Let’s be honest: ring modulators are just not for everyone. However, for those of us that love innovation, chaotic noise and aggressively distorted sounds, you can’t go wrong when in this genre of effects. The original Gonkulator from DOD was released in the 90’s, and has become somewhat of a cultish, sought-after pedal, which usually leads to becoming overpriced and difficult to obtain. Luckily, for a little while at least, DigiTech and DOD re-released this mammoth with updated circuitry and more flexible carrier signal control. Let’s see what it’s all about!
The Gonkulator produces crazy, robotic modulation sounds, in the best possible ways. The Gain knob adjusts the amount of distortion gain that is applied to your signal, while Dist adjusts the distortion’s output level, and Output sets the overall level of the signal output (sounds a little confusing, but it isn’t). The Freq knob allows you to move the frequency of the carrier signal (wave) on the original input signal, and Ring adjusts the amount of ring modulation output. These five control yield an enormous spectrum of sonic marvels, including oscillation, octaves, distortion and more, and sounds incredible when put in line with other effects as well.
For whatever reason, DOD decided to discontinue making this pedal once again, but these can be found relatively inexpensively. Plus, with a name like Gonkulator, it’s worth spending a little bit of money to find out what it can do, especially if you’re a musical experimenter. Ring Mod fans will love this pedal, and the distortion circuit is an added bonus for sure, making your ring mod sounds heavy and aggressive, without being overpowering or too in-your-face. Check out our demo below to hear a little bit of what you can do with it, and have a great weekend!!
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