Poly Effects Trails

The Poly Effects Trails is a true stereo delay pedal from the Australian maker Poly Effects, built around seven modes that each work as a different effects ecosystem, from vinyl-inspired delays and sympathetic string resonances to vocal modeling and a pitch-shifting delay that freezes into shimmering pads¹. Control is by a large touchscreen, and an onboard 8-step sequencer can animate all the controls¹². Poly Effects lists it at $399.00 USD, and as of 26 October 2026 the maker's page invites email notification when units are available for pre-order¹.

The seven modes

Poly Effects describes Trails as offering "7 easy to control, and inspiring modes in true stereo," and notes that "Each mode has their own control parameters as each is a different ecosystem"¹. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes what several of the modes do:

The maker's own summary of the pedal's palette runs wider still: "Explore sympathetic strings, granular textures, vinyl inspired delays, resonators, modulated vocal modelling, wavefolding"¹. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson counts the effects more strictly: "For the Trails - there are simply just 8 effects in total, with the 8th being an 8-Step Sequencer"⁵.

Controls, presets and footswitches

The pedal is centered on a large touchscreen interface that allows for intuitive routing and real-time parameter manipulation, in the RockBoard PedalPedia description². Because each mode is its own ecosystem with its own parameters, the same four on-panel "knobs" do different things depending on the mode; Guitar.com's Richard Purvis notes that "there's a colourful manual in the box that makes everything clear, including what those four 'knobs' do in each mode"³.

For performance, Delicious Audio describes dedicated bypass and sustain footswitches that "keep the focus on performance while expanding the sonic possibilities"⁴. Preset storage is 8 slots organized as setlists⁴, and each effect category also carries eight editable factory presets to start from³.

Connectivity: MIDI and CV

The RockBoard PedalPedia entry describes "robust connectivity options, including full MIDI implementation"², which puts the Trails among pedals that can be slotted into a larger MIDI-controlled rig alongside dedicated MIDI pedals. It also lists CV inputs for modular integration², an unusual inclusion on a guitar pedal and a route into a modular system for players who work across both formats.

Part of the Poly Effects range

Trails sits in a series of touchscreen pedals from Poly Effects. Guitar Pedal X places it as "part of the same series obviously as the Flat-V, Verbs and Ample"⁵. The closest relative is the Poly Verbs reverb: Delicious Audio introduces Trails as "Just like its reverby brother [Verbs]"⁴, and describes Poly Verbs as coming from an "Australian pedal company Poly Effect [that] has never played the pedal game the way the other companies do"⁶. Players who want the company's approach in a different format can also look at the Poly Effects Beebo and Poly Effects Hector.

What reviewers said

Guitar.com's Richard Purvis rated the Trails 9 out of 10, calling it "Unpredictable and uncategorisable, this is a unique pedal that just keeps the treats coming - and sounds especially bewitching in stereo"³. The same review calls it "this Australian-made box of magic"³, which is where the pedal's country of origin is documented. Guitar Pedal X describes the hardware as "a square mid-sized box"⁵. Guitar.com's review lists the price as $399/£399³; the maker's own page gives $399.00 USD¹.

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