The Asheville Music Tools ACV-NOS Edition Chorus/Vibrato is a 100% analog chorus and vibrato pedal built around a New Old Stock Matsushita (Panasonic) BBD, a 1024-stage delay chip that the maker hand tests and selects for each unit. It is a limited edition version of the ACV-1, revoiced and reworked around the NOS chip, and it was listed at $497.00 USD1.
Availability
The ACV-NOS is a limited edition, one per customer or household, and not for resale. The maker's page listed it as Sold Out, with the last release planned for some time in fall 20261.
Asheville Music Tools planned to release the pedal in small batches through 2026 until its supply of NOS BBD chips runs out1.
What it does and how it sounds
The ACV-NOS uses classic chorus architecture: a 1024-stage NOS BBD fed by a step-up boost power supply, a vintage-style compander with emphasis and de-emphasis, discrete transistor 5th-order anti-aliasing and reconstruction filters, and a synthesizer-style VCA feedback circuit1.
The maker describes the NOS BBD sound as more cohesive, with less smearing, a smoother presence with an almost dithered high end, and distinct clarity in the fundamentals. Compared with the standard edition, it is said to have smoother highs and richer lows1.
"The NOS BBD sound is more cohesive, with less smearing. It has a smoother presence with an almost dithered high end."
The Delay Time knob runs from 3.1ms to about 80ms (uncalibrated, so it varies unit to unit), and goes longer with the LFO and external control voltages. The maker describes the range as starting in the middle for a tight '70s-style chorus, going longer for a drippy '80s chorus and a warm slap delay, and shorter for flanging. Beyond chorus and vibrato, the maker lists flanging, double-tracking, static comb filtering, short delay, Leslie organ sounds, tape-like warble, and a lo-fi ring-modulated soundscape via CV1.
Power and connections
The pedal runs on standard 9V DC center negative pedal power through a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel jack. A custom-designed 9V to 15V power supply inside works with standard 9V pedal power supplies1.
Current draw is less than 150mA, typically 70 to 90mA, with up to 250mA at start up1. That start-up surge is worth allowing for when planning a power supply.
The input impedance is greater than 1MΩ, and the input preamplifier includes a discrete, high impedance JFET stage that can also be used as an always-on buffer1.
The expression jack is a TRS connection usable with CV or an expression pedal, with a CV range of 0 to 5V. The ring supplies a current limited 5V output, and the control input is on the tip1.
The pedal is housed in a genuine Hammond die-cast aluminum enclosure with a gloss mauve powder coat and gold-gloss sparkle finish, fitted with solid aluminum GØRVA knobs1.
How it differs from the ACV-1
The ACV-NOS builds on the Analoger ACV-1 Chorus/Vibrato & Time Warp Modulator, the standard edition of the pedal, with what the maker calls a character all its own1. The ACV-1 is likewise a 100% analog BBD-based chorus/vibrato pedal covering chorus, vibrato and slap back modulation effects2.
The differences the maker lists for the NOS edition include:
- The filter center range moved down about 130Hz, with increased bass response and a revoicing for midrange emphasis and a richer, meatier high setting with less sparkle1
- The calibration restriction on the longest delay time removed, so more than 80ms is typical and varies unit to unit, which also increases the LFO Amount range1
- The hand tested and selected New Old Stock BBD in place of the standard chip1
The maker refers players to the manual, linked from the ACV-1 store page, for complete specifications on the differences1.
Videos
Asheville Music Tools
Mike Hermans
Questions
Is the Asheville Music Tools ACV-NOS still available?
The ACV-NOS is a limited small batch release, and the maker's product page listed it as Sold Out as of late October 2026. Asheville Music Tools planned small batch releases through 2026 until its supply of New Old Stock BBD chips runs out, with the last release planned for some time in fall 2026. Each pedal is limited to one per customer or household and is sold as not for resale.
Can you use an expression pedal with the ACV-NOS?
Yes. The pedal has a TRS jack that accepts either control voltage or an expression pedal. The CV range is 0 to 5V, the ring carries a current limited 5V output, and the control input is on the tip. The maker notes that external control voltages can extend the delay time beyond the knob's own range.
Is the ACV-NOS true bypass or buffered?
Both, and the player chooses. The bypass footswitch can be set to true bypass or JFET buffered bypass, with the selection accessible by removing the ACV-1 cover. In buffered bypass the output impedance is 5k maximum, compared with 1k maximum in the other mode.
Is the ACV-NOS signal path fully analog?
Yes. Asheville Music Tools describes the ACV-NOS as 100% analog in both signal and control path. The delay line is a 1024-stage New Old Stock Matsushita (Panasonic) BBD, supported by a vintage-style compander and discrete transistor anti-aliasing and reconstruction filters.
How much current does the ACV-NOS draw?
The maker specifies 9VDC at less than 150mA, with a typical draw of 70 to 90mA and up to 250mA at start up. Because of that start-up surge, the pedal is worth keeping on its own power outlet rather than sharing a daisy chain with other pedals.
Sources (2)
- ACV-NOS - Asheville Music Tools, Asheville Music Tools
- ACV-1 Chorus/Vibrato Time Warping Device, Asheville Music Tools
