The Best Effects Pedals of Summer 2023: WARM, UAFX, BOSS, EHX
4,5 / 5,0 | 
The best effects pedals of Summer 2023: our definitive list of the best of this summer’s releases. From vintage recreations to brand-new designs, distortion pedals to digital reverbs, these are our picks of the most exciting effects pedals to be released through summer 2023.
The Best Effects Pedals of Summer 2023
It feels like, post-pandemic, the wheels are once again turning at our favourite manufacturers. This summer saw a slew of new effects pedal releases from some of the biggest names in the industry. We’ve been fortunate enough to get our hands on some of the hottest pedals launched this summer. We’ve had everything from simple, workmanlike distortion pedals, to world-class DSP reverbs and everything in between! Here’s my selection of the best effects pedals of summer 2023…
UAFX Del-Verb
We’ve seen a whole swathe of releases this year from Universal Audio’s UAFX series of pedals. For me, by far the most impressive was the Del-Verb Ambience Companion. You’ll find tape and delay models, through to models of classic reverb units and even some chorus and vibrato thrown in! The Del-Verb offers two, independent delay and reverb sections which can be run individually or combined.
I reviewed the Del-Verb back in August along with its companion pedal, the equally impressive Galaxy ’74. The Del-Verb has really captured my heart, however, for a few reasons: First, it’s immediately inspiring to play through. Second, it sounds and feels fantastic with rich inspiring walls of ambience only the turn of a knob or flick of the switch away. Third, it’s extremely versatile, offering up most combinations and styles of echo and reverb you could ever want.
Source: Universal Audio
The Del-Verb goes beyond merely being a box full of emulations; in my humble opinion, it’s a potential modern classic. Sure, it’s not a cheap pedal, but in terms of value for money, it’s right up there. It’s going to take something very special to come along to top this being my favourite pedal of the whole of 2023.
WARM Mutation Phasor II
WARM Audio has been a company full of surprises in 2023. Alongside their studio gear releases, we’ve been blessed with a slew of effects pedals. The Mutation Phasor II is a recreation of the classic 1970s Mu-Tron Phasor II phaser pedal. I must confess, I wasn’t expecting much from this pedal when it arrived but it really surprised me when I reviewed it in June. The Mutation Phasor II adds a wonderful, subtle movement to just about any source you put it on.
As you might expect, it sounds great on guitar and bass. However, in my experience, it really shines on harmonically rich sources; it’s a fantastic “secret sauce” to add to synth sounds, especially vintage string machines. Overall a superbly executed recreation at a price point that makes this vintage design accessible to most musicians.
WARM ODD Box
It’s another release from WARM Audio with the ODD Box and another surprise for me. The guitar world is full of overdrive and distortion pedals, many using designs cribbed from other manufacturers or recycled ad-infinitum (cough tube screamer cough). In many respects the ODD Box is no different, being a recreation of the (now out of production) Fulltone OCD. Of course, purchasing an original Fulltone OCD nowadays is, how shall I say this, a little problematic?
Source: WARM Audio
Of course, what isn’t problematic is the way this pedal sounds and reacts to player touch. I reviewed the ODD Box back in June and was deeply impressed. I don’t think I’ve ever played a drive pedal before that was quite so touch-sensitive or harmonically rich. My top tip is to run the ODD at an optional 18v, which gives the circuit extra headroom and dynamics. A candidate for “desert island drive pedal”? Certainly? A deserved place on the list of best effects pedals of summer 2023? Undoubtedly!
BOSS DM-101
The BOSS DM-101 is another pedal that took us all by surprise; Roland/BOSS has become synonymous with digital recreations of analogue circuitry. We were, therefore, pleasantly taken back when BOSS launched the DM-101. An entirely analogue pedal based upon bucket brigade technology, it nonetheless harnesses that warm analogue tech with digital control. This gives the best of both worlds with user memories, MIDI control and multiple modes easily accessible. Oh, and it’s stereo too!
Boss DM-101 Delay Machine · Source: Boss
I wasn’t able to get my hands on a DM-101, however, our German colleague Jan Rotring carried out a review on one of the first units to drop. You can read his review here, but in short, it sounds like a deeply expressive and unique pedal with its own signature sound. It’s a rare thing to see wholly unique pedal designs come to market, especially when they’re complex analogue units such as this.
EHX NYC DSP Pico Series
And finally! A late entry sneaking in right at the tail end of summer 2023! This isn’t one pedal, but instead a whole new series of pedals released by the legendary Electro Harmonix. The NYC DSP Pico series of pedals shrink the physical size of the pedal even further than the already compact nano series. The Pico series takes inspiration from some of EHX’s greatest hits such as the Pog Octave Generator, Canyon Echo and Oceans Reverb.
Electro-Harmonix NYC DSP Series pedals · Source: Electro-Harmonix
Judging from the reaction we got from readers on the story of their release, the NYC DSP Pico series is likely to be a big hit for Electro Harmonix. Big sound in a tiny package at an affordable price? Who doesn’t want a piece of that?
Do You Agree?
Inevitably, there are probably going to be some of your favourite effects pedals of summer 2023 that I haven’t included here. Do you agree with this selection? Or, do you think there have been some crucial releases that we haven’t covered? Let us know in the comments!
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