You are the Ultrastar is a stereo micro-looper, texturizer and reverb pedal made as a limited-release collaboration between Discomfort Designs and NotPedals. It went on sale at $295 on the NotPedals Webstore, and Guitar Pedal X reported the release on 25 August 2026.1
The pedal is built as two sides in one box. The LOOPS side is a micro-looper with nine randomised modes that cut up, reverse, stretch and pitch the loop buffer up and down. The CLANG side carries a one-knob Decay reverb and a three-mode Clang texturizer. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called it "a really cool introduction to Discomfort Design - and the perfect jumping off point for many!"1
Where it came from
Guitar Pedal X describes the pedal as in some ways a sort of "Best of Discomfort Designs", with elements of the Phantom Limb and Riemann's Grave, one on each side of the circuit.1 A later Guitar Pedal X report on the maker's year noted that the NotPedals You Are The Ultrastar collaboration "delivered a limited edition pedal which contained elements of the Phantom Limb".2
The controls
The pedal splits its controls between the two sides, with a routing switch that sets how the effects chain together.1
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Length | LOOPS | Sets the loop buffer length1 |
| Chance (Random %) | LOOPS | Sets the amount of randomisation in the micro-looper modes1 |
| Decay | CLANG | One-knob reverb decay1 |
| Clang % | CLANG | Sets the amount of the Clang texture1 |
| Clang Mode | CLANG | Switch selects Ring Mod, Crush (bitcrusher) or Freq Shift (frequency shifter)1 |
| FX Routing | Both | Switch selects Pre, Post or In routing1 |
The Clang modes are Ring Mod, Crush and Freq Shift, and the Clang Footswitch engages that side. On the LOOPS side, the Loops Footswitch responds to how long you hold it: a long press locks the buffer for continuous playback.1
Routing
The FX Routing switch determines the order of the effects, with the filter following the effects in every position.1
- In: INPUT → CLANG → REVERB → FILTER → OUTPUT, with LOOPS → FILTER → OUTPUT1
- Post: INPUT (+ LOOPS) → CLANG → REVERB → FILTER → OUTPUT1
- Pre: INPUT (+ LOOPS) → REVERB → CLANG → FILTER → OUTPUT1
The Ultrastar is a limited release. Guitar Pedal X reported it as a collaboration between Discomfort Designs and NotPedals sold through the NotPedals Webstore.1
For players comparing it with other stereo effects, it sits closest to the territory covered by Looping Pedals and Reverb Pedals, with the Clang texturizer adding ring mod, bitcrusher and frequency shifter textures on top1.
Videos
NotPedals
Questions
What are the Clang modes on the Ultrastar?
The Clang side of the pedal is a three-mode texturizer. The Clang Mode switch selects between Ring Mod, Crush (a bitcrusher) and Freq Shift (a frequency shifter). The amount of texture is set with the Clang % control, and the Clang Footswitch engages the effect. The Clang section sits alongside a one-knob Decay reverb on the same side of the pedal.
What does the Chance knob do on the Ultrastar?
Chance (Random %) is a control on the LOOPS side of the pedal. The looper runs nine randomised micro-looper modes that cut up, reverse, stretch and pitch the loop buffer up and down, and the Chance control sets how much of that randomisation comes through. It works alongside the Length control, which sets the loop buffer length.
Is You are the Ultrastar a stereo pedal?
Yes. Guitar Pedal X describes it as the You are the Ultrastar Stereo Micro-Looper, Texturizer and Reverb, and it is built around stereo operation on both of its sides. It is a limited-release collaboration between Discomfort Designs and NotPedals, priced at $295 on the NotPedals Webstore as of its August 2026 release.
How does the long press on the Loops footswitch work?
A long press on the Loops Footswitch locks the buffer for continuous playback. That lets a loop keep repeating hands-free while you play over it or while the Clang and reverb side processes the sound. A short press cycles through the micro-looper modes instead.
Which pedals is the Ultrastar based on?
Guitar Pedal X describes the Ultrastar as in some ways a sort of best-of Discomfort Designs, with elements of the Phantom Limb and Riemann's Grave, one on each side of the circuit. The NotPedals collaboration version also contained elements of the Phantom Limb, according to a later Guitar Pedal X report.
Sources (2)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-08-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-10-13
