The SolidGoldFX NU-33 Vinyl Engine is a lo-fi vinyl modulator: a chorus and vibrato pedal mixed with what the maker calls "tastefully engineered hiss, crackle and pops"1. Where a standard chorus pedal aims for a clean, shimmering modulation, the NU-33 is built to capture the character of a worn record. SolidGoldFX says the design was inspired by specific pressings in its own collection, and Delicious Audio reports those were a worn out copy of Black Sabbath's Master of Reality and an original pressing of Led Zeppelin I2.
The pedal was announced in October 2020, with Gearnews and MusicRadar covering the launch on 20 October and Guitar World following on 23 October345. Guitar World reported a US price of $250 at launch5, and MusicRadar gave the UK price as £2454. It is made in Montreal, Canada1.
What the NU-33 does to your sound
The core of the pedal is a chorus and vibrato engine whose wet signal can be pushed toward the imperfections of vinyl playback. SolidGoldFX says you can make it sound "as pretty and lush or as dark and sombre as you please"1. On top of the modulation itself, the pedal adds vinyl artifacts: a Hiss control, a Crackle toggle that introduces random vinyl-like pops and crackle, and a Flutter control for modulation flutter on the tone62. Two filter modes, a High Pass and Low Pass Color toggle with a center bypass position, let you darken or thin the sound to sit closer to an old record12.
The name ties the concept together. Delicious Audio reports it is named after the Greek letter symbolizing spatial frequency and the RPMs of a turntable2.
The controls
The NU-33 puts six knobs and four toggles on its face, along with dual-purpose footswitches. Here is what each control does, as described by the maker and by reviewers who covered it5:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Adjusts the speed of the LFO, from low and slow to warble fast; works with an expression pedal6 |
| Level | Master volume of the pedal, can boost or cut the output6 |
| Blend | Center-detent knob blending wet and dry signals; center is a 50/50 mix for chorus, fully clockwise turns the NU-33 into a vibrato6 |
| Flutter | Adds modulation flutter to the tone2 |
| Hiss | Sets the level of the vinyl hiss; expression pedal compatible6 |
| LFO Waveform switch | Three positions: center is a classic sine wave, left is a sine wave modulated by a triangle wave, right is a sawtooth with a touch of modulation to capture the wow of vinyl1 |
| Color toggle | High Pass and Low Pass filter modes, center bypass1 |
| Crackle toggle | Adds random vinyl-like pops and crackle to the signal when set to the right6 |
Gearnews lists the LFO waveforms as Triangle, Sine Wave and Sawtooth, all chosen via the Wave switch3. The Blend knob is the key to how the pedal splits its two personalities: at the 50/50 center detent you get chorus, and turned fully clockwise the dry signal drops away for vibrato6.
Footswitches: tap tempo, ramping and vinyl skip
The two footswitches each carry two functions, which is where the performance side of the pedal lives562.
- Tap/Hold Ramp footswitch: Tap it to set the modulation speed in tempo. Hold it down and the speed ramps up or down, depending on how the ramp control is set6. Gearnews describes this as Momentary Speed Ramping: holding the Tap Tempo switch momentarily speeds up or slows down the modulation3.
- Bypass/Hold Skip footswitch: Turns the effect on and off. Hold it down while the effect is on and you momentarily engage the Skip function, which endlessly loops the signal left in the delay buffer until you release the switch6. Gearnews describes the result as momentary vinyl skips and a stutter effect3.
The Skip function is the pedal's most theatrical trick: it grabs whatever is in the buffer and stutters it like a scratched record, for as long as you keep your foot on the switch63.
Doubler mode and expression control
With the LFO out of the picture, the NU-33 becomes a utility pedal. A Manual Mode turns it into a doubler, a short delay between 15 and 50ms12. MusicRadar notes that with Flutter at minimum, the Speed knob adjusts the delay onset across that 15 to 50ms range4. A doubler thickens your tone the way a second guitarist playing the same part would, without the pitch movement of chorus.
For remote control, Speed, Flutter and Hiss can all be manipulated with an expression pedal6. The pedal also carries a CV control input alongside the expression jack, so it can respond to control voltage from synth and modular gear4.
The NU-33 runs on 9V DC only, center negative, drawing 60 mA1. There is no battery option in the maker's power specification, so plan for a spot on a powered pedalboard.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day came away impressed by the range:
"something unique yet familiar, with more tonal options than we all know what to do with"6
Pedal of the Day6
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio framed the pedal as being for players who like a little character in a clean tone, calling it2:
"a pedal bound to inspire those who, like us, believe that a clean tone without the character brought by a little bit of dirt tends to always sound a little too plain."2
Paolo De Gregorio, Delicious Audio2
Delicious Audio also added the NU-33 to its list of Best Chorus Pedals2.
Videos
The Pedal Zone
collector//emitter
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
What does NU-33 stand for?
The name comes from the Greek letter symbolizing spatial frequency, combined with the 33 RPMs of a turntable. It fits the pedal's concept: a lo-fi vinyl modulator that recreates the warble, hiss, crackle and pops of a worn record.
Can the NU-33 work as a doubler?
Yes. A Manual Mode turns the pedal into a doubler, a short delay between 15 and 50ms. With Flutter at minimum, the Speed knob adjusts where the delay onset sits within that range, giving you a thickened, doubled guitar sound.
Which NU-33 controls work with an expression pedal?
Speed, Flutter and Hiss can all be manipulated with an expression pedal. The pedal also has a CV control input alongside the expression jack, so it can be driven from gear that outputs control voltage.
Is the NU-33 Vinyl Engine true bypass?
Yes. SolidGoldFX uses relay based true bypass switching, so with the effect off your signal passes through without buffering or coloring. The bypass footswitch also doubles as the momentary Vinyl Skip control when held down.
Where is the SolidGoldFX NU-33 made?
The NU-33 is made in Montreal, Canada, by SolidGoldFX. The builder backs it with a three-year warranty against failure from defective parts or faulty workmanship, for the original owner only.
Sources (6)
- NU-33 - VINYL ENGINE - SolidGoldFX, SolidGoldFX
- SolidGoldFX NU-33 Vinyl Engine Demo, Delicious Audio, 2022-02-03
- SolidGoldFX NU-33 Vinyl Engine: a chorus/vibrato pedal with Lo-Fi vinyl tricks, gearnews.com, 2020-10-20
- SolidGoldFX's NU-33 Vinyl Engine will make your tone "warble, glitch, bend and break in all the right ways", MusicRadar, 2020-10-20
- Add some snap, crackle and pop to your tone with SolidGoldFx's NU-33 Vinyl Engine, Guitar World, 2020-10-23
- SolidGoldFX NU-33 Vinyl Engine, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2021-05-05