Modulation can add an entirely new dimension to any musical endeavor, whether it be a subtle, layered effect or a noise-laden, pulsating fury of sound screaming through your amplifier. The Tremulus Maximus from RPS Effects is an exciting, fully analog optical tremolo and amplitude modulator that will change your approach to writing and recording your tunes. While it features a pretty straightforward control section, the ranges available make it an asset to anyone, and with a couple of tasty additional options, its a big deal in a small package.
Right off the bat, Depth sets how intense the effect is, from just barely there to a full-on modulated nightmare (in the best of ways). The Rate control spans a large frequency range (2Hz – 600Hz), giving a tremolo effect on the lower half of the knob and a sort of ring modulator on the upper section. There’s an expression jack as well, for use with an external Expression pedal, that may be used to set the Rate hands-free (we love that options for just about any pedal).
The Auto knob provides a very natural and musical variation of the modulation rate. The change directly follows your playing, speeding up when the note is first hit and then slowing down as the note fades out. You can select from two different waveforms via a toggle switch here as well. Triangle offers a smoother sound, whereas the Square is more extreme, bringing out additional harmonics and, at its higher settings, allowing for a more chopped-up, glitchy kind of tremolo. The LED is even built into the entire bottom of the pedal – it pulses with the rate, and even changes color when you switch between the two waveform selections.
For a pedal this size, with these few options, this thing is POWERFUL. So much is packed into this effect, and it’s so dynamic and responsive – tremolo fiends will be in sonically blissful heaven in an instant. Kudos to RPS Effects once again (these guys are making some good stuff, people) for an innovative and smart approach to yet another effect – make sure to head over to see their whole lineup on their website, and get a small taster of the sounds the Tremulus Maximus can produce by watching our demo video below…
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