From a band's homemade effects to a Buenos Aires brand
In the late 1990s, Miguel was building his own effects to play in his band. He showed them to his brother Santiago, who had the idea of producing them on a larger scale, and together the two set out to found the company1. The brothers decided that if the brand was Argentine, the pedals should carry names in their native language, Spanish1. Out of that decision came pedals like Máquina del Tiempo, Módulo Lunar, and Gorila, which the maker describes as icons of the brand that remain in production1.
The company continues to develop new effects at its factory in Buenos Aires1. Its catalog now covers a wide spread of effect types, from conventional delay and fuzz circuits to instruments in pedal form, including a guitar synthesizer and a drum machine.
The first batch: twenty pedals and a newspaper ad
Dedalo's first production run was an initial batch of twenty units, built with components sourced from electronics stores and enclosures handmade by the founders themselves1. The batch covered several effect types:
They were built using components sourced from electronics stores, with enclosures handmade by the founders themselves1.
The first twenty pedals were sold through a newspaper ad, and were quickly embraced by local artists1. Sales were conducted online at first, later complemented by a network of instrument retailers1.
That retail network is now international. The maker's site offers a store locator for finding its pedals at the dealer closest to you5, and Dedalo pedals are exported to four markets1:
- Japan
- Canada
- The United Kingdom
- The United States
Miguel and Santiago Canel
The two founders divide the origin story between them: Miguel built the first effects for his own use in a band, and Santiago saw the potential to produce them on a larger scale1. The maker's history credits the pair jointly with founding the company and with the handmade enclosures of the first batch1.
What Dedalo FX makes
The range mixes standard effect types with unusual formats. Several models sit in the maker's Sonido Maestro series, which includes the MND-1 Pablo Mondello Booster as its first pedal and the EQF-1 Fernando Nale Bass Equalizer as its second67.
| Pedal | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Máquina del Tiempo | Delay | One of the brand's icons, still in production18 |
| D60 | Delay | Based on the classic Máquina del Tiempo circuit3 |
| Byte | Bass synthesizer | Includes an envelope filter9 |
| Pixel | Monophonic guitar synthesizer | 10 |
| Beat | Drum machine | Described by the maker as the first drum machine in pedal format1 |
| MND-1 Pablo Mondello Booster | Booster | First pedal in the Sonido Maestro series6 |
| EQF-1 Fernando Nale Bass Equalizer | Bass EQ | Second pedal in the Sonido Maestro series7 |
| Gorila | Compressor | Designed to bring recording studio quality to the pedal format11 |
| Alu9 Aliaser | Lo-fi effects | 12 |
| B-saurio | Pedal | 4 |
Other pedals in the line include the Revolver, Fugu, Atenas, Tres, Kamikaze, the Tremolo TRS-5, and the Módulo Lunar131415.
The D60 delay shows how the line develops: it is based on the classic Máquina del Tiempo circuit3, and RockBoard's PedalPedia entry describes its sound this way16:
"A nice little delay pedal with our analog tape-like sound, perfect for ambient, sound landscapes, slapback and playing on the edge of a feedback explosion."
The Alu9 Aliaser, shown at NAMM 2018, was covered by Delicious Audio as a pedal "hailing from Argentina" in "the quirky family of lo-fi effects"12. In the US, Godlyke has carried the BYT-1 Byte bass synth pedal17.
Buying and support
Dedalo pedals reach US players through the company's export network1 and through retailers and distributors such as Godlyke17. The maker's website includes a dealer locator for finding its pedals at nearby stores5. For questions, the company's contact address is info@dedalofx.com.ar4.
The range (19)
News
Questions
Where are Dedalo FX pedals made?
Dedalo FX builds its pedals at its own factory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company started there in the late 1990s, when Miguel Canel began building his own effects to use in his band, and it still develops new effects at the same factory today.
What does Máquina del Tiempo mean?
Máquina del Tiempo is Spanish for time machine, and it is the name of Dedalo FX's delay pedal. It became one of the brand's best known models, and the later D60 delay is based on its circuit.
Can you buy Dedalo FX pedals in the US?
Yes. Dedalo pedals are exported to Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The maker's site also offers a store locator for finding nearby dealers, and US retailers such as Godlyke have carried models like the BYT-1 Byte bass synth pedal.
What kind of pedal is the Dedalo FX Byte?
The Byte is a bass synthesizer pedal. It also includes an envelope filter, so it processes a bass signal into synth tones and filter effects rather than adding overdrive or delay.
Is the Dedalo FX Beat a drum machine pedal?
Yes. Dedalo FX describes Beat as the first drum machine in pedal format, and lists it among its groundbreaking pedals alongside models like Máquina del Tiempo, Módulo Lunar, and Gorila.
How do I contact Dedalo FX?
Dedalo FX gives its contact address as info@dedalofx.com.ar for questions. The company's website also lists a dealer network with a store locator for finding its pedals at nearby shops.
Sources (17)
- The history of Dedalo Fx pedals, Dedalo Fx
- Alu9 / Aliaser, Dedalo Fx
- D60 / Delay, Dedalo Fx
- B-saurio / Bass Distortion, Dedalo Fx
- Dedalo FX, Dedalo FX
- Mnd-1 / Pablo Mondello Booster, Dedalo Fx
- Eq-f / Fer Nale Bass Eq, Dedalo Fx
- Maquina Del Tiempo / Delay, Dedalo Fx
- Byte / Bass Synth, Dedalo Fx
- Pixel / Guitar Synth, Dedalo Fx
- Gorila / Bass Compressor, Dedalo Fx
- Dedalo FX Alu9 Aliaser Pedal, Delicious Audio, 2018-08-09
- Revolver / Overdrive + Booster, Dedalo Fx
- Fugu / Chorus + Vibrato, Dedalo Fx
- Atenas / Reverb, Dedalo Fx
- D60 by Dedalo FX, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- DEDALO BYT-1 Byte Bass Synth Pedal(B-STOCK), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.