Liam Killen’s Synth FX Pedal Deathmatch: Only the Strong Survive

Liam Killen kicks things off by laying out his FX pedal obsession—over 50 pedals have been through his hands, but only the best make the cut for synth use. He’s not just stacking pedals for the sake of it; each one’s been battle-tested in the context of electronic music, with a focus on DAWless setups and real-time performance. The setup is classic Killen: Novation Circuit Rhythm and Bass Station 2, all powered by the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3, and wrangled onto Pedaltrain boards.

There’s no fluff here—Liam’s approach is all about practical application, not just shiny boxes. He’s got a playlist for the full series if you want the deep lore, but this video is the distilled, no-nonsense highlight reel. If you’re looking to upgrade your pedalboard for synths, this is the shortlist you actually need. And yes, he’s got affiliate links, but the focus is on what actually delivers in a real-world synth rig.

The Empress ParaEQ Deluxe MK2 is the unsung hero for synth heads who want surgical control without a DAW. Liam loves how it sharpens your ears and keeps everything tactile—no menus, just knobs and instant results. The only catch? It’s mono, so if you want stereo, double up or move on. Still, for on-the-fly sound design and sampling, it’s a beast.

When it’s time to get dirty, the JHS Colourbox V2 and Boss OD-200 step into the ring. The Colourbox V2 brings studio-grade preamp vibes and can handle vocals or synths with equal swagger, while the OD-200 is a digital distortion Swiss Army knife. Presets like X-Metal and Scream aren’t just for guitarists—on synths and drums, they turn polite grooves into toaster-fight chaos. If you want everything from subtle saturation to full-on fuzz carnage, these are your street weapons.

Lo-fi and glitch effects get the spotlight, and Liam’s picks are anything but polite. The Red Panda Bitmap 2 is his lo-fi pedal of choice, delivering bitcrushing, sample rate reduction, and gnarly modulation that can turn any riff into a pixelated fever dream. There’s a sweet spot where destruction and musicality collide, and this box finds it with style.

For glitch and granular madness, the Chase Bliss Mood is the winner. It’s a micro-looper, ambient generator, and tweak-fest all in one, with enough dip switches to make your head spin. Whether you want ambient textures or rhythmic chaos, Mood spits out ideas faster than you can process them. If you’re after creative sound design tools that can break your patterns and spark new tracks, these pedals are pure mayhem.