Modeler News
Firmware updates, gear announcements, industry trends, and the practical bits that change how a modeler player actually works.
Chase Bliss Ships the Big Time at $999 — A Six-Year Stereo Delay Built Around '80s Rack DNA
Chase Bliss has officially launched the Big Time, a $999 hybrid digital/analog stereo delay built in collaboration with John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments. It is the most expensive pedal Chase Bliss has ever shipped, and it is a deliberate attempt to recreate the specific sonic fingerprint of early-'80s rack delays like the Lexicon PCM 70 and the Korg SDD-3000.
MXR Ships the EVH Modern High Gain — A Pedal Built Around 5150 III Channel 3, Not the Brown Sound
MXR's new $269.99 EVH Modern High Gain pedal started shipping April 28. It is not another brown-sound box — it is the 5150 III's third channel (the modern high-gain lead channel) compressed into a stompbox, with a 55Hz/80Hz bass shift switch, onboard noise gate, and a boost. For anyone running a Helix, Quad Cortex, or Kemper that already models the 5150 III, this is a useful reference point in the other direction.
Keeley RK2000 Funk Siren Delay Ships at $369, Reviving the Ibanez DM2000 Trey Anastasio Has Used for Decades
After weeks of teasing, Keeley has shipped the RK2000 Funk Siren Delay — a $369 floor pedal built around the character of the vintage Ibanez DM2000 rackmount that Trey Anastasio has used for most of his career. It does ping-pong pitch-shifted delays, LFO modulation, and stores presets with full MIDI.
NUX MG-50Li Ships April 20 With Three-DSP Modeling, DeepImage Profiling, and 5-Hour Battery
NUX confirms April 20 ship date for the MG-50Li at $499. It runs TS/AC-4K physical modeling across three dedicated DSPs, includes built-in DeepImage profiling, and has a five-hour rechargeable battery. This is the most capable battery-powered modeler shipping this month.
Valeton's New GP-150 and GP-180 Put NAM Support Under $200
Valeton's two new floorboard modelers ship with SnapTone NAM file support, 12-module parallel routing, and built-in battery — the GP-150 at $169.99 with an onboard expression pedal. For the budget modeler audience, this is the most interesting sub-$200 release since the Donner Arena 2000.
Quad Cortex Mini Starts Shipping to Pre-Order Customers
Neural DSP's compact flagship is finally landing on doorsteps. The Quad Cortex Mini packs the full CorOS experience into a smaller enclosure at EUR 1,299, and first impressions from early adopters are overwhelmingly positive.