The Secret Behind Empress Effects' Legendary Sounds

Products of Music · Jul 10, 2026 · 57m

Welcome to Products of Music, a podcast sharing inside stories and expert insights on product innovation in music technology.

In this episode:

Host Adam Wakeling speaks with Steve Bragg, founder of Empress Effects, about his founder story, approach to product development, the secrets behind the pristine sounds of Empress pedals, thoughts about the state of the market and much more.

Chapters:

00:00 Preview

01:21 Intro

02:25 Pedal pricing

02:20 Steve's founder story

05:45 Art versus science in design

07:45 Why surface-mount tech is best

11:25 Why Empress pedals sound 'pristine'

15:37 Chase…