VINTAGE GUITAR (USA)  June 2005 DeLayla XL
Starting with a delay echo, it had that punchy, slightly distorted attack for which old Echoplex machines are known. Its decay sounded identical, with tape deterioration tone you simply cannot get from a digital unit – pure warm and nasty.
This pedal acts just like the real thing, but without the hassle of tapes and unreliable electronics. We could easily tap out our tempo with our foot with the tempo switch.
You’ll not find a more accurate-sounding tape delay unit than the DeLayla, which is one of the most accurate representations we’ve heard.

VINTAGE GUITAR (USA)  June 2005 Plexitone
We were greeted by nice high gain that was very clear and natural with plenty of low end. We were also able to dial back the gain to a slight, natural break-up. Dialing back the tone tame the highs, the pedal never lost clarity – note separation was always incredible, like plugging straight into an old Marshall plexi.
As we pushed the crunch, we got more gain without loosing the pedals natural tone. We then hit the select switch to get even more gain, and the tone always stuck with us – low-end does not go away.
Switching on the boost gave a dramatic bump up in headroom.
The Stratocaster sounded completely like it self, as did the Esquire, with tons of smooth clear gain you’d expect from a plexi Marshall

GUITARIST (UK) March 2005. Plexitone
An overdrive pedal with five levels of drive is quite a luxury in itself, but it’s a real delight when all the sounds are so rich and meaty.
We’re not sure whether Carl Martin intended to create a direct Marshall tribute here (apart from the name, of course) but there’s definitely a Marchall’esque quality to many of the sounds. Combined with a generous twist of the tone knob, high settings on the crunch channel can sound quite like a JCM 800.
Far less subtlety and tonal range is available from the high gain channel, but that’s not a problem. This is where you can find that wonderfully spongy distortion typical of a valve amp set to near-meltdown level. The response is very smooth, with the natural compression or “sag” typical of real valve amps.

GUITARIST (UK) March 2005. DeLayla XL
The DeLayla XL is warm, dirty and thoroughly charming. After playing with this pedal for a couple of hours, you you’ll properly start to wonder whether you’ll ever be able to stand the sound of crisp, perfect digital delays ever again. Like real well-worn tape, the DeLayla XL does a good job of filtering out higher frequencies in the echo tone, meaning you  can be a lot more liberal with the effect than you would with a digital unit.

GUITAR WORLD (USA) December 2004. Combinator 2
The Construction is rugged, the layout clean and, most importantly, the sound is absolutely pristine. For the dedicated stomp box user, the Combinator 2 is a revelation.

GUITAR PLAYER (USA) April 2004. HDB MK3
In Drive mode, I was stoked with the range afforded by the Gain knob, which provided everything from subtle splashes of dirt to complete molten meltdown.
The sound remained smooth and musical no matter how much distortion was piled on, and dynamically sensitive to my picking attack and guitar’s volume.

AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN (Australia) November 2003. DeLayla & HDB MK3
I confess no really knowing much about Carl Martin guitar pedals before I took delivery of the two review models. The first thing I noticed was how much the boxes weighed. Carl Martin Pedals are Big, look stunning and appear to be indestructible. Love at first sight.

AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN (Australia) November 2003. HDB MK3
What makes the Hot Drive'n Boost MK3 so good is it's versatility and the ability to incorporate the pedal into you're existing set-up. The pedal has been designed with the amp in mind, it does not change your existing tone, it compliment it. The distortion is beautifully transparent and the different variations achieved through using the MK3 can really add new dimensions to you're tone.
Basically, the Hot Drive'n Boost gives you the opportunity to go to 'eleven'.
For a distortion pedal, this unit is one of the quietest I have heard. A full spectrum of distortion tones is achieved from slightly dirty blues tones to full on screaming sustained metal tones.
This is perhaps one of the better distortion pedals money can buy. The pedal even worked a treat when coupled with an acoustic guitar, and if it is milky, clear distortion that you require this is the pedal for you.

AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN (Australia) November 2003. DeLayla
Let me say straight off the bat that the Carl Martin DeLayla is the best stomp box I have ever had the pleasure of using.
After plugging in my guitar and hitting the on switch my jaw hit the ground, this is the holy grail of guitar delay. The DeLayla sounds so much like a tape delay, I tell you, the smile on my face started to hurt after a while.
The main delay is sweet and musical; think classic Jimmy Page or early U2. The DeLayla sounded awesome when used as part of an effect loop. This unit worked great on stage with absolutely no noise at all and was masterful in the recording studio. I bussed this unit across a vocal with no apparent problems, the low signal to noise ratio makes using the DeLayla in the studio a piece of cake and I feel this unit is usable for far more than just guitar tracks.

GUITAR PLAYER (USA) November 2003. Two Faze
The Two Faze does indeed sound an awful lot like the vintage Maestro pedal, producing thick and vibey phase textures that range from very slow and swishy to gurgling to ultra-fast. Like all Carl Martin pedals, the Two Faze is handwired in Denmark using very high-quality components, so its operation is super-quiet, and there are no pops or clicks when switching. You don’t get much control over the sound, but you do get two speeds to choose from, and the sound quality is excellent. Think of it this way: The Two Faze gives you two classic phasers for less than you’d pay for a single original PS-1. Groovy. 
Pros: Two phasers in one pedal. Cool vintage sound.
Cons: None.

GUITARIST (UK) November 2003. Hot Drive'n Boost MK3
The company says that it will enhance any tube amp, and it sure looks like a survivor- it's built like a small armoured car and has an integral power supply with captive mains lead.
Once I'd lived with it for an hour or so I really started enjoying using this Carl Martin, and it definitely seems to give you additional channels on your amp.
I was able to go from clean to rock mayhem or dirty to all-out warfare without any trouble at all. Drive always added subtle upper midrange body to the sound in a way I liked, while the Wave control contributed gentle upper end boost to give my sound a bit more edge and cut.

GUITARIST (UK) July 2003. Two Faze
The Two Faze combines the relatively gentle sounds of early phase shifter pedals with improved sonic fidelity offered by modern technology.
Like all Carl Martin pedals, the Two Faze is well built, with an all-steel chassis.
The drawback with units from the sixties and seventies, of course, is their unreliability, but Carl Martin has shown once again how the addition of carefully sourced and matched components to a classic pedal design can provide the best of both worlds.
The Dual phaser is a great feature, and the overall quality, in terms of design and sound, is worth paying extra for.

GITAAR PLUS (Netherlands) June 2003. DeLayla
"Never did a manufacturer of effect pedals succeed in building a small tape echo type of effect as efficient as Carl Martin did." "Ventures and Shadows fans won't be disappointed as the sound quality is at a much higher level than we are used to with pedals."

GITAAR PLUS (Netherlands) June 2003. Two Faze
"The Two Faze is not just a Phaser, as I assumed. By the combination of the two effects you get closer to a chorus, a tremolo or a vibrato. But these effects are much more convincing with this combination in the Two Faze".

GITAAR PLUS (Netherlands) June 2003. CM pedals in general
"One of the most important benefits of Carl Martin pedals is the built-in power supply...not very often did I hear such noiseless pedals."
"Once you bought these pedals, you'll stick to them."

GUITAR BUYER (UK) Feb 2003. Big John
If you're looking to build up your own pedalboard, the Big John is one of the best-made units out there at around this price range. Compared to the expense of having a custom-made power-supply, investing in the bulletproof Big John will power your pedals quietly and reliably, resisting the onslaught of your size 11 s with ease.

GUITAR BUYER (UK) Feb 2003. Two Faze.
Like the DeLayla, the Two Faze presents all of the preferred analogue warmth and breadth without the extraneous noise common to same older vintage phasers. Also, we particularly like how the preset level of the effected signal balances against the original guitar tone - even with the phase rate wound up to a psychedelic burble, the primary tone remains true.
Again, a totally clean bypass tone and extremely low signal-to-noise ratio rounds up the Two Faze into every bit the professional unit.
Silky smooth performance and superlative construction are two main factors that elevate the Two Faze to the professional league.

GUITAR BUYER (UK) Feb 2003. DeLayla
The 'tap' facility certainly feels right on the money in terms of replicating the trickling sound of a genuine multihead tape echo - minus the annoying mechanical noises or humming as the tape begins to degrade. Setting up very authentic-sounding vintage echo tones is very easy - we had bags of fun wielding a Strat and the DeLayla to conjure up same cool Shadows impressions.
Overall, the main delay has a very warm and musical quality that endears itself quickly. Hooked into the FX loops an a pair of good quality solid-state and tube guitar amps, the DeLayla performs well, adding a subtle ambient halo to the guitar sounds, and unlike same other analogue delay pedals, the DeLayla's low signal-to-noise ratio doesn't present any problems when recording with the unit.
The DeLayla's appeal lies mainly in the extremely high build-quality and simple, yet effective design. Hard working retro rockers disenchanted by the high prices demanded for vintage tape echo devices will find this hard to beat.

GUITAR BUYER (UK) Feb 2003. CM pedals in general.
Following their initial release way back in 1993 (is it really that long ago?), Carl Martin pedals quickly earned a strong reputation for producing studio-quality analogue effects within the confines of just a humble stompbox. Alongside the impressive build quality, another of the pedals' more interesting features was that they were among the first to offer two-in-one functionality along with a high-quality built-in power supply.

Australian Guitar Magazine (AU) May 2002. Compressor/Limiter.
The Carl Martin on the other hand almost lives up to its boast of studio quality compression. Awesome clarity of sound, and very smooth threshold, compression, response and gain Controls combine to create the sort of useable, sensitive sound shaping any fussy player dreams of.

Australian Guitar Magazine (AU) May 2002. TremO'vibe.
The tremolo (volume variation) is nice and smooth and very sensitive to tweaking, and the vibrato (pitch modulation) has enough range to make even the straightest guitar line sound like a serious acid victim.

Australian Guitar Magazine (AU) May 2002. The Fuzz.
Forget Fuzz, this is the works.
As the name suggests, the Fuzz is here, from a Fuzz Face veil to a Big Muff growl, you'll pull any classic psychedelic feel you like. But say you just want a nice warm overdrive, or perhaps a hair metal solo tone, or even a dirty punk rock buzz. They're all here, and not just in approximate form, but as close to the real deal as almost anybody could want.
For studio applications this pedal is amazing, and on stage you'll get more tones that you could ever use in one show, even if you can only use one per song.

Australian Guitar Magazine (AU) May 2002. Chorus XII
My biggest gripe with chorus pedals in general is that they all too often sound completely synthetic, with no hint of an organic guitar sound behind the wash of effect. The Chorus XII overcomes this more than any chorus pedal 1've ever encountered.
This is a chorus pedal that is worthy of a place between an AC30 and Gibson 335, a complement to great tone and great playing, rather than a mask for the opposite of those things.

Australian Guitar Magazine (AU) May 2002. The Fuzz, TremO'vibe, Compressor Limiter, Chorus XII.
Put simply, think of these as the Rolls Royce’s of stomp boxes - constructed in Denmark to the highest standards, the Carl Martin range not only offer unrivalled workmanship, but also deliver some stunning innovations.
The most striking feature about the entire range of Carl Martin pedals is the fact that they are silent not just very quiet, but silent. Recording with these pedals into a Pro Tools system proved simply stunning - no hum, even with three pedals in sequence. While this silence is probably less crucial on stage, in the studio environment it is a godsend, and has prompted many of the top guitarists in the world to take these pedals into recording sessions with increasing regularity.
And while silence is golden, mains power is wonderful and bulletproof construction highly desirable, it is really the sound we are interested in, and fortunately the Carl Martin range is as good at making a noise as they are at everything else. Looking at each of the four pedals we received in turn, the tonal quality offered here is absolutely without equal.

Australian Guitar Magazine (AU) May 2002. Combinator.
We all know the frustration that can be associated with effects - there's not just the problem of finding the right sound, you've then also got to be able to summon that sound on a dimly lit stage after the best part of a six pack. Combining effects has in the past always come with some degree of compromise - either you compromise your tone and use a cheap multi effects unit, compromise your bank balance and use a good multi effects unit or compromise your sanity and learn to tap dance on your stomp boxes.
So, it is good news for guitarists everywhere that a few companies are attempting to find a solution to these problems, and Carl Martin are leading the way with their Combinator.
                      Lag time between patch changes is extremely short, and like all Carl Martin equipment, the Combinator is very, very quiet.
The Combinator is beautiful in its simplicity, with both programming and operation almost fool proof. The fact that the Combinator allows you to set up patches, rather than just queuing pedals as you need them makes it a dream. This is very much like having a programmable multi effects unit but with the tonal superiority of dedicated analogue stomp boxes rather than those often nasty digital effects in the all-in-one units.

Michael Delugg Music Production Supervisor
LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN Sept. 2001. 2R IM164L Mini Mic.
When I first received some CARL MARTIN 2Rs to listen to, I was concerned that such a small microphone would not be able to "deliver."  After using the microphones for several months I'm quite pleased. I've used them on acoustic pianos, congas, bongoes, some drums... even guitar amps. In all applications, the mic has produced a nice transparency that is remarkable for its size and price. If you need a small "general purpose" microphone, you should give this one a listen.

  GUITARIST (UK) Nov.  2001. DeLayla.
The quality of sound is excellent with a beautifully rich and organic tone, and there's plenty of delay time for the majority of classic repeat effects.
The Delayla produces a stunning slap-back echo that sounds really vintage-authentic, made bigger and richer with some of the tap effects mixed in.

ONSTAGE Magazine (USA) Sept. 2001. 2R IM164L Mini Mic.
Every cook knows you can't make a good meal without good ingredients, and similarly you can't make a good recording without microphones that deliver the full range of frequencies. This microphone won't necessarily hand you a good sound on a silver platter, but it gives you the potential to get a good sound when used on nearly any source.
The Microphone can deliver the full range of frequencies, and if used carefully and intelligently it can be made to sound really good on a wide variety of sources.

Guitar Player (USA) July 2001. The Combinator.
Programming the Combinations is a snap. Simply press the large button next to each effect you want in the preset, hit store, and you're done. Then with the touch of one footswitch, you can get pedal combinations that would have taken numerous foot-tapping moves and saddled you with shin splints or a high-ankle sprain.

GUITARIST (UK) Spring 2001. The Combinator
The Combinator offers enough flexibility for even the most demanding stompboxer in typical Carl Martin style, the Combinator is very well made.
Everything about the Combinator proves to be of high quality. Operation is almost entirely noiseless; any extraneous sound is likely to be down to the effects units you use.
If you've ever tried to make a MIDI-controller agree with a range of MIDI-compatible devices, you'll appreciate the simplicity of this device - it really is a case of `plug and play'.
For a player who needs to combine the individuality of seperate stompboxes with a sophisticated palette of sounds, the Combinator  would make a worthwhile investment and a loyal friend for many years.

RECORDING MAGAZINE (USA) November 2000. 2R IM164L Mini Mic.
Unusual capsule, unusual wiring, unusually good sound.
The mic is surprisingly less beamy on the top end than a few other inexpensive omnis, and in a live recording/stage situation that can translate to better gain before feedback than you'd normally get from an omni. 

Guitar Magazine (UK) March 2000. The Fuzz
At the top end comes Carl Martin and, for once, the extra money is fully justified. The added dimension offered by its massive EQ allowance means this isn’t the most straightforward of units to get accustomed to, but it’s surely the most flexible, all-encompassing fuzz unit available today.

GUITAR WORLD (USA) January 2000. Crunch Drive - Rock Drive
Heavy Drive & Noise Terminator
The problem with many distortion pedals is their attitude. Most expect to be used as the main source of your gain-enhanced tone and show little respect for the characteristics of your amp. These Carl Martin pedals don't assume you want to transform your beloved, saggy AC30 into a spandex-ripping Triple Rectifier. Instead, they simply give you another slice of what you already like.

GUITAR WORLD (USA) January 2000. Noise Terminator
The Noise Terminator worked extremely well, and without altering the original tone characteristic of your setup.

Electronic Musician (USA) Dec. 1999. Compressor/Limiter
The Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter has more features than most dynamic pedals and sounds better than many rack-mount processors.
Although the Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter is not exactly inexpensive, you definitely get what you pay for. I've tried lots of dynamic pedals (including the TC Parametric EQ/Sustainer), and nothing rivals this sound and versatility. This box rocks!

Guitar Player (USA) August 1999. 3 band parametric pre-amp
I could imagine a studio player running almost everything through this pedal, sweetening or sharpening tones to suit the situation. And, with its transparent gain, this box is a great choice for anyone seeking a powerful, clean toned solo boost.

Guitar Player (USA) August 1999. Compressor/Limiter
The CM Compressor/Limiter may be the best sounding stomp box compressor I've heard, and it gets an Editor's Pick Award.

GUITARIST (UK) May 1999. Crunch Drive-Rock Drive & Heavy Drive
There's hardly anything to complain about with these pedals. The Danish designer these are created by Holm Malmquist - certainly knows a thing or two about tone and how to cram it into a little black boxes, so anyone looking to augment or upgrade their pedalboard would do well to take a look.

Recording Magazine (USA) February 1999. TremO'vibe
The TremO'vibe ducked so close to silence at its lowest level that it sounded like the effect you'd get from an old Würlitzer electric piano it sounded dynamite on keyboards.

Recording Magazine (USA) February 1999. Compressor/Limiter
We had a chance to compare the Carl Martin to a couple of similar priced, and more expensive rack mount compressors, including a popular rack tube/optocompressor. The CM was brighter, had a snappier response and offered more range of tone and tweak.

GUITARIST (UK) December 1998. TremO´vibe
I'd expected the pedal to sound good, but not quite this good! The warmth and smoothness of both effects is simply second to none, while the bypass function is quiet as a church mouse who's just spotted Tiddles The Pulpit Killer on the prowl.

Guitar Magazine (UK) Nov. 1998. Boost Kick
If getting your solos to cut through the cacophony of the band is a bit of a problem, it would be worth checking out this little cracker.with a potential 12dB boost and Carl Martin´s fab EQ, hitting the right sound at the right level is a breeze. In front of a loud overdriven Marchall, the leap is one of the finest - if not very best - I've encountered.

Guitar Magazine (UK) Nov. 1998. Rock Drive
This is one of the best overdrive units I've heard and a pleasure to play.

Guitar Magazine (UK) Nov. 1998. THE FUZZ
Weighing in a considerable £145, this unit really needs to deliver the goods to justify the bottom line - and thankfully it does! From hard barks with little sustain to fat saturated tones that last forever, this baby has got the lot. This pedal is truly excellent - and suddenly the price tag spells value for money.

GUITARIST (UK) July 1997. Chorus XII
This is another example of how Carl Martin is coming up with ingenious ways of improving on basic effect pedals.
Within its range of extremely usable sounds, it works incredibly well.
Do you want to know what impressed me most? Well, it's just so quiet.

GuitarPlayer (USA) July 1997. Chorus XII
Make me remember what I used to like about stereo chorus.

GuitarPlayer (USA) June 1997. Hot Drive'n boost MKII
One of the most natural sounding and usable distortion pedals we have tried.

GUITARIST (UK) July 1997. Hot Drive'n Boost
An Excellent sounding and incredibly useful pedal, offering wide scope and usability, along with high-class construction and components.

Will Ray (Hellecasters) Compressor/limiter
Finally, compression without depression! I love the LED indicator and the wide dynamic range.

John Jorgenson (Hellecasters-Elton John) Compressor/Limiter
Sophisticated, versatile and sensitive enough to enhance my playing dynamics rather than detract from them.

Jerry Donahue (Hellecasters) Compressor/Limiter
A giant leap above all compressor pedals. I even use it in the studio. It has all the right ingredients.

David Williams & Michael Jackson

David Williams (Michael Jackson/Madonna etc.) Compressor/limiter
I tried it I liked it! And now I can not imagine playing without it.

Guitarist Magazine (France) April 1996. 3 Band Parametric Pre-Amp.
This pedal offers a wide range of applications for Electric Guitar, Electric Bass
And Electro Acoustic Guitar. And even as an active DI box with it's XLR output.
In any case the result is excellent.

Bassist (UK) August 1995. CM pedals in general.
High performance, low-noise pedals which can be used live or in the studio are rare beasts, but that's the case here. Pedals which work at this level of efficiency and are this well made, with this level of pedigree aren't cheap, but in the same breath aren't expensive either. If you appreciate paying for quality, the Carl Martins wont be found wanting.

MM Musikermagasinet (Sweden) April 1995. Compressor/Limiter
I have no reservations; it's simply the best compressor pedal I have tried.

FACHBLATT Musik Magazin April 1993. Hot Drive'n Boost
Contrary to other actual distortion pedals, the Carl Martin pedal does not alter your basic sound characteristics of your instrument and amplifier, quite on the contrary, it offers additional sound nuances.