New Gear: LAA Custom SmartSwitcher

LAA Custom SmartSwitcher, the First Remote-controlled Bass & Guitar Switcher…

A few months back, LAA Custom announced a ground-breaking new concept in guitar pedal switching, the SmartSwitcher, which brings together the functionality of a high-end switcher, a remote (wireless) footswitch unit to control it, and a dead-simple mobile app interface to enable easy-programming and total flexibility in the sequence of your pedalboard.

The original plan had been to launch through a major crowdfunding platform – however, the huge interest from musicians and their valuable feedback and some improvements in functionality led to a change in LAA Custom’s launch plans.

The result? A final product that now contains even more functionality and is now available for pre-order, exclusively through the guitar industry’s leading platform for new and used guitar gear – Reverb.

Talking about the reasons for selecting Reverb, Carlo Sorasio, LAA’s founder, spoke about buyer’s trust. “We wanted to be sure our customers had full confidence that what they ordered, would be delivered. Crowdfunders are often about concepts rather than products and many never materialize or are delivered late. This may work for many products, but we believe our customers are more demanding. We have a product that is ready to manufacture, and we wanted to reassure customers that they would receive their purchase within a defined time. This is where pre-ordering through Reverb is ideal – You are guaranteed your product through the set-up and safeguards of this platform.”

To back this point up, LAA Custom has also pre-bought all of the chips required to manufacture the SmartSwitcher – eliminating one of the greatest concerns surrounding any electronic equipment in these times!

“The other thing that partnering with Reverb means,” ads Carlo, “is that we are able to offer this initial launch exclusively, in limited quantities, at a stunning price, even including all taxes and delivery for most major markets – something we wouldn’t be able to offer through traditional retail and distribution and something we can only do for a limited number of units!”

In addition to the launch through Reverb, several functions have been enhanced since the initial announcement.

Even better functionality

The main concept behind the SmartSwitcher remains unchanged – a compact app-programmable switcher that can be operated from a remote sleek footswitch unit, meaning the switcher can sit in your pedalboard (even under your pedals) or in a rack. You then only need the footswitch unit (SmartController) on-stage with you. The switcher has10 loops – 6 mono and 4 stereo – which can mean up to 14 mono loops using Y-splitters, while the SmartController can be extended from 5 switches to 10, using an extender unit.

The SonicMind app itself is completely intuitive and enables you to easily create presets by dragging and dropping your connected pedals to where you want them, either before the amp, or in the send/return loop. Among other details, you can also assign as many banks as you want to each footswitch or set output levels and boost per preset. Then the fun starts. You can pull presets together into songs, then songs into setlists. Or you can use a direct selection of presets via the multiple footswitches (up to 10) and banks. You can also dedicate footswitches to different functions, from individual songs to output levels. The idea is that you can set this switcher up to do whatever you want to. Simply.

It also now features a range of midi functionality so you can control midi pedals and even connect to a midi controller. Even more midi functionality is planned.

This brings up another advantage of the SmartSwitcher – Over-the-Air updates – meaning future functionality can be added easily through your smartphone. Futureproofing your investment!

For more information visit online at Reverb