumped I am about this. What I’m also psyched about is the headphone out, which has been missing from my beloved Universal Audio amps. Other key features include a 3-band EQ, a boost switch for extra oomph, and an optional cab sim to give you that 1965 JTM45 flavor you crave.
Marshall’s higher gain amps are not as commonly simulated as the Fender and Vox family of amp sounds. The Iridium did a great job but the Walrus and Universal Audio brands did not (yet) give it a go. Even better, TC Electronics’ entrant to the fray comes in under $200 USD. Catch me using this to record a Bad Religion-flavored album very soon.
Fuzzrocious Tyrannochorus
If you’ve been following my last couple of months of writing, you probably noticed I love when fuzz pedals bring some modulation into the mix. The Owlman, Cicada, and Spirit In The Sky have been a blast, but the Fuzzrocious Tyrannochorus has piqued my interest now. This is a chorus pedal with a gated fuzz in the wet loop. It’s not dissimilar from the Spirit In The Sky where the left footswitch introduces the fuzz into the chorus pedal, but can’t be used without the chorus effect.
On top of the pedal, there’s a momentary switch that drives the chorus into full-on madness (max speed and depth). It’s just a cool-sounding, ultra-fun-looking pedal that would fit right into my preference for versatile, fuzzy weirdness. I want a pedal that can dissolve my guitar tone into a blustery mess, and this Tyrannochorus can do just that.
