GP covered the basic Multiwave Distortion in October of 2008, and as with that pedal, the Soundblox Pro Multiwave Distortion ($299 retail/$219 street) distorts a signal with either multi-band or more typical single- band processing. The previous review by Matt Blackett went into detail about what that means and the off-the-wall noises that can be produced. Suffice to say that from the knife-edged metallic tone that enhanced my E9 chords, to the way my distorted chords shifted frequencies as they died, this pedal produced an abundance of amazing 21st century grind.

The new Clean/Dist Mix knob allows the more tonally timid to add just a hint of modern musical mayhem to their clean or classically overdriven sounds. And the graphic EQ increases the sonic possibilities exponentially, making the added programmability an essential function.

When Hendrix first used fuzz and wah pedals, they were considered as radical as the Multiwave. If you are into avant guitar, this pedal is a must have. And for giving us a glimpse of an alternate distortion universe, the Multiwave Distortion earns an Editors’ Pick Award.

KUDOS Inspiring new sounds by the truckload for the adventurous player.

CONCERNS None.

CONTACT Soundblox, (781) 932-8080; sourceaudio.net