The Anarchy Audio Aftermath is a pedal from the Australian builder Anarchy Audio, released on 30 November 2020. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as venturing "beyond the comfort of classic modulation and time based effects, into the realm of extreme signal mutation and random abrupt, arpeggiated glitches"1. In practice it is a randomized modulation and delay machine: instead of dialling in a set chorus or delay sound, you let the pedal scramble its own settings for you.
Controls
The Aftermath's control layout is built around two effect sections and a randomizer that messes with both at once1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Glitch | Randomizes the settings of the modulation (Gliss/Warp) and delay (Space) sections1 |
| Gliss/Warp | The modulation section of the circuit1 |
| Space | The delay section of the circuit1 |
| Smear | Adds ambience and repeats, and triggers self-oscillation at higher settings1 |
| Mix | Allows you to reintegrate the dry signal1 |
| Kill Dry | Lets you remove the dry signal entirely1 |
The Glitch knob is the heart of the pedal. Because it randomizes both the Gliss/Warp and Space sections together, each press of it produces a new combination of randomized modulation and delay effects rather than a preset sound1. The Smear knob works alongside it, adding ambience and repeats and pushing the circuit into self-oscillation at higher settings1.
Footswitches
The pedal carries two footswitches. The left footswitch triggers a Momentary effect, so the effect is only active while the switch is held down1.
Kill Dry and Mix
The Aftermath can sit in a signal chain in either of two ways. A Kill Dry control lets you remove the dry signal entirely, and a Mix knob allows you to reintegrate the dry signal when you want it back1. With Kill Dry engaged the pedal outputs only the processed signal, which suits fully wet setups.
Related pedals that share the name
Two other pedals carry the Aftermath name and are easy to confuse with the Anarchy Audio unit1:
- Rotosound The Aftermath is an analog delay. MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen found "the repeats here are lo-fi and very dark compared with the dry sound," and that "the feedback knob can also get endless self-oscillation going, if you fancy some sci-fi or dub effects." His overall verdict: "Give it a go if you like your delay dirty."2
- Rotosound RAM1 Aftermath is described by Rotosound as an "Audio dynamics controller providing noise reduction"3.
Videos
Anarchy Audio
Anarchy Audio
Anarchy Audio
Questions
What does the Glitch knob do on the Anarchy Audio Aftermath?
The Glitch knob randomizes the settings of the pedal's two main sections: the modulation section, called Gliss/Warp, and the delay section, called Space. Each turn produces a different combination of randomized modulation and delay effects, which is where the pedal's abrupt, arpeggiated glitches and extreme signal mutation come from.
What is the momentary footswitch on the Aftermath for?
The left of the pedal's two footswitches triggers a Momentary effect. The effect is only active while you hold the switch down, so you can punch glitches, warps or repeats in and out of your playing rather than leaving them on all the time.
Can the Aftermath remove the dry signal completely?
Yes. A Kill Dry control lets you remove the dry signal entirely, and a Mix knob allows you to reintegrate the dry signal when you want it back. That makes the pedal usable either as a parallel effect or as a fully wet send.
Does the Aftermath self-oscillate?
Yes. The Smear knob adds ambience and repeats, and at higher settings it triggers self-oscillation. On the related Rotosound The Aftermath analog delay, a reviewer found the feedback knob could also get endless self-oscillation going for sci-fi or dub effects.
What do Gliss/Warp and Space control?
Gliss/Warp is the modulation section of the circuit and Space is the delay section. Their settings are normally set by hand, but the Glitch knob randomizes both at once, producing creative combinations of randomized modulation and delay effects.
Sources (3)
- New Pedals: Anarchy Audio Aftermath Modulation Obliterator, Delicious Audio, 2020-11-30
- Rotosound The Aftermath Analog Delay review, MusicRadar, 2014-06-11
- Aftermath, Rotosound, 2025-02-20
