Zvex’s The Machine is a unique and disgusting distortion pedal intended for electric guitar. It’s not a cheap pedal as the description of it from it’s makers would have you believe as they literally say that it doesn’t sound good. Of course it’s all tongue in cheek because it’s simply a unique and dirty sound that works well in some situations. I believe that these pedals are hand made, or at least I know that they are made with top quality parts and definitely in boutique fashion since they are also hand painted. You can power it with a nine volt power supply (not sure about a battery) and connect it to your amp and guitar with ¼” jacks. It’s not rackable.


UTILIZATION

The only parameters that you have to work with The Machine are input and output levelers as well as a limit control. You’ll be able to get a good variety of sounds between these controls, but don’t expect to get a traditional distortion sound with The Machine because it’s simply not that kind of pedal. I don’t think that users will find that they need a manual for this pedal.



SOUND QUALITY

The sound of Zvex’s The Machine is dirty, unconventional, and downright disgusting, but I love it! It’s perfect for getting a fuzzy, noisy, dirty sound from your guitar in a way that you wouldn’t be able to with a more traditional distortion pedal. I’d only use The Machine in certain situations, so I’m not sure that it’s going to be worth it for most guitarists out there. In my opinion it’s an awesome studio tool but it’s not something that I’d consider having on my pedal board.


OVERALL OPINION

While Zvex’s The Machine isn’t a traditional distortion pedal, it brings a lot to the table in the world of interesting and unique guitar sounds. The price of The Machine is definitely going to deter most interested parties since it costs right around $300 US dollars. Still, for the studio owner looking to be able to capture any sound at any given point, The Machine is worth checking out and considering.