New Gear Review: Mod 11 by Electro-Harmonix

The Mod 11 is among a new series of pedals from EHX which offer a myriad of flavors—eleven—for a single effect. Have you met your modulation match?

When most pedal obsessives like myself think of the iconic brand Electro-Harmonix, I imagine the majority would typically imagine a single-function pedal with laser-focused use.

Pedals like the Small Clone, Big Muff, or Deluxe Memory Man don’t necessarily scream versatility, instead each bringing a distinct sonic footprint that has given them respective reputations miles long.

This type of tool can certainly be useful in the studio, especially when you know exactly what type of sound you want to capture.

But these New York City-based music manufacturers haven’t been afraid to combine multiple effects into a single pedal as well.

Previous attempts have included the all-analog Worm pedal, which combined wah, phaser, tremolo, and vibrato; the digital Epitome, which pairs a Micro POG, Electric Mistress, and a Holy Grail Plus; and the Mod Rex (a pedal we reviewed not long ago), which ties several modulation types to a single clock.

Into that milieu arrived the Mod 11, a member of a new series of digital designs that offer eleven variations on a single theme. Other entries in this range include the Canyon, which features eleven types of delay, and the Oceans 11, which applies the same principle but to reverb.

The Mod 11, as you’ve no doubt guessed from the name, focuses on modulation, and in that respect has a bit of a wider breadth of sounds than the Canyon and Oceans 11. The eleven modulation variants cover a lot of ground, and that’s not even taking into account the secondary modes offered by the Mod 11.

Yes, this pedal has some tricks up its sleeve, as there is more to it than meets the eye. So what does the Mod 11 have in store for those ready to dive in?

Features

The Mod 11 features a simple mono-in, mono-out signal path. Electro-Harmonix have included a Tap In jack, which allows external control of the modulation speed, a very welcome addition. The pedal comes with its own dedicated power supply, which you might need even if you’ve got another pedal powering solution, as I noticed it was quite picky about power. My Truetone 1-Spot failed to do the trick.

If you’ve used any sort of effects pedal, you won’t need the manual to plug your guitar in and get going right away, though this is one of those rare pedals where you will benefit from reading the manual!

As mentioned, there are eleven different modulation types to choose from—tremolo, harmonic tremolo, vibrato, univibe, chorus, a rotary speaker emulation, flange, through-zero flange, phase, pitch-shift, and filter.

Given the wide range of effects, it’s not hard to imagine the Mod 11 would have you covered for nearly any sort of modulation you might need, but what’s more is that each effect has two or three variations that can be accessed via the Mode button on the front panel. This gives an even broader range to what’s possible with the Mod 11.

The face of the pedal is adorned with four knobs, one of which selects which modulation type you’re using (only one can be used at a time). The other three knobs—Depth, Rate, and Volume/Color—are nicely spaced and easy to grasp quickly.

The Rate knob is the most straightforward of the three, as it simply controls the modulation speed in almost all cases. However, when set to its minimum value in the flange, through-zero flange, phase, and filter settings, the Mod 11 enters “Filter Matrix Mode”. In this mode, the modulation stops completely and the depth knob essentially becomes a phase control for each modulation LFO. As you can see, it’s these little details that make the Mod 11 more complex and out-there than it might first seem.

It’s worth mentioning the visual design of the pedal is a bit busy, so reading the miniscule text is a bit of a challenge. The footswitch is of the soft-click variety and can also be used as a tap tempo, though it’s a bit confusing to figure out when you’re actually tapping in notes and not just turning the pedal off and on.

In Use

There are so many sounds within each of the modes of the Mod 11 that I won’t cover every single one in detail, as no musician is likely to use it in the same way. Suffice to say, given Electro-Harmonix’s heritage, you won’t be disappointed with the quality of any of these effects.

Examining the three modes, starting with the tremolo, quickly reveals just how much tonal variation is possible. When the LED is lit green, the tremolo doesn’t react to your input volume. In orange mode, the louder you play, the faster the rate of the modulation. In red mode, the louder you play, the more depth the effect will have.

Not only does each modulation type have several modes to choose from, but there are also secondary knob functions that are specific to each mod. You enter this setting by holding down the Mode button, upon which it will start blinking to indicate that the knobs are in secondary function mode.

When set to tremolo, for example, the Rate knob adjusts the LFO shape, while the Volume/Color knob adjusts how much impact the envelope will have! This is more control than most dedicated tremolo pedals have, and it is one out of eleven choices on the Mod 11!

Throw in the fact that each effect has its own modes and secondary knob functions, and the manual all of a sudden becomes much more useful. In fact, I found myself referencing it many times when exploring the sounds within the Mod 11, as there is so much at hand.

Electro-Harmonix is definitely known for their chorus sounds, and the Mod 11 offers three variations of it. The first is a normal chorus that has the ability to go into fairly warbly territory, given the wide range of the Rate knob.

The second variation has three modulations happening at once for even more warble. I found this setting worked best when used with low depth; at higher depths it became unmanageable.

And the third setting is a bass chorus with the low end filtered out of the wet signal and boosted in the dry signal. Looking for Peter Hook vibes? Look no further. Unlike many of EHX’s chorus pedals, the secondary functions of the Mod 11 add a mix control, making it handy to dial in just a touch of swirl.

While these chorus flavors might not be quite as juicy as the brand’s analog offerings, which tend to be set to stun at all times, the Mod 11 should certainly satisfy your chorus needs.

Similarly, the univibe setting features two modes, just like on an original univibe. Add in an adjustable overdrive within the secondary features and the Mod 11 covers all of those 60’s psychedelia sounds with ease.

The phaser and flanger variants both sound great as well, with the ability to go from a gentle undulation to a ripping throb. I found the pitch-shift effect a tad digital-sounding at times, though if you’re into glitchy sounds, this might be just the ticket.

Each modulation type also stores the last-used variation automatically, along with the appropriate secondary knob settings, essentially giving you eleven presets to quickly select between.

To Be Critical

While I didn’t have a lot of issues with the Mod 11, the secondary features did take a bit of manual-referencing to remember. And while it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the pedal, the Mod 11’s faceplate is fairly hard to read because of the small type and busy underlying graphic. Similarly, the placement of the knobs’ labeling makes it hard to see at times.

Lastly (and this isn’t so much a fault of the Mod 11), but the multitude of effects means it’s hard to figure out where to put the pedal in your signal chain. You’ll almost find yourself wishing you had several of them!

Summing it Up

Take eleven different modulation effects, each with secondary and tertiary modes, and you’ve got a lot of potential for sonic mayhem. The Mod 11 can be so many different things that it’s a bit of a pedalboard sixth man.

Got a main tremolo pedal but need another setting and don’t want to re-adjust knobs? The Mod 11 swings in to the rescue. Need a multi-use chorus? Mod 11 at your door. I really found so many uses for the Mod 11 that it quickly became an indispensable addition to my pedalboard.

And while various modes and secondary functions can seem like a lot, it’s also possible to ignore that functionality and treat the pedal as what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Even used in this way, the Mod 11 offers a lot of modulation power.

Electro-Harmonix are really on to something here and the Mod 11, despite its somewhat questionable casing, is a huge win—especially given its price tag of $151. I expect that this pedal will quickly become the company’s most popular multi-effect.

Leo Maymind is a producer, DJ, and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is obsessed with sound, and you can reach him at lmaymind@gmail.com.

Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.