Morley Analog Multi FX

The Morley AFX-1 Analog Multi FX is an all-analog multi-effects pedal that gathers four of the company's effect circuits in one box: a switchless wah, a distortion with a Hi Gain switch, an FX loop, and a stereo chorus and echo. Morley announced it in November 2022 at a street price of $499, and described it as completely analog with a simple user interface¹. It sits in the multi-effects lane, but unlike most multi-effects units it uses no digital processing and no menus.

What it does

The wah is switchless, meaning you step on the pedal and it engages without a separate switch, and it is optical rather than mechanical. Morley points out that an optical wah will not wear down or break the way a traditional potentiometer-based wah pedal can, which matters for a control that takes constant foot pressure¹. The distortion section has a Hi Gain switch, and Morley describes it as having plenty of juice to stand alone while blending well with amps and other effects¹.

After the distortion sits an FX loop, a send-and-return point that lets you insert other pedals or connect the unit to your amp's loop¹. The chorus and echo run in stereo, and Morley says they deliver what it calls a massive sound in stereo¹.

Where the circuits come from

The AFX-1 is built from reissued Morley designs rather than new ones:

• Chorus: the circuitry comes from Morley's 1980s Stereo Chorus Vibrato¹
• Echo: based on Morley's 1970s Echo Chorus Vibrato, using New Old Stock Panasonic Bucket Brigade chips, the analog delay chip type of that era¹
• Wah: Morley's optical switchless design¹

For players who know the older Morley units, the AFX-1 is essentially those circuits gathered into one pedal. For players who do not, Bucket Brigade chips are the reason vintage analog chorus and delay units sound the way they do, and New Old Stock means chips from that original production run rather than modern reproductions.

Chorus and distortion in practice

Morley's own demo video revisits the pedal's two headline effects, describing "the stellar tones of the Chorus in stereo and the ever so creamy Distortion"². The chorus is available in stereo, which is where the 1980s Stereo Chorus Vibrato lineage shows¹.

Who has played and reviewed it

Morley lists the AFX-1 as available now at Morley dealers worldwide¹, and the company has also announced the Analog Multi FX landing in Japan¹³. Morley's demo features a player talking about the four main tones he uses for Warrant, which gives a sense of how the pedal's settings are put to work in a working band⁴. Since the demo comes from the maker, it is worth hearing it to judge the tones for yourself⁴.

In March 2023 Morley thanked the Japanese publications Young Guitar and Tameshibiki for their reviews of the pedal, noting that the Analog Multi FX had landed in Japan³.

Videos

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Questions