The Big Ear Pedals ALBIE is a compact digital pedal built to recreate the jangly, shimmering, modulated sounds associated with the New Wave and post-punk music of the '70s and '80s, from useful slap-backs to wide and deep ambient reverberations12. Big Ear Pedals, based in Nashville, TN, describes it as its first digital multi-effect pedal, an ambient modulator1. It launched on September 15, 2020 at a retail price of $1991.
What the Albie does
The Albie is a two-knob modulated reverb pedal on the surface, but under the hood it is a multi-effects unit: each of its eight settings is a curated chain of effects, called a stack, built around the sounds of New Wave and post-punk records24. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley noted that it is Big Ear's first multi-effects pedal3. For a player, that means a single stompbox that can stand in for a small board of reverb, modulation and ambience effects tuned to one family of tones, rather than a do-everything unit with hundreds of menus. It sits in the broader field of multi-effects pedals as a deliberately narrow, curated take on the format.
Controls and the Neil Modes
The Albie keeps its face simple: two knobs and a footswitch.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Effect knob | Changes between eight different pedal-chains, or "stacks," of effects; the LEDs light up with the corresponding effect1 |
| Momentary footswitch | Operates like a standard footswitch, but when held down provides a secondary setting for each effect1 |
The secondary settings are called the "Neil Modes," a hidden layer that doubles what the pedal can do without adding controls1. MusicRadar explained the name: "These are the Neil Modes, named for Neil Graham of Dr Scientist who programmed the digital magic in Albie's circuit"3. Premier Guitar's press release adds that Graham programmed the digital code for the ALBIE and designed these secondary settings1.
"The ALBIE pedal, inspired by their close friend and collaborator, Joe McCaffrey (of the band Nightmare of You)"
Delicious Audio's product page likewise describes the pedal as built and curated in collaboration with Joe McCaffrey of Nightmare of You2.
Power, size and availability
The Albie takes 9V DC power, center negative, with a minimum draw of 111mA13. That draw is worth noting on a pedalboard: it is above what many low-current outputs on a daisy-chain supply are rated for, so it wants its own output on a supply rated to cover it.
The Albie's 111mA minimum current draw rules out most low-current daisy-chain outputs. Give it a dedicated supply output rated above 111mA.
The pedal comes in a transparent "Aqua Teal" die-cast enclosure with "ALBIE" printed largely over the face of the pedal, measuring 4.69" x 2.52" x 1.57" (119x64x40mm)1. At launch it retailed for $199 through Big Ear Pedals145, with shipping free in the US451.
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Questions
What are the Neil Modes on the Big Ear Albie?
The Neil Modes are secondary settings for each of the Albie's eight effects. Holding the momentary footswitch down calls up the alternate setting for the effect in use. They are named for Neil Graham of Dr. Scientist, who programmed the Albie's digital code and designed these secondary settings.
Is the Big Ear Albie analog or digital?
The Albie is digital. It was Big Ear Pedals' first digital multi-effect pedal, described by the maker as an ambient modulator, with eight curated chains of effects inside a compact stompbox.
What power supply does the Albie need?
The Albie runs on 9V DC, center negative, with a minimum current draw of 111mA. A standard low-current pedal supply may not be enough, so use a supply output rated above that figure rather than a shared daisy chain.
How many presets does the Albie have?
The Albie offers eight settings, each a curated chain of effects, or stack, built to cover the jangly, shimmering, modulated sounds associated with New Wave and post-punk music of the '70s and '80s. Each effect also has a secondary Neil Mode setting.
How much did the Albie cost at launch?
Big Ear Pedals launched the Albie on September 15, 2020 at a retail price of $199. Shipping was free in the US, with a flat rate of $20 for the rest of the world.
Who programmed the Albie's firmware?
The digital code for the Albie was programmed by Neil Graham of Dr. Scientist, who also designed the pedal's secondary settings, the Neil Modes. The pedal's settings were built and curated in collaboration with Joe McCaffrey of the band Nightmare of You.
Sources (5)
- Big Ear Pedals Announces the Albie, Premier Guitar, 2020-09-16
- BIG EAR Albie Modulated Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2023-11-08
- Big Ear introduces Albie, an ambient modulator for new-wave and post-punk, MusicRadar, 2020-09-18
- Big Ear launches the Albie, a stompbox dream machine, Guitar.com, 2020-09-15
- Conjure “jangly, shimmering” new-wave and post-punk tones with Big Ear's Albie pedal, Guitar World, 2020-09-16
