The SIVA is a multi-effects unit from Smooth Hound Innovations, announced in May 2021 and billed as a "Virtual Analogue" platform, meaning digital models of analog-style effects in a single box. It is built in the UK, housed in a robust steel case, and runs on a quad-core 64-bit 1.2GHz audio processor paired with what the maker calls high-fidelity analog audio circuitry1. Gearnews framed it as a British alternative in a market dominated by a few large units.
Screen and footswitches
The user interface revolves around a full-color screen and a joystick, which Smooth Hound Innovations describes as intuitive1. Around it sit eight high-quality footswitches, each with a bright LED indicator that visually connects the switch to its corresponding on-screen function, so a player can see at a glance what each press is doing1.
The footswitches are assignable in several ways:
- Control individual effects, one switch per effect
- Tone Snaps: make multiple changes with one press
- Tap Tempo: control the overall tempo
- Board Swap: change to a whole new preset1
Effects and connectivity
The effects section includes several classic boutique and vintage pedal models, broken down into Overdrives & Fuzz, Modulation, Echo, Filter and Other. The Other category holds a looper, a tuner and a noise-gate, so the unit covers looping, tuning and noise gating as well as its drive, modulation, echo and filter effects1.
Connectivity is broad for a unit of this kind:
- MIDI in and out
- USB
- Headphone output
- Master outputs on XLR and jack
- Two effects send and return loops1
The MIDI in and out and the effects loops mean the SIVA can sit at the center of a larger rig, syncing with other MIDI gear and placing external pedals inside its own chain1.
Price
At announcement, gearnews.com listed the SIVA at an RRP of GBP 989, with the matching K1100 transmitter at GBP 791. A separate product page at Zander Circuitry, a different maker, lists a unit called the Siva at $200.00 USD as of 22 June 20262; that listing is not from Smooth Hound Innovations, so the two figures belong to different listings rather than one price history.
What early players said
The SIVA was new when it was reported, and gearnews.com's writer had not played a production unit. On the strength of the prototype, the report passed on this verdict1:
"I have not tried one yet, but I have heard from people that have played the prototype that the SIVA is a really great sounding box."
Videos
Smooth Hound
Smooth Hound
Mike Bee & The Acid Fuzz Trio
Questions
Is the Smooth Hound SIVA analog or digital?
It is a digital unit at its core: the SIVA runs on a quad-core 64-bit 1.2GHz audio processor. Smooth Hound Innovations pairs that with what the company calls high-fidelity analogue audio circuitry, and the whole platform is billed as Virtual Analogue, meaning digital models of analogue-style effects rather than a purely analogue signal path.
Where is the SIVA made?
The SIVA is manufactured in the UK. According to gearnews.com's report on the unit, the whole Virtual Analogue multi-effects platform is housed in a robust steel case and built in Britain, which the report framed as a British alternative in the multi-effects market.
Does the SIVA have a looper and tuner built in?
Yes. The SIVA's effects section includes an Other category, and gearnews.com reports that this category contains a looper, a tuner and a noise-gate alongside the overdrive, modulation, echo and filter effects. So a player can cover tuning, recording loops and taming noise without leaving the unit.
Does the SIVA have MIDI?
Yes. The SIVA has MIDI in and out, along with USB, a headphone output, master outputs on XLR and jack, and two effects loops (send and return). That makes it possible to sync the unit with other MIDI gear and to place external pedals inside its effects chain.
What are Tone Snaps on the SIVA?
Tone Snaps are one of the assignments available for the SIVA's eight footswitches. Where a single switch can be set to control one individual effect, a Tone Snap gathers multiple changes together so one press makes several changes at once, useful for moving between sounds mid-song.
How much does the SIVA cost?
At its announcement in May 2021, gearnews.com listed the SIVA at an RRP of GBP 989, with the K1100 transmitter at GBP 79. A separate current listing at Zander Circuitry, a different maker, prices a unit called the Siva at $200.00 USD as of June 2026; that listing is not from Smooth Hound Innovations.
Sources (2)
- Smooth Hound Innovations SIVA: A British alternative to the Helix?, gearnews.com, 2021-05-14
- Siva - Zander Circuitry, Zander Circuitry, 2024-01-01