Enter the bizarre with this chaos generator

I like a pedal that solves a problem I didn’t know I had. So how do I make some of my weirdest stomps and textures even weirder. TWA’s Side Step accomplishes these feats by using an LFO to control functions and variables that you would normally control with an expression pedal.

The Side Step does more than just get weird. Depending on the waveform of the eight LFOs you choose (the sine and sawtooth are pretty predictable), the speed you select (via the speed knob or tap tempo) and the effect with which you Use it, you can use the Side Step to shape, say, rhythmic feedback increases into a delay or fast, choppy filter frequency sweeps into a filtered fuzz. Used in these and more conventional settings, the Side Step can be a great riff and hook writing tool.

Of course, it’s also a fantastic generator of chaos with, for example, a resonant flanger and one of the most radical waveforms in the Side Step. Introducing these textures via the Side Step bypass switch can generate a lot of musical drama in addition to the already unusual sound colors. The Side Step is expensive for what it is, especially since you can only use it with one dedicated pedal. But its ability to provide a real “where did it come from!” Moments of performance and its usefulness in studio situations will make the Side Step invaluable for many users.

Test equipment: Fender Jazzmaster, Fender Telecaster Deluxe with Curtis Novak Widerange pickups, Fender Vibrolux blackface, Fender Vibro Champ, Moog MF Delay, Moog MF Flange.