Building on the success of its Freeze Sound Retainer (a.k.a. the world’s shortest looper), the Electro-Harmonix Superego Synth Engine is a “short” sampler pedal, but with more control and options. The Superego not only allows the player to capture or freeze notes and chords on the fly, but manipulate them with synth-style attack/release controls. The Superego uses EHX’s familiar metal chassis, with four chassis-mounted controls, one three-way toggle switch, one heavy-duty footswitch, chassis-mounted 1/4″ in/out and effect loop jacks, and a 9-volt power adapter (included) jack. The controls consist of a Speed control to set the attack and release (it doubles as a Layer volume control in Latching mode), a Gliss control (similar to a portamento control on a keyboard, allowing the player to glide into notes), a Dry mix control to set the volume of the uneffected guitar signal, and an Effect mix control to set the level of the frozen note or chord. The three-way toggle selects among Latching, Momentary, and Auto modes. In Latching mode a note or chord is frozen when the footswitch is stepped on and released; step and release the switch again and layer a new note or chord on top of the first, controlling the balance between them with the Speed/Layer control. In Momentary mode a note or chord is frozen only as long as the foot switch is depressed, while in Auto mode, when notes or chords reach a set threshold, they are automatically captured and sustained until the next note or chord is played. In Auto mode the footswitch does double duty, turning the effect on and off with a momentary step, or spotting and freezing the current sample when the footswitch is held down.