TEN PEDALS IN fifteen hundred words? You're joking, aren't you? OK, I'll give it a go.

These ten FX units form part of an entirely new range produced by Ibanez - a well-established Japanese guitar designer and manufacturer. As is usually the case, all the pedals are similar in aesthetic design and construction, with cases of sturdy diecast metal. The footswitches themselves are chunky, and as well as their main function, also provide access to the battery compartment: simply push a small clip on the side of the pedal, the switch cover pops up, and all is revealed.

First, the CD10 Delay Champ. I still find there are qualities that an analogue delay possesses over its more sophisticated digital successor - the main one being the warmth of the repeat signal and a generally softer tone. The CD10 certainly has these qualities, from a wide delay time through a very authentic slapback echo, right up to a long, lazy repeat. Two outputs, a single input and basic delay time, repeat and delay level controls make the CD10 easy to use. By analogue standards the Champ is very quiet, and while not bristling with functions is still good value for money at £75.

The Champ has a digital counterpart in the DDL 20 Delay III pedal.

This can make a stereo effect from a mono input, and features the usual delay time, level and repeat controls. But its real appeal lies in a notched pot with six positions: filtering, doubling, slapback and echo S, M and L.

Filtering fattens the sound subtly, enlarging guitar chords without the coloration that a harmoniser or chorus would give. Doubling is more drastic, and makes clean rhythm guitar sounds much fuller - although too much reverb on the amp makes the effect sound mushy. Slapback is what its name implies, and the effect is quite convincing, even though it's not the same as the old-style Watkins Copicat type - the signal is tighter and obviously more modern.

To achieve the old Slapback sound, the best setting is echo S. The remaining two settings - echo M and L - both perform really well, with a good, strong, and most importantly clean effect.

All in all, a lot of versatility for the cash at £139.

Subtlety seems to be the order of the day with the SC10 Stereo Chorus, which offers a less pronounced sound than many of its rivals. It's soft and laid-back, but never fades altogether. Three controls - speed, width and d-time - look after setting-up, but although the sounds are very good, their range is quite limited. I tend to think that chorus sounds have been used so much over the last few years, the effect is almost played out. However, the SC10 is unobtrusive enough to be used to reinforce your sound without making it "effect heavy". Worth considering at £65.

Subtle is not a word you could associate with the SS20 Session Man. If it's 'eavy you're after, this little beauty should suit you down to the ground. The Session Man is primarily a distortion pedal, but also has a delay circuit thrown in. A distortion control gives crunchy, dirty-sounding rhythm and edgy lead guitar sounds. There's also a tone pot, output level pot, a series/para switch and a delay time pot.

The delay adds depth to the distortion, although it is limited in range. The repeat and delay level can be fine-tuned by those two small pots hidden under the footswitch - but be careful, because setting them too high can cause internal feedback problems. By experimenting, it's possible to create a fine, modern-sounding overdrive.

There's also an SS10 version of the Session Man, which which has the same distortion options as the SS20, but features a chorus circuit instead of a delay. And as it happens, the chorus has a great deal of clarity, and is a much stronger effect than the SS20's delay. So if I had to choose between the two, I'd probably go for the SS10. They both weigh in at just under the ton.

While a flanger isn't the kind of effect many musicians regard as vital, when it's incorporated into a unit like the PC10 Prime Dual Chorus, it becomes both usable and versatile. Selecting flange or chorus is as easy as flicking a switch, and the result is a pleasant wash of sound which can lurk in the background or whack you over the head, depending on how you set it up. A remote, external footswitch can be added to save bending down to switch from one effect to the other. On its own, the chorus has just speed and width controls, but these are calibrated to start from a warm tremolo sound - reminiscent of a Fender Twin reverb - right through to a heavy "bubbling", although what that could be used for is beyond me!

Flanging is an acquired taste, but the mellowness of the PC10's tone makes it useful for almost any style of music that puts the emphasis on melody. More versatility at £109.

Chorus is made available in another form by the DCF10 Chorus Flanger. This is a digital unit with normal and inverted stereo outputs, and a time delay variable from 0.25ms to 128ms. The delay has enough scope to add thickness to the sound, but that's about it. The DCF10's widely variable flange provides a deep, sweeping effect which is nicely enhanced by the chorus. In fact, I have to say that the strongest sound in this unit is the flanger, with the chorus providing the spice for a fuller sound. Another plus is the noise - or rather the lack of it. A touch pricey though at £125.

Now, my experience of fat cats is that they are generally asleep, eat large quantities of Whiskas and generally do little to justify the space they take up. Not so the FC10 Fat Cat Distortion. This is what I'd call an intelligent distortion pedal. It has three basic controls for distortion plus tone and level, and with careful setting-up there are some great rock guitar sounds to be had. Backing off the distortion control, with the tone pot about half-way, results in a raunchy, dirty rhythm sound. Backing off the tone pot even further creates some nice overtones - great for playing blues or anything that needs a warm, slightly murky tone.

On cranking up the Cat (no, I'm not being disgusting), it becomes a really different animal. What impressed me most was the amount of sustain available, without the horrible oscillation that occurs with most distortion devices. Via the tone pot, the harmonic range was also very impressive. A feline snip at £49.

I have to be honest and say I've never really found compressors really useful as an effect. But if I had to choose a high-quality, solid-sounding unit, the CP10 Compressor Sustainer would be high on the list. The controls are simple to understand (a real bonus in my case), and the clarity of the sound is hard to fault. When hooked-up to a clean amp, with something like a Strat or Telecaster, the tension in the sound can be emphasised with the notes taking longer to decay - although too much attack can make the sound a touch artificial. That in itself can be quite a useful effect in certain places, but there's no denying too much attack can be a problem when playing fast. For £75, the CP10 gives an incredible amount of sustain, although with the sustain pot cranked right up, there is a small amount of noise generated.

Basically, there are two types of overdrive sound. One retains the nuances of the original guitar sound - like, for example, an overdriven valve amp - and the other is the heavier crunch favoured by the HM fraternity. If your preference is for the former then the TS10 Tube Screamer could well be for you, because it recreates an overdriven valve amp quite convincingly, adding a solid, fat edge to the sound without saturating it with fuzz. In fact, even with the drive pot set flat out, there's still enough headroom to use your instrument's own volume control to clean up, or push the sound to exactly where you want. Mild but interesting for £49.

I played around with the MS10 Metal Charger for quite some time and was still finding different sustain effects when I realised I could be at it all day and still not reach its limit. Because of the five control pots - including attack, punch and edge - the variety of distortion isn't limited to just metal guitar sounds. The punch and edge pots, cranked right up, produced one of the warmest sounds I've heard from a distortion pedal. A great, fat blues sound is produced with the distortion cut back and everything else set at about three o'clock. What's more, although the tone is warm there's enough presence to hear the pick against the strings... At £59, definitely in my Top Five distortion pedals.

Well, after that little lot I really don't want to see another pedal for quite a while. Mind you, it was worth it: all these Ibanez pedals are well-made, easy to use, and do exactly what is claimed for them. When choosing effects, it's important to remember that although they can enhance your playing and your sound, they're won't make up for a lazy performance. So choosing exactly which units are right for you should be done with a degree of care and foresight. That said, Ibanez certainly have a full range: I didn't have space for the volume pedal, wah-wah, fuzz-wah (I kid you not), graphic EQ, multi-delay pedal and the bass effects. So go down to your local music store and check out the Ibanez range. And don't forget to take a packed lunch.

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