Ego Trippin': EHX Superego Synth Engine

Your tone dismantled into grains that are reshaped and then recombined

Bill Ruppert is a pretty amazing dude.  He is responsible for Effectology, a series of videos where he takes Electro Harmonix pedals and a guitar and produces sounds ranging from steel drums to analog synths to haunted spaceship factories.  Definitely watch ALL of his ridiculously cool posts.

His latest episode focuses on  EHX’s new Superego Synth Engine.  

We’ve talked a lot about using subtractive synthesis with your guitar but the Superego uses granular synthesis.  Based on sampling, granular synthesis essentially chops up your signal into very small pieces called grains and can then play them back in layers  at different frequencies, phase, speed and volume creating lush, complex soundscapes to unpredictable staccato tones.  


The real audio alchemy of this pedal is the effects loop.  Bill Ruppert throws harmony, delay and modulation effects at the Superego and it just eats them up and spits out some of the most mind-warping, non-guitar tones that we’ve heard in a while. 

It’s a great accompaniment pedal or a way to fill more sonic territory in a way that reminds me Dave Gilmour’s “Sound on Sound” effect using delay.

Don’t be intimidated by this very unique pedal.  There are only 4 knobs and a switch and that’s all you’ll need to conjure up clouds of sound to play over.  Expect it to be out by the end of May with a retail of $283.60.