Chaos Audio Lowers Price of Stratus, Enjoys International Growth

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Jul 03, 2024, 10:10 ET

Pedal and plugin maker takes steps to make hardware more affordable

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With a change in its pricing and business model, Chaos Audio has reduced the cost to acquire Stratus, its multi-effect, app-enabled guitar pedal.

"We wanted to scale up by lowering the barrier to entry for people to get their hands on the hardware," said Chaos Audio CEO Landon McCoy.

Chaos Audio's compact but powerful Stratus pedal (Image credit: Chaos Audio)

Stratus is billed as an easy and affordable way for guitarists to get any tone they're after (Image credit: Chaos Audio)

The Stratus pedal had been selling well at $380, but Chaos has dropped the price to $249 to grow the community of Stratus users more rapidly.

There is a bit of a tradeoff.

Chaos Audio has reduced the number of free effects included in Stratus purchases from 34 to 18. Paid effects may be acquired individually or in bundles, such as their new "TonePass" package.

"We were charging more for a Stratus pedal than the cost of an iPad," McCoy said. "We needed to make it more affordable."

Chaos Audio is growing domestically and internationally. By securing a distributor based in Germany, the company has brought about greater affordability for European musicians with an interest in obtaining the uniquely versatile Stratus pedal.

"We have signed on with B4 Distribution in Remagen, Germany, and they made an initial purchase of 108 pedals," McCoy said. "That's huge because until now, anyone from outside the United States had to buy from us directly."

That meant purchasers were subject to shipping costs and import fees that totaled about half of the price of the pedal itself.

"Now, they are going to see a much lower price tag," McCoy said. "They will be able to go to a local music store or order one from a dealer site like Thomann," Europe's largest online music gear retailer.

"The whole team at B4 Distribution looks forward to working with Chaos Audio and helping them achieve a successful future with their product portfolio," said Volker Buchele, B4's chief operating officer. "Their hardware and software will certainly find its way to many pedalboards, rehearsal rooms, studios and stages." For McCoy, having a European based pedal-pusher has been a big step. And he hasn't stopped there. He has reached agreement with the MVM Company, which distributes musical equipment and software in efforts to "advance the music industry" in South Korea.

In a prepared statement, MVM enthusiastically described its relationship with Chaos.

"Imagine a world where learning guitar is as thrilling as performing on stage," the statement begins. "At MVM, we've discovered just that with our latest partner: Chaos Audio.

"We're not just excited; we're honored to join forces with Chaos. Their cutting-edge approach is set to redefine the music landscape, and we're thrilled to be at the forefront of this sonic boom."

For more information, contact Chaos Audio CEO Landon McCoy at [email protected] or reach the company by phone at 850.290.2033.

SOURCE Chaos Audio