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What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… August 19, 2024 If you live in the USA you know the national holiday called Labor Day is fast approaching, so Happy Labor Day. We’ll also look at some pedals that add that subtle (or even aggressive) little something that makes a person want them on all the time. They don’t peel paint off the walls, they just sound good. Pedals like the Orange Burst by Caline, the ‘83 Drive and the King of Drive by DemonFX, and the Sweet Baby Overdrive by Joyo. And the artwork that surrounds this page, as you may know, is invisible to cell phone users, so we’ll check that out. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free-thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork Unfortunately the artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. The artwork for today is included here on the left for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background board seen all around this page. Enjoy. INTRODUCTION Here are some more guitar pedals that exceed price vs sound quality. All of them are exceptional sounding, they are all considered “always-on” pedals, and they are within a reasonable price range. I do not get any kickbacks from any of these Starlite Distribution click-throughs, from any of the pedal companies, nor do I make any income or residuals from anything listed here. It’s all about honesty and not about making money to run a website (like so many websites who copy Zystrix). I put these pedals here simply because I enjoy the sounds – they are an exceptional value. I suspect you’ll like them a lot too. Orange Burst Overdrive by Caline This pedal has a sound that’s a dead-ringer for the Xotic BB Preamp pedal. There are four main control knobs on the pedal: Gain, Treble, Vol, and Bass. Gain allows you to go from a barely noticeable boost to a boost with just a hint of distortion. The Treble and Bass controls do the usual cut and boost guitar frequencies. The low gain tones are quite good and this is probably where this pedal shines the most. However, the higher gain tones sound very natural and amp-like and would probably fit into a country rock, heavier blues, and 1970s rock situation very well. This pedal also offers true bypass to preserve the sound of the guitar. You’ll have to supply your own power to run the pedal; it does not use a battery and does not come with a power transformer. Believe it or not I found this one for only $29.00 and free shipping. Click here to order one from Starlite Distribution or to get more information. Sweet Baby Overdrive by Joyo This excellent dynamic overdrive responds well to your picking style, but the Focus control is where you can really adjust the sensitivity to your liking. The gain has a pleasant and natural amp-like sound, albeit somewhat mild, and this is yet another always-on type of pedal. If you like the Sweet Honey Overdrive pedal by Mad Professor then you will probably like this one. Definitely give this one a listen; I can’t tell the difference in the sound between the two pedals with my eyes closed. The power supply is not included, so you’ll need to use your own. There’s no tone loss because this one offers true bypass. For only $34.80 USA with free shipping it’s a handy addition to your pedal board. Click here to order one from Starlite Distribution or to get more information. ’83 Drive v2.0 by DemonFX This one is a dual overdrive guitar pedal and it’s another that could be an always-on sound. This’83 Drive offers independent Klon Centaur-style overdrive and the Black Box Bluesbreaker circuits. These two circuits can be used separately or together giving a popular sound combination. The pedal is divided into a side A (left) and a side B (right), separated by the order toggle switch in the middle. The switch flips the internal order of the effects and hence the signal path from guitar to amp. Side A features the bluesbreaker- style circuit with knobs for GAIN, TONE, VOLUME and a two position toggle switch labeled LOWS. The lows switch changes the bass response of the circuit. Side B features the Klon Centaur-style circuit with knobs for GAIN, TREBLE, OUTPUT and a two position toggle switch labeled CLIPPING. The clipping switch toggles between a pair of germanium or schottky clipping diodes. Both sides can be used separately or stacked. TRS split: Besides using the two sides of ’83 DRIVE in serial mode, either A->B or A<-B, . The two 1/4″ jacks, which in serial mode are used for signal in and out, will in split mode serve as IN+OUT for each side. This pedal does not come with a 9-volt power supply. There’s no tone loss because this one also offers true bypass. It’s like getting two pedals for only $64.80 USA and free shipping. Click here to order one from Starlite Distribution or to get more information. King of Drive by DemonFX This pedal is hand-wired and the inspiration for it comes from the King of Tone overdrive pedal by Analog Man. There is a 4 position DIP switch on the inside of the effect pedal, which is used to choose between Clean and drive tones for each side. The Normal Overdrive mode is the standard sound which has a little less drive than a tube screamer. The CLEAN mode has less distortion and can be used for clean boosts or clearer and louder sounds. It’s sort of a cross between a true clean boost and an overdrive. The Clean Mode is even less compressed than the standard OD mode. And the DISTORTION mode has more drive than the standard mode for a touch of hard distortion. This sound is more compressed but retains the pedal’s character. Every pedal has been carefully tested before delivery. It also requires a 9-volt power supply not included. There’s no tone loss because this pedal has true bypass. For only $55.80 USA with free shipping it’s an amazing steal-deal pedal waiting to happen. And the delivery wait time is less than a week. Click here to order one from Starlite Distribution or to get more information. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… Next time we’ll look at some indispensable free plugins for your DAW (digital work station). Welcome to the Zystrix outdoor theatre -- have a fun and safe Labor Day, September 2, 2024. Maybe I’ll see you next time. My girlfriend follows her own path, and it always leads to the liquor store. Knowledge, art, and music for all…

ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. This download comes in three format options: the first option is a single file MP3 containing all the tunes in one chunk similar to tape recordings. The second download option is a folder with all of the separate MP3 piano pieces named and arranged in album order similar to a CD or MP3 player. The third download option is similar to videos found on “ZooTube” with the names and times on the screen. There is also a fourth surprise version made only for “ZooTube” and it is edited down to less than 15 minutes long because of their telephone number required rule. Basically it just guides the listener here. To download any or all of these options simply click here. Enjoy. 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FREE BASS LOOPS SAMPLES DOWNLOAD ROYALTY FREE BASS LOOP SAMPLES FREE BASS LOOPS Over 200 samples are included in the collection Download the complete collection of 24-bit bass loops here. NOTE: This download size is approximately 369 Megs. Free Pendulate Synthesizer Presets Original Newfangled Audio Pendulate synth patches/presets Click here to download over 240 Free Pendulate Synth Presets (patches) Synapse Audio Dune Synthesizer Download Over 200 Free Synapse Audio Dune 2 and Dune 3 Synthesizer Patches and Presets Click here to download over 200 FREE Synapse Audio Dune 2 or Dune 3 synthesizer patches or presets. NOTE: This synth patch download is slightly over 1 Meg in size. Free Reverb Impulse Responses Choose from hundreds available in 48K 24 bit WAV format including new original reverbs. CabSpace Over 400 Guitar Isolation Booth Reverbs Download over 400 Free Zystrix Original Reverb Impulse Responses, and over 200 Free Zystrix Original BONUS Reverb Impulse Responses. 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Use the special codes on the Embalmed for Life page (see the DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS link below) and get free downloads for the complete album and the free horror audio book The Fluid - Embalmed for Life. Click here to download various music from the rock band Dangerous Neighbors. Download Free Synth Samples for Intros, Interludes, and Endings Listen to example #01 by clicking here (MP3 Sample) Download FREE professional quality stereo sample packs that slowly evolve over time. All samples are in 48K 24 bit WAV format and are about 20 seconds long or more. If you like suspense, psycho, outer space, or terror then this collection is for you. These range from paranoia to sci-fi, cinematic gore to strange industrial horror, and creepy creatures to insane laboratories. Click here to download all the synth Intros, Interludes, and Endings. DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS The Fluid, Embalmed for Life There are Free Audio Book codes for Audible downloads (must sign up). There are also free sample downloads of the book reading. There are free downloads of music samples. There is a free “Look Inside” download of the paperback. There is a free glossary of the largest list of mortuary slang in the world. The Free Dangerous Neighbors Album The Fluid, Embalmed for Life comes included as part of the audio book and parts are available here as a free download. The paperback book is available for sale at Amazon dot com. I have no control over these sales; because of the Amazon agreement I cannot offer complete paperback or complete audio books here. I’m sorry for any inconvenience. Click here for free audio books, book reading samples, music samples, etc. Take me back to the top of the page. Zystrix Privacy Policy THE FINE PRINT: Zystrix is a world leader in personal privacy and we take your privacy very seriously. We do not store, sell, give away, or barter with any of your personal or private information including your email, IP address, links clicked, location, habits, tastes, online activities and behaviors, or anything else considered personal or private information. We never have. Zystrix is not and has never been a participant in any advertising program including but not limited to the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Sweetwater, Reverb, or any other affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees from readers by click-through advertising and linking to the aforementioned or any other companies. Zystrix does not allow companies like Doubleclick, Clickbank, Zedo, Linkbucks, Hubspot or any other related clandestine personal privacy internet problems to occupy space or have any presence on or in the Zystrix website. 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