Emperor

JHS Pedals launched the Emperor in 2014 as their first foray into modulation, pairing classic bucket brigade analog warmth with modern conveniences like tap tempo and waveform selection. The V1 predates the more feature-rich V2, offering the same 3207 BBD chipset that defined '80s chorus tones but with a simpler control set.

The pedal toggles between lush chorus and seasick vibrato modes, with three waveform shapes (sine, square, triangle) to sculpt the modulation character. Its passive tone control offers simple treble rolloff, while the depth and speed knobs dial in everything from subtle shimmer to Leslie-style rotary wobble. True stereo output capability made it a favorite for ambient players.

The Emperor V1 proved popular enough to warrant the 2018 V2 update, which swapped the passive tone for an active EQ and added expression pedal input.