Events: FX Hackathon - an event for pedalheads and effect enthusiasts

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FX Hackathon Overview

The FX Hackathon combines analog and digital effects tinkering combined with an effects showcase from various pedal makers and audio effects designers—it’s an event for students and the public hosted by WPI's RATLab (the Electric Guitar Innovation Lab and the Interactive Music Systems Lab) whereby students work in small teams with coaches (musicians, faculty, and professionals from pedal/effects communities) to create interesting audio effect devices alongisde a pedal showcase, a pedal repair station, and more! The event is sponsored by The Les Paul Foundation and run by a growing community of friends and companies that like making unique sounds!

The FX Hackathon will return on Saturday, April 5th 2025 10am - 3pm in Alden Hall


↳ For Attendees:

And it's not just hacking! FX Hackathon 2025 will feature a pedal showcase and hands-on electronics DIY/tinkering activities in our Soundgarden™ (powered by CopperSound Pedals), a Pedal Repair Station (powered by Rock n' Repair) all day long in Alden Hall with audio effects companies. Our 2024 event included Fuzzrocious Pedals, Electronic Audio Experiments, Poison Noises, and others; attendees were able to demo unique pedalboard rigs designed by Stompbox Sonic, play a mythical SynthAxe, and hear performances by guitarist Andy Pitcher and harpist Emily Hopkins ! Come by, hang out, make noise, and be fun—open to the public!

↳ For Hacker Participants:

Undergraduate students of all majors and experience levels are invited to participate as hackers using both digital and analog development tools—only a love of audio and an interest in learning about effects processing are required! Have fun, learn stuff, and win prizes!

Some video clips from last time...

Parking and Getting Around

Free parking is available in WPI's West Street lot and parking garage and the event location on campus is in Alden Hall pictured here and mapped here . Food is available a short walk from us in the Campus Center

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What are the hackers doing?! (in 60 seconds)

Our Software-to-Hardware Development Workflow

Our Software-to-Hardware Development Workflow

From code to hardware! We develop/adapt/prototype effects using software-based resources and then push that code to pedals and other standalone hardware devices!

FX Development Primer

FX Testing Rig.

a guide for developing effects using the FX Testing Rig and Max. Learn more .

Take a Look

...at our previous FX Hackathon

2024 Project Personnel and Collaborators

-V.J. Manzo, Founding Director and PI of the Electric Guitar Innovation Lab
-Ryan McKenna, WPI alumnus and Research Associate for the Electric Guitar Innovation Lab
-Our FX Testing Rig and related tools are maintained by a team of contributors in our lab
-Our hardware and software-to-hardware integration is based on the work of Electro-smith using the Max programming environment developed by Cycling '74 .
-Hackathon Coaches & Helpers Scott Barton , Izzy Tonelli-Sippel , David Ibbett , and almnus Gia Serano
-Sponsored by The Les Paul Foundation
-Keynote presentation/demo/performances by Andy Pitcher and Emily Hopkins
-All of the many WPI students who have helped us run this event including the Lab RATs Tony Amico, Imogen Barnes, Leagsaidh Collis, Darcy Milligan, and international RAT field-correspondants Ava Mattimore, Syrena Prytko, and Sam Forrero , and the Student Music Association Gibson Phillips, Isabel Morello, and Vincent Boothroyd
-Videography/documentary by Andre Fludd
-Photography by Matt Burgos

Our FX Hackathon 2024 Partners, Sponsors, and Friends:

See Also:


-More About FX Development


-Les Paul Projects


-Our Previous FX Hackathons: 2024, 2023, 2022