Our Top 5 Guitar Pedals for right now
Well hello world, and welcome back to Raccoon Point Studios.
Today we’re breaking down our top five guitar pedals for 2025. Full disclosure: one of these actually dropped in late 2024, but it just made its way into the studio rotation, so it’s definitely earning its spot for the year ahead.
If you’re into black metal, shoegaze, or just want to make some weird, swirly noise, here is the gear we're hyped on right now.
Check out the full video and hear these things in action right here.
1. This Heavy Earth: Black Metal Overdrive
The first thing that struck us about this—besides the name—is the built-in gate. It’s huge for the studio. We don't always want to mess around with a four-cable method or complicated effects loops just to keep the signal chain quiet.
When we put this in front of a clean channel, it shapes the tone perfectly, pulls out the low-end mud, and adds serious articulation. If you're running high-gain stuff, especially at loud volumes, you’ll notice how much it helps the guitar sit in the mix once the bass and drums kick in.
2. Electro-Harmonix x JHS: The "Forgotten" Muff (Big Muff 2)
This op-amp Muff is an absolute beast. It’s got that massive low-end you’d expect from a Green Russian, but with a unique "bite" on the top end that we haven't heard in other Muffs.
Studio Tip: It sounds killer on bass. We’ve been using it for drone tracks lately, and it fills out the room. We find the sweet spot is usually with the tone knob right around noon.
3. IK Multimedia: Tonex One
We know these have been around for a minute, but with the recent firmware updates and version two captures, they’ve become a staple in our writing process.
We’re actually running two of them for an easy stereo rig. It allows us to track stereo ideas instantly without micing up multiple amps right away. We love the little imperfections that happen when you’re creating in the moment, and the Tonex lets us capture those "on the fly" ideas before the vibe disappears. When it’s time for the final tracking, we’ll usually mic up the real stacks, but for demoing and capturing a mood? This is our go-to.
4. Source Audio: Encounter
This is a stereo delay and reverb combo built for the ambient crowd. It’s loaded with MIDI, expression jacks, and some wild algorithms.
Our favorite move lately is running the Black Metal Overdrive into a heavy wash from the Encounter. Without the overdrive, the guitar can sometimes melt too far into the background; with it, you cut right through the atmosphere. It creates that "dreamy but dangerous" sound we love.
5. Old Blood Noise Endeavors: Sunlight
This is hands-down our favorite reverb ever created. It’s a dynamic reverb, so it responds specifically to how hard you’re playing. You can set it to "freeze" or hold onto certain notes while you play over them.
If you’re looking for that sludgy, stoner-shoegaze, swirly black metal vibe, the Sunlight is the GOAT. It does exactly what we need it to do every single time.
The Raccoon Point Workflow
At the end of the day, we’re believers in whatever helps you create faster. We’re always experimenting with different signal chains, but these five pedals are the current backbone of the studio sound.
If you’re on the Delmarva Peninsula and looking to track something heavy, atmospheric, or just plain weird, come see us at Raccoon Point Studios. We’ve got the gear, the 5150s, and the ears to make it happen.
Stay tuned, and don't forget to subscribe to the channel. See you in the next one!
— The Team at Raccoon Point Studios www.rpmusicstudios.com
