Though effects pedals are ubiquitous for electric guitar player—and even bass keyboard players, to a degree—the same can't be said when it comes to synth players. This is largely because many pedal-based distortion units are built for low-level guitar signals rather than the hot line level that synths and drum machines put out, making them less than compatible together.
But well-established synth brand Elektron has been working to change that for synth players since late 2016, when the company announced a stereo effects processor built specifically for synthesizers. Today, Elektron announced the release of the second iteration of this distortion box, the Analog Heat MKII.
Like its predecessor, the Analog Heat is packed with eight flavors of distortion, a stereo filter, EQ, envelopes, and LFOs. The new MKII model retains these features and makes improvements to both the hardware and the software, introducing visual feedback for the amp filter, envelope and LFO pages, backlit keys, an improved OLED screen, and enhanced encoders.
The Analog Heat MKII is officially available now. Check back soon for availability on Reverb.