Sneak Peek: Six New Stomp-Boxes From Electro Harmonix Cary Aug 6th
OK, specs are still pretty shady at this point, but being a long-time fan of Electro-Harmonix I couldn’t resist getting you these photos ASAP.
Holy Stain
Over the weekend Electro Harmonix hinted at a number of new additions to its XO Line of guitar effects, so I thought I’d give you the lowdown as it stands today.
The Holy Stain (gotta’ love that name,) is apparently a multi-effects unit that allows you to blend its full-featured analog distortion circuit with various amounts of tremolo, pitch-shifting, room reverb, and hall reverb.
The box appears to include an ‘Expression Pedal’ input jack, so I think it’s safe to assume the Holy Stain will be at least somewhat controllable via expression pedal. It also sports Mix, Amount, Volume, Tone, Color (EQ,) and Dirt (Distortion) controls. Switches include Mode & Bypass.
The Holy Stain is slated for release in late September.
Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai
Moving right along––Electro Harmonix has seen fit to pack its popular Stereo Memory Man into a new chassis, along with a bunch of new features aimed at the performing guitar player. Word has it this newest Memory Man is a digital creation––claiming analog tone of course, and from Electro Harmonix that’s probably not just a claim.
According to the small amount of info available, the new Stereo Memory Man features a tape echo filter, reverse echo effect, multi-tapping, and even acts as a looper with tap temp capabilities and programmable presets.
The unit sports Stereo & Mono inputs and outputs, Blend, Decay, Filter, Repeats, and Delay controls, and Tap/Record & Bypass footswitches. The Hazarai button is apparently for accessing and setting presets.
The Stereo Memory Man is expected to ship in early September.
Holy Grail Plus
The Holy Grail Plus is of course a new take on the classic Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail––a stomp box that in my opinion pretty much set the bar for big reverb tone in a tiny package.
With this latest incarnation E-H has included all the traditional reverb effects you’ve come to expect from the Holy Grail, but with the addition of a “Room” reverb setting, and a new multi-function decay/damping/modulation speed control knob. Sweet and simple…
The Holy Grail Plus is expected to be available in mid-September.
Knockout Attack Equalizer
The only truly new pedal in the bunch, the Knockout Attack Equalizer apparently uses a pair of on-board filters to help you get more versatility out of your guitar of choice.
According to Electro-Harmonix the Knockout will “make your humbuckers sound like single coils, and your Strat sound like a Tele.” The box features Low, Dry, and High control knobs, and just single in and out jacks.
No word on whether the pedal does its magic via digital or analog technologies, but I’ll be very interested to see how this one holds up to a full hands-on review.
The Knockout Attack Equalizer will be shipping in early-September.
Micro POG
Another product I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes on is the new Micro POG… I was a big fan of the original POG, but its unwieldy size, not to mention innumerable controls, made the whole thing a bit more work than I wanted to commit to.
The big selling point on the Micro POG is its miniscule footprint and exceedingly simple control layout––as Electro Harmonix puts it so bluntly on their website:
“Three knob POG.”
As a Polyphonic Octave Generator (POG,) the Micro POG is expected to take after its bigger brethren, allowing you to tweak your guitar’s tone until it sounds like a 12-string, turn your 4-string bass into a virtual 8-string, or even transform your guitar into a bass via the Sub-Ocatve generator. The unit includes just Dry, Sub Octave, and Octave Up controls.
Jacks include Input, Dry Out, and Effects Out––unfortunately, the Micro POG won’t be available until late August.
Stereo Electric Mistress
Last but not least, Electro-Harmonix has announced a new stereo version of their popular Electric Mistress flanger/chorus. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot new here, though the effect has obviously been re-engineered to fit into a smaller chassis.
Like its big brother, the Stereo Electric Mistress provides both chorus & flange effects, and as with the previous edition you can disengage the “sweep” function at any point during its rotation, allowing you to capture various static chorus/flange tones that would be difficult to replicate by more conventional means.
The Stereo Electric Mistress is expected to ship in mid-August.
- Video Demo Of The New Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress
- Video Demo Of The New Electro-Harmonix Micro POG
- See The Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man With Hazarai In Action
- Electro-Harmonix Beefs Up XO Line With Q-Tron+ & Octave Multiplexer
- Rare Find: Not-So-Secret Stash Of Electro-Harmonix Video Demos
- Full-Throttle: Electro-Harmonix Announces Metal Muff Distortion
- A Tantalizing Look At The Electro Harmonix Hum Debugger
- Price Drop! Electro-Harmonix Graphic Fuzz
- The Chorus Perfected: Electro-Harmonix Small Clone
- First Look: Guyatone Ultron & Ultrem Optical Hybrid Effects
- Electro-Harmonix Unveils Old-School Germanium OD Pedal
- First Look: Electro Harmonix Hum Debugger
Howdy! Care to Comment?
August 6th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
this is the post i have been waiting for.
not sure about the new ‘energy drink’ look of their new stuff, but awesome!
August 7th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
They look cool. I remember, in about 1989, this little second-hand shop I frequented in Belfast’s Smithfield Market got an original Electric Mistress in stock, this cool looking silk-screened box the size of a biscuit tin. I thought, wow, the holy grail, just the thing to go between my Jazzmaster and my Marshall to replicate that unholy whooshing during “Freak Scene”. Of course, it was gone when I went back a week later with the cash in my pocket.
September 1st, 2007 at 3:46 am
Actually, the Knockout Attack Equalizer is one of the earliest EHX products out there. I’m glad to see they’ve resurrected the Boxing Glove motif.