The Big Review: Universal Audio Galaxy, Del-Verb & Max – the most desirable UA effects pedals yet?
The UAFX range of high-end stompboxes has grown again, this time with two combined delay and reverb units plus an intriguing dual compressor.
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If Universal Audio really wants to live up to its name, sooner or later it’s going to have to expand into drums, pianos and novelty kazoos. But for now, the Californian company is making a decent fist of going way beyond its studio hardware roots – and that’s good news for guitar players.
First came an ever-growing range of software plugins, then the Ox amp-top direct recording box; and then, in 2021, the first three UAFX stompboxes were launched, covering delay, reverb and modulation. Last year’s follow-ups saw a shift into amp modelling, but the latest trio is heavy on time-based effects again. Or at least, two of them are.
Leading the 2023 line is the Galaxy, a digital emulation of the legendary Roland Space Echo, complete with multi-head repeats and built-in reverb; then there’s the Del-Verb, an ‘ambience companion’ that combines three different delay models with three reverb types; and finally we come to the Max, which recreates three classic compressor circuits and lets you switch between two channels or run both in series, Roger McGuinn style.
Compression is a whole new area for the UAFX line, but that shouldn’t present too much of a challenge: Universal knows as much about compressors as Willy Wonka knows about cocoa solids, and two of the three models offered by the Max are, in one way or another, part of the company’s own history.
In a sense, the other two pedals are even less of a leap into new territory: the Starlight Echo Station has already covered tape-based delay, while the Del-Verb is really just a handy repackaging of six familiar sounds: its three delays are the same ones found in the Starlight, and its three reverbs have been lifted straight from the Golden Reverberator.
The overall design remains the same: twin-footswitch metal enclosures, each featuring an array of six knobs with assorted toggle switches across the middle. But UA has got a bit more adventurous with colours this time, most notably in the case of the bold blue Del-Verb, and the metal-tipped knobs have made way for simpler – and perhaps clearer – plastic types.
As before, the pedals are made in Malaysia and offer full stereo connectivity plus USB for firmware updates and, more importantly, Bluetooth for pairing with a phone to unlock advanced functions (warning: this works great with Apple devices but can be an absolute mare on Android). These hi-tech digital units need 400mA each, so make sure you’ve got a suitable power supply before you buy.
And speaking of things to do before you buy, click on the links below for our in-depth findings on all three boxes.