One of our favorite pedals ever here at Pedal of the Day has got to be the Goatkeeper Analog Tap Tremolo/Sequencer from Lightfoot Labs. An intriguing blend of trem pulses and sequencing, this no-longer manufactured effect has become highly sought-after, and if you can find one, they have the price tag to prove it. Although we are fortunate enough to own an original, we were stoked to hear the news that the creative minds at Malekko Heavy Industry were releasing a new version of this gem, but in a smaller, pedalboard-friendly size.
The new Goatkeeper is a redesigned version of the original: an all-analog tremolo circuit using a THAT Corp VCA, which when combined with the built-in waveforms, can produce tremolo sounds from percussive to smooth. The LFO generation consists of two stages, each with a range of multiplier values and waveform selection. There are four modes that the two stages can run in: Sequential (the two stages are run one after the other), Composite (the two stages are run simultaneously and the effective waveform is a polyrhythmic composite of the two), Modulation (the two stages are run simultaneously and the second waveform modulates the first waveform) and Single (first stage only for classic tremolo sounds).
The Rate knob sets the overall tempo of the tremolo, which can also be controlled via the Tap/Sync jack. The Depth knob varies the intensity of the effect, from subtle to wickedly pulsing and vibrating, for a wide range of sonic emotions to cover. The multipliers for Stage 1 and 2 both go from 1-9, with Stage 1 also containing 12 and Random options, and Stage 2 adding 10 and 11 on its end. The waveforms (sine, square, pulse, long square, ramp up, ramp down) are set individually on each stage, creating simple to complex polyrhythms with ease.
Basically, this is a pedal that LOVES to be experimented with. Be sure to have a pen and pad handy, too, if you want to remember any of the zillion settings you can discover on this thing. Big, fat pulses, tiny blips and bleeps and anything and everything in between are readily available in the new Goatkeeper from Malekko, and you are going to want to sit and explore them all, believe us. Cheers for an excellent reimagining of a classic effect, one that needs to be on more recordings and in more rigs, and now can do so with a reasonable price tag.
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