Vahlbruch Kaluna Tube Overdrive, SpaceTime Tap & Quantum Compressor

A new trio of pedals from Germany designed by a professor of physics

Whoever said making stompboxes isn’t rocket science obviously hadn’t heard of Valbruch pedals, which are actually designed by a rocket scientist. Well, perhaps not a rocket scientist exactly, but Dr Henning Vahlbruch is professor of Gravitational Physics at the Albert Einstein Institute, and you don’t get a rocket off the ground without a deep knowledge of gravity…

Hand-built in Germany, the range currently comprises 13 different designs and features a unique switching technology designed by the prof. The Magnetic Transducer Button (MagTraB) switching works as follows: as you push the footswitch button the position of a magnet inside it is measured by a sensor; this sensor sends information via a micro-controller to a relay that does the actual switching.

The MagTraB system is said to be indestructible and capable of an almost infinite number of switching cycles, all with no mechanical switch clicks. Another feature is that you can set a pedal so that it powers up either on or bypassed – very practical for ‘always on’ pedals or any in switcher loops.