The Gamechanger Audio Plus Pedal II is a sustain pedal that adds piano-style sustain and sostenuto to any instrument1. Instead of stretching one note like a traditional sustainer, it samples what you play and holds it as a layer you can keep building on, the way a piano's sustain pedal lets overlapping notes ring together. It works with guitar, vocals, wind, acoustic instruments, brass, strings, and experimental sound sources, with Gamechanger Audio saying it preserves them in stunning realism2.
At its core is the maker's Real-time Audio Sampling technology working alongside a new Spectral Sampling engine that captures the timbre, dynamics, harmonics, and character of any input1. You press the brass foot-pedal to catch and hold notes; release it and the layers continue while your dry signal keeps flowing through the input buffer. It sits in the same broad family as looping pedals, but its job is sustain and layering of what you are playing now rather than recording phrases.
What the Plus Pedal II does
The pedal's idea is simple: treat any instrument like a piano with an infinite sustain pedal. Press the brass pedal and the notes you are playing are caught and held as sustained layers; keep playing and you stack new layers on top. A new Auto Catch mode catches and layers new notes automatically while your foot rests on the brass pedal, which Gamechanger Audio likens to playing a piano with infinite sustain4.
The Spectral Sampling engine is the upgrade over the original design. It captures the true harmonic and dynamic character of any input rather than just looping a snippet of audio, so held layers keep the character of the instrument that made them1. The brass pedal itself is a gradual optical control, giving you continuous command over each sustain layer's volume as you play4.
The controls
The front panel grew substantially for version II. Guitar Pedal X counted 8 controls on the fascia where the original had 4, plus 3 controls on the rear panel where there were none before6.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Brass pedal | Gradual optical control over each sustain layer's volume as you play4 |
| LAYERS knob | Selects how many active layers the pedal maintains, 1 to 10 layers or Infinite Mode1 |
| RESONANCE knob | Adds upper and lower harmonics to all active layers, interacting and evolving with your playing4 |
| Tone knob | Shapes the tone of the sustained layers7 |
| Rise knob | Sets the rise time of the sustain, from fast to slow6 |
| CATCH switch, ALL position | Every new note becomes a layer1 |
| KILL-DRY switch | Removes the dry signal, for semi-acoustic performances4 |
| 11 LED circular display | Shows the pedal's state5 |
Auto Catch mode works alongside the CATCH switch to decide when new notes are grabbed and layered14.
Power and connections
The Plus Pedal II runs on a standard 9V DC center-negative supply delivering at least 500 mA through a 2.1 x 5.5 mm plug, and the supply is not included1. Power consumption is 2.4 W5.
The 500 mA minimum is well above what most analog pedals draw, so check that your power brick has a high-current output before adding this to a board.
Connections are more flexible than the original's. The input is a 1/4" unbalanced TS mono instrument jack with 1M ohm input impedance and a maximum input level of 5.6 Vpp1. The main OUT is stereo when you use a TRS cable and mono with a TS cable2, with 100 ohm output impedance and a maximum output level of 5.6 Vpp15. There is also a SEND and RETURN pair for an effects loop: SEND and RETURN accept TS or TRS cables, and in LOOP and POST modes a stereo return is passed to the main output, while in PRE mode the return feeds the sustain engine and folds to mono5. A USB-C port handles USB-MIDI and firmware updates1.
On the audio specs, the maker's own pages disagree: the product page lists 44.1 kHz, 24-bit digital audio15, while the support article's spec table gives a 26 kHz sample rate and 16-bit A/D and D/A conversion5. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 22 kHz analog and 13 kHz digital, signal to noise ratio is -97 dB (A weighted), and THD is -84 dB5.
The optional footswitch: Wet Only, Latch and Hide
The Plus Pedal II Footswitch is a separate unit, priced at $79.004, that engages the pedal's three operating modes8. It connects with the included "PLUS" TRS cable and adds a dedicated 1/4" mono Dry Out, so you can send your dry signal to one destination and the wet layers to another8.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| WET ONLY | Removes the dry signal from the main output, leaving only the wet layers47 |
| LATCH | Keeps the pedal continuously active without holding the brass pedal down, an "always on" state that pairs with Auto Layer Catching48 |
| HIDE | Mutes the dry signal only while the brass pedal is pressed, so the audience hears just the newly created layers45 |
The footswitches and pedals do not cross generations: PLUS Footswitch I is not compatible with Plus Pedal II, and Plus Pedal I is not compatible with PLUS Footswitch II18.
From the original Plus Pedal to the Plus Pedal II
The original Plus Pedal redefined what sustain should feel like, in Gamechanger Audio's words43. The Plus Pedal II, released on 8 August 2026, replaces it with a completely redesigned sound engine, an expanded control section, and a major hardware redesign43. Guitar Pedal X described it as a significantly extended and upgraded version of the piano-style sustainer, now in an enhanced V2 edition6.
The physical design carries over the concept's signature look: Delicious Audio noted the housing is still tour-tough7. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer was enthusiastic about the update as a whole:
"I still feel this is the GOAT of this type of effect - and really beautifully executed"6
The pedal carries a lifetime warranty from Gamechanger Audio2.
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Questions
Does the Gamechanger Plus Pedal II have a bypass footswitch?
No. The Plus Pedal II is buffered and has no bypass footswitch. The brass foot-pedal brings sustain in, and the dry signal always passes through the input buffer, so your unaffected tone keeps flowing whether or not a sustain layer is active.
Is the Plus Pedal II stereo?
Yes, conditionally. The main OUT is stereo when you use a TRS cable and mono when you use a TS cable. The SEND and RETURN jacks for the effects loop also accept TS or TRS cables, and in LOOP and POST modes a stereo return is passed on to the main output.
What power supply does the Plus Pedal II need?
A standard 9V DC center-negative pedal power supply delivering at least 500 mA, with a 2.1 x 5.5 mm plug. The supply is not included, and the 500 mA minimum means small daisy-chain supplies designed for low-current analog pedals may not be adequate.
Does the Plus Pedal II work with vocals and other instruments?
Yes. Gamechanger Audio says it preserves guitar, vocals, wind, acoustic instruments, brass, strings, and experimental sound sources with realistic results, thanks to a Spectral Sampling engine that captures the timbre, dynamics, harmonics, and character of any input signal.
Can I update the Plus Pedal II firmware over USB-C?
Yes. The pedal has a USB-C port used for USB-MIDI and firmware updates, so you can connect it to a computer for control and to install new firmware from the maker as it is released.
Sources (8)
- Plus Pedal II with Footswitch, gamechangeraudio.com, 2026-10-16
- PLUS Pedal II Shop, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-10-16
- PLUS Pedal, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-08-27
- PLUS Pedal II, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-10-16
- PLUS PEDAL II Support, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-10-14
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-07-13
- Gamechanger Audio Plus Pedal II, Delicious Audio, 2026-10-21
- PLUS Pedal II External Footswitch by Gamechanger Audio, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-10-16