I have played a tremolo pedal or two in my days as a guitarist, and the optical Tremolo from Diamond Pedals is right up there at the top of the list. With so many variables, the sonic possibilities are vast, but getting to them is the real fun part with this pedal.
The Speed knob controls the rate of the modulation, moving from a slow, pulsing wave to a extreme, almost whirly sound close to a ring modulator. There’s also a Tap Tempo switch, allowing the user to control the Speed with their foot, for on-the-spot tempo changes and rhythm excursions. Also, if you hold this switch down, the current speed will instantly be DOUBLED, which adds another piece to your sonic arsenal. The Depth knob measures how intense the pedal’s modulation is, with a huge range going from subtle, gentle tones to throbbing, pulsing, gyrating tremolo sounds. The Mode knob is a pretty unique feature to this pedal, in that you can choose from 6 different modes to play with, each affecting the signal in its own individual way: Quarter Note, Eighth Note, Triplet, Rhythmic, Chaotic and Manual, in which you use the Tap Tempo switch to affect the signal and how it’s applied to your tone.
Another great feature is the Waveform toggle switch, from which you can select one out of four different waveforms. The Shark (Green LED) Waveform is the most basic, I think, and it provides smooth, easy, and melodic trem tones out of all the modes, regardless of what Mode you are in. The Sine (Orange LED) Waveform provides a bit of an in-out pulsing signal, which I found to work marvelously for fingerpicking and fast note runs. The Square (Red LED) Waveform has been my favorite so far, emitting random bursts of volume-boosting sound after strumming a chord (an awesome setting is in Triplet Mode with the Speed and Depth at about 2:00). Finally, the Chop (alternating Red and Green LEDs) Waveform is a harsh, on/off form that sounds like only the Wet signal is coming through, which makes for some very chaotic and interesting “choppy” pulses.
With so many options and that smooth analog signal path, this is in my top 2 tremolos of all time, and I can’t wait to continue to find more hidden and exciting tones in the years to come. I’ve got to give a HUGE thanks to Aimish and Diamond Pedals for making an awesome contribution in the form of this incredible pedal – thanks so much for your support, guys, we couldn’t do this without you! Make sure to go check out the rest of their high-quality line of pedals, you’re not going to be disappointed, I promise!
Specs:
Vactrol opto-isolator variable resistance path as used by many classic amplifier circuits of the 1960’s
Tremolo speed adjustable via Tap Tempo footswitch or front panel knob
Front panel control of volume for easily matching dry and wet signals
True Bypass operation
100% Analog Signal Path
4 user-selectable waveforms (Sharkfin, Sine, Square & Chop)
Premium audio components, including 2% Panasonic polypropylene capacitors and 1% metal film resistors
Bi-color LEDs provide visual indication of speeds and waveform selection
9V battery or standard negative tip 9V DC adapter operation
Submitted by Mike B, Website
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