Fuzz. It’s awesome, and you know it. While there are a TON of different fuzz pedals on the market, it’s one of those sub-sectors of pedal that seem to somehow make each pedal sound completely different. You can line up 10 random fuzzes and do a sound test with them, and they’ll inevitably each possess unique characteristics and sonic qualities, which is by no means a bad thing. A prime example of a standout, in-a-class-by-itself fuzz pedal is today’s creative stompbox masterpiece: the Defibrillator Reanimating Shock Fuzz from Paradox Effects.
The Defibrillator starts off tame enough, and you think you might be in for a normal sonic ride with another rad-sounding fuzz, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then, you turn one knob, then another, then you flip one switch and then stomp on a second, and before you know it, the fuzz has completely been transformed into an uncontrollable wall of buzzsaws, glitches, blips, squeaks and snorts, and your eyes are wide with delight. The Volume controls the pedal’s overall output, and that’s where the “normal” controls pretty much end. The Tone control uses an “anti-resonant” filter to remove certain bandwidths, which in turn create scooped sounds with radical changes, depending on how you turn the knob. This tone controls is very interactive, and moves through a HUGE range of sounds throughout its turning capacity, so hang on and get ready. The Sensitivity control is like a Gain of sorts, but was designed to lessen the harshness of instruments using active pickups. This control plays off of the Tone control for a multitude of sonic embellishments that are both terrifying and fun as hell.
If these sound-producers weren’t enough, the Defibrillator has a couple more surprises for you. There’s a toggle switch in the middle of the pedal that, when flicked downward, turns the sound coming out into a synth-type noise, with octave overtones as well. This toggle changes the entire dynamic of the fuzz, and opens up yet another dimension of sonic possibilities to explore and try to tame. Plus, there’s a SECOND footswitch, called Shock, which basically does just that. This switch, when engaged, boosts the Defibrillator’s already potent signal UP even further in volume, as well as adding in some more color and chaos. With all of these controls at your disposal, there’s no shortage of killer fuzz sounds to be had, just make sure you keep the Volume at a reasonable level as you figure out how this pedal works, for it would be a shame to blow your amp’s speaker after just 5 minutes, no?
The Defibrillator Reanimating Shock Fuzz definitely lives up to its name, as it is one of the hardest, loudest, most potent and funnest fuzzes I’ve had the pleasure to play. It takes a bit to get down what it really is and what it can do, but that is all part of the fun, and once you figure it out, the possibilities are vast and welcoming. Thanks so much to Efren and Fernando and everyone else over at Paradox Effects for sending this bad boy to us to check out – they’ve got more crazy gear on their website as well, make sure to check ’em out and say HI!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
Trackbacks/Pingbacks