Nice Rack Canada is a strong proponent of protecting, enriching & expanding the domestic music electronics manufacturing industry. We’re building up a collection of demonstration pedalboards in our shop where visitors can interact with a variety of well made Guitar Effects & Amplification devices by Canadian builders.
The latest addition to our CanCon section is Ottawa based effects maker, Retro-Sonic. Coming out of the nation’s capital with a selection of 7 different designs. These guitar effects are sonically sweet & priced to compete head to head with any import. The line recalls the finest of vintage effects in a robust construction at a wallet friendly price tag.
If you haven’t had a chance to have a listen to these world class tone machines yet, book yourself a visit to Nice Rack Canada as soon as you can.
We’ll have our Retro-Sonic demonstration pedalboard with us at the DIMA - Durham International Music Attraction show this weekend in Ajax, Ontario. Come visit our booth for guided user demos of the Retro-Sonic product line.
Distinctive lush chorus, amazing vibrato, the Retro-Sonic Chorus Ensemble is the only true reproduction of the 1976 CE-1 using the original analog BBD.
Its lush, focused tone is the standard by which all other chorus effects are measured. The Chorus Ensemble is capable of a wide range of sounds from analog chorusing to pulsating vibrato, having the unique Vibrato feature that was incorporated on the original which simulates a Leslie rotating speaker.
The chorus and vibrato functions are selectable through a footswitch control, allowing desired presets to be maintained by separate control. The Mono & Stereo outputs allow for a two amp setup for an amazing Stereo Chorus experience The unit features hi grade components, true bypass, and now powered by 9VDC, (thanks to a custom power chip) there’s no need for a special adapter, just plug into your existing rig and enjoy!
The Retro-Sonic Delay is based on the now out-of-production DM-2 circuit. That was the starting point for our design. This all analog design features delay time, level and repeat controls, as well as a tone control which alters the flavor of the repeats ( hi-cut filter).
The unit uses two 4096 stage BBDs providing a max delay time of 800ms with quiet operation, (no clock noises or hiss). The unit is housed in a die cast enclosure with 4 control knobs and two footswitches. One footswitch selects effect/bypass ( true bypass), and the secondary footswitch allows selection between a short and long delay path (~400ms and ~800ms). This enables finer control over the short delay range; effectively a delay and slapback selection at your foot.
The Retro-Sonic Phaser is based on the classic 4 stage Script circuit and the PH1-r, with a few additions for a more versatile pedal.
Like the Phase 90, the Phaser comes standard with a Rate control, but the similarities end there. The Phaser takes a page from the PH-1r playbook and adds Depth and Resonance, two controls that are imperative to exceptional phase tone. And what a tone it is—between these three controls, and especially the Resonance knob—a variety of phase tones are possible, from subtle warble through molten, volatile sweeps.
All pedals will have a matched set of FETs for the best possible phasing experience, and of course True Bypass is standard.
Transparent and smooth…..
The Retro-Sonic Compressor is an accurate reproduction of the famous gray Ross Compressor known for is smooth compression and attack response. The Ross design is updated with true bypass switching and the finest components, providing clean, smooth compression with low noise and incredible transparency.
An attack control allows you access to a full range of settings from Fast to slow. You will notice note-to-note levels that are smoother and more consistent, chords and picking that is tighter and more focused, and when used with an overdriven amp, sustain that will last and last! Notably, you will find minimal coloration to your guitar signal and less of the note-attack alterations so common with other compressors.
The Retro-Sonic Distortion pedal is based on an LM308 op-amp design, and features true bypass switching, with Distortion, Tone and Level controls. Together, these provide a wide range of tonal possibilities, from subtly distorted blues tones through to classic rock and metal.
As added flexibility, Retro-Sonic has incorporated two internal trim pots to allow adjustment to the frequency response of the gain structure. This gives Distortion users the option to tailor the overall response of the pedal to taste, by reducing or increasing the mix of high or low end content. More tonal flexibility can be explored through multiple clipping options via a 3 position mini toggle switch, which selects symmetrical-diode, asymmetrical-diode, or LED clipping.
The Retro-Sonic Distortion is a professional quality effect pedal that recaptures the much sought-after “vintage vibe.” It is a truly versatile and musical pedal design that responds to touch, producing a big, natural, harmonically rich tone that works with any guitar-pedal-amp configuration.
The Retro-Sonic Eight-0-Eight Overdrive is a faithful recreation of the original TS-808 Tube Screamer circuit and features the JRC4558D op-amp. Its overdrive circuit provides the same tone as a vintage ‘808, noted to provide tube like overdrive effects while retaining the guitars original tone.
The Eight-0-Eight is built with metal film resistors and caps for the best fidelity possible.
An internal trimpot allows for adjustment to the amount of bottom end content present. The range is from stock TS to nearly flat (no flaby-ness wanted). The mids are not taken away, the bottom is brought up. A nice feature that lets you decide what the right amount of low end is.
The Retro-Sonic Preamp is a FET-AMP (FA-1) style design offering the original circuitry updated with high quality components (metal film resistors, caps), and true bypass.
Control layout features Bass, Treble, Volume, and Flat / Low Cut switch. As added flexibility, an internal switch can add a clipping circuit for a mild overdrive effect.