SONICAKEModulation Guitar Effects Pedal 11 Mode of Phaser Flanger Chorus Tremolo Vibrato Autowah Sampling 5th Dimension Digital

The Sonicake 5th Dimension is a mini sized digital pedal containing 11 different varieties of modulation including Phase, Flange, Chorus, Tremolo and Rotary.First thoughts on unpacking is that this pedal is built like a tank! Its reassuringly solid and heavy in the hand with one large mode selector to choose the modulation type and three small light-up knobs to control Mix (effect level), Depth (effect depth) and Rate (controlling effect speed). The soft touch on/off switch is a pleasant surprise on a pedal in this price point, engaging gently without the customary clunk.A lot of thought has been put into the presentation of this pedal too, with the inclusion of two cards detailing the 11 modulation effects and a decent quality patch lead & pre cut velcro strip to help you incorporate it straightaway into your pedalboard.Like all mini sized pedals the Sonicake 5th Dimension has no option for battery power but a standard Boss Style 9v centre negative power supply (not included) works just fine.The 11 effects are Phaser, 2 varieties each of Flange, Chorus, Tremolo and vibrato, an Auto-Wah and a Ring Modulator effect. Sound quality throughout is excellent and all settings are very useable to various degrees. With each effect its definitely worth taking some time playing around with the Mix, Depth & Rate controls to find the sweet spot for each and then making a note of each. I particularly liked the ability with the Mix control to set a very subtle level of each effect to avoid it becoming overpowering.After spending time working through and adjusting each effect Stereo chorus is definitely my personal favourite - a really rich chorus effect that sounds fantastic played through a clean amp with some reverb. The Rotary and Tremolo effects came a close second for quality & usability. The Ring Modulator effect (labelled Lofi) is probably the exception as its an effect I never really understood nor used, but I have to admit even this was fun playing around with the balance between the clean and effected signal for some very weird robotic crushed sounds!With the absence of presets and a volume level difference between some of the different effects I'm not convinced that I'd want to be changing effects in a live environment, but that's not really the point because most of all I think this pedal shines as a tool for home use, recording and just finding sounds to inspire and enhance your playing. I'm not usually a big user of modulation effects and I don't have pedalboard space (or the money!) to load up with a selection of different ones - for me its usually a choice between phase, tremolo or chorus - and I'm never satisfied with the one I end up with! This pedal is a great value solution to this dilemma, and a perfect option for the effects newbie who wants to find out what modulation effects can do.

Not quite as good as Sonicake’s absolutely outstanding Sonicbar series, but still well worth the money. It’s not without its faults but for approximately £3.50 per effect this represents outstanding value. I bought it mainly as a cheap way to get a Flanger and a Phaser, and to fill in the gaps in my pedal collection and it’s great for that purpose. You can only activate one effect at a time but that this is not as much of a compromise as it sounds since the difference between the various effects on offer can be subtle. As a Chorus junkie I was delighted to have two more styles to have a play with, and the Stereo Chorus especially gives a lush, deep sound. My only criticism is that it can be too easy to overtweak the parameters on some of the effects, especially the “jet plane” phaser and the flanger. Only the first third of the pot rotation is usable before the sounds devolve into an uncontrollable mess. Maybe it’s unfair to criticise for this because at least the scope is there if extreme pshychodelia is your thing. There’s some real left field effects provided, but far better to get a ring modulator included in this great deal than pay full price for a pedal I might only use three times in my life. Overall this is a great pedal to experiment with and will help me decide which effects I might want to invest more money in for a future full featured standalone pedal.

When it comes to wah I can be very picky. I play anything from funk to death metal, both guitar(6 and 7 strings) and bass. That is why I have 6 different wah pedals,3 of which are extremely rare and expensive. Let me tell you, this little wonder faces them all shamelessly.Building a small and very versatile pedalboard for rehearshals where I don't want to carry a lot but want the best possible sound( both as a filter for rhythms and as a filter/boost for solos) I tried several,way more expensive auto filters, but all sounded thin or very harsh. Having a few more sonicake products , I knew they are extreme value for money so I gave it a shot .And oh my I wasn't disappointed.Packaging and construction:Upon opening the box I was pleasantly surprised with the inclusion of a cut to size 3m velcro bottom and a very well made patch cable. It is a very nice and thoughtful move which increases the value for money especially at this price point( most mini pedals are like 50% more expensive at least). The pedal itself is very robust, unexpectedly heavy for its size and knobs are nice and smooth,rubber platted and back lit to help you find your way on a dark stage.Sound:You can literally replace your wah pedal with this amazing thingy. The pedal has four controls, sensitivity,presence,decay and frequency.The level of sensitivity is basically the response to your picking.Turn it down and more force will be needed to hear the effect.Turn it up and unleash a crying mayhem with every pick.Presence controls the overall top end and the response of the high frequency content of your sound. Very useful when you just wanna cut through above all instruments.Decay basically adjusts the time the waveform needs to reset and fall back to the resting point. Some very interesting results can be produced by experimenting with this knob.Lastly is the most useful knob in my opinion,the frequency knob. That adjusts the whole frequency spectrum the filter occupies making it useful for both guitar and bass.Conclussion:Whether you need this old style funk sounds which will make your sound stand out and shine or you are after those searing, throaty leads from Gary Moore to Kirk Hammett,this pedal delivers. Taking up zero space,power consumption next to zero, bulletproof construction and ridiculously affordable. What more to ask?

Works perfectly as it should. No noise. Perfect. Amazing basic delay pedal! Why pay hundreds!!! I play alot on Angels and Airwaves and this is spot on for Tom's delay sound in many of their songs.