Red Witch Pentavocal Tremolo
The Red
Witch Pentavocal tremolo offers several features that are completely
unique and unavailable elsewhere. Since the fifties the concept of
tremolo has changed very little. Controls for Speed, Depth, Volume and
Waveshape have been the parameters available for adjustment. Till now.
The Pentavocal tremolo is simply that - a tremolo with five different
voices to choose from. You can select the frequency response by turning
the rotary selector to the desired setting. From a delicate, shimmery,
flutter trem to a pulsy low end throb they're all there. The Pentavocal
trem can certainly also do the classic sound of a vintage valve trem and
then soooo much more. This pedal also has another unique feature - the
Bottom control. Find out about this by reading...
Velocity - This dial allows you to
select the speed of the tremolo. From Super Slow to Super Fast.
Depth
- Allows you to control the depth of
the effected sound (how ironic) Volume - Select from zero output to well
above unity gain - this enables you to never be faced with the heinous
volume drop that many trem pedals have when they're providing really
deep tremming.
Bottom - Yes – we’ve labeled one of the
controls bottom – not out of homage to a British comedy series or to the
shapely derrière of the fairer sex, but as a totally new option for
tremolo users. The Bottom control allows the user to dial in the amount
of mid range and hi frequency cut that occurs as the volume decreases in
the trem cycle. Simply put; Turn the bottom control all the way to the
left and the volume just increases and decreases as per a normal trem,
but set it all the way to the right and you’ll find that as the volume
decreases all of the hi end and midrange disappears. You can of course
dial in as little or as much of this effect as you like. Turning the
Bottom control fully clockwise whilst having the depth fully clockwise
also allows you to access an asymmetrical wave which sounds incredibly
pretty at high velocity. Lucky old you.
Voicing - A five way rotary switch that
lets you choose from 5 differently voiced tremolo settings.
Tremulate Footswitch - Bring the effect
into the the signal path by clicking this one. Truebypass switching.
Wave
Footswitch - Allows you to jump from a
lovely smooth tremolo over to a hard square chop by simply depressing
your foot. Bad foot, ugly, good for nothing foot....stinky foot.
Power
- The Pentavocal trem can be powered from either a nine volt battery or
an external nine volt adapter (Boss PSA styled is ideal - though
anything with a 2.1mm barrel plug with a negative center pin is fine.).
This pedal uses some sneaky circuitry to lift the internal voltage up to
17 regulated volts - the benefit of this is far greater headroom.
The Tremolo comes
finished in chrome with emerald text. Even the knobs on this visual
symphony are chrome plated (visual symphony???...steady on there
buddy!!!). An emerald green LED pulses along with the tremolo when the
effect is engaged. All components are top notch; Switchcraft jacks,
alpha pots, through hole double sided circuit boards etc etc. What more
could you want?
All clips recorded
with a Telecaster into a tweed fender twin amplifier. The tele is fitted
with Seymour Duncan STl-1 and STR-1 pickups (vintage).
Clip One; Clean,
Three different voicings , Slow LFO, Fast LFO
Clip Two; The bottom
control - first with bottom fully c/clockwise, then clockwise, the
c/clockwise, the clockwise.
Clip Three; The Wave
Switch
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