The pedalboards of the madmen in Upsilon Acrux are designed to inflict maximum sonic mayhem, and not slick, pretty, or subtle effects. Even the guy on the Rhodes keyboard can make his instrument sound like a terrifying attack on the senses.
I’m a big fan of amp sims and all-in-one effects units, but this is a completely different art form. Having a real world pedalboard has real life advantages and challenges. The tactile control option is one reason many choose this route over a sim or multi-fx, and many just prefer the sounds of analog circuitry. For this band, I would imagine it’s both.
Check out their insane set up in the video below (apologies for vertical video). The players are Paul Lai and Noah Guevara on guitar, and Patrick Shiroishi on Rhodes piano.
