but also does what it does extremely well and then some . The H9 is a versatile , powerful , and compact unit that can be found on many boards of different types of musicians because of its endless possibilities , ease of use , MIDI capabilities , stereo inputs and outputs , and its compatibly with smartphones .
Delay , modulation , pitch shifting , reverb , in a convenient , compact , and easy to use unit . It doesn ’ t get much better than the H9 , guys .
[ Chris ] This pedal is amazing . I ’ ve used it a few times and the sound is just exquisite .
[ Sebastian ] I agree , I love it very much but we still have a couple of more pedals to talk about . Let ’ s move on to the next one on the list .
4 ) Earthquaker Devices Palisades ( or Timmy ): Let me briefly explain why I decided to list two options in the same category .
The Palisades by Earthquaker Devices is what I personally consider to be the Strymon of tube screamers , if you can ’ t find the sound you ’ re looking for ( assuming that particular sound is based on a soft clipping overdrive , with emphasis on the midrange ) it ’ s because you probably don ’ t need a tube screamer sound in your arsenal .
This is where the Timmy comes in . Plenty of headroom to maintain clarity , but with a harmonically-rich , warm and creamy tone that will cut through any mix .
For maximum versatility and level control , you may consider adding a clean boost before or after any of these pedals . But for the sake of the list and this article we ’ ll leave it at the ones we have mentioned so far .
[ Chris ] What ’ s the last pedal on the list ?
5 ) Eventide Spaces : Why include another reverb pedal on the list when the H9 offers reverb too ? Well , I personally prefer my reverbs to be separate , to maintain maximum control over them . From switching them on and off , modulation control , shimmer , or the depth of the effect itself , these are things I like to have easy access to .
The Eventide Spaces is a fully-equipped reverb unit that provides you with any type of sound you want to achieve . Not only that , the amount of control you have makes life so much easier even though this is a seemingly complex unit . The quality studio sound and solid build of this unit makes it a very interesting choice over the ever-popular Big Sky by Strymon .
My favorite part of this unit is the HotSwitch , which allows for rapid parameter changes , and its 100 presets capability gives us all of the control we could ask for .
[ Chris ] I loved this list .
[ Sebastian ] I hope everyone enjoyed this brief list of my go-to guitar pedals . But before we wrap up I want to answer a question that I frequently come across with .
What if you already own a few pedals , but you still want to meet all tonal necessities you may still have … in a single unit that can be perfectly integrated into your board without using up a ton of real estate , and at the same time offering much more than you ’ ll ever need ?
Well , in that case I would highly recommend the Line 6 HX Stomp .
Need amp emulations ? It has them . Impulse Response capabilities ? It has it . Modulation , reverb , overdrive , and USB connectivity to be used as a recording interface ? Yes , it has it . more in one compact footprint that can easily be integrated with your analog pedals . And if needed , it easily fits in your gig bag and can be used alone to play anywhere , at any time , with the same sonic quality as the larger Helix units .
[ Chris ] This pedal is all-encompassing . I ’ m sure it would be of help to anybody , especially those who are like me that have many pedals , and can sometimes have a hard time choosing what to use .
[ Sebastian ] My only recommendation when using the HX Stomp on its own , is to always consider the processing limitations of this unit . But we can get more into that at another time when we do a full review of it . For now , just know that it ’ s very powerful , and it integrates perfectly with everybody ’ s pedalboard .
That is all for now in this brief segment of “ Tools for the Job ”, the “ job ” being Worship music . I hope this list of go-to pedals has reduced the number of options , or pointed you in the right direction for when the time comes to invest in tools for the job .
The most important thing at the end of the day , is you ; your willingness to give the best of yourself , and how you can make the most out of every tool , piece of gear or equipment at your disposal .
Always remember what I like to say at Mucho Bueno Gear , “ There is gear for everyone , be good to one another , and I will catch you the next time .”
[ Chris ] Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us , I hope you will join us again .
[ Sebastian ] Last but not least we have my favorite reverb pedal .
Additionally , the HX Stomp offers a variety of routing options , an effects loop , expression pedal inputs , MIDI input and outputs and much
Chris Rocha Lives in Houston , TX , and is the guitarist and producer for Miel San Marcos