Effect pedal choices have exploded over the past decade, giving guitarists and bassists a mind-bending selection of both boutique and common brand pedals. Many of these pedals can also be used with keyboards and synthesizers to significantly expand their sonic offerings. But before we get into some of our picks, here are some considerations when choosing the best effect pedals for your synth or keyboard setup:
Input Levels
Stompboxes that were designed primarily for guitar input levels may distort (and not in a good way) if you hit them with an overly hot keyboard signal. Most of the time, if you keep your synth levels at 75% (or lower), you’ll have no trouble with input distortion. But keep your ears alert!
Stereo vs. Mono
There are basically three types of Ins and Outs on effect pedals: Mono In/ Mono Out, Mono In/Stereo Out, and Stereo In/Stereo Out. Stereo In/Stereo Out pedals are the most useful as they can easily be converted to Mono In/Mono Out or Mono In/ Stereo Out simply by plugging fewer cables into them. Why is stereo so important? The most obvious answer is that it gives your synths a dramatic stereo image. The less obvious (but equally important) answer is that it will allow multiple pedals, connected in a daisy chain, to each have a true stereo output whether the pedals after them are in Bypass mode or not. And, of course, when all of the pedals are bypassed, your stereo keyboard will still be heard in true stereo.
Analog vs. Digital Pedals
While the debate still rages over analog synths vs. digital synths, vs. hybrid synths, the decision-making process for pedal buying is much easier. Simply buy the pedal that sounds best for your style and don’t worry if it’s analog, digital, or hybrid.
External Control of Parameters
One much-appreciated trend with effects pedals is the inclusion of an expression pedal jack that allows a continuous footcontroller pedal to move one or more parameters, leaving your hands free for synth playing and tweaking. Higher-end effects pedals may also have a MIDI In jack allowing an astonishingly vast collection of controllers to move some or all of the parameters. A MIDI In jack often means that the effect’s timing can be synchronized to an external MIDI clock.
AC and Battery Power
As you move up to studio quality effects, you’ll see fewer pedals that can run on both battery and an AC adapter since they require a lot of power. But there are plenty of high-quality effects that can use a battery, allowing you to perform with battery-powered instruments and amps at locations without AC power.
OK, with that out of the way let’s get into some of the best pedals for synths and keyboards…
If It Has To Be Analog
If you insist that your true-analog synthesizer is processed by true-analog effects, here are some excellent choices. These are often Mono In/Mono Out or Mono In/Stereo Out, but that’s how it goes if you want a pure analog audio path.
The entire Moogerfooger line of effects from Moog Music includes the MF-101 Lowpass Filter, MF-102 Ring Modulator, MF-103 12-Stage Phase Shifter, and MF-108M Clusterflux Chorus Flange. All of these are top-rated effects with a ridiculous amount of external control via expression pedals or external Control Voltages. And the MF-108M also allows MIDI control over everything. Another key feature is that these pedals were specifically designed for any input level from guitar to keyboards to +4dBu studio levels.
For more budget-conscious versions of Moog analog effects, consider the minifooger line that includes the minifooger Chorus, Flanger, Ring Mod, Tremolo, Overdrive, and Delay. All of these sound excellent with synths and have an expression pedal input to modulate a single parameter.
Other excellent analog effects that work well with keys include the BOSS CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus pedal, the Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress Flanger Chorus, the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Analog Delay/Chorus/Vibrato Pedal, and the legendary MXR Stereo Chorus Pedal.
If It Has To Be Weird
Eccentric effects pedals are being released at an amazing rate these days. Some of my absolute favorites include the ehx SuperEgo which freezes your note (or chord) and then glides psychedelically to your next note (or chord). If you need to create an ambient soundtrack of the future, then this is your pedal. Another staggeringly exotic pedal for synths is the ehx Ring Thing, a single-sideband ring modulator that gives you metallic sweeps, tone color changes, detuning, pitch shifting, tremolo, and other stellar weirdness. The TC Electronic Flashback Delays do wonderful and /or weird things to your synths, especially using their Ping Pong effect.
If It Has To Be The Best
When it comes to naming the “best of the best” effect pedals for synths and keyboards, I think a lot of people will agree that Strymon and Eventide belong at the top of the heap. The Strymon Timeline, for example, is a magnificent true-stereo delay pedal that can handle guitar levels as well as higher studio levels (+8dBu). It offers exceptionally accurate models of Tape Delay, Bucket Brigade Analog Delay, Digital Delay, Dual Delays, Pattern Delay, plus many special-effect delays. And everything can be controlled with an expression pedal and/or MIDI. Strymon’s Big Sky Reverb and Mobius Modulation pedals offer similar numbers of models, features, and real-time control. Strymon’s smaller pedals also offer stellar audio quality, but will need a TRS input cable and an internal jumper switch to have stereo ins.
And then there is Eventide, the company that pioneered the creation of studio-quality effects since the early 1970s. Their true-stereo TimeFactor, ModFactor, PitchFactor, and SPACE pedals each encapsulate, in stompbox form, the respectable Eventide history of Delays, Chorus/Modulations, Pitch Shifters, and Reverbs (respectively). There are lots of dedicated front-panel knobs as well as inputs for a footswitch, footcontroller, and full MIDI control. Eventide’s H9MAX pedal is the mack daddy of synth pedals as it can do everything their other stompboxes do and more. Using the free computer or iOS editor, you’ll have full control over one of the best effect pedals for synths yet made.
Need help choosing some awesome effects pedals for your setup? My latest video may help! As always, give us a call at 800-222-4700 and we’ll be glad to provide some suggestions.
