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Spurr Audio has introduced the PMF-8824, a compact multi-modulation pedal that fuses vintage digital aesthetics with modern DSP-based creativity. Inspired by the design philosophy of early 1980s personal computers, the PMF-8824 is equal parts nostalgic and futuristic, offering players a unique toolset for creating modulated textures and unconventional tones.

The PMF-8824 features eight custom-designed effects, ranging from classic time-based modulation to more experimental sound-shaping tools. Each program has its own dedicated screen layout, complete with visual feedback and real-time control over three contextual parameters (Ctrl 1–3). Two additional knobs control Mix and Volume, while a Program selector knob cycles through effects. All visuals are displayed on a retro-inspired pixel screen that responds to user interaction.

Though the unit is mono, each effect is crafted to feel immersive, using stereo-style modulation, spatial tricks, and reverb-like environments to expand the perceived soundstage.

Included Effects:

• Phaser – Smooth 4-stage phasing with musical feedback
• Tremolo – Rich amplitude modulation with waveform selection
• Flanger – Dense and metallic swirl with resonant feedback
• Vibrato – Tape-style pitch wobble with internal ambiance
• Chorus – Wide 4-voice chorus with built-in reverb option
• Rotary Simulator – Spinning speaker with mic and cabinet control
• VCR (VHS Lo-Fi) – Warped, nostalgic tape textures with saturation
• Microchoir – Digital choir inspired by classic organ voicing

The PMF-8824 stands out not only for its sounds, but also its interface and visual identity. The pedal’s housing and GUI are modeled after personal computer aesthetics—pixel fonts, windowed layouts, and real-time visual meters give each effect its own interactive “page.” The display changes dynamically depending on the selected effect, ensuring clarity and a user-friendly experience.

Sweetwater is including a free IR sample pack with pre-orders of the highly-anticipated Line 6 Helix Stadium amp modeller.

The Helix Stadium and its deluxe XL sibling, which were announced back in June, are officially launching this autumn and winter. Those who purchase the modellers through Sweetwater from now until the end of December will also get five free impulse responses from speaker and IR company, Eminence.

• READ MORE: Neural DSP’s new Nano Cortex update introduces a Tap Tempo mode and other “highly requested” enhancements

Eminence was originally a garage-based manufacturer that started up in 1966 in Kentucky. Building on its vast history and global reach, today the company offers a range of different impulse responses so that players can deploy its products in digital form with their rigs of choice.

The five IRS included in this free collection have all been captured by the famed Shure SM57 mic. Within it, you’ll get:

• Cannabis Rex 12: Captures a fresh take on American clean tone. “The hemp cone of Cannabis Rex 12 delivers invigorating clarity and brightness without compromising body or substance,” says Eminence.
• Swamp Thang: Delivers dark, aggressive mids and a rounded bass response. This one is ideal for down-tuned or extended-range guitars, including 7- or 8-string guitars and baritones.
• Governor: A British-voiced speaker with close links to the American-voiced Red White and Blues speaker, capturing “the transatlantic trade of blues tone”.
• Legend GB-128: For hard-hitting volume and low- to medium-gain tones, this IR captures a “cleaner brand of British power”.
• Legend EM-12: Has a neutral voice that helps emphasise your guitar and amp.

The Helix Stadium and the XL version offer a competitive rival to the beloved Neural DSP Quad Cortex. They bring a range of highly-anticipated upgrades with them including entirely new modelling tech, cloning capabilities, and high-resolution touch screens.

This new modelling tech is called Agoura, and it replaces Helix’s HX modelling for improved authenticity when modelling physical amps, as well as offering increased accuracy when it comes to how amps respond to the way you play.

Since the announcement, Line 6 has been drip feeding us plenty of teasers and videos on what we can expect from the Stadium duo. Just recently, it released a video in which you can hear its Marshall-inspired ‘Brit Plexi’ amp, and another of its US Double Black. Check them out below:

To pre-order the Line 6 Helix Stadium and get a free Eminence sample pack, head over to Sweetwater.

The post The Line 6 Helix Stadium is nearly here – and if you preorder now at Sweetwater you get a free IR sample pack appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Sharon Osbourne says reports that Black Sabbath generated £140 million for charity through their Back to the Beginning farewell show are “just ridiculous”.

The sold-out show was also livestreamed on pay-per-view, with 100% of the proceeds going to Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Cure Parkinson’s. The pay-per-view was priced at £24.99, and The Guardian reported last month that more than five million people tuned in.

• READ MORE: “The bond we shared with him ran far deeper than music”: Pantera cancel tour dates as Zakk Wylde says they need “time to grieve” Ozzy Osbourne’s death
  

5 million multiplied by £24.99 is a little under £125 million, so in the ball park of the figure quoted, before accounting for physical ticket sales, merch sales and so on.

Following the event, Billboard magazine also reported that the event had raised over $190 million, while Tom Morello – who served as the event’s musical director – posted a selection of photos on Instagram, one of which read: “More than 190 million will be donated to houses and hospitals for children.”

Now, in a new interview with Pollstar, Sharon Osbourne – Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and long-time manager – says the figures quoted aren’t exactly accurate.

“One of the things that’s frightening me is all this false press about [how] we’ve made £140 million and all of this, and I’m like, ‘God, I wish we could have, for one gig.’

“It’s just ridiculous, the different stories. I went on the internet the next morning and it was like, $140 million, $160 million. And I’m like, ‘Where does this stuff come from?’

“It takes a really long time [to work out how much was made], because we’ve had all of the bands that we had come in and their expenses, and it’ll take a good six weeks to get the final number.”

Though she’s hesitant to comment on how much the event made before the official figures are available, Sharon says the event was a “huge success”.

“It was a phenomenal event,” she says. “It was the first time, I think, that anybody’s gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. So it’s the first time anybody has said goodnight like that. It’s the perfect way, when you’ve had such a long career, to end it. 

“I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event.”

Aside from hosting Black Sabbath’s swansong performance, Back to the Beginning saw performances from a plethora of heavy metal’s elite, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Mastodon, Yungblud, Lamb of God and so many more.

The post “I’m like, ‘Where does this stuff come from?’”: Sharon Osbourne says claims that Black Sabbath’s final show raised £140 million for charity are “just ridiculous” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

£239/$249, beetronicsfx.com

What do you see when you look at the Beetronics Larva? A large pedal with a daunting number of knobs and switches? Extravagantly ornate styling that calls to mind the LA company’s two zaniest and most complicated creations, the Zzombee and Seabee? Relax – it’s all an optical illusion.

• READ MORE: Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker review: “You don’t need to be an AC/DC geek to be thunderstruck by the range of hard-rocking tones on offer here”

What is the Beetronics Larva?

First things first, what is morphing? Basically it’s Leslie-style ramping from one sound to another. Switch the Larva on and you’re dealing with a simple phaser, controlled by the rate and depth knobs at top-left; now hold down the left footswitch for a moment and it will start morphing into a second setting, controlled by a matching pair of knobs on the right. Congratulations, you are now a fully qualified morpher.

The two slightly smaller dials are for adjusting that transition time and the intensity of the phaser’s resonance, while two mini-knobs in the centre look after the input gain – the Moogerfooger-inspired preamp has some proper overdrive on tap – and output level.

That just leaves two toggle switches – one for selecting how the morphing feature moves back and forth, and one for the operating mode: standard phaser, extra-wobbly vibe or, strangely, just the preamp without any modulation. In case anyone’s in the market for a non-phasing phaser…

And the LEDs? They just move across from left to right, and turn from blue to pink, to indicate morphing status. They are cute.

What does the Beetronics Larva sound like?

Sorry, bit of a spoiler earlier on – but ‘just really nice’ is the best way to describe virtually everything this phaser does. The obvious way to set it up is with a slow, shallow sweep on one side and a rapid wibble on the other; in both cases the core tone will be sweet and musical, with resonance dialled in to taste. Extra-slow morphing is the most fun, but you can actually double-tap on the bypass footswitch for instant hopping between your two settings.

Part of the reason for that innate sweetness is the preamp – it’s warm and fluffy, keeping everything smooth and preventing any harshness at the top of the phaser’s arc. It ranges from clean-ish to quite heavily overdriven; the only snag, arguably quite a big one, is that you can’t switch it off or dial it out completely to hear the phasing effect pure and uncoloured.

And here’s another snag, necessitated by that double-tap feature on the bypass switch: hit it once to turn the Larva off, and it’ll take a moment to respond because it has to wait to see if a second tap is coming. This probably isn’t going to ruin anyone’s night, but it’s frickin’ annoying and should surely have been avoided somehow.

Should I buy the Beetronics Larva?

Yes, you should buy the Larva because it’s absolutely gorgeous. But then again, no, you shouldn’t buy the Larva because it’s absolutely infuriating. Can you tell I’m a little bit torn here? But that’s what it boils down to: if you only care about the tones, you’ll struggle to find a nicer phaser than this; but if you demand technical perfection in all areas of stompbox functionality, it might just drive you mad.

Beetronics Larva alternatives

It’s a very different beast to the Larva, but the Heptode Virtuoso (€192) is a beautiful-sounding phaser that offers ramping between slow, medium and fast speeds. You might also look at the Caroline Arigato ($219/£229) and SolidGoldFX Aurras ($209/£189.99).

The post Beetronics Larva review – a speed-ramping phaser with a couple of twists appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Sheptone announces the reissue of its coveted AB Custom humbuckers. Revered by tone chasers, professional touring musicians, and collectors alike, the AB Custom humbuckers return with all the hallmarks that made it a modern classic—and more.

Built entirely by hand, one at a time, by long-time industry figure and proprietor Josh Vittek, each Sheptone pickup reflects a relentless commitment to tone, authenticity, and craftsmanship. The AB Custom humbuckers are no exception, offering unmatched responsiveness, musical articulation, and the nuanced dynamic range players have come to expect from Sheptone. As the first variation on the original Sheptone Tribute set that launched the business back in 2007, these are considered a medium output PAF-style humbucker providing that little extra push that guitar players just love.

Featuring proprietary butyrate bobbins, 42 AWG plain enamel wire, rough cast Alnico 5 magnets, a maple wood spacer, and nickel silver baseplates, the AB Custom humbuckers are built with period-correct components and the highest-quality materials available. Measuring an average of 8.5k in the bridge and 8.0k in the neck, each set delivers vintage-inspired clarity, warmth, and punch making them a top choice for players seeking the elusive "magic" found in the most iconic recordings.

Customers can choose from double black, zebra, reverse zebra, or covered configurations with nickel or gold-plated period correct nickel steel covers, offering aesthetic versatility without compromising tone. The AB Custom humbuckers are a premium choice for discerning players who demand the best—whether in the studio, on stage, or in their personal woodshed.

Sheptone pickups have long been the secret weapon behind some of todays most beloved tones. With the return of the AB Custom, that legacy continues—one note at a time.

To learn more or to order, visit www.sheptone.com

Prices start at $818.00 USD per set.

“Guitars are like crayons to me,” says Carlos Santana. “Life is the canvas.” Such is how the legendary guitarist views his tools: not as mere instruments, but as portals to creativity and self-expression.

Over the decades, Santana has played them all – Gibsons, Fenders, Gretsches, and even a signature Yamaha in the 1980s – but the one brand he keeps returning to is PRS.

“Paul Reed Smith has mastered creating an instrument that behaves,” says the Mexican-American guitarist in the new issue of Guitar World. “No matter what the weather is like, it will stay in tune and always give you that great tone.”

• READ MORE: Carlos Santana: “I like being squirted in the face by music because it makes me feel alive”

Despite having played just about everything under the sun – “They all have their own sound, texture and feel,” Santana explains – PRS guitars are the only ones that feel like home.

“I always go back to my PRS models,” he says. “I’m very grateful to Paul. He came up with his own vision to create a different tone and feel. I’m grateful he did that because his designs suited my personality when it came to self-expression.”

This is especially true of his PRS signature model ‘Salmon’, which he describes as the “easiest instrument for me to materialize my inner-vision, thoughts and emotions. There’s not much struggle translating myself onto that guitar.”

Santana’s friendship with the PRS founder also goes back a long way: “We’ve had a relationship since the late Seventies. He convinced me to come on board. Back then, there were only three companies I knew of – Gibson, Fender and Gretsch. There were others, but those three were the main ones.”

According to Santana, PRS’s attention to detail is what keeps him loyal, even decades later.

“From guitars to food or whatever, there are two words that are important for any business – impeccable integrity,” says the guitarist. “When people put love and attention into what they make, it stands out. When my guitars arrive from Paul Reed Smith, they are always perfectly in tune. I’m not making it up! They come to me set up perfectly because somebody at the factory is doing that final check. A lot of companies don’t do that.”

As for how many guitars he owns these days? “Probably not more than 100 and not fewer than 75,” Santana reckons. “I guess the Fender Strats and Gibson Les Pauls would be the oldest models in my collection. I’ve got Strats from 1954; some of my Les Pauls go all the way back to 1959.”

The post “Paul Reed Smith has mastered creating an instrument that behaves”: Carlos Santana on his love of PRS guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.