Canada · Est. 2005
Empress Effects
Canadian boutique combining studio-grade algorithms with extraordinary build quality and depth of control.
About the brand
Empress Effects was founded in 2005 in Ottawa, Canada, by Steve Bragg. The company built its reputation on digital effects with an unusually deep parameter set — the kind of control depth normally reserved for rack units or software plugins.
The Empress Reverb is a 44-algorithm reverb machine with a four-band EQ on the wet signal — it's what happens when a studio reverb unit is reimagined as a pedal. The Compressor MKII is widely considered the finest compact compressor ever made, with controls for attack, release, ratio, and makeup gain that allow genuinely precise adjustment.
The Zoia modular effects platform is Empress's most ambitious creation — a pedal that can be programmed as any effect or combination of effects using a modular patching system. It's essentially a modular synthesizer in a guitar pedal, and has attracted a community of programmers who share patches online.
Key facts
- Compressor MKII: widely regarded as the finest compact compressor
- Zoia: a fully programmable modular effects platform in a pedal
- Studio-grade algorithm depth in compact format
- Founded in Ottawa, Canada in 2005
Iconic pedals
Compressor MKII
Considered by many the finest compact compressor ever made. Its attack, release, ratio, and blend controls allow precision impossible in other compressors.
Reverb
44-algorithm reverb with four-band EQ on the wet signal. The quality of a studio rack unit in a compact pedal format.
Zoia
Programmable modular effects platform. A synthesis of signal modules that can be configured as any effect or combination of effects imaginable.
Notable musicians
- Mateus Asato · Reverb, Compressor
- Yvette Young · Zoia
- Andy Othling · Zoia, Reverb
- Tim Henson · Zoia, Compressor