Tim Larwill from Retro-Sonic effects has decided to launch a tourbox of his FINE guitar pedals ... all reviews will be posted here.

Retro-Sonic goes by the phrase "vintage vibes" for good reason.
They have taken some very popular and classic pedals from the 70's/80's and brought them up to 2K standards, all the while retaining the soul and vibe of those stalwart classics.

Check out the website to learn more about them:
RETRO-SONIC



The Pedals:











The Tourlist:

01. Twanger - NB, Canada
02. cubba65/GBlekas - NYC/LI, NY
03. wavydb - LI, NY
04. stratoplaster - B'klyn, NY
05. twang_007 - Rochester, NY
06. Tonewolf - PA
07. Gil - MD
08. BmoreTele - MD
09. corleone - GA
10. Bob Sweet - FL
11. Jack Butler - OH
12. Scott K. - MI
13. Headshot - MN
14. rollo timbre - IL
15. DonneR - STL, MO
16. Swain - AR
17. dk_ace - TX
18. GuitArtMan - SD, CA
19. therockmorton - Fresno, CA
20. LFB - OR


HAVE FUN!

yeeeeeeeeeeee haw!



i can't wait to try these~ particularly the phaser and ehco......

Well folks, I’ve had about 3-1/2 days with the Retro-Sonic pedals and I thought I would post my thoughts. Test equipment was a stock ’52 Reissue Tele, a ’66 Fender Esquire with a Seymour Duncan 5-2 pickup in the bridge position and a 1990 MIJ ‘60s Reissue Strat with Fender Fat ‘50s pickups. Test amps were a Fender HR DeVille 4x10 with ‘Winged-C’ 6L6s and a Fender Pro Jr. with JJ EL84s. The pedals were played at one live gig, one full-band rehearsal and plenty of bedroom jamming; therefore most playing volume levels were accounted for. A bit long, but here it goes:

Retro-Sonic Eight-O-Eight Overdrive:

This is a very nice take on a classic pedal. It pretty much sounds like a Tube Screamer should; there is no radical re-voicing or anything like that- i.e. the mid content seems to be about the same as a typical TS. What is missing though is the nasally upper-mid that I hear in the stock TS9 reissue that I used for comparison. Even though there is the classic mid-hump, the other frequencies seem to be in balance as well. I suspect this is a result of the premium components used in the circuit. The amount of gain available is around the same as the stock TS, but it seems to get a little cleaner at the lowest gain setting. Tim Larwill states on his site that the Eight-O-Eight can be ordered with a ‘less gain-more gain’ option to increase the range of the gain pot if you wish. The overdrive has that nice ‘bloom’ effect that I hear in a lot of boutique TS variations, but not in the TS9RI; almost like a rack compressor set for a slow release. This makes it great for lead work- hit a note and it sustains much longer than the TS9RI. The amount of boost/level available far exceeds the stock TS too, so anyone who likes to run the gain low and use their TS as a boost to slam the front end of their amp will love this pedal.

What makes this a unique take on the TS though is the internal trim-pot used to control the amount of bass/low-end present the in sound. This is very effective. To my ears, with the pot turned totally counter clockwise, the overdrive has about the same amount of low-end as a regular TS, albeit the Eight-O-Eight still sounds much better than my TS9RI at this setting. Turning the pot clockwise introduces more bottom-end into the circuit, but yet the low-end never overwhelms the rest of the frequencies, even at the highest setting the bottom is not flabby or excessively ‘woofy’. There is plenty available too, I found I liked the bass trim about ¾ of the way up; which is where it was set when I first opened up the pedal incidentally. At this setting the pedal had about the same amount of low end as my blue FM Fulldrive 2. The circuit board construction looks top-notch, very clean and each solder point is nice and shiny and precise. All in all, this is a great sounding update for a classic overdrive.

Retro-Sonic Compressor:

This pedal is based on the classic Ross circuit that so many other boutique comps are based on, and with good reason-it’s a great sounding circuit. I’m primarily a country player so I’m always on the lookout for a good compressor, and folks, if you like the Dyna-Comp/Ross sound then you’re going to love this one. This version of the R-S compressor has a recovery (aka ‘attack’) pot instead of the 3-way recovery switch that was used on earlier versions. For me the recovery parameter is a much welcomed addition to the Ross-circuit as I find these pedals can be too soft and ‘pillowy’ at times, especially when playing fast single note stuff. I set the recovery knob about ¾ of the way up and this gave me a nice punchy attack when doing the Albert Lee/Brent Mason style chicken’ pickin’ stuff, lower settings gave me the classic Dyna-Comp type envelope, which I like for use when playing slide, chordal swells and faux pedal-steel licks. This pedal is very punchy as well; I could literally feel the notes popping out of my amps speakers.

What sets this apart from other Ross-based comps though is the preservation of the high-end. To me, this retains much more high-end than the Keeley compressor, which is touted for it’s ability to preserve the guitar tone. Actually, this pedal is what I thought the Keeley would have been, and I have tried the latest version of the Keeley too. This is not to say the Keeley is not a good pedal, just that the R-S retains more highs IMO. A-Bing back and forth between the compressed and non-compressed signal, I was only able to detect the slightest amount of high-end loss. Of the comps I’ve tried, it’s ability to retain the high-end is only challenged by the Barber Tone Press with the clean blend totally turned to full compressor-no clean blend (not fair to compare these with the TP clean blend turned up). As in the Eight-O-Eight, there is plenty of level available should you want to use this as more of a clean boost. Great compressor.

Retro-Sonic Phaser:

This phaser is based on the classic script MXR Phase 90, which is a 4-stage phaser as most of your know. And what a Phase 90 it is, from Van Halen to Waylon, it’s all here folks!! What sets this one apart from other versions of this classic pedal is the addition of the Depth and Level parameters. With the depth setting all of the way up, the depth is about the same as a regular Phase 90. The depth knob is useful if you want to just add a slight amount a phasing to your sound, without totally overwhelming the signal with the phase effect. I especially like running the depth a little lower when the speed is at higher settings; this enables you to get a nice Leslie-type rotating speaker effect without it just sounding like a ‘phaser with the speed turned up high’. The level knob is a very welcomed addition, as I find when playing live a phased guitar sound can suddenly get lost in the mix. Not so with this pedal. The level can actually provide a bit of a boost should you so desire; just set the level to where it cuts well and start playing Atomic Punk!

The phaser has plenty of headroom and is cleaner sounding than older the MXRs IMO. The integrity of the guitar signal remains intact; no frequencies are lost when the pedal is on, to my ears anyway. The intensity of the effect is nice, meaning it can get very ‘vowelly’ for lack of a better term. This is probably a result of the perfectly matched JFETs that Tim says he uses in this pedal. I will say that the sound clips of the phaser on the R-S website are very representative of what this puppy sounds like. If I were in the market for a phaser, this would be the one I would buy.

Retro-Sonic Analog Delay:

This one is based on the classic Boss DM-2 delay pedal, and features some updates to the popular classic, namely increased delay time and a tone control. The controls from left to right are: Repeat Rate (delay time), Intensity (feedback), Echo or Ehco (effect level) and Tone (high-cut filter).

The Repeat Rate control is a little counter-intuitive; it took me a while to figure out what was going on. The knob turned totally clockwise yields short delay times and the delay times are longest when turned fully counter-clockwise; not a big deal once you figure it out. This pedal gives you a max delay time of around 600ms, which is about twice the amount of the original DM-2. The Intensity knob functions as you would expect, ranging from a single repeat to the runaway ray-gun sounds that analog delays are famous for. The Echo (effect level) parameter is nice in that it can be set so the repeats are louder than the original signal. I found that with the Echo knob at around 2 o’clock, the first repeat was at about unity gain with the guitar signal. The extra boost is really cool to have available, especially when doing atmospheric volume swells etc. Finally, the Tone knob is also very useful; totally clockwise is the brightest setting, counter-clockwise the darkest. Tim says on his website that this is a high-cut, so I’m assuming that the straight delay tone is totally clockwise. At this setting the repeats are brighter sounding than an original DM-2. I think this is probably a result of the hi-fi premium components used this pedal. I found that with the tone knob at 12 noon the repeats were tonally about the same as a DM-2, which is great because this gives you the option to go brighter or darker than the original. When playing live I kept the tone knob at around 3 o’clock, and the repeats cut through nicely.

The short/long switch is a nice feature. The only problem for me though was that I prefer more repeats for a long delay setting than I like for a short slapback setting. Even though the short and long times are footswitchable, I still found myself bending down to adjust the intensity (feedback) for the different delay times. I think separate intensity controls for both the long and short delay times would be the bomb (concentric pot maybe?), but I’m getting really greedy here. I was able to compromise though and get useable sounds when switching from short to long.

Tonally, this delay pedal sounds like a DM-2, but better. If you like the sound of the DM-2 like me, then you’ll love this pedal. At the longest delay time settings (i.e. 600ms), the repeats can get a little fuzzy, but I think that to be expected in any analog delay. All in all, this one’s a winner.

Retro-Sonic Chorus:

Last, but certainly not least, is the R-S Chorus. This one is my personal favourite of the bunch. This is a clone of the original Roland/Boss CE-1. I’ll cut to the chase by saying that I think that this pedal exceeds the original in that all of the tone of the original is here (I’ve played through several CE-1s) but with none of the drawbacks- namely standard 9VDC power input instead of the AC power, true-bypass, smaller footprint and the input is designed for guitar level signals instead of hotter keyboard type signals that the original was designed for. The R-S Chorus has plenty of headroom and never distorted, which is nice because I usually run my gain pedals a little above unity.

The pedal sounds great clean or with overdrive/distortion, and like the rest of the R-S line, the tonal integrity of the instrument is retained, no matter how thick and juicy the chorus is applied…and oh how thick and juicy it is. What is so amazing about this chorus is that it has the ability to have that thick, lush analog tone that we all know and love, but also a beautiful shimmering sparkle in the high-end. The sound is multi-dimensional. I’ve not tried the AM Clone Chorus, but I would find it hard to believe that there is a better sounding chorus than this out there. Different maybe, but not better. The vibrato effect sounds about the same as the real deal as I remember it, and you can achieve a decent Leslie-type sound. Lower speed and depth settings can provide a nice chorus-like sound as well. The extra footswitch enables you to toggle between the two sounds hands free. As an added bonus, the chorus/vibrato switch’s LED pulses at the same rate as the effect, enabling you to set the rate visually.

The only thing that I think could improve this pedal would be a separate speed and depth knob for the chorus effect; maybe on a concentric pot to replace the chorus intensity pot? I’m not sure that is possible with this circuit, but it would be a nice upgrade. This is a minor quibble though.

Keep in mind that this is not a mild chorus effect; the R-S is deep and lush. If you want a clear sounding chorus with a wide stereo image I would suggest the T.C. Electronic SCF. However, if you like your chorus thick and lush with sparkles on top, then the R-S is your pedal. I’m saving my pennies for this one baby!

Summary:

Reading back what I’ve written, I thought maybe my reviews were a little too glowing; but honestly I can’t find many negative things to say about any of these pedals. They are great sounding, well built, musical pedals that all exceed the pedals that inspired them IMO.

One thing that I didn’t mention earlier was how I love that the 9VDC input of all of these effects are located at the top, even on the MXR-sized boxes. This enables you to fit these pedals on a tight, overcrowded pedalboard without the need of a right-angle power cable to conserve space. This might seem like a little thing, but it’s the little things in life the count, right?

I want to thank Tim Larwill once again for giving us this opportunity. The box now goes off to Cubba and George in the Big Apple!!! Enjoy!

Wow Twanger, those are fantastic reviews!
I'm glad you started off this tourbox with a great beginning like that. I can't wait to hear these boxes in person, tho' I feel kinda like I already did.

I didn't know there was a low-end trimmer on the 808. Sounds like a great idea.
I wish you coulda' recorded a clip of yourself and your fine Tele playing into the Compressor.
I bet that was a great pairing.
The old script Phase90's had that fuzzniess to them which could be a boon or bane depending on your rig, so I'm looking fwd. to hearing this one with the clean edge.
The Delay has to go up against my DM-2, my favorite pedal delay ever. Should be a good competition.
The Chorus is the only one I've tried already and that one's a flat-out winner. Your review is right on target.

A most delightful read; you have a future in pedal reviews!

Thank you for a very generous and informative review. This site is A+++++

quote:

Originally posted by sonsop:
A most delightful read; you have a future in pedal reviews!

Thank you for a very generous and informative review. This site is A+++++

Thanks!! I had a great time playing the pedals and writing the reviews!

This was my first tourbox, and I like to jump into things with both feet, all or nothing baby-that's me!

Seriously, I'm glad you enjoyed the reviews...

great job twanger-from one tour-box cherry to another! i was really interested in the comp & delay,but after your review,i'm looking foward to the whole pile o' pedals.looking foward to a fun couple of days!

Got the pedals and am just taking them out of the box.
It's so cool to have 5 new pedals to play with and all at one time.
It's like Christmas in August!

more to follow...

I'm glad they arrived safe and sound...looking forward to your thoughts!

OK, let’s get this thing rolling again... here’s my review of the pedals.

My first test of the pedals was with my Suhr Strat and my practice amp, a 1966 Ampeg Reverb-o-Rocket:



What I did was take out my board and swap out my regular pedals with the Retro-Sonics.
I replaced my Boss DC-2 chorus with the Retro-Sonic Chorus, my D*A*M Drag’nFly with the Eight-O-Eight Overdrive, my Red Witch Moon Phaser with the Retro-Sonic Phaser, etc.
I did this after initially trying each RS pedal one at a time, which was cool, but it became a heck of a lot more fun when I rigged them all up together and could thus easily choose based on my whimsy!
I intentionally left the Boss DM-2 and Ibanez Echomachine on there to compare with the Retro-Sonic Analog Delay, which is actually the last pedal in-line below before the Ampeg.



Before I hit upon each pedal, let me say that one of the coolest things about this tourbox is that you’re getting the contents of a whole pedalboard in one shot! Usually we get a few overdrives or fuzzes or boosters, but this time you could actually go out and gig with these and have all the sounds you would need right there at your feet.
Years ago when I first was getting into effects, a friend of mine told me that the Ibanez-9 Series were nice pedals to have but they never sound better than when you have a whole pedalboard of them strung up together. Maybe that’s folklore or something, but I strongly encourage the rest of you break out your patch cords or dissemble your pedalboard like I did and hook up the Retro-Sonic pedals all at the same time, because they really do sound best when hooked up as one “wholly” tonal unit!

Also, Twanger did such a great job of introducing these pedals to you that I’m going to work off some of his reviews, as he accurately caught some of the finer nuances these pedals deliver.

Analog Delay

There’s a lot of choices out there for delays these days, maybe more than ever, but this is one that you’ve gotta put at the top of your list for analog delays. The combination of pure delay tone, combined with feature set, user-friendliness, and loooong (600ms) delay time is as good as it gets.
First off, I was really impressed with the delay tones. Whether used for doubling, slapback, echo, or long delay, the Retro-Sonic always produced a clear, warm and beautiful delay tone. A lot of times a delay will sound better depending on what length of delay or mode you use it in, but this one sounded equally good at all delay time settings. Nice!
Also, while the delay tones were purely analog toned, they didn’t have any of that traditional murky/lo-fi analog delay tone, well unless you wanted them to (more on that later).

As far as features, the RS Analog Delay is full of it!
It has a short/long switch that gives you an immediate change of mode from say a short, boingy slapback to a moody, ambient echo by just stepping on the left stomp switch. Loved this feature! No tweaking req’d., just step on it and it happens for you.
The Tone knob is awesome. Has such a great range to it. All the way from a really dark, dub-like tone, to something lo-fi like the DM-2, then on up to something as clear as the original signal, without introducing any additional hiss. I’ve never heard a tone-knob on a delay that was this effective or this sweet.
I also liked how the “short” mode you could go from a very short doubling upwards to a nice echo/delay, without having to step on the switch to (I’m assuming here) engage the other bucket-brigade chip in the “long” mode. What I’m getting at is that there’s an awful lot of tone in the “short” mode and you can reach a lot of settings within it.
As Twanger noted, the EHCO (delay level) knob is great too as you can dial out the delay, achieve unity-gain, or get it louder than the original signal. Lotsa’ flexibility there.
If you’re into atmospherics, just crank up the Intensity and the RS Analog Delay delivers runaway feedback with ease in the “short” mode, sounding much like the classic units from the 70’s/80’s. The “long” mode can do them too, just a little tougher to get it happening at the highest delay times, tho’ if you were playing loud the combination of Intensity and volume/sustain would accomplish this just as well.
Like I said earlier, I left my trusted DM-2 and Echomachine alongside the Retro-Sonic to compare the 3 units. I can happily say that the Retro-Sonic will capture every tone that you can get out of the other two! I just tweaked the Tone & Ehco (mix) knobs and consistently found that I could match all the sounds to the point where I could not tell the one from the other.
The only one thing I will say is that the Retro-Sonic doesn’t capture the glorious meltdown runaway feedback as well as my DM-2 does. While it’s certainly capable of producing this effect in it's own manically trippy and intense way, I feel the DM-2 does so with less attack and more of a buttery, lo-fi smear. It's really a matter of personal taste. FWIW, this is my third DM-2. The first two I sold off as they didn’t have the tone/edge that this one has.

Once again, anyone looking for a new delay should give the Retro-Sonic some serious consideration. Besides all the great things I’ve said about it, the long delay times it gives you (when combined with the well-tuned Tone knob) can even lend it a digital delay feel at times, which is something you never hear said about an analog delay. Certainly not one in stompbox form. It’s awfully nice to see an analog delay come along with all the attributes,
yet none the restrictions of the old-skool analog delays.


More reviews as the week goes on… big thanks to Tim Larwill for lending the pedals out!!!

What happened to the Retro-Sonic Deluxe Drive??

I bought one of these, along with the 808 Screamer, about three years ago.

The Deluxe Drive is fairly transparent, has a compression / non-compression switch, a sparkle / flat switch, and a beautifully dark but growling tone. In non-compressed mode, the Deluxe Drive has a tremendous amount of headroom. Also has a boost mode for solos.

I really like the vintage vibe of the 808 Screamer, which has this amazing "bloom-effect" with single legato notes. The only down-side of the 808 is that when you run it in-series with another OD or Distortion pedal, it produces significant amounts of noise.

Still have both pedals after three years, which says something about their sonic abilities.

Jimmy James 902

Chorus

I've never had or tried a real Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
(the world's "first" and "best" chorus pedal),



but I can't imagine it sounding much better than Retro-Sonic's modern, updated version of that pedal. What a great device!

This all-analog pedal delivers two seperately controlled sounds, Chorus and Vibrato.
You preset their respective parameters separately and then can toggle between the two via the Chorus/Vibrato stompswitch. The other stomp turns the effect on/off (true-bypass of course).

The Chorus side is really thick and lush. I don't think I've ever heard a warmer chorus in my life and let me tell you I've owned, tried, and sold a lot of these things over the years.
As fat sounding as it is, it still has a lot of sheen and air. Just none of that metallic brightness that a lot of chorus units lend to the tone (and keep them off my board).
If chorus is passe to you, then a chorus-tone like this would make you change your mind.
Nice thing too is that you can set the speed of the chorus effect (with the Chorus Intensity knob) anywhere from a very slow, barely moving effect (but still luscious), to a smooth, gently pulsing wave, or all the way up to a wide ranged, fast moving warble. Some of the settings reminded me of the better detuned-chorus sounds you can get from an SPX90 or Whammy. With overdrive engaged, I could totally dial in some of Alex Lifeson's tones (I'm thinking "The Trees" here). Leave it to say, when you think "chorus" in your mind, this is the sound you hear.

But even if you never use the Chorus side, the Vibrato side of this pedal is worth the price of admission. If I had to pick a single favorite tone that all 5 pedals were capable of, the Vibrato sounds from this pedal would have to be the one.
When you turn on the Vibrato sounds, it makes you want to sit down!
So lush and dreamy and totally addictive. Just didn't want to turn it off.
I can't really put it into words, but it doesn't sound like any other vibrato sounds I've heard. Maybe it reminded me a bit of the unique vibrato sounds you can get out of the classic A/DA Flanger, but even more genuine than that.
Depending on how you set the separate Rate & Depth knobs, you can get some of the best Leslie sounds I've ever heard out of any device. On the slowest rate settings, it does another version of chorus tones (and surprisingly they don't sound exactly like the Chorus side), then turn it up for varying levels of speed and depth for all the Leslie sounds you can imagine.
I was easily able to cop some glorious George Harrison/later-Beatles Leslie gtr. tones or some of the similar Clapton tones of the period.

Lastly, the Retro-Sonic Chorus solves the various "issues" that the original CE-1's had. From what I can gather, the CE-1 was not engineered for guitar levels, so they often had to be modded to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. The RS Level knob takes care of that, as you can easily set the effect for unity, less, or more level, depending on how you set the knob. I know there's times when I turn on an effect and I want to hear more or less of it... problem solved.

Being true-bypass, the RS also solves the tone suck and bypass/level-loss of the CE-1.
And then there's the size/weight/power-cord issues of the CE-1. All solved here with a compact & lightweight pedal that runs on a common Boss-barrel 9V AC-tap.

This pedal may be my favorite of the bunch (but wait, there's 3 more pedals to go).
I've been bored by chorus sounds for years, but the Retro-Sonic's phat tone & sheer musicality transcends that notion and has forced me to rethink things yet again.

more pedal reviews to follow...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cubba,

Great reviews Paul. You nail the problems with the old CE-1. Unless modded, it sounded lush, but didn't really meld with the guitar's signal--it always sounded like an add-on. But now you really have my interests piqued with this Retrosonic pedal. That and the Delay too. I think the delay might solve the hit-and-miss thing of finding a good old DM-2.

Oh well, back to the show....

Yeah Rollo, the Retro-Sonic is one of the coolest modulation pedals I've ever played, plus you're more or less getting two pedals in one box. I really think you're gonna love it!

The Delay is great in it's own right. I wouldn't necessarily think of it as a replacement for the DM-2 but more as a modern analog delay with added features and double the delay time. Maybe as a replacement for the AD9, DM-3, SAD-1, AD80, etc is more like it as it seems to have some common elements with all those bucket-brigade classics.

I own the Retro-Sonic Chorus, and must say that it is the best chorus around for those looking for a lush, thick, warm oldschool chorus. As a bonus you get one of the coolest vibrato effects ever .
Build quality is first class.

cubba65, I'm looking forward to your Compressor review. I have one on order, but have never heard one in real life (I'm so impressed with the chorus that I'm willing to take the chance on this Ross clone).

OK then, I'll do that one tonight, hopefully the others too in a
triumvirate of tonal treasures.

Great reviews so far... Have me salivating to try 'em. If the chorus out performs my Analogman stereo unit with 3 way tone switch I may have to trade up.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy James 902:
What happened to the Retro-Sonic Deluxe Drive??

I bought one of these, along with the 808 Screamer, about three years ago.

The Deluxe Drive is fairly transparent, has a compression / non-compression switch, a sparkle / flat switch, and a beautifully dark but growling tone. In non-compressed mode, the Deluxe Drive has a tremendous amount of headroom. Also has a boost mode for solos.

I really like the vintage vibe of the 808 Screamer, which has this amazing "bloom-effect" with single legato notes. The only down-side of the 808 is that when you run it in-series with another OD or Distortion pedal, it produces significant amounts of noise.

Still have both pedals after three years, which says something about their sonic abilities.

Jimmy James 902

Jimmy,

You have one of only 10 pedals built (Deluxe Drive). A new version is on the "to-do" list, but I was focusing on the Delay for most part of the last six months. I have a boost pedal coming out in a few weeks that is FA-1 based, that's the next one. Still considering what I will do for the deluxe drive... As you guys are running through the pedals, Feel free to comment on what you think the deluxe drive should be and what would work well as an addition to the current lineup..

Cheers,
Tim