Discover Non-Human Audio’s handcrafted effects pedals by Dave Jordan. From the gritty Slow Loris to chaotic Mocking Blur, explore unique tones for your sound.
From Artist to Tinkerer
Dave Jordan—comic artist, junk food reviewer, and noise-rock musician—brings his unconventional creativity to Non-Human Audio, a pedal company built for experimental sounds. With handcrafted circuits that range from subtly textured to downright chaotic, NHA pedals are a playground for experimental musicians.
The first look at his pedals reveals Jordan's abstract vision of melding an unruly gritty appearance with versatile controls and usable sounds. All pedals are hand-finished, giving each a unique and personal touch. Jordan gets help from friends, collaborators, and PCB builders such as Will Killingsworth from Dead Air Studios.
I see the process of building a pedal from the ground up with my hands from the same perspective as building furniture, or painting. -NHA owner Dave Jordan
Take it 'Slow Loris'
The Slow Loris is one of NHA's most celebrated pedals, praised for its lofi tones and absurd slapback delay. This pedal features a unique circuit that blends slapback delay with subtle vibrato/chorus. As you play through this pedal you will notice the lighter you play, the pedal will give you a more subtle slapback modulation, but as you rip into your instrument and boost your signal the pedal will grab your sound and trigger deeper and deeper vibrato.
Features of the Slow Loris:
- Dynamic Delay + Vibrato: Combines slapback delay with lush vibrato for evolving, textured tones.
- Touch-Responsive Playability: Light playing = subtle modulation; heavy playing = deep, swirling vibrato.
- Shoegaze Essential: Perfect for creating atmospheric, dreamy soundscapes.
If your guitar was a pirate, the Slow Loris is your bottle of rum to give you that Jack Sparrow walk in modulated form. Jordan explains, in the manual of the Loris, that there is no "right" way to put it in your signal chain due to the dynamics of the pedal. Throw it after a huge fuzz and you will instantly pick up some beautiful shoe-gazing tones. Check out the Slow Loris here.
To Kill a 'Mocking Blur'
The Mocking Blur was released in September of 2023 and has kept steady interest from the noise-making community. This unique delay pedal features some disgusting gain staging that will rip apart your signal chain. It can be used as a weird ambient device, to layer an atmosphere under your playing, and could even be used as a noise drone demon spawn.
Features of the Mocking Blur:
- Chaotic Delay + Gain: Features disgusting gain staging for gritty, unpredictable delays.
- Ambient to Noise: Use it for lush ambient layers or harsh, drone-like textures.
- Signal Chain Destroyer: Pushes amps and pedals into overdrive for maximum mayhem.
This is not a pedal to replace your DD-8 or even your space echo, this pedal exists to shove itself into your pedalboard and cause mayhem. With its gain staging capabilities, this pedal can push your tubes and overdrive anything in front. I should warn any pedals behind the Mocking Blur to know they'll get a pretty nasty outfit after going through this circuit. Get twisted and peep the Mocking Blur here.
Lions, tigers, and 'Water Bear's, oh my!
One of my favorites from NHA is the Water Bear's warm fuzzy blanket. NHA has had a huge line of "bears" from the Cave Bear, King Bear, Sun Bear, and more. However, this little five-transistor fuzz pedal is one of my favorites. Upon receiving this pedal, you will find that there is a fine line between sounding like a crying robot and sounding like the tunes coming from your stoner neighbor's sound system.
Features of the Water Bear:
- Warm Fuzz to Glitchy Chaos: Five-transistor circuit delivers smooth sustain or aggressive, gated fuzz.
- Simple Controls: Volume and "Control" knobs for dialing in your perfect fuzz tone.
- Synth-Like Tones: Roll back your guitar’s volume for 8-bit-inspired sounds.
The Water Bear features a simple two-knob control system to keep it nice and simple. One volume knob for volume things, and of course one, as Jordan labels it, the "control" control. Roll the "control" knob to the left for a more wooly smooth fuzz with extra sustain, or spin it to the right for an aggressive glitchy robotic mess. Jordan also recommends rolling your volume control on your instrument for more 8-bit synth-like sounds. Stay warm with a wooly blanket by picking up the Water Bear here.
So what do you think? Are you thinking about picking up any of these noisy contraptions? Let me know your thoughts on these pedals in the comments below! If you're interested in any of these pedals or want to check out more of Non-Human Audio's mad experiments, head to their website to check out more of their lineup! Don't forget to follow Dave Jordan's band Miserable Things to hear some of his pedals in action!