The Assblaster is an absolutely unique, deviant, evil, and yellow effects system unlike any other available. The sounds it makes are always new, often very unpredictable, and are never repeatable.
The Assblaster combines several of Metasonix’s classic vacuum-tube processing circuits: The preamp stage from the TM-7 “Scrotum Smasher” distortion pedal, the pulser of the TM-1 vacuum-tube waveshaper, and the the thyratron tube voltage controlled oscillator of the TM-3 all-tube oscillator. It also introduces a wide-sweeping bandpass filter with an envelope filter function, and an envelope follower that also outputs a gate signal that drives a vactrol-based noise gate with driver.
This special limited “terminal edition” includes an additional switch at the far left that introduces a lot of chaos to the signal when driven with a decent amount of gain.
This device goes so much farther beyond any pedal I’ve heard to date, and completely redefined my notions of what distortion could be. With two CV inputs, and external ring modular carrier input, CV output from its envelope, separate outputs for the pulser and the thyratron VCO, and three foot switch inputs, this device moves way beyond the sound design and modulation options of competing devices – that is, if you still consider any of them competitors after hearing this thing.
