The Bygones Stereo Nostalgia offers a combination of degradation, modulation, pitch and delay effects
Minneapolis-based firm 3Degrees Audio has announced its first guitar pedal, the Bygones – a stereo “nostalgia” multi-effects.
The Bygones aims to “unlock the world of nostalgia” and does so by combining pitch, delay and noise effects in order to make your guitar signal sound old and degraded – in a good way. Think lo-fi scratched vinyl and warped tapes, essentially the tonal equivalent of Super-8 home movies.
It’s a digital stereo pedal with MIDI connectivity, from which 3Degrees promises “a comprehensive suite of audio degradation algorithms with incredible range, permutability and granular control”.
(Image credit: 3Degrees Audio)
There are 12 dials in total on the unit, split into brightly colored, distinct output, pitch, delay and noise sections. This allows you to manipulate individual effects in the chain and then control overall EQ and volume.
The single footswitch has several functions. Pressing it once activates the pedal, holding it for one second cycles through the seven preset slots, and holding it for three seconds stores a preset.
YouTuber Ambient Endeavors certainly offers a compelling demo that has us picturing idyllic (mostly invented) scenes of youth, amid some crackling swells and warbling tape tones.
Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
