The Electro-Harmonix NANO Line has been out for a couple of years already, and the latest addition to the pedal line would have slipped past our radar if it wasn't for a Google search with disappointingly unintended results.

The Electro-Harmonix Steel Leather is a bass enhancer, designed to let your picking or plucking stand out a little bit more, making it the bane of everyone in your band outside of possibly the rhythm section. It allows for attack control for subtle (click here if you're a bassist) to total emphasis of bass attack. Separate controls over response and effect volume are also provided.

The Steel Leather operates over a narrow frequency range, concentrated towards expanding the attack part of a bass. Basically, expanding does the opposite of what compression does. It makes loud parts louder and quiet parts quieter to stretch out dynamics. Of course, by tweaking with the settings, you can come up with some interesting possibilities and choose where you want the emphasis to kick in.

And now, a short play by Crosstalk's Henry Bianco, submitted for inclusion in the forthcoming collection of short plays entitled "An Insider's View of the Boardroom -- Music Merchandisers Edition."

INT. Main Conference Room of EHX During a Brainstorming Session

Wild applause ensues.