Anyone planning to build a 4MS Bend Matrix?

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I'm a big 4MS/Commonsound fan, and have built several of their pedals. I just came across their newest design, and getting really excited!!



As usual, 4MS has created something truly special with their new Bend Matrix.

Check out the video clips of this thing in action Here.

Also, here is the Bend Matrix's Kit website, which shows some interesting FX diagrams, of how this thing can assist you in getting more out of your FX rig.

For instance, you could take 6 effects pedals and connect them to the Bend Matrix. Now, you are free to order the effects in any way you want, run some in parallel and others in series. For instance, I have ran two phasers in parallel and had some fantastic effects. Now you can do this on the fly. You can also create feedback loops on any of your pedals, on the fly. Just get to know those Matrix buttons and you're always a few button clicks away from what you want.

Additionally, you can save patches, so simply plug all your effects in, turn them all on, and use the patches to save favorite settings.

Additionally, with the sequencer, you can now sequence between different patches, giving you amazing possibilities.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as this is just what you can do with a more traditional effects rig set up. You can put in any signal you want, and even trigger the bend matrix with your guitar to create some sick sounds. Again check out the video.


Also, my first reaction when seeing this was intimidation at the thought of building one. I have built the atoner, phaseur fleur, triwave, and noise swash and they were all wiring nightmares (if you take a peak at the insides of my pedals, it's spaghetti!). However, take a look at what Dann Green has done over the past few years, with professional quality PCB's and board-mounted pots, and drilling layouts. They look like a breeze to put together now!

Specifically, regarding the Bend Matrix, if you look at this preliminary kit page here, you can see that it uses ribbon cables to simplify the wiring of the 32 jacks, making it much cleaner and easier to work with.

The flipside is that this might be a relatively expensive build, as far as DIY standards are concerned. Since, you'll likely be buying 4MS's PCB, faceplate, and probably a few other critical components.