“Limitless sonic flexibility of the modulation that has shaped rock ’n’ roll history”: SolidGoldFX channels Band of Gypsys and Dark Side of the Moon uni-vibes with the Aurras vibraphase
Canadian pedal firm SolidGoldFX has announced the Aurras pedal, its latest addition to its lineage of vibraphase pedals named after goddesses.
This time named after the goddess of sound, it follows in the footsteps of its Athena vibraphase to deliver Uni-Vibe mimicking textures with contemporary flourishes and heightened expressivity.
The Aurras Optical Vibraphase, to call it by its Sunday name, is an all-analog two-stage asymmetric phase shifter. It’s been built from a sonic template inspired by albums such as Band of Gypsys and Dark Side of the Moon and as such, is said to unfurl “limitless sonic flexibility of the lush modulation and heavy pulse that have shaped rock ‘n’ roll history.”
That tonality is the result of the Aurras pedal running on two independent opto-isolators, with each offering its own low-frequency oscillation (LFO). While most phaser and modulation pedals use a single LFO for their tonal wizardry, SolidGoldFX is doubling its money, with the LFOs able to be offset for some asymmetrical weirdness.
That means the frequency offset feature can add rhythmic patterns by slowing down the second LFO only.
Conversely, the phase offset control is in place to fine-tune the throb of the effect by introducing asymmetry between the two LFOs.
Elsewhere, adjustable controls for dry mix, speed, depth, and level make the Aurras pedal primed for a “rich tapestry of intriguing, lush liquid soundscapes”. Tweaking the dry mix dial creates textures ranging from a soft vibrato to Uni-Vibe-inspired sounds.
Despite its all-analog construction, SolidGoldFX is still eager to take advantage of digital controls. There’s a soft-touch relay-based true bypass switching, augmented by tap tempo and speed ramping controls.
There’s also scope for inputting an expression pedal to greater personalize the swells of the pedal’s sounds, which are augmented with in-built tap tempo and speed ramping features.
The speed of each LFO can be boosted by holding the tap tempo footswitch, which automatically doubles the set speed.
Based in Montreal, Canada, SolidGoldFX has some intriguing pedals in its arsenal. The Aurras succeeds the Beta-V, its attempt to pack the tone of a beefy Ampeg bass rig into a standard-sized pedal. It also bought fellow Canadian pedal maker, Diamond, following its closure in late ’22.
The Aurras runs off 9V pedalboard power supplies, and is available now for $209.
For more information, head to SolidGoldFX.
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