The Elektron Analog Heat +FX is what Elektron calls a Dynamic Sound Processor: a stereo tabletop unit built around eight analog distortion circuits, with a filter, modulation, a noise gate and 512 user preset slots1. Elektron describes it in its own words:
"The Analog Heat +FX is an all-around sound colouring and manipulation box. It gives you a wide color palette of processing possibilities."
It is not a stompbox. It sits in the same family as Elektron's earlier Analog Heat units, tabletop sound processors aimed at producers and players who want analog drive, filtering and modulation in a programmable, MIDI-equipped box. It carries a list price of £9591; at its launch it carried a US price of $990.003.
What the Analog Heat +FX does
The unit processes a stereo signal through its analog heat block, a filter and modulation, with a noise gate among its effect types1. Elektron says the signal path gives "a wide color palette of processing possibilities," with the eight distortion circuits as the core of the sound shaping2.
One thing carried over from the Analog Heat line is worth knowing: the input level is attenuated by design. Elektron's support documentation for the earlier units explains that "The Analog Heat attenuates (lowers) the incoming signal to create headroom for the distortion circuits and the filter," and that the LEVEL parameter is used to gain the level back up4. Players coming from guitar pedals, where pedals expect a full-strength input signal, should expect to work the level control differently here.
The unit stores 512 user presets, so settings can be recalled rather than rebuilt1. Its operating system has continued to receive updates since release, with OS 1.02 following OS 1.015. The Analog Heat +FX had been on the market almost a year as of 28 February 20243.
Eight analog distortion circuits
The heat block offers eight distortion circuits, selectable one at a time12:
| Circuit | What Elektron says it does |
|---|---|
| Clean boost | Boost without drive |
| Saturation | "Warm tape-style saturation adds soft complexity to the signal peaks. Equalizer controls accentuate the effect subtly"2 |
| Enhancement | "Adds a tube-like glow to the signal while keeping it clear and defined. Equalizer controls introduce slight static at max settings"2 |
| Mid-drive | "A solid mid-range overdrive effect, keeping the overall signal peaks well defined"2 |
| Rough crunch | "A gritty circuit that squeezes and deforms the peaks to an expressive effect. Equalizers set to max emphasize the crunch"2 |
| Classic dist | "Trusty distortion of upper- and mid-range frequencies. Equalizer settings can add impact to the distortion"2 |
| Harmonic fuzz | Fuzz with harmonic content |
| High Gain | "The most aggressive boost of all. Plenty of gain, great sustain. Extreme equalizer settings impact the sonic mayhem"2 |
The range runs from a clean boost through tape-style saturation and mid-range overdrive to fuzz and a high gain circuit Elektron calls its most aggressive. The equalizer interacts with the circuits: on some circuits, like Classic dist and Rough crunch, the EQ settings change the character of the drive itself2.
Eight analog drive circuits in one box is an idea Elektron has used before. The original Analog Heat was described as "an eight-in-one stereo analog effects unit"6. The +FX carries the concept forward with 8 stereo analog distortion circuits12: clean boost, saturation, enhance, mid-drive, crunch, distortion, harmonic fuzz, or high gain1.
Inputs, outputs and control voltage
The rear panel is built for a studio or a larger rig rather than a pedalboard1:
- Audio in: 2 x 1/4" balanced audio in jacks, +19 dBu peak
- Audio out: 2 x 1/4" balanced audio out jacks, impedance balanced, +19 dBu peak
- Headphones out: 1/4" stereo headphones jack, +19 dBu peak
- Control inputs: 2 x 1/4" CV/Expression pedal input jacks, input level -5 V to +5 V
- MIDI: In/Out/Thru with DIN Sync out
Elektron says of the connectivity: "You've got stereo in and stereo out plus two control inputs for control voltage, expression inputs, or foot switches"2. For a player, those two control inputs are the practical part: an expression pedal can be assigned as a controller, or the jacks can take control voltage from a modular synth or foot switches for switching functions remotely.
The control voltage range of -5 V to +5 V matters for anyone pairing the unit with a modular system, since it accepts both positive and negative voltage swings on those jacks1.
The Analog Heat line and the +FX
The +FX is the newest of the three Analog Heat units. The original Analog Heat was an "eight-in-one stereo analog effects unit"6. The +FX carries that same eight-circuit concept forward and adds the effects of its +FX section1.
The +FX differs from both earlier units in its effects section and its software. Its operating system is updated separately from the earlier Analog Heat units, and OS 1.02 is the current version, following OS 1.015.
The Analog Heat MKI and MKII are earlier, separate products. Their firmware and OS updates do not install on the +FX, and the +FX updates do not install on them3.
Power comes from Elektron's own supply line rather than a standard pedal supply: the MKI and MKII documentation lists a 12 VDC PSU-3c supply, and notes those devices were originally shipped with PSU-3, PSU-3b or PSU-3c4. The +FX is a mains-powered tabletop unit, not a battery or pedalboard device.
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Questions
Can you use the Analog Heat +FX with a guitar?
The unit has two 1/4 inch balanced audio inputs and two 1/4 inch balanced outputs, so it connects with standard instrument cables. Elektron describes it as an all-around sound colouring and manipulation box rather than a guitar pedal, and its balanced inputs and outputs are built for line-level stereo sources as much as instruments.
Does the Analog Heat +FX have MIDI?
Yes. It has MIDI In, Out and Thru ports with DIN Sync out, so it can be synchronized and controlled from other MIDI gear. Its OS updates, including version 1.02, also add Overbridge support, which connects the unit to a computer over USB.
Can you plug an expression pedal into the Analog Heat +FX?
Yes. It has two 1/4 inch CV and expression pedal input jacks. Elektron says these control inputs accept control voltage, expression pedals or foot switches, and the control input level range is -5 V to +5 V.
Is the Analog Heat +FX stereo?
Yes. It has two 1/4 inch balanced audio inputs and two 1/4 inch balanced audio outputs, and its eight distortion circuits are stereo circuits. There is also a headphones output rated at +19 dBu peak.
What is the difference between the Analog Heat MKII and +FX?
The MKII, introduced in 2018, upgraded the original Analog Heat with tougher encoders, backlit buttons and a larger, sharper OLED screen, keeping the eight analog effects circuits. The +FX is a later unit with eight stereo analog distortion circuits, a noise gate and 512 user preset slots, and its OS updates are not compatible with the MKI and MKII.
Sources (6)
- Analog Heat +FX, Elektron
- Analog Heat +FX, Elektron, 2026-05-05
- Elektron Analog Heat +FX OS 1.01 Upgrade: More Fire!, gearnews.com, 2024-02-28
- Analog Heat MKII, Elektron, 2026-06-15
- Analog Heat +FX OS Release Notes, Elektron, 2024-10-16
- Legacy Products, Elektron, 2025-10-03
