NPD! - I finally own a Zvex Instant lo-fi junky!
I've been lusting after this pedal for quite some time and I'm very happy indeed to say I finally own one! So, if you're unfamiliar with it, I'll explain a little more about it and share why I wanted one on my new board.

Having enjoyed the music of Boards of Canada and Bibio for example, I've found myself captivated by some of the guitar sounds across their albums. Beautifully hypnotic, warbly, lo-fi guitar tones which I've fancied at least attempting to re-create at home but not really known how to achieve it.

Here's a great example of what I mean, 'Petals' by Bibio - 


That weird and wonderful, distorted and miss-shaped vinyl record sound is so pleasing to my ear and it's a sound I've fancied getting creative with in my own space.

I'd heard a little about Zvex's instant lo-fi junky, but it wasn't until I delved a little deeper did I realise what was going on and how it could help me achieve these quirky sounds. It turned out that the lo-fi junky was designed by the now widely renowned and respected pedal designer, Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio back when he worked for Zvex. If you're at all familiar with Chase Bliss Audio, with pedals such as the Warped Vinyl and Thermae, weird lo-fi chorus-y modulation is something Joel excels at, so it was clear why the instant lo-fi junky had his signature stamp on it. 

The design is initially based on Zvex's Lo-Fi loop junky which was as the name suggests, a looping pedal which featured a very low fidelity frequency response and warped-vinyl vibrato effect upon playback. This pedal became popular but players wanted it in real time, and so came the Instant Lo-Fi Junky! It's a pretty weird and wonderful affair though, with the central control knob going from super tight compression to the left, through possibly the most '80s' sounding chorus I've come across personally, to the warped vibrato sound I lusted after to the right. 

I'm only just getting used to what this pedal can create, but it's already inspired me to try new sounds and take my noodling to more productive writing stage again which is just what the guitar doctor ordered. I would say though that this pedal really isn't for everyone. It's strange, it does things to your guitar's tone which other players would probably specifically try not to make! But if the Bibio track above for example is a sound you're captivated by, chances are you'd get enjoyment from this little weird box from Zvex. I certainly am already!

I'll share more about this on future posts, but I couldn't resist sharing my NPD!

James.

Comments

Tarquin Toadhunter/The Monsterists

Tarquin Toadhunter/The Monsterists said:

I’ve been using this pedal for a few years now – it works it’s magic on all sorts o things, not just electric guitar.
An important ingredient in music is contrast, and the Instant lo-fi creates a special space for things to exist in, a breathing place that allows room for other sounds.
I just got a Lo Fi Loop Junky yesterday, and that, although clearly linked, is quite a different beast.
I already wrote a song around the first loop that I made upon trying it out – which is a very good sign!

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