Our original Mini Effect Gizmo was released 10 years ago, and quickly found a home in many rigs. It was simple: 5 switching loops that could be controlled by MIDI, and small enough to go into a pedal drawer or on (or under) a pedalboard. Originally, it was intended as an expander for a pedalboard switcher. We didn’t actually release the pedalboard switcher (the Mastermind PBC) until 2015, but still went ahead with the Mini Effect Gizmo product.
When I started on the Mastermind PBC/6X project, I needed to test the analog switching matrix chip to make sure it would be good enough. The switching chip is the secret ingredient that allows loop reordering. Loop reordering is great, but that feature isn’t any good if it doesn’t sound good! Instead of creating another pedalboard switcher right away (which would take quite a while), I decided to design a new Mini Effect Gizmo using this chip. A small switcher without footswitches, LCDs and all that is a lot easier and faster to design. So, the first few PBC/6X prototypes were actually Mini Effect Gizmos. After a few revisions, I was confident enough to move on to designing the Mastermind PBC/6X, which was released in 2018.
So, eventually I got back to the revised Mini Effect Gizmo, now titled Mini Effect Gizmo X. We’re putting an “X” suffix on all switchers that have switching matrix chips to differentiate them from relay switchers. I took everything we learned from the PBC/6X and condensed it into a small, simplified package. The result is a 6 loop, 2 function switch expander with stereo capability. It has a few other fun tricks like the ability to split stereo loops into 2 mono loops like the PBC/6X can, giving you the ability to switch as many as 12 mono pedals. We even added the tuner from the PBC/6X, although you’ll need a Mastermind GT, LT or PBC to display the results.
The MEGX is due to be released at the end of July 2021, and we feel it’ll be an ideal addition to many rigs. Whether you’re building a rack with pedal drawers, a pedalboard, or just adding a MEGX to your multi-effect processor, it can add a lot of flexibility to your rig!
